What can I do to help out in the local music scene?
A friend on Facebook posted this status earlier this week and it got me thinking, what’s the best answer for this? So I responded by saying “Encourage people to create. Be present and supportive. Share the local music you really enjoy.”
That’s a good start at least. Lots of people followed up with comments saying similar things like help hand out fliers, go to shows, buy merch, tell your friends about the music you’re into, and my personal favorite start a band. The funny thing is, it was something this simple that helped me start SceneSC. I was reading the alt weekly at lunch one day and the article asked “how are you giving back to your local music scene?” So I went home, registered a domain name, and started a blog to share my thoughts on local music and some of my favorite bands. I love the fact that it wasn’t a business plan. There was no plan at all actually, and that’s been a lot of the charm of it for me personally. And it can be that way for you. What do you do to support your local music scene? It doesn’t have to be much. If you’re reading this as a Freeway student you’re already on the right path. If you’re into local bands, you’re doing it right. If you’re liking statuses on Facebook and pictures on Instagram you’re doing it right. Every little bit matters.
If I’ve learned anything about bands breaking out to a regional or national level it’s all about the band finding a good following in their hometown first. That means each fan is a huge part of that. So as cheezy as it might sound, you matter a lot. So start a band, tell a friend, share a local playlist, and keep going to shows.