About
The Lawrence Music Census is a community-led initiative to gain a better understanding of the current music needs of the Lawrence, Kansas, community. This marks the first time that the music community will have new data from which to develop policy solutions and approaches.
This Census will capture key information about the Lawrence music economy to help the city and community to make more informed, data-driven decisions to support the music ecosystem. The Census is administered by Sound Music Cities, a leading provider of music ecosystem studies and music census work, in conjunction with the Lawrence Music Alliance, the City of Lawrence, eXplore Lawrence, and several local partners.
News & Events
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Become a Community Engagement Partner!
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO REACH A VILLAGE!
Become a Community Engagement Partner and help us conduct the most extensive survey of the Greater Lawrence music ecosystem ever completed.
WHAT WE’RE ASKING:
We will begin our survey in March 2024, and we’re asking you to send the survey to your contacts in the music and live entertainment ecosystem, encouraging individuals to take the survey. We also will ask you to periodically make social media posts to announce the launch of the survey, and encourage participation.
WHAT YOU’LL GET:
Most importantly, representation in the survey results – we want to be as inclusive as possible, which means we want the folks you work with and serve to have their voices heard. We will give community engagement partners a sneak peek of the survey data results before finalizing and publishing our dashboard report. And we would love to add your logo to our list of engaged partners!
Lead Partners
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Why is this data being collected?Music community leaders here in Lawrence and around the world have identified the importance of having measurable information about people who do music related work to provide them with better support. The results of this census will be made available to the thousands of music industry professionals, nonprofits, and government agencies in our area, as well as to the countless music patrons and consumers who are the lifeblood of our music ecosystem.
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What kind of questions are being asked?The census asks questions specific to the realities of music workers, including general information about their demographics and occupation types as well as their perspective on issues such as diversity, equity, and belonging.
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I value my privacy. Will the answers I provide really remain anonymous?Yes. The census does not collect any personal identifiers or IP addresses. Any individual responses highlighted in the published results will be attributed as “Census Respondent. “Raw data that is released will be bundled to prevent examining any one individual’s full set of responses. Further, the census platform maximizes the security and privacy of respondents. Learn more here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/privacy-for-survey-respondents/
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How long will it take to fill out the census?From 10-20 minutes, depending on your respondent category. (Creative, Venue Owner, or Industry) and whether you type in lengthy comments.
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Who is eligible to participate in the census?Those participating in the music industry in ANY capacity who are 18 years or older and living and working in the Lawrence / Douglas County area. This includes non-Douglas County residents who perform regularly in Lawrence area venues, participate in music programs, teach, or are members of Lawrence-based groups. Teachers, instructors, band, choir and orchestra members, and multidisciplinary performance artists are all eligible to take the survey.
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I'm not sure I qualify as a professional. Should I still participate?You should participate in the census if you contribute any type of music-related work, with or without compensation, and you believe your skills and commitment are worthy of acknowledgement and support. This includes part-time work, rarely paid work or volunteer work, and work that is more administrative than creative.
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How do I fill out the census if I have two different jobs in music, or own two or more music businesses?To keep the data analysis manageable, we must limit the census to one entry per person, which means you must select one primary identity (creative, venue owner, or industry). That said, we know that most music people work in more than one area, so you will also have an opportunity within the census to provide info on work you do in other identity categories.
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Do I have to take the census on a desktop computer?No. You can use a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Note that if you wish to leave and finish your response later, you will need to use the same device that you started with.
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When will the results be released publicly?The results of the Lawrence Music Census will be released in Fall of 2024. There will be three reports: Summary Report, Data Deck and a DEI report.
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Who do I contact if I have questions?You can email info@soundcities.com.
Community Engagement Partners
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