In the past few weeks this study has revealed that audience is one of the main concerns in music and performance. There are many different situations and variables that may congregate a captive audience but some of the most interesting found comes from deep rooted struggles that can collectively be seen as movements.

1) In the early 1900s Seattle suffered harsh working conditions in terms of manual labor and was the center of a campaign by the Industrial Workers of the World. This campaign used work songs/folk songs to express certain agitations and create emotions and motivations through the Pacific Northwest (Before Seattle Rocked. Armbruster, 2011). (See: Little Red Songbook)

2) The social effects when music is used as a form of movements for any form of justice. In 1930-1940 there was the unionization and communist led movements and later in 1950-1960 civil rights movements. Both used folk music as a way to “bridge racial boundaries” (Reds, Whites, and Blues. Roy, 2010). The 1930-1940’s made folk music into popular music with the formation of blues/jazz/big band/swing, but in turn lost it’s purpose. The movements in 1950-1960 had basic intentions of peace songs among the racial segregation. Some of these songs weren’t meant to be hits, but ended up becoming them as activism progressed.

In both cases there was an audience because there was a demand for a change. This is an example of music being used as a social tool. If music builds relationships based on mutual fundamentals it is likely to be a successful part in motivating the masses.

This week I was able to see Grace Love and The True Loves a Soul/Funk band from Seattle. Grace Love did an amazing performance with a nice memoir to B.B. King. 

The audience was engaged and there was a constant rapport from call and response, old classics, originals, and covers of 1990’s R&B. The social scene was friendly and the opener was The Brown Edition, a well known established band in the community who brought in a crowd.

I also was able to get an interview from Razors and Red Flags and Ryan Baker, guitarist was quick to answer.

1. Do you have a specific route/venues you frequent, and why?
 “We are trying this year to maintain a looser schedule with doing so many shows last year, we worry that we may have over saturated the market, while it is important to build our name we want to try to focus more on a local level and primarily Portland and Seattle area.  Those areas, have been very receptive to our sound, where as we feel some places don’t embrace the rock as much.”
2. Has your sound changed much over the years?
   “Yes in 2009 i started the music as only a singer/songwriter aspect. Singing a lot at open mics, i started to get people that wanted to jam with me. Pete was one of the first few, and we immediately clicked, I had recorded and EP of 6 songs with rocket soul music’s Ryan Hansmann, we had a good run with that band, but broke up due to some reasons ill leave out for brevity sake, in 2013 we reformed the group and rerecorded all the material with a better line up and has gelled ever since. We are more of a Rock and multi genre because of the new additions and writing we have gone thru a metamorphosis of sorts to more of a danceable rock vibe with emphasis as storytelling lyrics.”
3. What importance does the opener band have in a show?
 “We believe the opening band warms up the crowd and builds the energy for the night, a lot of bands don’t like going first, we have played the role so many times, i kind of enjoy it, I am a music lover, so i enjoy seeing what a lot of other bands have to offer.”
4. What importance does the audience play?
“The audience is your vessel, who you are speaking too, playing too, trying to sway, in your favor. For when the crowd is with you, the energy is up, and everything seems to build to a rhythm and can make the band even play better. Support is everything, and this is art, so you are always a lil sensitive about your baby. We are always trying new things. So we put ourselves out there not everything works.”
5. Where have some of your best shows been, and why?
“Best shows are starting to be down in the harbor, we sort have built up a mystique down there and they come out and pack the small joints we play, best road shows are probably leavenworth at the munchen haus and also on the same trip we played Marko’s Place in Roslyn having great energy at both places, and they took care of us too.”
6. Where has your inspiration come from?
“Im inspired alot by jack white, and also jim morrison. the bands i would say that have inspired me would be like the who, motorhead, led zeppelin dr hook (Shel Silverstein) , johnny cash, i really like storytelling and poetry.”
7. Are you all from Olympia/PNW? What kind of music scene do you see currently in Olympia, and has it changed since you’ve been here?
“Here’s the run down, Mayo Georgia Nick and I come from Grays Harbor, Pete we imported from Rockford Il.  I grew up in the small logging, cow town of Elma Wa, and have lived in thurston and grays harbor my whole life, but have toured alot of the I-5 corridor and some other states.”
8. How is your music similar or different from where you grew up?
“I listened to alot of shitty country music, I mean shit. Like 90s pop drivel, and didnt really start branching out till 15 with rock and punk tunes. started writing when I was 15″
9. Have you traveled/performed anywhere else in or outside of the states? If so, what are some cultural similarities and differences?
“I have toured with this band as far as southern oregon, and as north as bellingham we do eastern washington and idaho shows as well, we want to play vegas reno and California next.”

