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Donnie Simpson

Donnie Simpson

Photo: Aaron Davidson/Getty Images

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Radio Legend Donnie Simpson On His Historic Career donnie-simpson-interview-radio-hall-fame

Radio And TV Legend Donnie Simpson On The Key To His Decades-Long Career: "I Don't Have To Be Great––I Just Have To Be Me"

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In honor of his recent induction into the Radio Hall Of Fame, GRAMMY.com highlights the broadcasting icon's celebrated career, his impact on media and culture, and his ongoing advocacy for Black representation in radio and TV
Eliza Berkon
GRAMMYs
Jan 6, 2021 - 3:43 pm

About five years ago, Washington, D.C., DJ Donnie Simpson emerged from retirement after a little coaxing from his wife, Pam.

"She framed it really [nicely]. She said, 'Donnie, everywhere you go, all you hear is how much people love you and they wish you'd do something else. And God has given you a gift that you should be sharing with people,'" Simpson tells GRAMMY.com over a Zoom interview. "That's what she said, but what I heard was, 'Get out.'"

The affable radio and television icon ultimately returned to the airwaves in 2015. Five years later, he received one of the highest accolades in the radio industry: Last October, he was inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame, an honor recognizing his contributions to the radio medium over the last half-century. 

The honor is the culmination of the legend's celebrated, decades-long career in radio, which launched in the '70s when a teenaged Simpson got his start on the Detroit airwaves. At the time, he looked to a handful of local DJs as mentors, including the high-spirited Ernie Durham. 

"I did not adopt his on-air style, but I try very much to adopt his off-air style. He always carried it with class," Simpson said of Durham. "And that was the example to me: to always be kind to people, to look people in the eye, no matter who they were."

It wasn't until Simpson left Detroit, in 1977, and logged his first few years at WKYS 93.9 in D.C.––a station he would reformat and lead to No. 1 as program director––that he found his stride on air, he says. 

"It's something I always say, and it's so true: I don't have to be great––I just have to be me," Simpson says. "Being you always works because that's the spirit that connects us. That's the thing that makes you real to people; they feel you when you are you. When you're trying to be something else, they know that, too."

Simpson says he's long avoided listening to recordings of himself for fear that the inevitable analysis would disrupt the "magic" of what he'd helped create. That approach also extended to his TV career, which started—not counting a role he now laughs about on a short-lived dance show in Detroit—when he served as backup sports anchor for WRC-TV in the early '80s. Not long after, he began hosting a relatively new show on the then-burgeoning BET network. Simpson had concerns about whether the show was the right fit for him.

"BET, in its infancy, wasn't a very pretty baby. The quality wasn't there. I've always been protective of image, because that's all I have," Simpson says. "But after thinking about it for two days, I decided this: This is our first Black television network. If you have something to offer it, you have to do it."

The two-hour show, "Video Soul," which spotlighted Black artists at a time when MTV was almost exclusively focused on white musicians, became BET's highest-rated program at one point.

Jeriel Johnson, executive director of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C., chapter, remembers watching "Video Soul" as a teen in his Cincinnati home. Simpson, he says, was a "steady presence of Black excellence."

"He was the face of BET," Johnson says. "He was just a staple, and he had such a calming voice and he was super smooth. I just looked up to him as a young, Black kid who loved music ... And I remember seeing him and being like, 'Wow, I could be on TV, too. If he can, I can.'"

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On the program, Simpson interviewed artists who were already riding the waves of success or were well on their way: Jodeci, SWV, New Edition, En Vogue, Mariah Carey, Take 6, Whitney Houston. Regardless of the star who graced the couch each night, Simpson took the same approach.

"For every guest I ever had on 'Video Soul,' they would bring me a bio with all this information on the artist … I wouldn't even read it," Simpson remembers. "That's the point of the interview, for me to get to know you."

Elise Perry, a producer and the president of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C., chapter, worked behind the scenes on "Video Soul" in the '90s, a pivotal decade for both R&B and hip-hop, she notes.

