Final Project -
Kizoa Movie - Video - Slideshow Maker
One of Pittsburgh’s best creative
features is also one of its most little-known features. This city as a rather
large underground music scene, more commonly referred to as DIY ( Do it
yourself) that many people are completely unaware of. The entire scene is built
on this “Do It Yourself” attitude. People from around the area come together to
create a thriving music and art community but without the technical business
side of the main stream music industry.
The DIY scene is a community that aims to
bring people together through music and artistic expression. One thing that
makes the DIY scene unique is that is fueled by genuine passion, unlike the
real music industry that is driven by profit. The scene is an unfiltered and
informal reflection of the regular music industry. The members of the DIY
community do everything from recording, holding shows, touring, booking and
promoting but in a more “homemade” fashion than the traditional industry.
The DIY scene does all the things that
real venues, promoters, bookers, musicians do, minus all the undesired
official aspects that would be required
in by the real music/ entertainment industry. In the real music industry,
everything is motivated by numbers, the DIY scene eliminates this aspect. The scene and the people who run it don’t
make any profit and it is all volunteer based. They usually make just enough
money to continue doing what they’re doing. The thing that makes the DIY scene truly
unique from the real music industry is that it celebrates music for the sake of
music, not for the sake of money.
Another thing that makes the DIY scene
really special is that is an open-minded community that is dedicated to making
the scene a safe space to all. The scene is very inclusive of minority
communities and aims to have make people from all walks of life feel
comfortable. The historical roots of the punk rock movement embody strong
values against racism and sexism. The DIY scene today in Pittsburgh still
upholds those equality-driven ideals but with a more friendly and less extreme
approach. The traditional punk values makes the DIY community very inclusive of
the present day LGBTQ and transgender communities. Overall, the DIY community
is built on respect. Respect for the space and for all those in it.
These values of equality carry through to
more than spaces, it also benefits local performers. The Pittsburgh DIY
community offers good opportunities for local bands and musicians. It allows
bands to paly shows and gigs and not have to deal with net profits from the
part of the promoter. Because bands don’t have to have popularity or be able to
sell a certain amount of tickets for a show, it offers equal opportunities to
all musicians. The DIY scene gives the smaller acts that wouldn’t normally be
able to sell out at larger more legitimate venue a chance to preform on a local
stage. The DIY community encourages values of creativity, community, and
equality. Overall, the scene is a safe space where everyone s equally
encouraged to express their creativity in a way that has no monetary ties.
A really unique feature of the Pittsburgh
DIY scene is that it is all volunteer run. From bookers to house show hosts,
everyone who helps coordinate DIY events is a volunteer. These people offer
their free time to tend to the DIY community and keep it running. They are so
passionate about the scene and the music and creative culture that it showcases
that they put in their own time and effort to make it flourish.
One thing that makes the DIY scene really
unique is that it is all volunteer run. From bookers to house show hosts,
everyone who helps coordinate DIY events is a volunteer. These people offer
their free time to tend to the DIY community. These people are so passionate
about the scene and the music and creative culture that it showcases that they
put in there own time and effort to make it flourish.
Promoters/Bookers are the people that are
responsible for coordinating pretty much an entire show. Typically a touring
band will contact a booker and tell them what date they will be in town. The
booker then works to find a venue that is available to host a show that day.
After the venue is confirmed, the booker then reaches out to local music acts that
would complement the touring band(s) musical style. After the booker has found
local bands to fill out the line up, the preliminary planning is done. The day
of the show the book typically collects 5-10 dollars at the door from each
person. The money goes to the touring bands to help them cover the expenses of
being on tour (gas, food, etc.)
Bands are the back bone of the DIY scene.
The scene is place to showcase and share musical expression. Underground bands
from around the country, and sometimes internationally, come through places
like Pittsburgh on tour. They will work with a booker to arrange to show. After
that the booker will look for local bands to come play the show and fill out
the lineup. Typically a show will consist of 1-2 touring bands and the other
2-3 bands will be from the local Pittsburgh area.
Fans keep the DIY scene alive. Although
many are performers or artists themselves, fans can be anybody. The shows are
all completely open to public and anybody is welcome. Typically a good portion
of show attendees are students from the various schools around the area, but
anybody who has an appreciation for live music would enjoy the experience. The
fans are vital to the DIY system. They support the bands by paying a small
entry fee. Bands also usually bring some merchandise with them to sell at the
shows. Fans support bands through purchasing them.
Once all the planning for a show is done
(date, location, lineup, etc.) the next step is to promote it. The main
platform that DIY events are promoted from is Facebook. Facebook helps the DIY
cause in multiple ways. There are multiple DIY music groups on Facebook that
connect the scene and aim to keep everyone informed about events and
happenings. In addition to the groups, there are event pages created for each
show. The booker will create the event and then invite people and share it in
the music groups to get the word out.
DIY shows can take place in multiple
locations. A common spot to find a show is at someone’s house. There are
multiple “house venues” throughout the city. Typically, people that are
involved in the DIY scene who have the space to hold a show in there house,
will kindly allow their home to be used as a venue for the shows. There are
also multiple bars in the Pittsburgh area that frequently host shows that DIY
promoters booked. There are also a select few businesses that are nice enough
to allow shows to be hosted there. Pittsburgh is also lucky enough to have a
strong enough DIY music scene presence that it actually has its own venue
purely dedicated to the cause. On Penn Ave. in Bloomfield the Mr. Roboto
Project serves as a community run space for the DIY community.
Overall, Pittsburgh has a large
underground DIY music scene. The DIY scene in Pittsburgh is important to so
many people. It is an open and welcoming community that is a thriving part of Pittsburgh’s
creative culture. The DIY scene provides unique opportunities for all that are
in involved.
