Melomaniacs: The Improvised Journeys of Independent West Hollywood Musicians


Caroline Nagy, Independent Researcher; Fiscally sponsored by Fulcrum Arts

Melomaniac: a person with great enthusiasm and love for music

     If Los Angeles is considered the creative capital of the world, then West Hollywood (WeHo) musicians can be seen as its cultural citizens. From the historic Sunset Strip to “out and proud” Santa Monica Boulevard, the 1.9 square mile city has habitually served as a haven for emerging and established artists of multicultural genres and identities. And beyond securing its annals in music history, WeHo has routinely challenged the status quo and boundaries of The Arts, which continuously helps to attract and protect artistic individuals of all backgrounds—including the more than 40% of WeHo residents who identify as LGBTQ+ (data.weho.org, 2024). Funded by the City of West Hollywood and fiscally sponsored by Fulcrum Arts, this two-phase research project’s objective is to transverse the sociology of music, Arts advocacy and live performance by qualitatively studying the life courses, musicianship and solidarity of independent (i.e., non-commercial) musicians living and working in WeHo. Its outcome is to share these artists’ stories in order to shape a broader and more public conversation about individual musicians’ agency and the current structures in place that aid or impede their successes and well-being.  Currently in its first phase, this study elicits 30 in-person, semi-structured interviews with local musicians to determine how these individuals derive creative meaning and connections within the musically diverse space of West Hollywood and to explore the existing conditions that allow for independent musicians to express their true self and emotions through their musical vocations. Ranging in age from 27-81, participants represent LGBTQ+ and heterosexual identities as well as the expansive genres and instrumentations that compose the city’s musician base. Emerging themes from phase one include emphases on the musicians’ authentic expression through original songwriting and performance; feelings of acceptance and validation from connections to culturally hybrid WeHo audiences; and nonconformity to the dominant Los Angeles commercial music label restrictions. In further analyses, I develop an alternate framework from which to view Richard Peterson’s (1992) cultural omnivorousness theory—one that draws upon interview data from the producer (i.e., musician) lens versus the consumer (i.e., audience) lens. By deviating from quantitative survey data, we generate deeper, original insights into how West Hollywood serves as a structural cultural omnivorousness domain in the music field and, more importantly, how this communal acceptance of taste amalgamation contributes to a dignified and musically equitable space for artists to be recognized.  Ultimately, “Melomaniacs” offers a greater understanding of how local musicians’ artistic meaning-making and individual pursuits of passion collectively impact the common good of their West Hollywood community.

This paper will be presented at the following session: