Free Public Panel: Building Music Communities in Vermont
Words by Big Heavy World. Photo by Taylor Cook.
Panelists responsible for bringing musicians together around different scenes and causes gather are gathering tonight, Wednesday November 8, 8-9pm (doors 7:30pm), to talk about their motives and community-building tools that we can all benefit from hearing about. The panel will be hosted at Big Heavy World, inside the SEABA Center, 404 Pine Street in Burlington, with seating for the public — free and all-ages; you're welcome to join the conversation! It's also a live radio broadcast at 105.9FM of ‘Rocket Shop,’ Big Heavy World’s weekly local music radio program — come see the radio magic happen!
The panel will be moderated by James Lockridge of Big Heavy World. Panelists include representatives of Burlington’s basement shows underground; the Friends & Family booking collective; local bands, DJs, and Burlington’s Hip Hop music and arts community.
Free coffee and fresh-baked bread will be provided, too, with thanks to Keurig Green Mountain and Great Harvest Bakery. This is a Vermont Arts 2017 event, made possible with support from Advance Music Center, the BCA Community Fund, and Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
The panelists:
Griffin Jones is a music community organizer with the Friends+Family booking collective which hosts DIY events, promotes new and emerging artists and fosters the local underground music scene. https://www.facebook.com/friendsandfamilyvt/
Scottie Raymond, a.k.a. eSKae1 is a VT-based visual artist, Hip-Hop promoter, musician and founder/producer of the Above the Radar graffiti festival. He’s the Original Prankster with Anthill Collective, host of 3rd Thursdays Hip-Hop showcase and an MC in Burlington Hip-Hop super group Bless The Child.
https://www.facebook.com/anthillcollectivevt/ https://www.instagram.com/eskaeone
Brian LaClair fronts the Burlington-based band Better Things and programs The Hub, a teen center and skatepark serving at-risk youth of five towns in Addison County. He’s the founder of a local community run initiative to reinforce the safety and strengthen the relationship between the city’s many local underground presenters called DIY Burlington.
Meredith Davey is a local music promoter, an active participant of the Burlington music scene and the singer and vocalist in local rock trio, Gestalt.
Melo Grant is a community radio enthusiast know for her long running radio show, The Cultural Bunker, heard on WRUV 90.1 FM and now also on WBTV LP 99.3 FM. She offers a platform to independent VT based musicians which allows them the opportunity to expose their music to a wider audience.