I read this opinion piece on the Lantern’s website today titled “Columbus music scene out of tune” and it struck a bit of a nerve with me. All too often I hear people complain that there’s nothing to do in Columbus. There’s actually a lot to do. I find myself often being double and sometimes tripled booked with awesome things I want to do (on a weeknight no less). And that’s just things that pertain to my specific interests. I think anyone can find something fun to do around here if they are willing to do a little research to get things figured out.
Anyway, here’s a tidbit from the article:
Columbus music scene out of tune
Amy Hoover
Issue date: 1/28/08Every night in Columbus, a different band hooks up its amps and pours its hearts out to bar audiences. Some might be playing for the first time, and others have been playing for years and are still considered underground. The music scene has remained static for the past 20 years, with little hype and attention. Other than a nightly announcement on the Blitz or CD101, the only way to catch a band is by happening upon a flier.
A lot of weight has been placed on the fact that, culturally, Columbus fits the dry Midwestern bill. When comparing other musical melting pots in Ohio, Brian Gardener, 53, an ex-saxophonist and local jazz musician, said “Cleveland has long, steady icons. You can go to any bar and never know what’s going to happen.” Gardener said that the same bands play at the same venues, and have for years, but a lot of new artists drop off the bandwagon once they realize that being a full-time musician in Columbus hardly pays to put food on the table.
Personally, I think this is a perfect example of how the younger generation perceives news/information delivery. Today’s 18-22 year old college students are completely backwards from the students of just 5-10 years ago when it comes to this sort of thing. Anyone can go pick up a copy of The Other Paper, Columbus Alive, U-Weekly, or browse sites online like ColumbusUnderground.com, DoneWaiting.com, or any plethora of venue or band websites to find out who’s playing, where they’re playing, and when they’re playing.
But instead, this younger demographic has become accustomed to information being pushed to them rather than seeking it out. No one wants to go pick up a weekly rag and research their options… they want facebook notifications, myspace bulletins, text messages, and other new methods of marketing and social networking to deliver information.
So there’s the real dilemma. There’s plenty of things to do in Columbus both music and non-music wise. Do you train the youngsters on how to find it, or do you train the musicians and promoters to use new techniques to deliver information? Or some combination of both?
There’s a pretty good conversation about this topic right here on ColumbusUnderground.com as well.
it’s never about the music.