Grand River Blues Society.

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Grand River Blues Society

25 Frederick Street
P.O. Box 31051
Kitchener, Ontario N2H 6M0

Statement of Purpose

Creativity has been shown to have increasing economic value to a community. Renown economic development thinker, Richard Florida, has specifically documented the importance of a vibrant underground music scene to a city in attracting creative talent in other business sectors. Furthermore, the provincially-funded Ontario Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress, while acknowledging that Ontario cities compare favourably to American cities on creativity, states that Ontario communities should identify practical improvement opportunities "to enable them to compete in attracting and retaining knowledgeable, creative workers." In summary, it is clear from this that the social value of creativity in a community far exceeds its direct economic worth. Music is an expression of creativity. By creating a framework that encourages creative expression through music, the blues society will contribute to the development of the creative assets in the Grand River region.

The establishment of a blues society is intended to encourage a greater appreciation of the music being created in our community and, by drawing attention to it, encourage even more musical creativity. The Grand River Blues Society will concern itself with the blues genre of music. At the same time, it also understands the value of musical diversity in a community and will encourage residents to explore their own individual musical taste. In doing so, the society is confident that many will gain a greater appreciation for the blues. In providing opportunities to explore musical tastes, the society will welcome collaboration with organizations interested in other activities and other genres to provide the community with a deeper and wider overall creative experience.

The main purpose of the Grand River Blues Society is to be a commonly recognized organization in the Grand River region that encourages creative expression through blues music. It will also contribute to the overall creative musical experience in the region. The Grand River region is defined by the blues society as an area of Ontario that includes the cities of Brantford, Cambridge Guelph, Kitchener, Stratford and Waterloo.

Vision

Our vision is to:

* Live in a creative community with a superior appreciation of music where musicians are encouraged to create and perform their own music. The Society is confident that the blues genre of music is one with which many in our community would like to have greater experience, and
* Enjoy an environment where people can explore their own musical tastes either by making music or enjoying someone else’s music. The Society sees the blues genre of music to be an integral part of our community’s music scene.

Mission

Our mission is to:

* To discover, explore, and understand Grand River Blues
* Provide a framework that promotes musical creativity specifically in the area of blues music.
* Provide the community with the opportunity to gain appreciation and to learn more about the blues genre of music.
* To contribute more musical opportunities to enjoy.
* Encourage the pursuit of individuality in musical taste.