New York, Memphis, New Orleans, and Tallahassee are among the most well-known American cities for music production and, despite being the birthplace of many important artists and songs, Trenton, New Jersey is not famous for their arts.

“Trenton’s a scary place, I don’t think it’s really artistic or musical,” Russell Teller, a 20-year old Communication major and musician from The College of New Jersey said.

Trenton, despite being the hometown of well-respected musicians such as Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx currently has a reputation as a dangerous city full of violence and death.

Dr. Teresa Nakra, the Associate Professor of Music at the College, is well versed in the history of music in Trenton and blames the lack of support within the Trenton community for upcoming artists when discussing the struggling city.

Famous Trenton artists such as Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx utilized their community to gain publicity at the height of their fame while current artists ignore their home and immediately attempt to become famous at a national level.

“Sarah [Dash] was growing up in an environment that was rich and high quality in the music area and she participating with Nona Hendryx and Patti LaBelle in local singing competitions and talent shows,” Dr. Nakra said.

With most artists reaching global audiences as opposed to just local, it is difficult for a city to connect itself to an artist and become well known as artistic. Global music corporation streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora are available so people can listen to any music they want without thinking about the locality of the artist.

“I don’t listen to music from my city, I just listen to artists I like that I find through Spotify,” Evan Zodl, a 20-year old Interactive Multimedia and Computer Science major from the College said.

While Trenton declined, other cities such as New Orleans and New York continued to rise in prominence as musical societies due to their economies.

Audio production continued to become more expensive as newer equipment was invented and Trenton was unable to record their artists’ music. So, Philadelphia recorded the music that was created in Trenton and received the credit for it as well.

“That sound, while it came out of Trenton, was associated with Philadelphia,” Dr. Nakra said.

Though it has been struggling for years now, some believe that it is time for Trenton to become a cultural capital again.

“I would love to see a new Trenton emerge where good music can thrive,” Jack Frey, a 20-year old Interactive Multimedia major from the College said.

New Jersey is known for its music thanks to rock stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, and since Trenton is the capital of the state and one of the most iconic cities in the state, it should also be nationally recognized as a place of culture.

The perceived personality of New Jersey confuses people around the nation as some people view the residents of the state as confident and strong and others perceive them as blunt and obnoxious. It is important for people’s perceptions of the state, along with the city, to shift in order for a rebirth of music to transpire.

The history of music in Trenton is so rich that it is vital for people to be educated about it in order for the proposed changes to occur.

Trenton, located in the center of Philadelphia and New York, was thriving during the peak of industry since it was a shipping region on the Delaware River. Music production and studio recordings were on the rise at this time and were affordable for the city.

Major civil rights Supreme Court cases were underway at this time and the desegregation of public schools caused new music to be integrated into schools along with already assimilated music including genres such as classical.

“I feel Trenton is a city that is ready for rebirth,” Dr. Nakra said. “It’s [music] history is rich enough that is must be recovered.”

The arts and music has been used as a center for change during many important historical movements. Music can help a person vocalize their ideas and inspire others to bring about a change. While Trenton is struggling, specifically in perception, it is important that music is utilized to reform the city.

Trenton Makes Music is a project that is dedicated to bringing music back to Trenton and reforming it to turn it back into a cultural city.

“I’ve never heard of Sarah [Dash] before now and I think that’s a shame,” Teller said.

Students are curious about Trenton’s important musical history and Trenton Makes Music can educate them about the rich history.