Why We Do It

Its not like I haven't mentioned any "whys" when asked. I just never go deep because I thought the answers would bore everyone to death. Afterall, no one asks WHY the Grammys; WHY the Oscars; WHY the Tonys; WHY the Pulitzers; WHY about any of the other awards programs for the arts and whatnot.

Or maybe they do and I was never listening.

But a conversation with Leo Brown (and, in retrospect, every journalist or TV anchor or radio DJ who ever said "Why did you decide to do this?") has made me re-think my hesitance in openly exploring this with the public.

Sooo....I'll elaborate later, but for now, a BAKER'S DOZEN reasons and goals....Starting with reason ZERO (otherwise we have to end with 13, and we need all the luck we can get - haha!):

0) Use it as a vehicle to create a red carpet event for the entire Lexington Area!

How often do any of use get to red carpet and velvet rope? Ladies in evening gowns and gentlemen in tuxedos? A full-throttle night on the town in your Sunday Best? We want to step it all up in an annual uber-classy event with music as the center of gravity pulling it all together!

More HERE (coming soon).

1) Use it as a vehicle for musician networking.

The idea of putting musicians who otherwise might never hear (or hear of) each other in a room together at least once a year is, I would think (at least from an artistic perspective), both obvious and compelling.

More HERE.

2) Use it as a vehicle to honor the entire music community.

A way to acknowledge and honor more than just styles of music (like the Grammys) or individual musicianship (like interest/instrument specific magazines) or similar...but instead to recognize and honor everyone from the industry side (studios, retail shops, venues, management companies, repair shops, etc) to styles and individual excellence and, of course, music lovers. In a word, the entire music community, not one small part of it.

More HERE.

3) Use it as a vehicle for professional development.

Expanding the awards night into a full-blown weekend of professional workshops and clinics covering everything from aspects of the music business (legalities like copyright, publishing, & more) to presentation (from fashion to stagecraft) to expert talks on songwriting, improvisation, future trends, booking tours, and much more.

More HERE.

4) Use it as both a vehicle for culture and commerce.

Culture drives commerce. And a more unified music community can also help to unify the entire arts community (dance, fashion, visual arts, and more).

More HERE.

5) Use it as a vehicle to launch other artist-aiding projects.

A nexus from which to expand into events like the Lexi-Fest Concert Series (we've organized dozens of these shows in Lexington, Georgetown, Richmond, Frankfort, and more since we kicked this series off, and raised money for non-profits like Greenhouse 17 and others) and other ways to provide performance opportunities and revenue streams for artists; drive music fans to live shows at all the area venues; more work for sound techs; and the like.

More HERE.

6) Use it as a vehicle to educate AND entertain.

If you've been to an awards show, you've seen how different the performance line-up is than any other awards performance lineup anywhere, at any time. Rock, jazz, folk, classical, country, pop, bluegrass, and more! All of us (event organizers to professional players to music fans) get an education on the depth and breadth of not only area music, but music as a whole.

Here HERE.

7) Use it as a vehicle to raise money for arts programs.

Specifically, one goal is to raise a substantial sum each year, have central KY high schools submit an application, and choose a different winner each year to donate to their school music program.

More HERE.

8) Use it as a vehicle to expand artist opportunities.

One goal is to have every winner (and later down the road, every nominee) be guaranteed a slot at a regional festival. For example, bluegrass winner secures spot at major area bluegrass festival; rock winner secures slot at rock festival; jazz winner secures slot at jazz festival.

Forecastle, KY State Fair, Masters Musician Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, Blues Between the Bridges, Festival of the Bluegrass, Abby Road on the River, Great American Brass Band Festival....and on and on and on.....these are all area festivals we'd like to work with and we are actively pursuing working relationships with these folks.

More HERE.

9) Use it as a vehicle to connect with other arts programs.

Yeah...from music orgs like KY Music Hall of Fame to organizations focused on theater, fashion, and the like. Think what this could turn into! We already work closely with the Lexington Fashion Collaborative on the awards show and want to expand these associations rapidly.

More HERE.

10) Use it as a vehicle to "raise all boats".

That is, no one working in music today should be making 1985 pay rates. Not the venues, not the players, not the agents, not the sound techs, not the recording engineers.... Let's fix this.

More HERE.

11) Use it as a vehicle to promote excellence.

I actually don't care for most awards shows. The idea that something so subjective as artistic value would be reduced to a mere popularity contest (whether its something popular among the general public or the arts community doesn't change that awards are predominantly such contests) just rubs me the wrong way.

But then I got to thinking....

And I was willing to try it if it would give me social capital to help other artists. And so I tried it. And it worked, in that its secured me leverage to do a lot that I could never have gotten accomplished (see above list re: Lexi-Fest Concert SEries, et al) without such a show.

And then I got to thinking more...

And the reality, whether we like to admit it or not, is that sometimes competition helps keep us on our toes. Helps us up our game. Helps us seek artistic excellence. And, if conversations with shop owners and musicians and arts orgs and DJs and such is any indication, its worked here, too.

The big trick is keeping that competition HEALTHY and not allowing it to become corrosive.

12) Use it as a vehicle for my selfish agenda.

Hahaha! Which is to say, I also have a few selfish reasons.

I suppose, given the goal-setting outlined above, I should be equally transparent with regard to my personal reasons.....which reduce to, really, one prime mover.

Legacy.

At the risk of ending on a low note, I am of the age where mortality is no longer conceptual. I've watched music peers cross the bridge, as it were, too many times in the past decade. And so my ego, I suppose it is, demands that I build something (and do something)....unequivocal.

