I returned this Tuesday to the office after a brief trip to Tennessee over the weekend. In the few days I was gone, our new neighbor, the Little Rock Hall, moved forward quite a bit with their construction effort. The future synergy of our locations fresh on my mind after driving through Nashville and Memphis. What that will mean for the music scene in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the revival of this now blighted, once thriving, entertaining district?

The musical legacy of the Ballroom is undoubtedly impressive, the grandeur of the big-name performers and the rich local culture that kept those famous artists coming while creating and sustaining its own talent. Something spectacular and unique thrived on The Line. The 9th Street community knew what music could do for them, whether they felt good or bad.

For the Friends of Dreamland, and all those who have a vested interest in the future of the Dreamland Ballroom, incorporating this musical legacy into the ballroom’s modern utility is a ‘no-brainer.’ If you listen, the room itself still sings. Dreamland’s brick and plaster walls bounce sound waves around while the tin tiles reflect those sounds back to the performers on the stage, effortlessly bathing the entirety of the ballroom’s occupancy in sound.

Soon, the Dreamland Ballroom’s accessibility issues will be a thing of the past. Public events, like a concert or dance, will begin, allowing us to weave the broken legacy of Dreamland back together. The Little Rock Hall has already begun to acknowledge the 9th St. legacy and will certainly be a valuable partner to its renewal. Though the ballroom is an excellent sound bath, modern sound and lighting equipment will be necessary. Performances have changed a lot, even since the 1960s when the ballroom was last active. So, there is still work to be done. At least we aren’t the only ones in on the effort and the work is about to get a lot more fun!

Keep Dreaming, Matthew McCoy