This interview was helpful in seeing how music is welcomed and how a city or area can be conditioned to a type of music, which effects the audience and social scene and furthermore the reputation and followers.

Looking at a city as a grid has become more instinctual and the more it is practiced the more efficient traveling can become with less stress and tourist behavior.

Live Wire is a radio variety show that recently teamed up with Bridgetown Comedy Festival and hosted at the Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon in the SE. http://www.revolutionhallpdx.com/event/772911-live-wire-luke-burbank-portland/livewireradio.org

A couple of bands played such as Eyelids and The Helio Sequence as well as guest appearances from Dan Harmon, Chuck Palahniuk, and Janeane Garofalo. This wasn’t my first time in Portland, Oregon but it was my first time at a large variety show with such admired guests and artists that I grew up watching/reading. This show in particular was relatable, witty, and moved fast. I was surprised at how many active audience members there were. At one point Janeane Garofalo made a joke about the gender binary and how this show wasn’t a program at Evergreen, and then continued by saying that some students are probably in the audience getting credit for watching the show. I had to laugh a bit because it was partly true, but besides having a good time at the show I was able to immediately see a relation between local bands and local authors and the appreciation and understanding among audience members. The awe of someone famous wasn’t really visibly present, it was more of an overall personal appreciation for what each artist may have done for each audience member at one point or another.

After the show my friend, a local, and I walked to a couple of places, took a cab to the NE (where we were staying for the night) and walked through the neighborhoods. We got a little off track, but luckily knowing the grid it was very easy to get right back on track. In the morning we walked to breakfast, took a bus to our car in the SE and drove back to Olympia.

My last experience in the SE of Portland was for The Late Now Show: El Duende at Vie De Boheme featuring Three for Silver and La Peña Flamenco de Portland’s Lille Last and Pepe Raphael. This was a few blocks over from a nice little underground Salsa club as well, which leads me to the broad assumption of that specific block in the SE is a bit more culturally diverse than others.

It was different, although to be going to Portland and primarily staying in the NE/SE districts, because normally my experience in the city is strictly Downtown and Pearl district using the MAX and the Street Car.

Portland seems to be set up so that most anything that someone would need is in walking distance of their residence. It is very bike friendly and offers many modes of transportation such as the bus, street car, TriMet MAX, Taxis, etc. There are distinctive areas and neighborhoods that carry history, and a lot of gentrification has happened to the city wether it for the best or not. There are dog parks and food carts on any corner and entertainment on every night of the week. Is the city is appealing to the younger crowd/tourist trap with all the different events and crafty stores and restaurants it has, since it is increasing in population?
The outer areas such as Gresham and Beaverton have steadily grown with Portland as well. If an interview was conducted in both cities among every race and economic class asking if culture still exists in the city I wonder what the outcome would be. Are people over consumed by media and food that history and culture gets muddled and forgotten in everyday life by commercialism, or is it the opposite with the many different neighborhoods, venues, and nightly events celebrating music and food? Is the intent still the same or has it changed to accommodate the current residents of the city? How can a city maintain it’s history and culture when it becomes popular and steadily grows?

