A little further along in my reading of Richard Florida’s Who’s Your City?, I thought about Hickman County and the area:
“There is a growing movement in cities around the world to invest in culture as a way of improving their reputations and spurring economic growth. The Place and Happiness Survey found that while not quite as important as physical beauty and sociability, culture and nightlife do play a significant role in place satisfaction.”
“People today have a broader view of culture than what I’ve affectionately termed the SOB – symphony, opera, and ballet. While those cultural forms remain appealing to many, the most vibrant artistic and cultural communities combine traditional high-culture institutions with street-level art, music, and theater scenes. In a society where many people have little control over their own schedules, time has become one of our scarcest resources. Previous generations seemingly had more time for regular extracurricular activities. Today, it’s virtually impossible to plan in advance. Still, even if we lack the flexibility or freedom to fill our schedules with fun events, people like knowing they could go out and do something if they wanted to. The fact that such opportunities are there for the taking – when inspiration strikes or when family and friends come for a visit – is sufficient for many of us.” Dr. Richard Florida, Who’s Your City?
Middle Tennessee has the physical beauty and sociability, no doubt. Nashville has the SOB — Nashville Symphony, Nashville Opera, and Nashville Ballet — as well as Vanderbilt Opera Theatre (my wife is its director), Tennessee Repertory Theatre (Equity theater), Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Grand Ole Opry, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, etc. Hickman County has the Grinders Switch Music & Arts Festival, Clay Harris Theatre, Grinders Switch Radio Hour, as well as other music, arts, cultural, and street festivals. Come enjoy Hickman County’s community investment in arts, music, and cultural events.
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