The MusicPortland Policy Council (MPC) is the first recognized community group to advise Portland City Council on ways to improve conditions for music of all genres in Portland. This new group of dedicated and community-minded volunteers will advise the City Council on policies to save, support, and strengthen Portland’s music scene. The council is comprised of seven music professionals representing musicians, music media, music business, music venues and local music organizers.
Portland has long been known for our strong independent music culture. Our local music scene has grown organically to earn international acclaim. But as Portland rapidly grows, and it becomes more expensive to live and work here, the music scene is increasingly at risk.
“There’s nothing inevitable about Portland’s success as a great music destination. We are losing too many music venues and affordable rehearsal spaces. We must act intentionally to stop that, or we risk losing the soul of our city.”
The MusicPortland Policy Council will:
propose ways the City of Portland can better support the music industry, including permitting and enforcement, small music business supports, additional musician loading zones, development and design standards, and other music supportive policies.
strive to identify and address problems within existing city policy and regulations that are hampering our music culture success and work creatively to rationalize them.
explore the efforts and successes of other cities’ work with local government to evolve entirely new approaches by government to be more supportive
One essential element of an effective music city is having city policy informed by people in the industry, and the MPC has a vital role in MusicPortland’s larger mission to unite, support, and defend the Portland music ecosystem. With a historic alliance with a majority of City Council (Commissioners Fish, Hardesty, and Eudaly support the MPC), we have the engagement and voice to create a music-supportive city code that can remove impediments that challenge our venues, music businesses, and musicians.
“The partnership with MusicPortland and the Musician’s Union has already been vital to finding creative solutions to the challenges musicians face. For example, musician loading zones weren’t something even remotely on our radar. Without their advocacy, it never would have happened. I’m excited for what’s next.”
“There’s so much more we could be doing to support music and musicians here in Portland. I am excited to hear directly from the community about their vision, and what we can do to help them make it happen.”
Meet the MusicPortland Policy Council
Adam Gonsalves
Telegraph Mastering
Music mastering is a uniquely intersectional role in music production that interacts with artists, producers, labels and nearly everyone in the music supply chain. For this reason Adam makes an ideal representative for the music business community on the Council to advocate for creative policy and incentives to support our music business ecosystem.
Jamie Dunphy
Prior to joining the MPC, Jamie served as Senior Policy Director to Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish. He channeled his 15-years as a working musician in Portland into policies to save music in Portland, including authoring the City's Affordable Arts Plan and championing the Musician Loading Zone program and the #PDXCARES Venue Fund.
EBEN HOFFER
Eben Hoffer is an artist and advocate. Prior to joining MPC, Eben was an NYC-based music theater artist, touring and composing for Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble, Big Dance Theater, Advanced Beginner Group, and more. While in New York, he served as Audio and Exhibitions Supervisor at The Kitchen, one of the birthplaces of multimedia experimental art in the United States. As a theater director, his latest project Memory Habit unpacked the concept and science of intergenerational trauma as we (mis)remember it in this land, wherever that is. His advocacy is centered on creating possibilities for joyful, accessible civic space in which people can be exactly as strange as they are.
Lori Hughes Killen
Lori Hughes Killen brings over 20 years of experience to Portland’s independent music ecosystem. She has worked both as a performer and producer for local projects such as Orchestre L’Pow Presents and Cooper and the Jam. Until recently, Lori spent almost a decade as talent buyer for McMenamins Presents. She coordinated the weekly music programming for seven McMenamins hotel properties and curated a variety of specialty programs, such as The Great NorthWest Music Tour and the annual country music festival, Sundown Grand Ol’ Country Fest. Lori continues to dedicate her time to industry advocacy work by serving as a board member for MusicPortland, plays an active role on the Music Portland Policy Council and supports the fundraising efforts of the Independent Venue Coalition through social media engagement.
Bruce Fife (Pres) & Mont Chris Hubbard (Sec/Treas)
AFM99
Bruce and Chris will share a seat on the MPC to represent the Musicians Union and their members. AFM99 provides years of local music advocacy experience and resources from within the International AFM where Bruce is currently the International Vice President. Chris is a highly respected theater musician and composer in addition to his work with the Union
Meara McLaughlin
Exec Director, MusicPortland
Meara has run MusicPortland since its inception in the last days of 2017 and its launch in September 2018. MusicPortland will provide support for the MPC with communications, data collection, and music policy connections and examples from other cities. MusicPortland seeks to represent all genres and communities of our local music ecosystem.