These are questions I still need answers to but in the mean time I can make reasonable beliefs that the city as large and small it can be depending on the scale, still has culture. I plan on playing some ragtime shows at a few venues down there and looking at their past shows it looks like Jazz and Ragtime is heavily welcomed. I even found a Portland Ragtime Society that meets every first Sunday of the month at a coffee shop on MLK blvd, that I will attend next month. There are a few other places that would be well suited as they are older historical buildings that have been turned into restaurants and saloons.

I also was able to accomplish a trade piano lesson with Andrew Dorsett, learning how to read lead sheets for playing ragtime. He was kind enough to let me borrow his Fats Waller record and show me some ragtime history books he has been reading, and I showed him some techniques that help me make my ragtime distinguishable from others in a non-repetitive and more improvisational form from the traditional ragtimes and two-steps.

This week was filled with adventure and new mappings of music and it’s roots, as well as a compressive understanding of a grid in any situation, especially in Portland, a city that I plan on traveling to more often for music.

Sound has the ability to move and flux according to the environment and it’s inhabitants. Music has the same affect and can progress even faster traveling from state to state, changing and growing depending on the audience and residents of a state, city, town, venue, house, etc. The importance of networking is prevalent in any city, but more so on a smaller scale such as Olympia, WA.

May the 4th was a great example of networking in a city of this size and again it revolved around the Rhythm and Rye. Monday night Jazz night was happening and The Cool Jazz Nonet was playing with a heavy horn and rhythm section. Monday Jazz at The Rhythm and Rye brings in a very decent sized crowd, ages around 30-70 with fellow musicians in the audience supporting the community and keeping Jazz alive and well. Many members of the audience were recognizable from previous Jazz Jams at Traditions Cafe, as well as choir members from The Olympia Peace Choir. Other community musicians such as Vince Brown and Andrew Dorsett were around and offered pleasant conversation with new venues to gig at and a friendly exchange of piano lessons (reading lead sheets for learning ragtime).

I was also able to meet and talk with Danielle, the trumpet player from DBST and soon to be The Pine Hearts, and learn a bit about her music and insight towards playing in different cities. Even though DBST has a great turn out and fantastic audience here in their hometown, Olympia, they still have an audience to build in Portland and Seattle. They recently played in Portland and the audience wasn’t as large as they had anticipated for a couple of reasons. The different pairings and possibilities for openers and main acts is an aspect of live shows that relies heavily on society and reflects back to the performer(s).

The size of Olympia may present a false perception of music in a city as well as a biased notion depending on what venue and genre one may be continually looking for, but the size is really in it’s favor. The community of musicians and music lovers is strong seems to be expanding. The Olympia Jazz Central group offers new jazz jams and upcoming events with local musicians.

Earlier this week I attended a show at Dickerson’s BBQ (The Pig Bar). The stage was on the same level as the audience and the space it self was small and intimate, offering opportunities to socialize as well as be attentive to the performance. The environment there was relatable and friendly, and I was surprised that I never went to any shows there before. A lot of people I knew that were there, knew someone in the band, or were supporting a friend of a friend.

This brings me to a question of the ratio of audience members who attended to support the band and audience members who attended because they knew there would be live music/pig bar is their home bar. And yet another questions, is music available to all or is it exclusive? Furthermore, what role does technology play in the accessibility of music, and how has it increased or decreased in the past five years? What are the different levels of engagement between the music in a city and the soundscape of a city, and how is it successfully stimulated?

I hope to answer more of these questions as the week progresses with plans to go to Live Wire, a radio variety show in Portland. There I will see Chuck Palaniuk, Janeane Garofalo, The Helio Sequence, and more.

I also plan on visiting some venues that are known to have ragtime and jazz shows and dropping off a sample of my music for more gigs.

Over the past few weeks there has been a pattern noticed at the venues that are popular for shows. This pattern revolves directly around the audience members and the support system the bands/artists bring in wether family or friends that gives an over all identity to a city, block, venue, music, and members/guests which helps anyone when looking for a certain crowd, scene, and music.

