What was very old gets new life, in the form of Asheville's first music rehearsal facility.
The grand opening of SoundSpace@Rabbit's was celebrated Saturday, Dec. 5 -- the site of what was once the Rabbit's Motel and soul food cafe.
SoundSpace@Rabbit’s is a music rehearsal studio facility inside a 1948 historic Black-owned tourist court -- the legendary Rabbit’s Motel in Southside, downtown Asheville.
It is soon to include a soul food kitchen, additional artist studios, and a multi-artist murals project.
It's now a public, multi-use artist space for local and visiting musicians.
A study done in 2017 found that more than 3,000 jobs were created or supported by music industry fields.
Still, there is also a demand for affordable rehearsal facilities.
Founders say that's why and how SoundSpace happened.
"What we are creating here is a work resource for the musicians in this area," said Claude Coleman Jr., co-owner of SoundSpace.
"The music scene here in the industry is so strong and so integral to the operation of the city itself, it needs to be part of it -- and considered."
Learn more at https://www.soundspaceavl.com/.