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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 14:02:23 -0800 (PST)

Some local bands come off as inside jokes. Or at
least that's how I perceive them. There will always
be a Pine State type group going around smooshing hot
dogs into microphones.

But people have always viewed the "music scene" as an
entity. A body of people that one must join in order
to have a good time at a rock show. A snooty club
that turns its nose up.

But the thing is that it's a perception, and therefore
is something for the individual making that perception
to reconcile. There's nothing this nonexistent clique
can do about it.

Or I'm wrong and just contributing to the problem,
which is also fine I guess.



--- paok <bluefreaky AT earthlink.net> wrote:

> William, are you suggesting that the music itself is
> somewhat unapproachable? Like, it doesn't sound
> like the kind of music college students are used to,
> so they stay away, or are you suggesting that the
> atmosphere of the venues is unapproachable?
>
> I'm not sure I buy that just because college
> students start going to see one or two bands they
> like that that will cause an increase across the
> board in attendance. However, it will cause more
> money to flow into the local venues, which is good
> for everybody b/c it ensure the continued existence
> of those venues.
>
> phaedra
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Hepler <jameshepler AT yahoo.com>
> Sent: Feb 10, 2005 1:31 PM
> To: RTP-area local music and culture
> <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: Undergraduates and Local Music
>
> 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 --
> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ch-scene
> >
>
>
>
>
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