A brief insider about Downtown Olympia:

Downtown Olympia is mainly filled with restaurants and bars and what I’ve noticed over the past three years working in the downtown restaurant industry is that each restaurant has a home bar for when the last table finally leaves. For example, my friends from Waterstreet Cafe go to Hannah’s, my crew and I from Dockside Bistro and Wine Bar go to the Brotherhood. The Eastside (which used to have live music) and is home to many as well. I often think Olympia is smaller than it actually is but I base that off of the downtown area and the one or two industries it holds. Knowing how Swing Wine Bar, Dillinger’s Cocktail Lounge, BroHo, The Reef Lounge, The Eastside and The Rhythm and Rye are all connected on a social and professional level offers a personal integrated map that makes everyone one or two degrees aways from the next person so it can be easy to network and build relationships.

Andy Geertsen the owner of The Rhythm and Rye was previously the man you go to book shows at The Eastside and The Pig Bar. He has history in the downtown area in this industry and has gained much respect from fellow coworkers, chefs, guests, and bands over the years and many of the audience members currently going to The RandR are followers from past venues and industry friends from almost all the bars in town. While this is true The RandR is also home to many others for example, Greeners, Senior Center, local musicians, gamers, etc. I have seen people of all ethnicities and all ages 21-80+ at the venue having a good time.

I went to four shows this weekend of Arts Walk, first was at The Rhythm and Rye. Friday was DBST and it was the lead singers birthday so on top of it being Arts Walk there were many people supporting him and his horn heavy, funky groovy band. Saturday was Tony Furtado, an Americana Folk band with banjo, stand up bass, and fiddle. This was a great opener for the Oly Mountain Boys who have played at The Rhythm and Rye before and who will be playing May 8-9th at The Steamboat Stringband Jamboree with The Pine Hearts, another local favorite.

Next was Full Moon Radio at McCoy’s who I heard earlier was breaking up and I wanted to see them before they did. They were fun and the drummer carried such a good beat all the way through, and funnily enough was an instructor of my Pantry Chef at Dockside from Culinary School (talk about small). But the music wasn’t exactly what I came to McCoy’s for, it was to make some connection with Full Moon Radio as an all female three person band, and the text of this week’s reading Girls to the Front. I was interested to see what the audience was like as far as participation, feedback, dancing, etc. Everyone seemed involved and although a small crowd the people near the front were into it and dancing. At one moment of the night a voice yelled out “Why don’t you do a flip?” and the lead singer/bassist calmly replied “You do a flip, dude. I ain’t up here doing no flips.” The crowd laughed as she started the next song with her strong deep voice.

The comment was a bit odd for me to listen to with context of Riot Grrrl fresh in my brain. I wasn’t sure if that was a demeaning comment or someone trying to be funny. The band dynamics seemed strong on stage and no comments from the audience were going to bring them down, in fact any comment would be an opportunity for interaction and the more interaction adds to the entertainment aspect of a show. Still with the band breaking up I wonder how confident they felt about the show and if they realized how inspired much of the audience was by them and their music, because I could feel it in the eyes and the movement of the people around me. An identity was being adapted if not already established by that rapport of the band on stage and the audience down below.

I ended the week with a show at Dillinger’s Cocktail Lounge for their industry night where I played Ragtime and Jazz for a lovely crowd. I had invited everyone I knew and the turn out was great. Every time I was done with a ragtime piece, Sherilyn the bartender would clap and everyone would follow. I noticed that playing in a setting so small everyone was closer and therefore gracious and aware of the music and energy that was flowing back and forth, non stop for the first set. There is something to be said about a city the size of Olympia, as a performer I have never felt so welcomed and comfortable in a venue. The few people that I didn’t know that night, I soon did because everyone was out to have a good time and socialize.

The total population of Olympia from 2014-2015 is 46,478, ages 22-50 is the vast majority. During this time it may be a safe assumption that with three different colleges in town, Olympia is home to many college students and recent graduates. Provided the size of the city, the social night life still has some catching up to do but the businesses that I have personally seen thrived or failed had a lot to do with a demand. There is a demand for music in Olympia, WA and the music should be affordable, consistent, and reliable with proper promotion and publicity utilizing the three colleges and local businesses from the Westside, Downtown, and the Eastside.

