SXSW has showcased innovative Music Cities and their leaders for years now. Many cities have stepped into new organizing models for local change -- and these have both worked and stumbled. We will discuss with the audience the impacts of these movements in both big cities and small scenes. We will share examples of best practices and big changes vs. policy recommendations, including Night Mayor implementations and ways small cities are organizing around their live music scenes. The session will prompt the audience to think about their own work and communities with examples of how venues and organizations are programming, co-creating, organizing, and educating artists for a great, healthy local music scene.