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Wale and Rare Essence

Photo by Lars Niki/WireImage for The Recording Academy

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D.C. Block Party: Wale, Rare Essence & More go-go-given-royal-treatment-inaugural-dc-block-party

Go-Go Given The Royal Treatment At Inaugural D.C. Block Party

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The Recording Academy's evening of back-to-back concerts starred artists with ties to D.C., Maryland and Virginia: rappers D.R.A.M. and Chaz French, singer-songwriter Kevin Ross, art-pop vocalist Angelica Garcia, and go-go masters Rare Essence
Eliza Berkon
Membership
Jun 26, 2019 - 11:40 am

Jeriel Johnson says there are "incredible artists" everywhere. "But we know that some of the greatest ones are right here."

The executive director of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C. chapter spoke with enthusiasm in a red-carpet interview just before the chapter’s inaugural Block Party on May 10. On a Friday evening, the micro music fest kept the crowds entertained at City Winery in trendy neighborhood Ivy City. Emceed by local radio personality and former BET host Joe Clair, the evening of back-to-back concerts starred artists with ties to D.C., Maryland and Virginia: rappers D.R.A.M. and Chaz French, singer-songwriter Kevin Ross, art-pop vocalist Angelica Garcia, pop outfit MAKUTA and D.C. go-go masters Rare Essence—with a surprise cameo from rapper Wale.

"It's a deep legacy," said Carl "Kokayi" Walker, GRAMMY-nominated producer and GRAMMY national trustee. "From Duke Ellington to Fugazi to Bad Brains to Chuck Brown. We have Marvin Gaye, everything."

Just before sunset on the third floor of the year-old concert space and hub for oenophiles (in a building once home to nightclubs Dream and Love), guests in Louboutins and blazers took seats at picnic tables to hear Brooklyn-based MAKUTA. Helped in part by their loud sartorial choices (think: ABBA meets Spice Girls) and touring drummer Christian Zawacki (a Virginia native), the family quartet played a string of rock-infused pop tunes. Doug Makuta, born in nearby Norfolk and lead vocalist of the band, has another tie to Virginia: He’s signed as a songwriter to ole-Bluestone, a collaboration between rights management company ole and Virginia-bred producer Timbaland.

One of the standout performers of the night, Angelica Garcia, is definitely one to follow. Within a minute of fading up a few soft notes on her Roland wave sampler, Garcia had the audience under her spell. She stood entirely alone on stage with a Tori Amos-like intensity, bathing the room in a rich aural tapestry of looped harmonics.

"I appreciate how lively every [D.C.] show has been," Garcia said before the show. "It's been cool that the crowd has been so mixed and diverse that people are usually very welcoming of my music." The artist’s father is from Mexico, and Garcia names Mexican ranchera singer José Alfredo Jiménez-Sandoval as one of her go-tos for inspiration.

D.C. Block Party: Wale, Rare Essence & More

The night was also a celebratory one for local musical education. In an interlude between sets, Johnson, chapter president Von Vargas and other local GRAMMY leadership members recognized a few regional schools for their contributions in music education: T.C. Williams High School (Alexandria, VA), Kelly Miller Middle School (D.C.) and the Richardson School of Music (Takoma Park, MD). They also presented Ottley Music School (Hyattsville, MD) with a $1,000 check to support their program.

The D.C. area has made as indelible mark on rap, with artists such as Shy Glizzy, Rico Nasty, Innanet James and D.R.A.M. gaining increased national attention in recent years. Chaz French is well-deservedly also on that list. Clad in an unassuming ensemble (tucked-in mustard polo, high-water tweed pants and black-and-white Adidas), French was dynamic and unapologetic in his rooftop performance. After abandoning a small balcony stage—saying, "It’s too far; I've got to feel the energy"—French joined the crowd below, delivering a short but feverish set, including a moment when he let his young daughter, Akai, take the mic on recent single "Handful."

But, as several interviewees mentioned, D.C.'s most sacred genre is perhaps the spirited, funk-based go-go. The music found itself in the national spotlight on May 7 with #MoeChella, a public demonstration and concert attended by thousands and now just one of several #DontMuteDC rallies popping up in response to local controversy: Due to noise complaints, a D.C. cell phone store that had played go-go for decades was temporarily barred from doing so. It’s an issue that resonated with many residents, a symbol of the seemingly boundless gentrification that’s redefined the city in recent years.

"Some of our members and our board were out there that night during the rally, and I think a lot of people have since come to us," Johnson said. "There was emergency legislation that they were trying to pass in October of 2018, called the Amplified Noise Amendment Act. And as a chapter, we stood against that. We felt like the underlying idea was to ban live, amplified street performances.

"That is what this city has been built on," Johnson said. "It's just been great, all these months later, we’re still at it, and the community’s still at it, and we’re doing everything we can to rally around local musicians."

