Levitt Shell Audience Development Research

The Levitt Shell annually provides over 50 free concerts at an outdoor bandshell in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee. In partnership with the Memphis Public Libraries, The Levitt Shell provides the "5 Fridays of Free Jazz" concert series, bringing in over 500 attendees each event. The model of free concerts has been used both at the Levitt Shell and Memphis Public Library, though demographics demonstrate that 5 Fridays of Free Jazz has a drastically different audience than the Free Concert Series Levitt Shell in terms of race and ethnicity. This paper examines the question of what factors that motivate people to attend free concerts at these two public venues.Echoing the Levitt Shell annual survey, this research compares the geographies, motivations, marketing methods, and experience of the attendees of the 5 Fridays of Free Jazz and Levitt Shell free concert series. The research team used random sample surveys and informal interviews at each concert; gaining zip codes and demographic data. The Levitt Shell and the Library will be able to see where there are communication and programming gaps. Overall, this project enables further discussion of public spaces in Memphis and how cultural events are accessed and enjoyed.

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Presentation by Natalie Peterson ('20) delivered at the Rhodes College Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium (URCAS).

Levitt Shell Audience Development Research

Peterson, Natalie A.

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