Non-Linear Approach

For the non-linear project, I am going to use the template that you have offered us on the class website. I will have links, as directed, to my feature story on bands booking their first show, my audio story on the importance of social networking websites for local bands, my profile slideshow on Grant Menefee and his studio of drumming, two smaller articles, and a FAQ's page. I will also attempt to put Google Maps on my webpage that has directions from Towson University to local clubs and venues in the Baltimore/Metropolitan area that host live music on a nightly basis.

One of my smaller articles for the non-linear project will be based off of my blog post on the 8x10, and how it is a cornerstone for local bands and musicians in the Baltimore area. I will use some of the ideas and quotes that I had in my blog post, but I will add more information and details on how the 8x10 is one of the best local clubs for local bands in Baltimore.

My other small article is going to be on the Towson radio station WTMD. WTMD's station is in the basement of Towson University's Media Center, and they capture a unique eclectic sound with their playlists that is far different than your average radio stations nowadays that typically features hip-hop, country, and hard rock. WTMD also showcases a lot of Baltimore local bands through programs on their shows and concerts that they sponsor in the local area. I will try to talk to either someone that works at WTMD and helps with their events or a local band that has been featured on WTMD, such as The Cheaters or 3Fifths.

Profile Slideshow-Grant Menefee

My profile audio slideshow is going to be on Grant Menefee, owner of Grant Menefee's Studio of Drumming in Catonsville, MD.  Menefee is a renowned drum set and percussion player who has played all over the east coast for different bands, and has been teaching people of all ages how to play the drums out of his basement studio. 

 Menefee has owned his private drum studio for 25 years and keeps himself busy by teaching around 80 students per week.  My slideshow will take a closer look at his upbringing with music and how he got into teaching the drums for a living.

In a Local Band? Trying To Book Your First Show?

If you answered yes to either of these and want to find out how you would go about booking your first show, you should check out my feature story.  It includes great sources from three talented local musicians: Matt Lowe from The Three Tree Experience, Dan Schwartz from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Kirk Kubicek from Back To Save The Universe.  On top of rocking out on daily basis, these three musicians also do a heavy amount of booking and networking for their local bands.  Here is a look at how they got their first big show:

http://tiger.towson.edu/~zwilso1/pages/feature.html

 

Why Are Myspace and Facebook Important for Local Bands?

My audio story focused on the importance of social networking websites for local bands.  In recent years, bands have had an easier time with networking and booking shows due to websites such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and much more.  For my audio story, I talked mainly about Facebook and Myspace because those are the two websites that have helped my band out in a big way since we formed.  I talked to two great local musicians, Owen McCusker and Mike Guzman, and got their opinion on the two websites and how it has helped their band out.  For more information on these helpful resources and to find out how local bands book their shows, you should check out my audio story here: http://tiger.towson.edu/~zwilso1/audio/audiostory.wav

Baltimore Music Scene Vs. DC Music Scene

An article I recently read on www.citypaper.com coincides with my beat focusing on the Baltimore Music Scene.  The article, titled "Tale of Two Cities" talks about the hardships going on right now with the Washington D.C. music scene; and how many of the small venues and warehouses that have been serving D.C. local bands are either being bought out or ending their leases in these tough times.  The article goes on to explain how Baltimore is on the opposite side of the spectrum, and the music scene is striving with all of the underground clubs and the areas that are being built up that will host new bars and clubs/venues in coming years.  The article also talks about Baltimore being much cheaper than D.C., and the people in the area are much more enthusiastic about the music and the arts, so many D.C. local bands and musicians are heading North and playing their music in an array of Baltimore clubs and venues that are much different and more successful than those in D.C.

One quote that stuck out to me in the article was: "I think that [Baltimore] does attract more artists because they [can] do less and eke by here rather than what it takes to eke by in D.C."  This quote supports the idea that it is easier to live in Baltimore during these tough times.  Being in a local band can be tough and when you first start off and try to get your name out there, the money is not good, and if that is your only work it can be very tough to get by.  Everything is more expensive in Washington D.C. than Baltimore, and it is much tougher working with a local band in D.C. People are moving to Baltimore because it is more affordable on all accounts because it is not as big of a tourist attraction, and the affection for underground arts and music in Baltimore can match match any city in the country, regardless of the city's size.

I really enjoyed this article and it was a topic I have not thought about until I skimmed the site, but it does make a lot of sense.  The article could of focused on the comparisons of the mainstream clubs in both of the cities.  It really focused on the underground music and arts and the clubs and venues that host it night in and night out, but I would of added to the article by talking about some of the bigger and popular clubs that both cities host.  It would have added another spin to the story, but overall I thought it was a great story and it was nice hearing positive feedback on Baltimore's growing music scene, whether underground or mainstream.

Check out this article at:  http://www.citypaper.com/special/story.asp?id=16003

Broadcast Style Leads

The first lead comes from a story titled "Two Teens Who Drowned off APG Over Weekend Identified" published by the Baltimore Sun. 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-drownings0608,0,2081453.story

"Two Baltimore County teenagers drowned Saturday while on a Gunpowder River boating trip to celebrate a friend's graduation, authorities said."

