Music Scene: Don’t Trash Your Surroundings

By: Karl Kirschner, Jr

Mass Media Industries Blog Staff Writer

BLUE BELL, PA--Students at Montgomery County Community College have a great amount of raw talent, from music to acting and other performing arts. What others don’t know are the challenges some students encounter on the local music scene.
 
     Tim Balch, a Montco student and member of the band Andross, says his band was scheduled to perform a record release show at a local venue, Landsdale Legion.  But Andross was not given a chance to perform.  Violence during a show by another band led to employees being ruffed up and the ones who caused the violence refused to leave.  Thus, all shows after the incident were cancelled, including the Andross record release show.

     This was costly for the band.  All of the promotional merchandise they had on-hand was paid for by band members.  So instead of making money, the members lost money.  Balch made it clear that writing music and putting on a live show is less about the money for him or his band, it is always about making music.  He loves creating music others can listen to and love.  “Business is killing the music scene,” Tim says.

     Every local venue has a promoter that is looking for the best way to make money. So if your band is not part of the current trend getting a gig is twice as hard.  Knowing that promoters are looking at the music scene as a business venture, it is more important than ever for the crowds and musicians to remain respectful of the property where bands perform. 

     The music scene is a difficult one.  Some say it is a “dog eat dog” environment.  A band has to be part of the “in” crowd for promoters to give them a shot at going big.  Balch says, at the end of the day, “Communication is [the] key to the future of this scene.”