Songs are sung all over the world with many different purposes. Some people act though that songs are to be sung sacredly and only done for religion, others believe anytime is a good time to sing a song. This week’s reading is Armbruster’s Before Seattle Rocked: A city and it’s music. In the first few chapters it touches on the Duwamish Native American Tribe with their music as well as the fusion of the settlers music/work songs.

The Duwamish Tribe, much like some of the citizens of Ghana see music as an incorporation of everyday life. There is not a second thought on wether or not a certain time is a good time for sining, and there seem to be no insecurities on what exactly to sing about. For example: basket weaving songs, fishing songs, gambling songs, welcoming songs, etc. all played to the beat of a few drums and many voices (Armbruster, pg. 13, 2007). Armbruster also makes mention of songs being sung during different seasons “…singing seemed to peak in the warm months…’they sympathize too much with Nature to sing in the winter’ “(Armbruster, pg. 12, 2007). This again brings a point to certain spots in time where songs and music can indeed be led by nature and weather patterns.

Jim Pepper was a Native American songwriter and Saxophonist who tested the boundaries of scared music and fusion, and to his surprise his music became popular with the elders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2YeEUlyhQw&list=RDS2YeEUlyhQw#t=443

The development of Seattle was conducted by Mr. Arthur Denny and brought many lumber and coal jobs to the new area. Both the Duwamish and the settlers came to the new land seeking these jobs and during this time work songs were sung. Some of the instruments used were flute, fiddle, and reed organ and were played often in the first parlors and saloons of Seattle (Armbruster, pg. 20, 2007).

Seattle was built with a foundation of music, it’s structure and culture reflects directly on the history of the music in the city. People lived their life based upon music and in the 1860′s The Seattle Brass Band was formed and gave way to a mesmerizing sound that guided the community through laborious endeavors. This sound was inspiring to more than just one group of people and introduced a new feeling to the community that pushed the forward industrially.

Earlier this week Industrial Revelation from Seattle came to Olympia’s Rhythm and Rye for the second time and performed with great virtuosity and extreme passion. All members of the band graduated college in Seattle, either at Cornish or University of Washington and have been playing together for at least 10 years, and it shows.

The synchronicity in their Jazz/Blues/Symphonic/African and Brazilian fusion music is done so naturally and organically that as an audience member and professional musician was not only inspiring and bonding but allowed room for collaboration with the audience and proper energy flow increasing entertainment value. The group dynamics between the four members are close and eye contact isn’t even needed for the refrain after ever member has showcased their skills while the other members holler and clap encouragingly for every song. The band draws most of their influence from major artists such as Chick Webb, Duke Ellington, Coltrane, etc, but more interestingly the drummer has musical roots dating back to his grandparents, some influential folks to the industry at the time in the Pacific Northwest.

http://www.industrialrevelation.com/band-biography/

Since the Rhythm and Rye has allowed me to help out with event promotion I was able to capture a few great videos of the performance, as well as stay until close and talk to Josh Rawlings the Fender Rhodes performer.

Josh was kind enough to answer some of my field study related questions such as “Does Industrial Revelation’s music change from city to city and how big of a factor is the audience during this change?” He said some venues in Seattle or other cities haven’t put off as much energy as given at the Rhythm and Rye. That the audience matters and they change small details to the songs according to the entire vibe of the venue. Some audiences don’t dance or holler which makes the energy low and show shorter than normal. But each song that night lasted around 10-13 mins because the band was feeding off the energy that the crowd was giving them.

About a month earlier Hillstomp (Portland, OR) rolled through and brought well over 200 audience members to Rhythm and Rye and gave one of their best performances. I was able to talk with Henry Christian, guitarist and thanked him for his performance and he said something to the fact that the audience is everything and how all you can do on that stage is just feed off the energy.