Bluntly, if I were gone tomorrow, I'd want to leave something for which my kids and grandkids can be proud. Something crucial and positive for the community that they know I built with my bare hands...but not alone. Something that forced me to reach out and build partnerships and relationships and friendships to create something that will last and continue to grow.

The Lexi Music Awards alone is not that. But it affords the ability to create other things, like the Lexi-Fest Concert Series, that taken on the whole, may well leave enough behind to merit the term "legacy".

Something that they will look at long after I'm gone....and make them smile.

Pre Wrap

I'll do a proper wrap-up soon, but just wanted to say WOW! Stunning musical performances, great hosts, presenters and guides on point.....in short, everyone involved brought their A Game.

I am humbled and proud!

Thank you Marcie Timmerman. For everything!

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(edit - here's the wrap up)

Herald-Leader write up.....

RJMeads....

Video - Troy Gentry Lifetime Achievement

Album of the year: “Silhouettes” by A Little Bit More

Song of the year: “Tried and Crucified” by Whitney Acke and Ray Adams

Critics’ choice: Italian Beaches

Community service: Twisted Cork Songwriters in the Round

Best Americana/folk: The Local Honeys

Best blues: Tee Dee Young

Best classical: Lexington Philharmonic

Best bluegrass: The Wooks

Best country: Sundy Best

Best hip-hop/rap: Devine Carama

Best jazz/Latin/big band/world: (Tie) Gayle Winters and Zach Brock

Best singer-songwriter: Whitney Acke

Best pop: Brother Smith

Best rock: Magnolia Boulevard

Best cover band/variety act: Rebel Without a Cause

Best funk/R&B/reggae: Driftwood Gypsy

Best female vocalist: Taylor Hughes

Best male vocalist: Derrick Spencer

Best drummer/percussionist: Tripp Bratton

Best guitarist: Ben Lacy

Best bassist: Bob Bryant

Best keyboardist: Raleigh Dailey

Best wind/brass: Miles Osland

Best strings: Raymond McClain

Best live music venue: The Burl

Best music store (instruments): The DooWop Shop

Best music store (CDs, etc.): Pops Resale

Best recording studio/producer/engineer: Long Island (Steve Nall)

Jay Flippin Music Educator Award: Paul Felice

Best live sound tech: Matt Florez

Best DJ (radio): DeBraun Thomas, WUKY-FM

Best instrument repair/builders/customization: Wilcutt Guitar

VOTE for 2018

Voting is now open to the public!

VOTE HERE

And, as always, visit Lexington Music Awards online!

THAT was fun!

DeBraun Thomas accepting Community Service Award for WUKY

Here is the Lexington Herald-Leader wrap up!

Here is Sound-of-Lexington's write-up!

Here is the KY Kernel write-up!

Photo spread from Tops In Lexington!

Channel 36 wrap-up interview!

Chillin' wrap-up interview with Kenny Cummings!

Univeristy of KY article!

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Here's the complete list of winners, in order of presentation:

Best live music venue: Willie’s Locally Known

Best music store (instruments): Willcutt Guitars

Best music company: CD Central

Best recording studio/producer/engineer: Sneak Attack (Jason Groves)

Jay Flippin Music Educator Award: Beth Dean Mankel

Best live sound technician: Matthew Florez

Best DJ (radio): Kenny Cummings

Best instrument repair/builders/customization: Willcutt Guitars

Best American/folk act: Tyler Childers

Best blues act: Tee Dee Young

Best classical act: Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra

Best country/bluegrass act: The Wooks

Best funk/R&B/reggae act: Driftwood Gypsy

Best hip-hop/rap act: Hybrid-the-rapper

Best jazz/Latin/big band/world act: Miles Osland

Best pop act: Rhyan Sinclair

Best rock act: Brent Penny Band

Best singer-songwriter: Tyler Childers

Best cover band/variety act: Lexington Lab Band

Best female vocalist: Gail Wynters

Best male vocalist: Corey Cross

Best drummer/percussionist: Ryan McQuerry

Best guitarist: Ben Lacy

Best bassist: Robert Trott

Best keyboardist: Raleigh Dailey

Best wind/brass: Miles Osland

Best strings: Maggie Lander

Community service: WUKY-FM

Critic’s choice award: University of Kentucky Wildcat Marching Band
Song of the year: “County Girl,” The Wooks

Album of the year: “Little Circles,” The Wooks

Lifetime Achievement Recipients Announced!

See the story HERE.

Lexington Music Awards unveil lifetime achievement award winners.....

Interviews Pre-Event

I'll up-date as they post/air/print....starting with an interview for an Australian publication....though many are not exclusively awards interviews.

Overheard Productions

Herald-Leader Boomer Piece

Herald-Leader Lifetime Winners

Herald-Leader Album of the Year

Red Barn Radio

Room 17 Productions

Radio WVLK FB Live

WVLK w/ Jack Pattie

WUKY with Nick Lawrence

WEKU story

SoundOfLexington

Nominees for 2017 Announced!

Care of the Lexington Herald-Leader....the nominees for the 3rd Lexington Music Awards!

"...The nominees for the third annual Lexington Music Awards have been announced, with some additional categories and modifications to the nominating process.

Chief among the category additions is album of the year, recognizing an active recording scene in Lexington. Also, each category now includes a nominee from a professional panel in addition to nominees selected by popular vote, and there is now a critic’s pick award...."