"All of these different subgenres of R&B really started to have an uptick in the '90s, and the fact that BET was present visually at that time, representing Black music in that way—it was a very special time," Perry says. "There were a lot of Black folk there, and it was just like a party. It was where I got my 'master's degree,' I call it. Everybody was family … It was just like a mecca."

Read: Meet The Recording Academy D.C. Chapter's First Black Female President, Elise Perry

Simpson treated the crew like family and has continued to provide unparalleled support for the D.C. community over the years, Perry, a D.C. native, says.

"He's our family. He's our brother. He's our uncle. He's that dude next door. He's our neighbor. He's our friend," she says.

"Family" is also how GRAMMY-nominated producer Chucky Thompson describes Simpson, who had a big impact on him when he was growing up in D.C.

"I've learned so much about people from him, just the way that he's been excited about their careers," he says of Simpson. "It transcends to you. It's like, 'Wait a minute, Donnie's excited? Now I'm excited.'"

For Thompson, who helped craft hits for Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige in the '90s, "Video Soul" was formative.

"It was almost like another version of what 'Soul Train' meant," Thompson says. "But [Simpson] got even more personal with you because he was able to talk to the artists and give you a little bit of insight on what their journeys were … He gave me a lot of information on how to make it in this business."

"Donnie Simpson is the standard," Joe Clair, comedian, radio personality, on-air veteran and host of "The Joe Clair Morning Show" on WPGC 95.5 FM in Washington, D.C., adds. "My mom and dad loved him, my siblings love him and people from a generation after me love him. That is a testament to who he is as a broadcaster and what he means to us as a voice for our community. I've worked with him throughout  the years, and he's given me valuable advice both for career moves and for negotiating my worth. He is a shining example for a life in radio and television on your own terms."

Yet becoming successful in the business, including achieving financial success, wasn't an easy journey for Simpson. The DJ has been vocal about the need for equitable pay for Black DJs. In recalling his own path to multimillion-dollar contracts, Simpson turns to a lyric from Elton John's "I've Seen That Movie Too": "It's a habit I have / I don't get pushed around."

"I've walked out [on deals], because you're not going to get me for half [the] price because I'm Black; those days are over," Simpson says, adding that in Detroit, he made one-fifth of what white DJs were making. "That was a very significant part of my career, to be able to be a part of changing that narrative, to letting them know you have to pay Black talent."

Simpson has also advocated for stations to put more of the DJ back into DJing. In the past few decades, he notes, many DJs have watched their curated playlists and airtime drift away due to technological advances and the consolidation of station ownership.

"So much of its personality has been stripped from it," Simpson says of the art of DJing. "I play whatever I want to play every day, but that's the magic of it to me … I don't want a computer programming music for me, because every day feels different. And I like to be tapped into that feeling."

In 1974, Simpson played Elton John's "Bennie And The Jets" on his show in Detroit, a decision he says he fretted about because "Black folks didn't know Elton John." He played the song twice that evening and got an overwhelming response from callers. John himself was soon on the phone with Simpson to discuss the record's success in Detroit; he handed Simpson a gold record for the single six months later.

"It's music that you wouldn't traditionally associate with Black radio; it's Elton. But that was a lesson to me," Simpson says. "It's all music to me; I don't care who made it. I just care what it sounds like [and] if it fits what I'm doing."

The fact that most DJs no longer have the latitude to craft their own playlists is a big loss for radio, Simpson says.

"You have young people out here with great ears that will never get the chance to express themselves musically because it's all programmed for them," he says. "I used to love it when wheels would touch down in Atlanta or New Orleans [or] L.A.—wherever it was. I couldn't wait to pull out my little transistor radio and hear what they were doing in that city, because it was always different."

After Simpson learned he'd be inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame this year, he took a look at its roster of honorees over the past three decades. When he didn't see New York DJ and “Chief Rocker" Frankie Crocker and other Black radio icons on the list, the announcement gave him pause.

