LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- The local music scene just got a helping hand from Louisiana Economic Development.

The Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette has been awarded $750,000 from the state’s Entertainment Development Fund establishing a program to train and promote local musicians and recording professionals.

The Louisiana Scoring program is designed to create opportunities for local musicians to expand into the motion picture production industry in Louisiana through musician development, training sessions, promotional material and infrastructure enhancements. These initiatives aim to build and retain the local talent pool while strengthening and promoting Acadiana’s advantages for the entertainment industry, according to Louisiana Entertainment Executive Director Chris Stelly.

"As one of the top motion picture production destinations in the world, this innovative training program will further enhance job opportunities for our local musicians,” Stelly said. “In addition, the film industry will benefit from world-class talent from Acadiana and Louisiana which is one of our greatest natural resources.” 

AcA will receive $250,000 a year from the fund for three years, for a total of $750,000. AcA Executive Director Samuel Oliver said the organization will seek to utilize the state’s talent pipeline by recruiting graduates from university music programs such as University of Louisiana at Lafayette, LSU, Northwestern State University, McNeese State University and the University of New Orleans into the Louisiana Scoring program.

"Culture is one of Louisiana's greatest exports, but we are still missing opportunities to translate that prestige into jobs for artists and musicians," Oliver said. "AcA is happy to launch the Louisiana Scoring project to help employ Louisiana musicians and music industry workers and keep their talents in our community."

AcA supports education and workforce initiatives as well as the creation of new works of art, exhibits, festivals, performances and public art across an eight-parish region that includes Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion Parishes.

This is the 16th Entertainment Development Fund award announced by LED since the program was launched in 2017. Previous Entertainment Development Fund awards were made to higher education institutions and nonprofit community programs in Shreveport, Natchitoches, Lafayette, Thibodaux, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

“Lafayette and Acadiana have long experienced the positive impact of small to mid-sized film productions, an impact that resonates through the community long after the cameras stop rolling,” Lafayette Economic Development Authority President and CEO Mandi Mitchell said. "Post-production work presents an exciting opportunity to further amplify this local impact by engaging talented individuals like Andrew Morgan Smith, the visionary behind the Louisiana Scoring Initiative. This endeavor will solidify Lafayette's standing as a vibrant production hub while leveraging talented locals and nurturing continuous growth and innovation in the industry.”

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