Just before 10 p.m., D.C.-bred rapper Wale stepped out to introduce Rare Essence but stuck around for a live collaboration of the artist’s GRAMMY-nominated "Lotus Flower Bomb." The legendary go-go group, founded in 1976, recently dropped "Don’t Mute DC," a musical defense of go-go and its history. 

"This is where go-go was born, and this is where go-go lives," Wale told us earlier in the night. "That’s the unique gumbo … our Trojan horse in the music game, essentially."

As the band moved on to play its own polyrhythmic take on Ashlee Simpson’s "Pieces of Me," it was difficult to find someone who wasn't dancing.

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

GRAMMYs

Hero The Band perform at the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter Annual Membership Celebration
Photo: Marcus Ingram/WireImage

News
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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Tracy Hamlin and Elise Perry

Tracy Hamlin and Elise Perry

Photo: Shannon Finney/Getty Images

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Cultivating Creativity In Washington D.C. beyond-beltway-closer-look-washington-dcs-vibrant-music-community

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

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Members of the Washington D.C. Chapter Executive Board weigh in on what makes the city's scene sizzle and how they are helping create more opportunities for local musicians
Sarah Godfrey
GRAMMYs
Jan 7, 2019 - 12:47 pm

With a rich history and a bright future, the Washington D.C. music scene is truly alive. In fact, new music venues, both traditional rooms and more eclectic spaces, have been flooding the Washington D.C. area of late. Want to hear a band play inside of a pie shop? No problem. Require a sommelier as part of your concertgoing experience? Sure thing. Want to see a show from the inside of a geodesic dome turned giant snow globe in the middle of summer? No sweat.

An exact count is difficult to come by, but earlier this year, The Washington Post estimated roughly 24 new music venues have opened in the region, which includes part of Virginia and Maryland, since 2013. That’s in addition to existing venues—a mix of stadiums, arenas, concert halls, opera houses, amphitheaters, clubs, warehouses, at least one converted Baptist church, and a slew of coffeehouses, wineries, and breweries that also serve up live music. 

The region’s penchant for creating a music venue out of pretty much any interesting standing structure is one of the things that makes the scene in D.C. stand out, says Carl “Kokayi” Walker, artist, producer, educator, and current board trustee of the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy.

“We’re not all about policy and politics—we’re about creativity,” Walker says. “From intimate spaces like Songbyrd… to the Anthem when you want to see bands get crazy, to alt spaces, I think those are the things that make a difference in the music community here… This is the place where punk rock originated, the place where our own indigenous music, go-go, comes from, and a place we strive to make sure other musicians live up to their musicianship.”

Carl "Kokayi" Walker

Carl "Kokayi" Walker

One of the goals, and challenges, facing the leadership of the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy is making sure D.C.-based musicians have the resources they need to benefit from changes in the area’s music scene and ensure that homegrown artists always have a platform.

While growth and diversity of performances in the area is a boon for listeners, the impact on area musicians is trickier to parse. The opening of new venues doesn’t always translate into more performance opportunities for locally-based artists. And, amid all the grand openings have been a slew of closing parties for beloved local musical institutions that once served not only as show locations, but places for artists to gather. How does a scene that spans dozens of genres, covers three states, and now plays out at a dizzying number of venues stay strong and connected?

“My goal for the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy is really to create a situation of engagement among the professionals here,” says Elise Perry, producer, composer, arranger, film/television director, and vice president of the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy. “Whether it’s an entire art and music symposium or just some form of showcasing artistic talent and performance specifically, the more things we do to engage people, the more it helps the community and the more we can be seen as an engaged, connected community.” 

Elise Perry 

Elise Perry 

Perry, who grew up in D.C., says that a childhood spent performing with the DC Youth Orchestra and playing “desk drums,” to recreate the beat of popular go-go groups, meant “musical experience was absolutely part of what D.C. had to offer me.” As a result, she works to “insist that there’s recognition of the music community here and that there are spaces for our artists, so we can continue to make sure people are being seen and heard.”

Singer, songwriter, music educator, record label owner, and Recording Academy trustee Tracy Hamlin says she sees her role in the D.C. Chapter as working with her fellow board members to “engage, connect, support, and educate” members of the D.C. music community.

“When I first joined the chapter, I was an inactive member,” says Hamlin, who has been on the D.C. board for seven years. “But I said to myself, ‘You need to come closer. You only get out of it what you put into it.’ I encourage [everyone] to come closer.” 

Tracy Hamlin

Tracy Hamlin

At a time when the region and its music scene are growing and shifting, Hamlin is pulling people in and building community among artists by creating unique opportunities for performance and connection. In October, she held her inaugural Sweet Jazz and Wine Festival, an event with a charitable component—it raised funds to give two artists from low-income families a year of private instruction in their desired instrument. In a region where rents and the cost of living continue to rise, it’s a much-needed model that brings together D.C. musicians together in support of their fellow artists. Hamlin says the event is typical of the generosity of the area’s music community.