"These are voices that you should know about, some great talents through the years ... legends that have gone largely ignored," he says. "But I also, in my acceptance speech, acknowledged that the [Radio Hall Of Fame] is trying to correct that. You look at the list of inductees this year, with Angie Martinez, The Breakfast Club, Sway Calloway and me––man, it's like #OscarsTooBlack. It's a lot of people of color that went in this year. So they have recognized that, and I applaud them for that."

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At a time when systemic racism and police brutality against Black people have come to the forefront of the national dialogue, Simpson says he feels compelled to speak out.

"If I were not on the radio, if I didn't have a microphone, I think I would still feel that responsibility to whatever people I encounter that I could talk to, to tell them how important this moment in history is for us," Simpson says. "I am so honored that I have had a platform for, now, 51 years to allow these voices to come on the radio or on TV and talk about these matters that make a difference to our community."

In 2010, Simpson retired from WPGC, where he'd hosted a morning show for nearly two decades, after contending with a "toxic" environment. But five years later, he was back at the other end of the dial on D.C.'s WMMJ Majic 102.3. Now, another retirement seems like the furthest thing from his mind.

"What's there not to love about it? I sit there kicking it with people I love. We have all the fun we can stand," Simpson says.

As praise continues to roll in from industry A-listers for his Radio Hall Of Fame induction, Simpson has advice for the many artists and listeners who now look to him for guidance as he once looked to his own mentors: "Be kind."

Each morning, Simpson takes a walk or run beside the Potomac River. While he says there's a health benefit to the ritual, he's got an additional reason to step out of his door.

"What I'm really doing is collecting smiles," Simpson says. "That's kind of my purpose: to bring warmth and joy."

Tune in for a special Up Close & Personal conversation discussing Donnie Simpson's career and life in broadcasting. Moderated by Jimmy Jam, the event premieres Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 4:30 p.m. PST/7:30 p.m. EST via the Recording Academy's official Facebook page.

Beyond The Beltway: A Closer Look At Washington D.C.'s Vibrant Music Community

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Bonnie McKee, Leroy Sanchez, Gallant and Whethan

Screenshot from New Year x New Music x New Normal summit

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How The Music Industry Learned To Pivot new-year-x-new-music-x-new-normal-how-artists-creatives-and-music-industry-learned

New Year x New Music x New Normal: How Artists, Creatives And The Music Industry Learned To Pivot And Adapt During The Pandemic

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Presented by the Recording Academy's Los Angeles Chapter, this timely and introspective peer-to-peer discussion saw creatives and music industry professionals discussing the future of the music industry
Lily Moayeri
Membership
Dec 17, 2020 - 5:26 pm

To say 2020 has been the most unprecedented year for the music industry is redundant as well as an understatement. With all the upheavals that have come with the pandemic, not the least of which are the cessation of in-person live shows and lockdowns that have impeded studio sessions, have come many adjustments and changes in approaches to the creation of music. This has brought about a prolific time for the creators who have successfully pivoted, gaining knowledge and additional skills in the process, which they are taking with them into 2021. 

The Recording Academy's Los Angeles Chapter summit, New Year x New Music x New Normal, which took place virtually Wednesday (Dec. 16), explored this topic through four panels that offered a range of perspectives from the various sides of the industry. Each of the 45-minute panels focused on a specific cross section of creatives, including artists, songwriters/producers/A&R, arranger/conductor/composer and music for visual media. Conducted in conversational style, the panel discussions saw professionals sharing experiences, trading ideas and finding common ground.

Hosted by the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chapter, Qiana Conley, the panels featured guests and speakers like: the Recording Academy's Interim President/CEO, Harvey Mason jr.; GRAMMY-winning producer/music director and L.A. Chapter governor Gregg Field; GRAMMY-winning songwriter/producer Philip Lawrence; GRAMMY-nominated producer and L.A. Chapter advisor Jeff Gitelman; GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and L.A. Chapter governor Marcus Lomax; GRAMMY-nominated composer/conductor/music director and L.A. Chapter governor Ryan Shore; GRAMMY-nominated artists Bonnie McKee and Gallant; A&R executives and L.A. Chapter governors Amanda Samii and Nicole Plantin; music supervisor and L.A. Chapter trustee Julia Michels; and artists Leroy Sanchez and Whethan. Also speaking were the Los Angeles Chapter's senior operations manager, Nicole Brown, and membership manager, Brittany Presley, plus musician/producer, founder and CEO of Jammcard, Elmo Lovano.