This leads me to a new question, does the size of Olympia compared to neighboring larger cities such as Portland, and Seattle change the appreciation of certain types of music? Has some of the larger cities taken for granted their musicians or are the cities just growing too fast that audience members can’t keep up with the music scene?

There are in our existence spots of time that are lead by nature itself. Life can easily be delegated by the push of the wind, flow of the river, beat of the drum, a moonlit smile, rhythm of the traffic, and pitter patter of the rain. “Natural scenes have the power to suggest certain values to us…act as inspirations to virtue” (Botton, pg. 144, 2002).

Exposure to new environments brings exposure to new smells, sights, tastes, sounds, and emotions giving a culture it’s identity. This is the strength that gives many the desire to travel. To be apart of something new and strange and step outside of everyday life. These are the times that should be pursued and not pushed back because of lack of money, fears of traveling, discomfort of leaving something stable, etc. Sometimes when these fears and worries are addressed by traveling it increases inspiration because the chances of new experiences are high. “…had Baudelaire undertaken a guide to his own city he would have recommended the flea markets, the whorehouses, and the cafes as the most important places, from a spiritual point of view-which was the view of a person suffering from an oppressive inner life. In a crowd he lost himself-and the loss was precious to him” (Sennett, pg. 123, 1990).

Inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime if the time is right for the individual. Traveling is exciting and part of that excitement comes from the unknown and the small fears that can happen anywhere, even in someones hometown. The use of catharsis as a form of stress relief can be done by addressing these fears through poetic movements, music, dances, and performances.

Many inspirational artists that I have come across have either cross culturally collaborated with artists from many different countries or use techniques and instruments that allow a specific timbre to shine through, that is richly recognizable with other cultures and time periods. This is a stylistic pattern that is appealing to me and apparently many others as well. A few just to name: Paul Simon, John Lennon, Vince Guaraldi, Mountain Man, Alison Krauss, Kingston Trio, etc. have all accomplished different styles that are particularly unique and identifiable to a certain culture, time, and place.

There are a few important aspects to remember when it comes to other cultures music is the instruments used, the form that it takes and the influence it has on others. For example a cantata, a sonata, work songs, call and response songs, ragtime piano and big band or swing time music.
All these can run together but can also be seen outside of their original origins. Claude Debussy has a couple of ragtime pieces (Golliwog’s Cakewalk and Le Petit Nègre) that were made a little after Scott Joplin had composed some of his most famous ragtimes and two-steps. Swing time/War songs were being adapted in Berlin through the American radios (Berlin: Symphony of A Great City, 1927).Work songs/field hollers have very specific styles and rhythms that usually contain a call and response and that can be seen in numerous Appalachian, Americana Folk, and Folk Jazz bands currently playing.
Some of these bands are featured at The Rhythm and Rye many come out of Portland, OR (Hillstomp, and Fruition) others from Olympia/Steamboat Island, WA (Oly Mountain Boys, Rooster Crow, Pine Hearts)

The main idea that life can be lead by nature, certainly seems to be prevalent  in the Pacific Northwest with the mighty collective sound that bursts through the Cascade range and has been classified as Cascade Mountain Music.

On the topic of different genres of music and different forms taken depending on the location and history, we engaged in a performance the Indian Orissi rhythms and experienced the many guidelines that makes the Orissi music distinguishable.
Raga: expressive mode that changes depending on the Tala (time cycle)
Alpana: free flowing exploration of Raga
Gamaka: Ornamentation
Brikkas: Virtuoso outburst that break up the original patterns
Tanam: Rhythmic exploration of Raga
Kriti: Pallavi (the blossoming), Anupallavi (secondary contrasting section), Charnam (tranquil section, returns to palate at the end).

Just as Ghanian music and dances relate back to reality and make reference to nature so does Orissi. Both keep the tradition strong in making folk/ tribal songs and dances that can be passed down and collaborated with any traveler.

