Description

If you can make it in the City of Subdued Excitement, you can (maybe) make it anywhere. 
A hands-on guide for musical success. 

This panel will appeal not just to musicians but to all music lovers who appreciate that it takes more than artistry to survive – and thrive – in the brutal business of entertainment, where the rewards are often as intangible as the music itself.

DIY is at the heart of the Northwest music scene, especially in Bellingham: House concerts. Random festivals. A sidewalk solo at the farmers market. Pop-up performances at dive bars and delis. High-volume practice sessions in garages and storage lockers. And maybe, the ultimate prize, a gig at the Wild Buffalo.

Every once in a while, breakout performers from the land of plaid shirts and endless winter rain make it really big. ack in the day, indie-rockers Death Cab for Cutie and electronica giants ODESZAboth catapulted to fame from their perches as humble undergrads at Western Washington University. (For a great trip down memory lane, watch this archival clip from the 2012 “Live at the Mount Baker” documentary from the Warner Sound archive, on how Death Cab for Cutie made their way from a dump on Ellis Avenue to international superstardom.)

Such is the stuff musicians’ dreams are made of. And on Sept. 18, a panel of local performers will share their knowledge of how to survive – maybe even thrive – as musicians in the Pacific Northwest, as part of Salish Current’s Festival of Knowledge. The panel, titled “Navigating a Music Career,” will cover aspects of touring, booking, teaching and producing as a musical artist.

Panelists include professional artists from varied genres including funk, folk-punk, and jazz, such as:

Trumpeter/composer Kevin Woods, composer, arranger, performer and professor of music and director of jazz studies at Western. He leads the group Trio Linguai, which is known as one of the most melodic and emotive voices in improvised music in the Northwest.

Mars Lindgren is a seasoned trombonist and Western alum, best known for his performances with MarchFourth, a Portland-based ensemble renowned for its eclectic fusion of rock, funk, jazz, and world music, combined with visually captivating performances featuring stilt-walkers and acrobats. Among the bands he performs with are Polyrhythmics, The Lucky Brown Band, Bilongo Quintet, and the Bellingham-based soul band Baby Cakes.

Mandolist Nika has worked in every role needed to sustain life on the road as a performer, stage and gear tech, sound engineer, and front-of-house coordinator to bartender, tour manager, driver, performer, and merchandiser. Her hands-on approach and dedication to the DIY touring model have made her a reliable and resourceful presence in underground music circuits.

Nika became booking agent and manager out of necessity for her Houston-based folk punk band Escape from the ZOO. The band, a side project of members from the folk-punk group Days N Daze, focuses on energetic, community-driven performances and a strong DIY ethic. Nika is now building a collective dedicated to helping emerging artists overcome the financial barriers that often prevent them from touring.

Samantha Sinai, cellist and music therapist, brings music to people in accessible, meaningful ways. She is program coordinator for Bellingham Youth Chamber Players, holds a private cello studio, and plays in the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra. She also has worked to implement a music therapy program for a hospital in Wisconsin, bringing music to hospital patients, kids with special needs, veterans who were previously homeless, and women who have experienced trauma.

This panel will appeal not just to musicians but to all music lovers who appreciate that it takes more than artistry to survive – and thrive – in the brutal business of entertainment, where the rewards are often as intangible as the music itself.

FREE. Please RSVP to help with seating arrangements!
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