Watch the New Year x New Music x New Normal summit in full on Facebook.

Clockwise from top-left: Qiana Conley, Brittany Presley and Nicole Brown

Clockwise from top-left: Qiana Conley, Brittany Presley and Nicole Brown | Screenshot from New Year x New Music x New Normal summit

"We've all been impacted by the events of 2020 from the pandemic to social injustice to the continued advocacy efforts that we've been putting forward, fighting for music creator rights," Conley said in her opening remarks at the summit. "We take on these things together and music continues to unite us, both in our purpose and in the soundtrack of our passions. Our summit will allow creators to talk amongst themselves, to share and have conversations with each other about how they've been creating in this bubble, and to also sow what they expect from the New Year from the lessons that they've learned or the changes that they've made and how that will ultimately shape their creative process moving forward."

The A Conversation With Artists panel, moderated by McKee, began the summit with Gallant, Whethan and Sanchez. Some of the topics discussed included the creation of music remotely, schedule management, livestreamed shows, challenging parts of the pandemic, the effects the state of the world made on their sound and more. 

Read More: Behind The Record Returns To #GiveCredit To The Behind-The-Scenes Music Creators

"I need to keep making music," Sanchez said of staying connected to fans. "People are still listening to music. A lot of artists have realized that and we've already seen a lot of great music coming out. There's going to be a lot more creation that way. Since people can't do shows, there's a lot of audiovisual stuff. It's not a visual album, but it's some sort of movie or some sort of creative twist around the album that puts a spin on it and people can still consume it from their home and still get an experience that's not a show."

On keeping a schedule, Gallant commented, "I'm such a disorganized dude, the only way to get that clerical work done is if I really planned it out. I would think I wouldn't thrive without that structure, but when you have disorganization on top of world disorganization on top of mental disorganization, it's just a little too chaotic."

Clockwise from top-left: Jeff Gitelman, Amanda Samii, Nicole Plantin and Marcus Lomax

Clockwise from top-left: Jeff Gitelman, Amanda Samii, Nicole Plantin and Marcus Lomax | Screenshot from New Year x New Music x New Normal summit

The next panel, A Conversation With Songwriters/Producers/A&Rs, centered around the topics of creation during quarantine, breakthroughs with challenges and new practices and techniques. All panelists said they have been the busiest they have ever been during this time, with Zoom sessions and meetings allowing them to accomplish more, and more efficiently. 

"Our artists are writing from the comfort of their own home," Samii said. "Educating them on new writers, new producers that I think could be really interesting with them so that once we're out of this pandemic, we're not starting from zero. Zoom sessions are not the sexiest thing to do, but they work. I can get an artist in Australia or London in with people in L.A. today, and I can grab somebody from Nashville. There's an advantage to this time where I can grab people and put them in a room where I would have to wait until like the stars aligned, which might take a long time."

Gitelman juxtaposed not being able to be in the same room with an artist and not having a creative and intimate setting to connect with them against the convenience of being able to call someone, like Lomax, and have them quickly help in a session. 

"It's been revolutionary where certain writers have been able to give me two hours and then they'll do two hours somewhere in another Zoom session. A challenge, but something I believe we have to push ourselves to adjust to," Gitelman said.

Lomax said what helped him break through this challenge is continuing to work with the same people he has for the last few years. "The core same people that pretty much I've been doing music with, I've been very familiar with for the last few years so that was an easy way to get into it for me," he said. "Once I got into it, these sessions aren't going as long. I can be available to more people more frequently and maybe be more effective and more efficient in a different way."

"It's allowed us to use our time differently than we would have used it in the past and that's not a bad thing," Plantin added. "We've been able to pour a little bit more into ourselves, dig into ourselves a little more and do things that we may not have had the time to do before."

