John Rumery
Chris Ziebarth has a passion for music and West Michigan, and he wants to share it with others. In fact, he decided to start something that combines those two passions into one venture.
Ziebarth, "30-something" and a bartender at
The Winchester is the founder of
halfwayhousemusic.com. His belief is that Grand Rapids is in an interesting position. On one hand, it's positioned "half way" between two major cities that feature great music, shows and venues.
On the other hand, he wonders why anyone in a metropolitan area of this size should need to travel to shows when there are great local venues and an already vibrant music scene.
His solution to this quandary is
halfwayhousemusic.com, a website devoted to increasing the awareness of the many talented musicians in Grand Rapids and also to showcasing the region as a destination for bands from around the country to schedule a tour stop.
Ziebarth's site features several sections that serve as a clearinghouse listing the different venues, open mics, and festivals in the area. The landing page also showcases new videos of independent bands. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of his site is "sessions," where local and artists "passing through" are videoed and recorded in an intimate, unique setting at the musical studio,
Stone House Recording. After the three-song session, the music is then made available as a free download on his site. In Ziebarth's opinion, this opportunity to showcase the local music scene to the rest of the country is critical to building the music scene beyond our region.
Matt Jarrells, program director at
WYCE, is also enthused about what this type of collaboration and what these sessions can mean to the local music scene.
"Stone House and halfwayhousemusic have already coordinated a number of visits from touring artists such as
Cadillac Sky and
Caravan of Thieves, giving them some bonus local exposure," Jarrells says.
Jarrells further explains that the format of the halfwayhousemusic Sessions "captures an intimate, immediate portrait of the artist. It cuts straight to the essence of their music and the performance aspect let's you know if you need to see more in a live setting."
Both Ziebarth and Jarrells feel that for local acts that may not have much in the way of an advertising budget, these sessions can be a big deal. The videos are social media ready, so "it's like an EP with no stamps necessary," says Jarrell.
With the site less than six months old and a new
Facebook page, Ziebarth is planning his next steps, hoping to become more involved in promoting shows and helping venues book bands.
"There aren't many in our community who are more passionate about contemporary music (than Ziebarth)," concludes Jarrells.
Source: Interviews with Chris Ziebarth and Matt Jarrells
John Rumery is the Innovation and Jobs Editor for Rapid Growth Media. He is an educator, board member of AimWest, WYCE music programmer, entrepreneur, raconteur and competitive barbecuer living in Grand Rapids, MI. He can be reached at [email protected]
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