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Subject: RTP-area local music and culture

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  • From: James Hepler <jameshepler AT yahoo.com>
  • To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: Undergraduates and Local Music
  • Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 13:31:03 -0800 (PST)

When I was working at the student union, some students
and myself started an orgzniation dedicated to
bringing local music to campus and bridging the gap
between students and the local scene.

We distributed surveys about listening habits, how
people listened found new music, and the likelihood of
them participating in events that were geared toward
bringing local music around. The results of the
survey were sad. They indicated that a majority of
people listen to commercial radio would certainly not
pay to see a band they don't already like, and
probably wouldn't go see them if it were free.

It wasn't the best survey ever, but I can't help but
think that the college students who know about the
music scene know about it already and already come
out. As I've discussed with some local music folks,
it all seems so cyclical and beyond our control. That
said, there was a good turnout for that show in the
great hall last fall, and the Duke Coffeehouse is
doing shows again, but I think you have an uphill
battle ahead of you.

As far as the scene being unapproachable, I don't buy
it. You walk to a club, you pay the cover, you walk
in, you watch bands play, you leave. Who are you
trying to approach? There are no secret meetings,
well, none that I've been invited to.

--- william brafford <randyunplugged AT yahoo.com> wrote:

> Ross and I have been swapping e-mails, but I'm going
> to bite the mullet and take this discussion public.
>
> First, let me introduce myself. I'm Randy, and I'm
> dedicated to doing anything in my power to bring
> undergrads out to shows.
>
> Last year (freshman year), I kept hearing such good
> things about local music, but I could never find
> anyone to go to shows with me. I bought Compulation,
> ventured out to Go! Room Four a few times, and
> checked
> club schedules compulsively, but I could never
> convince any of my fellow students to take the big
> leap into the unknown.
>
> Over the summer, I went back home to Charlotte. I
> ended up staying there all semester. Charlotte's got
> a
> pretty big high school scene, and I started going
> back
> to those shows. If I liked a band, I'd see them
> again
> (I didn't have any friends in Charlotte), until I
> stumbled upon the re-opened Milestone. And THAT, my
> friends, felt like home.
>
> Now I'm here in Chapel Hill again. Ross sent me a
> link
> to the discussion on why undergraduates aren't
> hitting
> the shows like they used to. A lot of those reasons
> are right on the money, but I'd like to mention
> another.
>
> The scene here can sometimes present itself
> (unconsciously, I think) as a little more
> unapproachable than it actually is. I've got the
> Compulation CD here in my hand. One is tempted to
> think that it only represents one side of the scene,
> but that would reflect a false division of the scene
> into sides. Maybe some of the more pop-rocky bands
> aren't indie in 80s sense of the word, but if
> they're
> independent and local, I try to give them a chance.
>
> I guess what I'm saying is that I think there's a
> big
> potential audience on campus for Nathan Asher,
> International Orange, Roman Candle, etc. And if
> students start going out to those shows, attendance
> will rise across the board.
>
> So that's the view from campus. Admittedly, I
> haven't
> been around too long and definitely don't know all
> the
> ins and outs of the scene, but you know I'll be
> rocknrollin' a few nights a week.
>
>
>
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> -- ch-scene: the list that mirrors
> alt.music.chapel-hill --
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