On the topic of inspiration, Gitelman said, "It's an important time in history right now. Are you going to be on this side of it? Or are you going to be on this side? All of us need to evolve and push ourselves a little more. If you need to learn a DAW, Pro Tools or Logic, if your career depended on it, wouldn't you be able to do that? I'm a fighter. We're going to get through it. We're going to make it happen. I encourage other people to embrace the evolution."

"It's been a testing year, but it's been a great year for music, and I think we're going to see some great music come from this. A lot of people have a lot to say and I'm looking forward to hearing that," Samii concluded.

Ryan Shore (L) and Gregg Field (R)

Ryan Shore (L) and Gregg Field (R) | Screenshot from New Year x New Music x New Normal summit

The A Conversation With Arrangers/Conductors/Composers panel was a one-on-one between Shore and Field who have a unique perspective from the composing side. Shifting relatively easily into the post-pandemic way of studio recording, Field spoke on one of the major changes he experienced. "If I've got a vocalist, I want to be in the live room with them, one-on-one. The worst thing for me is to leave an artist alone in a room when they've got no energy to come back and forth, so the emotional opportunities for the singer to feel something are missed."

The Los Angeles Chapter leaders came in with some remarks, noting the many ways creatives could engage around advocacy as a member. Conley, who frequently hears members asking about how they could get involved, suggested to "contact Congress."

Read More: VP Of Member & Industry Relations Kelley Purcell On How Recording Academy Members Can Make A Difference

"We are still in the fight, on your behalf, for getting the correct relief that we need for music creators that have been impacted by COVID by encouraging your Congress people to support the HITS Act or the SOS Bill or the Restart Act," Conley said.

Clockwise from top-left: Julia Michels, Philip Lawrence and Harvey Mason jr.

Clockwise from top-left: Julia Michels, Philip Lawrence and Harvey Mason jr. | Screenshot from New Year x New Music x New Normal summit

The final panel of the summit was A Conversation With One Project, Three Voices: Music For Visual Media. This panel revolved around the Netflix smash holiday musical, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. The three voices of Mason, Lawrence and Michels, who moderated the panel, are responsible for creating the unforgettable music of David E. Talbert's Jingle Jangle, mainly during the pandemic. 

Michels asked Lawrence about the speed in which he wrote the songs to which he replied, "I fell in love with the story. I was moved by the script. And I fell in love with David and his energy. He's this infectious personality that you just want to be around. Understanding the story and narrative and wanting to do justice to these characters was the catalyst for me to be as spontaneous and in the moment as possible. I've built a career on freestyling. I try not to overthink."

In contrast to the spontaneous and in-person interaction of Lawrence with Talbert, Mason's experience recording for Jingle Jangle was wholly dictated by the pandemic's fluctuating restrictions.

"At certain points we could gather 10 people, so we would rush and get as many people in the room as we could," Mason said. "Then they said now you can only have two people, so we would put people in different booths. At one point we tried to record a choir. Fortunately, in my studio we have five isolation booths, which gave us 10. We stacked it so we ended up with 40 or 50 voices by the time it was done. It was laborious for sure, to say the least. It was not convenient. But it was a challenge, and like the rest of this movie, it was big fun."

Much like the Songwriters/Producers/A&R panelists, Michaels also found that, "I have more access to musicians because, unfortunately, people aren't touring. People are willing to write, and I'm getting a lot of 'yeses' where I think I would have gotten 'nos' on some other projects."

Recording Academy Invites & Celebrates Its 2020 New Member Class

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Kelley Purcell

Photo: Ashley Stewart of ANS Photography

 
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Meet Member & Industry Relations VP Kelley Purcell vp-member-industry-relations-kelley-purcell-how-recording-academy-members-can-make

VP Of Member & Industry Relations Kelley Purcell On How Recording Academy Members Can Make A Difference

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Purcell talks to GRAMMY.com about her new role and why it's so important for Recording Academy members to vote in the upcoming Awards cycle
GRAMMYs
Nov 5, 2020 - 7:00 am

The Recording Academy has announced the appointment of Kelley Purcell as Vice President of Membership & Industry Relations. The appointment follows the Recording Academy's restructure, which aims to streamline the organization and sharpen focus on its service to music. Reporting to Chief Industry Officer Ruby Marchand, Purcell will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of membership outreach, peer review, member account services, and the Academy's Chapter systems, including regional and local teams, Chapter events and programming, and all facets of Chapter service. 