“There are a lot of folks here connecting with people from different genres, people building rapport and friendships and collaborating,” Hamlin says.

Von Vargas, hip-hop artist and producer, and the current D.C. Chapter president, enjoys the challenge of serving the different “pockets” of artists in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and notes that artists seeking community and fellowship should look to service.

Von Vargas

Von Vargas

“Being in the entertainment industry, our careers can sometimes be more self-driven,” he says. “Sometimes it’s good to put that aside and try to make a way for others. I think serving others, taking time out to do that is important. Being [an Academy member] is one way – serving in the Academy is a selfless effort.”

Priscilla Clarke, president and CEO of the entertainment public relations firm Clarke & Associates, says that although the Washington area is more than just political ties, artists in the area should take advantage of Washington’s position as a seat of political power to advocate for themselves and others.

Priscilla Clarke

Priscilla Clarke

“Know what opportunities and resources exist,” says Clarke, who has been involved in the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy for 16 years, and is its current secretary, “Learn more about the chapter…and get involved in other groups with other music markers to learn what’s going on in your city. It’s important to know that you do have a voice and you can utilize it to make a change.”

Walker says that no matter how many new venues crop up, or how much the music scene in D.C. changes, a tight-knit network of dedicated artists will always be a strong, consistent presence.  

“We’re a specific, special community that watches out for our own,” says Walker. “For our creators and creatives, and people who are involved with music, and have a love of music and the business of music.”

Washington D.C. Chapter Presents: Vocal Health Tips From Lalah Hathaway, Anthony Hamilton & More

 

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Watch Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music music-business-family-fatherhood-music-dives-deep-balancing-kids-career-pandemic

Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music Dives Deep Into Balancing Kids, Career & A Pandemic

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Six working dads dive deep into the joys and challenges of fatherhood, balancing career and childcare responsibilities with a partner
Ana Monroy Yglesias
Membership
Nov 12, 2020 - 12:53 pm

The Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music panel recently brought together music professionals navigating fatherhood during the pandemic for an insightful, honest conversation about balancing life as a working father in the music industry. 

The heartfelt virtual discussion, moderated by Fake Shore Drive music blog creator Andrew Barber, featured five fellow awesome dads: clinical psychologist Dr. James Ballard III, Ph.D., producer/multi-instrumentalist and Co-Founder of BASSic Black Entertainment Adam Blackstone, Chicago rapper and mental health advocate G Herbo, songwriter/producer Billy Mann, and DMV rapper/producer Oddisee. The panel was presented by the Recording Academy's Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia Chapters, in partnership with MusiCares,

Watch Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music

Related: Watch: Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music Brings Together Powerhouse Moms Working In Music

The panelists dove deep into the joys and challenges of fatherhood, balancing career and childcare responsibilities with their partner, and how much more work quarantine has left them all with. Watch the full conversation above. 

The conversation is part of a two-part series, preceded by Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music.

G Herbo Talks 'PTSD' And The Importance Of Mental Health: "People Need To Treat Mental Health More Seriously"

Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music
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Watch Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music watch-music-business-family-motherhood-music-brings-together-powerhouse-moms-working

Watch: Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music Brings Together Powerhouse Moms Working In Music

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"You know what's the most revolutionary thing we can do during all of this? We can be joyful," MusiCares-affiliated therapist Robin Hornstein shared during the poignant conversation
Ana Monroy Yglesias
Membership
Nov 5, 2020 - 12:14 pm

Presented by the Recording Academy's Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia Chapters, in partnership with MusiCares, Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music brought together seven superwomen to talk about balancing life as a working mom. 

The lively virtual conversation (watch in full below), moderated by GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Melanie Fiona, featured five working moms in music: singer, educator and music publisher Kaisha Blackstone, pianist of GRAMMY-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird Lisa Kaplan, GRAMMY-nominated soul/R&B artist Maysa, GRAMMY-nominated Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter Wayna and President/Chief Creative Officer of one77 Music publishing Jennifer Blakeman. MusiCares-affiliated therapist Robin Hornstein, who is also a mother, joined the insightful, honest chat as well.

Watch Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music

More Industry Insights: 'Tour Stop(ped)' But The Show Must Go On: Laura Jane Grace, Lzzy Hale & More

They got real on topics including self-care, balancing priorities, thriving as a single mother, setting boundaries and keeping your family healthy during a pandemic.

"You know what's the most revolutionary thing we can do during all of this? We can be joyful. Even just in little moments during the day," Hornstein shared.

To learn more about MusiCares and how they support the music community in times of need, visit their website here. To learn more about the Recording Academy's 14 Chapters, go here.

Grimes' Non-Violent Utopia

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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.