Authorities have reported that two Baltimore County teenagers drowned Saturday on a Gunpowder River boating trip to celebrate a friend's graduation.

The second lead comes from a story titled "Essex Teen charged with DWI after striking man in Ocean City" published by the Baltimore Sun.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-dwi0608,0,3919834.story

"OCEAN CITY - Ocean City police have charged a Baltimore County teen with drunken driving after his car hit a 44-year-old man trying to cross the street, WBOC-TV reported today."

WBOC-TV reported that Ocean City police have charged a Baltimore County teen with drunken driving after his car hit a pedestrian crossing the street.

The third lead comes from a story titled "2 Pa. Troopers Shot an Wounded" published by The New York Times. 

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/07/us/AP-US-Troopers-Shot.html?ref=us

"TOBYHANNA, Pa. (AP) -- Two Pennsylvania state police troopers were shot and seriously wounded Sunday night following a high-speed chase in the Pocono Mountains. The suspect was shot and killed, authorities said."

Authorities said that the man who shot and wounded two Pennsylvania state troopers following a high-speed chase in the Pocono Mountains was shot and killed.

The 8x10-A Cornerstone for Baltimore Local Music

On the corner of Cross Street in the heart of Federal Hill, Baltimore there is a small purple building, and if you happen to walk past that building you are are guaranteed to hear music that you might not have heard before, but in no time you will dancing and grooving outside.

This special place is The 8x10, a small local venue that has been bringing in great local and national acts for many years.  The 8x10 has an organic feel and they stay true to their roots by bringing in as many new local and regional jam bands they can find.  The 8x10 is one of the best venues in the Baltimore/Metropolitan area in bringing in new and local bands, so they can get a chance to play on a a stage and get their music out to new people, and hope to get a chance to come back and play again.

"The 8x10 is our favorite place to play, and we hype up every show we have there like it is our last," said Mike Guzman, 20-year-old rhythm guitarist for Vespertine Movement. "The 8x10 was the first actual stage we played on, and the vibe that goes on throughout the club makes us feel so much more comfortable when we play."

The 8x10 offers a couple of ways for new local bands to play their stage and get some good experience.  Every Monday night, the 8x10 hosts an open mic night, where different bands and solo musicians get to come out and play a short set in front of the people who come that evening.   The 8x10 also hosts "5 Bands for 5 Bucks" every Tuesday night, and this gives new local bands a chance to play a longer set in front of a much larger audience. If the owners and workers at the club like a local band, they will be asked to come back more and play bigger shows every time.

 The owners of the club do a great a job of seeing what Baltimore local bands have to offer, and they give everybody a chance to show their passion for music. The 8x10 is a staple in the Baltimore area for local musicians and any band that plays there constantly calls it home.

You can find out more about the 8x10 and see what bands are playing at: http://www.the8x10.com/index_content.html

 

Ideas for Multimedia Feature Story

My feature story is going to be a how-to story. The story will inform viewers and local musicians how to book their first show.  As a local musician in the Baltimore local scene, I have learned a lot of important things in my short time being in a local band, but I will inform people on some of the things I have learned along the way.   I will also talk to some members in other local Baltimore bands, and see what their method of booking shows is; and if they have any tips and advice they want to give to people who are looking to take their music from their basement to a real stage in front of a live audience.  Some local bands that I am going to try to contact are Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Back To Save The Universe, Stushido, and The Three Tree Experience. I will also write about the booking methods for different clubs/venues in the Baltimore Metropolitan area, and what they look for in a band to continue giving them shows at their club.  

News Article with Wall Street Journal Method

 An article I came across that displays the Wall Street Journal method was published today in the Baltimore Sun.  The article is titled "200 years later, college arsonist found?"  The article is about Bonnie McCubbin, a graduate of St. Mary's College, and her senior research on the burning of the world's first Methodist college, located in Maryland, nearly 200 years ago.  It is considered a cold case, but McCubbin went through a lot of research and ended up coming up with a strong conclusion of what she thinks happened on that day.  

The article starts off with an anecdotal lead giving a brief history of the burning of the school and what ended up happening back in the 1700s when it occurred. The next paragraph introduces Bonnie McCubbin and goes on to explain the details included in her research project about the case.  The nut graph comes when Bonnie McCubbin makes her conclusion of the arson case after the year's worth of research.  The rest of the article supports the main idea by  giving an in-depth look at the research she went through during her assignment.  A lot of the body of article has quotes from McCubbin talking about her experience while working on the project.  More sources are brought in as the story goes on including Julie King, McCubbin's project advisor and associate professor of anthropology.  The end of the story circles back to the beginning by talking about what McCubbin hopes to do with her research project and if she will do anymore research on the cold case that took place 200 years ago.  