"We are pleased to have Kelley as our Vice President of Membership & Industry Relations," said Marchand. "Her expertise and history of being a driving force within the Membership & Industry Relations department make her a great asset to this organization. This is yet another step towards the Academy's transformational commitment as we strive for greater inclusivity and work to ensure our membership reflects the diverse individuals who make up our music community."

Purcell joined the Recording Academy as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chapter in 2013. She later transitioned to Senior Director of Member Outreach, leading industry outreach efforts across the Membership & Industry Relations department. During her tenure, she project managed a cross-department team of IT, Digital Media and Communications colleagues over a two-year period and successfully implemented historic changes to the Academy's membership systems. She also led the recruitment efforts to diversify Academy membership and was the liaison to the Academy's first-ever Peer Review Panel, responsible for training this body and serving as its point person.

Below, Purcell talks to GRAMMY.com about her new role and why it's so important for Recording Academy members to vote in the upcoming Awards cycle.

Can you tell us a little about your professional background and what led to your new role at the Recording Academy?

I have loved music since a young age but I think the power of music, and the arts in general, was cemented for me in college. I was an Economics major, but throughout my college career I was also very involved in lots of arts-focused extracurricular activities that gave me purpose and helped me develop a stronger sense of self. During that time I realized that if my career was going to mean something to me, it had to center around the arts in some way, and I committed to using all of my business skills to further something that had real meaning to me.

After building my career in arts administration in various positions, I was thrilled to join the Recording Academy as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chapter where I could focus my professional energies in support of music makers, specifically. Since joining the Academy I have held several roles within the Membership & Industry Relations team and am honored to now become the Vice President, where I can apply everything I’ve learned thus far for the greater good of the department as a whole.
 
What specifically do you hope to bring to your new role in Membership?

I want to ensure that every member of the Recording Academy understands that their membership can make a difference. Whether that’s participating in the GRAMMY Awards process, advocating for the rights of the music community in Washington D.C., or raising money for MusiCares or standing up for music education, this membership body plays a huge role in shaping the music industry that we want to see. Every member's voice counts and we are stronger together.    
 
Why is it so important for current Recording Academy members to vote in the upcoming Awards cycle?

The GRAMMY award represents what professional music creators decide are the best musical works of the year. Because it’s the only award that is peer-to-peer, it is ideal when all peers are reflected in the process.
 
What can you tell us about the benefits of membership at the Recording Academy?

Membership is the lifeblood of the Recording Academy and the foundation of all that we do. Recording Academy members have the opportunity to play a part in creating a better world for music and its makers. In addition to advocating for the rights of music makers, supporting the next generation of the music industry and helping fellow music people in times of need, members can submit projects for GRAMMY Awards consideration, propose amendments to GRAMMY Awards rules, run for a Recording Academy Board, participate in member-only programs and more. The Recording Academy is a very special community of people who are united by how much they care about the music industry and want it to thrive.
 
What can you tell us about how all 12 Chapters engage RA members on a year-round basis?

Each of the 12 Chapters are a great resource for members to learn more about the best ways in which to get involved in all the Recording Academy does. Board members are elected at the local level to represent their communities and provide connective tissue between each member and the organization as a whole. In addition to producing local events and programs, Chapters help members become aware of all Academy initiatives and how each person can be of service to the greater mission.
 
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

To learn more about how to join the Recording Academy, please visit grammy.com/join!

