By Lorain Smalligan
LowellArts
LowellArts announces the debut of a new music program for 2021 – Featured Artist Series: Connecting You with the People Behind the Music – that offers audiences a personal, insider’s view into the current music scene from the perspective of West Michigan’s talented performers. The new program features one artist each month on the LowellArts website. Each Featured Artist of the Month consists of an in depth live-recorded video interview with the artist, an artist profile, and links to past performances. The program series will launch its first feature on Monday, Feb. 1, with Ryne Clarke of The Ryne Experience, who just released a new album called “The Onion Tree.”
The LowellArts Music Committee created this program as a way to support the local music community during the pandemic and beyond. Designed to further the LowellArts mission of connecting artists and audiences, this new series will give West Michigan listeners a chance to meet the people behind the music who have performed at LowellArts events.
Criteria for selecting performers for the series is that the artists must have previously entertained audiences at a past LowellArts event such as a LowellArts Gallery Concert, a Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concert, or at the LowellArts Fallasburg Arts Festival. Artists that participate in the program will be eligible to sell CD’s, albums, and digital downloads in the LowellArts gallery as part of a soon-to-be established Gallery Music Store and On-line Store.
The interviewer will ask the artist to talk about a variety of topics such as: how the break from performing due to the pandemic has affected them; how music has changed since they first started performing or recording; and/or how they feel the relationship between artist and listener is evolving in the age of digital streaming services. The interviewer will also invite the artist to perform a song, live for the video interview.
In addition to the Featured Artist of the Month being highlighted on the LowellArts website and social media outlets, the vision is to reach a wider audience by collaborating with media partners. LowellArts is seeking media partners who, upon making a formal commitment, will have the rights to re-publish the content of the feature including; the video interview, article text, photos, pre-pandemic performance video links, and links to the artist website and merchandise. Please contact LowellArts at 616-897-8545 or lorain@lowellartsmi.org if you are interested in becoming a media partner.
More information: www.lowellartsmi.org/featured-artist-of-the-month