The article can be found at: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-md.coldcase03jun03,0,5815764.story

Summary Lead vs. Feature Lead

The summary lead is a sentence or two with the most important information that will attract the reader so he/ she will continue to read the story.  The summary lead is used in straight, hard news stories and covers most or all of the 5 W's (who, what, where, when, why) and the how.  The summary lead follows the inverted pyramid format, which has the more pertinent information in the first couple of paragraphs to get the attention of the viewer and inform them immediately of what is going on. The less important facts are towards the end of the story, after all of the major information has been covered.  

The feature lead follows a different format than summary leads.  Instead of focusing on just the major facts like the summary lead, the feature lead is used when the story and information is lighter.   Feature leads serve as a preview for what is to come later in the article.  The feature lead allows the writer to take a creative path and showcase their works to lure in viewers. The feature lead does not give the major information, but it gives a little story to tempt the viewers to continue to read the article and find out more.  Some of the different feature leads include: anecdotal leads, narrative leads, descriptive leads, question leads,and other feature leads.

My first example of an article with a feature lead was published this morning in baltimoresun.com titled "Bread baker Dale Dugan is a rising star".  The lead starts off explaining how the humidity in the hot summer air makes his bread making process a bit different than a normal day.  The feature lead goes on to explain how the Baltimore humidity from April is another ingredient in his tasty bread.  The article then goes on to explain more about Dale Dugan and his local bread making shop and the success he is having in the Baltimore area.

You can check out the article at: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/bal-ae.fo.dugan03jun03,0,5683571.story

My second example of an article with a feature lead was published yesterday in nytimes.com titled "New Stadium is Tough for Autograph Hounds".  The lead starts off by talking about how Yankee fans used to be able to wait outside of the old Yankee stadium for their beloved players so they could try and get an autograph and just see them for that couple of seconds when they were outside walking to their cars.  After two paragraphs the story shifts and goes on to explain how Yankee fans cannot wait outside to see the players  at the new Yankee Stadium because they moved the players parking lot.  The article continues to talk about fan reactions and their disappointments in the new set up.

You can check this article at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/nyregion/03autograph.html?ref=todayspaper

My Beat

As I stated in my introductory blog, music is my main passion in life.  When I'm not playing music I am constantly listening to different influences to learn new things constantly, and to broaden my horizons because there are so many good musicians and bands out there.  I have been playing drums and percussion for over five years in a couple of different bands, but the local band that we have had most success with is the band that I'm in now with my three best friends called Vespertine Movement.  We started in November 2007 and we had no clue how to go about booking gigs and were still very premature in that process. We are all good musicians and we have great chemistry when we jam, but we all had no experience with working on the business side of a band, and that is just as important as the music, because if you don't do an of the leg work you will never get anywhere in the local or regional scene.  In the past year and a half, we have all learned a lot and met a lot of club owners, promotional companies, and other local bands who share that same passion, and we have really stayed on top of our game with booking shows and promoting ourselves so we can get new people to hear our music.

In my MCOM 257 blog, I really focused on some of the things VM goes through as a band every day such as the recording process, booking shows, finding a rehearsal studio, and some show reviews, but my beat for this class will talk about other local bands I have come into contact with through Vespertine Movement, and what are some of their methods to booking shows and getting new fans to come out to support their music.  I will also talk about the different clubs and venues in the Baltimore area and what the owners look for in a band. I will also explain the processes it takes to get your own gigs and other things that local bands do to "make some noise" in their local area.  I am really looking forward to writing this blog throughout the semester, and I hope if any of you reading this are in a local band or wants to be,  you will use some of my blog posts to benefit you in anyway possible.

Jam On!

What's Up MCOM 258

Hey what's going on class. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Zach Wilson and I just recently turned 21 and closed out my junior year at Towson University.  I am majoring in Mass Communications in the journalism and new media track and minoring in electronic media and film.  During my first two years at Towson University I was a full time EMF major, but I realized this past fall semester that it wasn't what I really wanted to do with my life, so I decided to switch to mass communications and pursue my passion in writing.  

I am from Catonsville, Maryland, about 25 minutes away from Towson, and frequently go back and forth between here and there to see my friends and family.  I live at an off-campus apartment with my three friends by the Towsontown Center and love being out on my own.  My two biggest passions in life are music and sports.  I have been surrounded by them and been playing both since I was a young child, and will continue to do so until the day I die. When I graduate from Towson University, I hope to get a career in sports journalism and/or broadcasting, or writing about music and entertainment. I play drums for a local  jam band called Vespertine Movement, and my blog for MCOM 257 followed that and I wrote about the different aspects that local bands go through to get their name out there and things that have to happen both on and off the stage.  

During this summer session, I hope to broaden my horizons and learn new programs and techniques in the new media area, because it is becoming more prominent as time goes on and technology advances.  I also want to learn new things when it comes to writing news stories, and improve my writing because that is most important. I look forward to this class, and am ready to learn a lot more about techniques in journalism and especially new media.