Recording Academy Invites & Celebrates Its 2020 New Member Class

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Hero The Band perform at the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter Annual Membership Celebration
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Report: Music & Culture In "Future Cities" report-music-culture-infrastructure-can-create-better-future-cities

Report: Music & Culture Infrastructure Can Create Better "Future Cities"

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How sound planning for a creative future in our urban areas makes all the difference for artists and musicians
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 23, 2019 - 2:27 pm

The future, as they say, is now. And for music makers around the world, building a future for themselves often starts at home, in their local creative community and in the city where they live. While technology has expanded communication and made the world smaller, cities continue to grow, making planning for the future a critical cultural mission of the present.

To that end, a new report by global organization Sound Diplomacy titled "This Must Be The Place" examines, "The role of music and cultural infrastructure in creating better future cities for all of us." The 37-page deep dive into community planning and development highlights the importance of creative culture in what it calls "Future Cities."

"The government defines ‘Future Cities’ as 'a term used to imagine what cities themselves will be like," the report states, "how they will operate, what systems will orchestrate them and how they will relate to their stakeholders (citizens, governments, businesses, investors, and others),'"

According to the report, only three global cities or states currently have cultural infrastructure plans: London, Amsterdam and New South Wales. This fact may be surprising considering how city planning and sustainability have become part of the discussion on development of urban areas, where the UN estimates 68 percent of people will live by 2050.

"Our future places must look at music and culture ecologically. Much like the way a building is an ecosystem, so is a community of creators, makers, consumers and disseminators," the report says. "The manner in which we understand how to maintain a building is not translated to protecting, preserving and promoting music and culture in communities."

The comparison and interaction between the intangibility of culture and the presence of physical space is an ongoing theme throughout the report. For instance, one section of the report outlines how buildings can and should be designed to fit the cultural needs of the neighborhoods they populate, as too often, use of a commercial space is considered during the leasing process, not the construction process, leading to costly renovations.

"All future cities are creative cities. All future cities are music cities."

On the residential side, as cities grow denser, the need increases for thoughtful acoustic design and sufficient sound isolation. Future cities can and should be places where people congregate

"If we don’t design and build our future cities to facilitate and welcome music and experience, we lose what makes them worth living in."

For musicians and artists of all mediums, the answer to making—and keeping—their cities worth living in boils down to considering their needs, impact and value more carefully and sooner in the planning process.

"The report argues that property is no longer an asset business, but one built on facilitating platforms for congregation, community and cohesion," it says. "By using music and culture at the beginning of the development process and incorporating it across the value chain from bid to design, meanwhile to construction, activation to commercialisation, this thinking and practice will result in better places."

The report offers examples of how planners and leaders are handling this from around the world. For instance, the Mayor Of London Night Czar, who helps ensure safety and nighttime infrastructure for venues toward the Mayor's Vision for London as a 24-hour city. Stateside, Pittsburgh, Penn., also has a Night Mayor in place to support and inform the growth of its creative class.

What is a music ecosystem? We believe the music influences and interacts with various sectors in a city. We have designed this infographic to show how music ecosystems work and impact cities, towns and places: https://t.co/0DIUpN1Dll

— Sound Diplomacy (@SoundDiplomacy) August 14, 2019

Diversity, inclusion, health and well-being also factor into the reports comprehensive look at how music and culture are every bit as important as conventional business, ergonomic and environmental considerations in Future Cites. Using the Queensland Chamber of Arts and Culture as a reference, it declared, "A Chamber of Culture is as important as a Chamber of Commerce."

In the end, the report serves as a beacon of light for governments, organizations, businesses and individuals involved in planning and developing future cities. Its core principals lay out guideposts for building friendly places to music and culture and are backed with case studies and recommendations. But perhaps the key to this progress is in changing how we approach the use of space itself, as the answer to supporting music may be found in how we look at the spaces we inhabit.

"To develop better cities, towns and places, we must alter the way we think about development, and place music and culture alongside design, viability, construction and customer experience," it says. "Buildings must be treated as platforms, not assets. We must explore mixed‑use within mixed‑use, so a floor of a building, or a lesser‑value ground floor unit can have multiple solutions for multiple communities."

