Quad Cities Named One of Best Metro Areas in U.S. For Musicians

We here in the QC love our live music and numbers reflect that.

A recent study by Vivid Seats looked at the top 22 metro areas in the U.S. that employ the highest rate of professional singers and musicians. They analyzed the Bureau of Labor statistics from last year and ranked the number of employed singers and musicians per 1,000 jobs. Now, their study didn't look at traveling musicians but their numbers do reflect full and part-time musicians.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines a singer or musician as people who "play one or more musical instruments or sing" and that "may perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording".

Not surprisingly, the area of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey are big for professional musicians, with 10 out of the top 22 being from those areas. Also on the list is Peoria, which is number 15.

But where in all this does the Quad Cities rank?

We're number 11. 

Here are the stats from the study:

• musicians and singers per 100k jobs: 48.3
• total number of musicians and singers: 80
• data not available on the hourly wage

The QC picked up our musical influences from the river traffic. Our nonprofits like River Music Experience and our events like the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, Bix Jazz Festival, and the litany of summer concerts all help keep the show going. We all love our live music, whatever style it is. We're only a month away from the awesome lineup at the Mississippi Valley Fair grandstand.

In case you're wondering, the best place for musicians to be is not remotely surprising. It's my former stomping grounds, Music City itself, Nashville, Tennessee.