500 miles

Urban musical soundscapes are projected to grow within the next couple of decades (Shelemay, pg. 50, 2006). Cities are expanding rapidly and suburban lifestyles are slowing decreasing in population. If such areas are to change, what keeps a location distinctive, how can locals attain a familiarity with sights and sounds, and how can the influences of other nearby cities either positively or negatively affect the music coming in and out of the urban area? What constitutes popular music, and how does it vary in different cultures, environments, and seasons? The way music is culturally blended is an example of how music does indeed travel over time and continents, but what is the main factor…politics, religion, economic status, industrialization, trade?

Rollin’

Shelemay address these questions by using Accra, Ghana as an example of the “forced flow of musical influences” relating the history of the Gold Coast, Europe, and the New World to slave trade and the industrialization of the British Empire (Shelemay, pg. 53, 2006).

Summit Lake, Drunken Escape

The city of Accra is filled with music for any occasion or non-occasion (as our guest speaker/dance instructor mentioned April, 1 2015) There are many call and response songs, hymns, and dances that all involve instruments and rely heavily on the rhythm section (Genre: Agbadza) (Shelemay, pg. 55, 2006). A lot of times these songs are about political and social issues as well as songs to teach and pass along the day. This type of music that has developed in Accra may be a reaction to what Botton describes the brain’s function when a journey occurs. During times of difficulty and stress we develop large views and new thoughts leading to introspective reflections that require much thought even reluctancy to think at all (Botton, pg. 56, 2002). Music is an incredible release and an effective way to bring together a group/culture of like minds and help distract from any sort of stress that life brings. This also naturally leads to the progression of traditions, rituals, ceremonies, and story telling which keeps a city’s history and future rich in culture.

High and Mighty

This type of oral history and traditions play a large role in tourism and travel. Friedrich Nietzsche defined a type of tourism as learning how certain societies and identities have been formed by the past to find a sense of belonging (Botton, pg. 110, 2002). This plays directly with Accra as Ghana’s capital and the various musical scenes it is home to. “A number of musical ensembles reinforce national identity, helping to unite the many historically independent ethnic groups brought together as a nation less than fifty years ago and representing Ghana to the world” (Shelemay, pg. 61, 2006).

I’ve got the world on a string

This is a fine way to incorporate and educate tourism in a non invasion form and allows music and culture to coexist in a beautiful fusion without loosing it’s proper identity, as heard in J. H Kwabena Nketia’s “Cow Lane Sextet”.

Pacific City

The importance of traveling has never been so prevalent until now. It is always a great escape and thought as a getaway or perhaps a spring break vacation, but the main idea that has been brought to attention of traveling is that of justifying existence through the world, acknowledging the past and present, and distributing kindness and knowledge through music, traditional dances, food, and words of wisdom from nation to nation.

JackPot

Musical Cities at TESC looks at how a city’s structure, culture, art, theater, media, population, politics, history, economics, class, and people impact the outcome of music, and vice versa (ex. propaganda)

Before I leave for my field study it would be good to acknowledge the history of the Northwest and how that has radically impacted cultures and society today. Including the history of a city and it’s suburban areas could be helpful when looking directly at the city’s grid. Residential locals and transient locals will be interviewed during this study.

My main question: How does music travel?

In order to answer this my research will be in three different cities: Seattle, Olympia, and Portland. Looking at different venues in different districts, what kind of bands and artists play there, where they are headed, and where they came from. A visual and creative map(s) of the bands that come in and out of the North West will be made in order to see what influences they might be bringing and distributing from across the world. Both the nitty gritty and the ritzy fritzy sides of all cities will be explored in order to gage properly what music people relate to most in a certain area and how they keep it alive.

Most of the study in Olympia will be spent volunteering at the Rhythm and Rye  looking at past and present shows to find a pattern and major influence for Olympia’s music scene.

Colleges and Universities are to be considered to understand what is frequently played on the radio, what kind of shows listeners enjoy the most, and what outside shows are hosted and where.