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Gena Johnson

 

Photo: Courtesy of Gena Johnson

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Membership Open Letter Series: Gena Johnson producer-engineer-gena-johnson-how-create-total-harmony-recording-session

Producer & Engineer Gena Johnson: How To Create Total Harmony In A Recording Session

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"To care for someone in a recording situation is to ensure their comfort and anticipate their needs. Get out of your own head and tune into the signs around you"
GRAMMYs
Nov 12, 2020 - 4:22 am

In a brand-new editorial series, the Recording Academy has asked its membership to reflect on their their career journey, the current state of the music industry and what we can do to collectively and positively move forward in the current social climate. Below, producer and engineer and Nashville chapter member Gena Johnson shares her open letter with GRAMMY.com readers.

Moving to Nashville not knowing a soul (like most young engineers), I discovered it takes a while to find your footing. It takes even longer to feel a part of a true community, to build your tribe and to carve out a slice of the pie that tastes best to you. For me, it happened in waves. The community I love and connect with continues to grow more lush and empathetic as the years go by.

When artists and I collaborate, we strive to create music that represents them—not to just get songs on the radio. Before we even begin working on music, the focus and energy has to be right. Whatever it takes to get there, I’m in. When the energy is right, the music will be right. Every record or side I’m a part of is unique, and in turn moves the needle toward my internal growth as a human and as an engineer.

I feel exorbitantly fortunate to have been in the rooms that I have. Sometimes I have to pinch myself even dreaming up what that would be like to my younger self. Starting off as an intern, then assistant engineer, to production assistant and then making the transition to head engineer and producer, there are so many things to consider.

Each one of these roles, at the most basic level, is a customer service job. The most important thing to remember is: the artist must feel heard and respected in all ways. If you care about each person in the room, whether you are at the bottom or at the top of the "hierarchy," you will go far. I’m not saying that you must care about every intimate detail of everyone’s lives. But to care for someone in a recording situation is to ensure their comfort and anticipate their needs. Get out of your own head and tune into the signs around you. Perspective is a blessing. Give your complete self every time, or you could miss something really important. Even simple things like getting hot tea for the artist instead of having them get it themselves contributes to keeping the artist in the moment. It is their day. Customer service. Kindness, caring, positive energy, vibe.



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A beautiful time with @luciesilvas !! String days are the best. Love these people. #Repost @luciesilvas ・・・ Hearing Strings is the most beautiful sound. Huge thank you to @combsmatt for making my day and my year today. #newalbum : @natalieosborne

A post shared by Gena Johnson (@genajohnson507) on Sep 16, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

With each new project, endeavor, new producer or new artist, be sure to keep an open mind. If you don’t know how to do something, even technically, show up as your absolute best self—no one can fault you for that. Leave all personal drama at the door. Be honest with yourself and others. If there is something going on in your personal life that will affect your role, express that prior to beginning of the session and, in advance, find a substitute that has greater or equal skill to you. It happens. Be a pro and handle it professionally.

As an engineer, the way something sounds is your opinion. If the producer isn’t digging what the engineer is providing as a soundscape for the record, the producer will let the engineer know. The producer’s job is to be the "adult" in the room—the person who is responsible for bringing the artist’s vision to life. It’s a team effort. It has to be a team effort, a “we” effort. As a “we” effort, ego goes out the window and coziness is allowed to settle in. Creativity and vulnerability become tangible. The vibe is set, the candles are lit, the fragrance of palo santo is in the room, the lighting is on point and we’re ready to begin.

Every session is different. You don't always have the time to set the scene quite as described, but it’s essential to find ways that will be special to each individual client. What is best for the situation at hand? Think about it and find a way to make it happen. Maybe it’s making sure the drummer has the right kind of creamer for his coffee or that the artist feels a part of the old inside jokes the musicians are telling. Create unity and keep the artist as the central focus.

Once a project is finished, all that the world hears is the music. The artist leaves with the experience, a combination of all the small details and how you and others made them feel, in addition to the music. I believe that if the experience is special, the music will be that much better—maybe even next-level magic. The little things ARE the big things.

Attorney Shay Lawson Talks #TheShowMustBePaused & Feeling Inspired By Industry Changemakers

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.