Recent events serve as reminders that Macon needs to foster its local talent

The new year inevitably brings feelings of reflection, hope for the future, and establishing resolutions that may or may not come to fruition.

This is not the part where I list my favorite records of the year or bring up the laundry list of musical talent that 2016 took from us. There were two separate events that occurred this past weekend that reignited some reflection that was far more localized.

Floco Torres has left the building, the city, even the state. In some ways, it was strangely inevitable, and if you don’t know his name by now, you may be part of the problem. (That may have come out a bit harsher than I intended. Please read on ...)

Floco spent some of his childhood in Macon — though most of it was spent in the Northeast. He came back to Macon in the late 2000s, quickly immersing himself in the local scene. In the time that has passed since then, he has toured relentlessly and recorded more music than most artists record in a lifetime.

He has garnered praise from Bitter Southerner and even more recently found one of his songs featured in the trailer for the new Netfilx movie “Barry,” which is about the beginnings of President Barack Obama’s career.

Floco’s time here in Macon certainly helped a bit, but it has become inherently obvious that he has exhausted every resource we have to offer. For him to grow his career in music, he has to go. Last week, he did just that. Here’s to hoping he continues to sing the praises of his time in Macon and that he returns soon.

Elroy Love returned for a show at the Hummingbird Stage and Taproom this past Friday. These guys grew up in Macon, formed and played in several bands here. They too, followed their path elsewhere and have a found a new home in Tennessee.

What does all of this mean? Does it mean that we, as a music loving town, cannot (or — gasp! — will not) support local talent in a sustainable way? Is it even our fault? Can we compete with the opportunities that places like Nashville, or even Atlanta, can offer to musicians who want to make a living doing what they love?

I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I do think that we, as a community, need to start asking ourselves these questions and figure out how to nurture local talent in a more meaningful way.

This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 8:07 AM with the headline "Recent events serve as reminders that Macon needs to foster its local talent."