In
an era when many popular musical acts are completely pre-packaged by
record companies and their publicity machines, often seemingly with no
apparent thought toward the audience’s wants, Jackson and Kane liked
the idea of having a direct hand in how their music is presented.
“It’s
been easy and it’s been fun,” says Kane. “Everyone’s very laid-back and
very cool and receptive to ideas. That’s exactly the atmosphere you
want to work in.” “Besides, it sounded like fun to make our own music
video,” adds Jackson.
And, although it may sound corny, the
concept of artists supporting other artists has added an extra layer of
good vibrations to the endeavor. “I feel that Sean is onto something
really special here,” says Jackson. “I can’t see this not being a good
experience for everyone.”
The one rhetorical question that
continues to pop up surrounding the Dot Matrix Project is why somebody
didn’t think of it sooner.
In some places, the competition is
so intense that a cooperative might not hold together, but this region
seems to take a friendlier, more laid-back approach to collaboration —
one in which every participant involved gets a chance to shine: The
musicians, the filmmakers, the photographers, the technicians… each is
an important component.
That’s one of the reasons that the Dot
Matrix Project seemed like such a good idea to Coon and the other
participants. Tanya Peterson, of Lillyspad Photography, is a veritable
virtuoso of the camera — specializing in portraits, weddings, “all
sorts of different pets” and the occasional bar mitzvah. She enjoys
them all, but she also enjoys “breaking up the monotony” and snapping
away for the Dot Matrix Project. “I love live music,” she says.
“There’s absolutely nothing else like it, and I’ll try to take any
opportunity to work a live show.” Peterson calls herself a “candid
shooter” and particularly revels in capturing the live music
experience: The audience, the tech work, the behind-the-scenes…. “You
won’t know where I’m coming from,” she says, “but I’ll get you.” In
fact, Peterson even captured the sight of this reporter’s hands (in
full close-up) scribbling notes during an interview with one of the
musicians. And I never saw her coming.
On the other hand, and
behind another camera, photographer Stephen Charles tends to aim his
lens at the bands performing, all the better to recreate the energy and
intensity of musicians at full throttle.
“I enjoy working with
different techniques, and I’ve enjoyed working with the other
photographers and filmmakers,” he says. “It’s really quite unique… and
Sean is the ringmaster who brought us all together.”
The
presence of filmmakers and photographers doesn’t appear to diminish the
performance, or lessen the audience’s enthusiasm or appreciation. The
Dot Matrix team members expertly — and stealthily — weave in and out of
the crowd, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible while also recording
once-in-a-lifetime documents of the performances.
Photographer
Michael Dunn had worked with Coon on the ConvergeSouth music festival
last year and admitted it may not have been his finest hour behind the
camera.
“It was,” he says dryly, “an eye-opening experience.” That’s precisely why he wanted to take another
crack
at it. Coon also confessed that ConvergeSouth wasn’t quite his pinnacle
either. “Quite frankly, I’d never tried anything like it ever before,”
he says, so he sympathized with and liked Dunn’s attitude — to do it
again, and do it better.
“After a show, I put the camera down
for a couple of days,” Dunn relates with a laugh. “I don’t even want to
look at my camera. I’m lucky if I can use ten percent of the photos.”
That’s
because he’s shooting so quickly to capture that one, defining
split-second shot that captures the experience. “One in ten,” he muses,
“but that one makes it all worthwhile.”
“This is still very
much a learning experience,” Coon says. But, he says, they’re having an
awful lot of fun learning. “I love the music and I love putting this
stuff together. It’s very hard and it’s very time-consuming, but we are
having a great time. We’re turning out professional quality albums and
music videos, and we’re showcasing the talents of the artistic
community here in the area. That’s really what it’s all about.”
Growing up in Montclair, NJ, Coon has always loved music. He may be reluctant to admit to some of the bands that he loved as a kid — a situation with which
this
writer can easily identify — but he does admit that his own musical
aspirations didn’t go very far. “I played in the orchestra in school
when I was a kid,” he recalls with a laugh, “and my coolness quotient
went way down!” Nevertheless, he’s always had an appreciation for all
genres of music and the live music experience. He also knows his way
around computers. Those two loves would eventually converge and blossom
into what has become the Dot Matrix Project.
When Coon began
dating actress/singer Molly McGinn, he met and befriended many of her
musician friends, and the pieces of the Dot Matrix puzzle began to fall
into place.
Coon loves music. “I’m always listening to and
digging new stuff,” he says. But he doesn’t always love the music
industry, and he wanted to showcase the region’s music scene, which has
often been neglected once it ventures beyond state lines (or fails to
make the “American Idol” audition).
Sean’s brother Andy frequently works with All Aces Media, the independent, Greensboro-based production team that made Dogs of Chinatown last year, so Sean
was also acquainted with the region’s burgeoning filmmaking scene.
There
was talent. There was ambition. But there weren’t always opportunities.
So, Sean created one of his own — and brought into it a group of people
who shared in the vision.
“The whole idea is to get the music
out there and to draw an eye to what we’re doing here,” he says. “If we
can bring a focus to the cultural side — to the diversity that we have
here — and see what comes of it, that would be great. It’s all about
making a real music scene, and working to understand all the different
communities involved, then going from there to build a social network.”
Examples of the project’s work will soon be seen on the big
screen at the Carousel Cinemas on Battleground Ave., where trailers and
music videos will run before the main feature on some screens.
“We
were looking for a crossover incentive,” Coon says, “and that’s pretty
damned incentizing! “There are a lot of bands that don’t get this kind
of concentrated promotion,” he continues.
And Coon would like
to spread that promotion around. He’s already discussing a possible
gallery exhibition of the still photos taken at Dot Matrix events. Live
albums, music videos, still photographs. All clear indicators of the
level of talent at work (and at play) in the region. Promoting the
project is good, Coon attests, and promoting the participants is even
better.
The technical aspects of producing a music video or a
live album, Coon knows about. But there’s more to learn, such as
“studying copyright issues — which has not been my favorite thing to
do,” Coon says, “but it’s all a part of the process. It’s always
growing and changing, and we’ve got to build the community around it.
It all ties together.”
The next Dot Matrix Project event will
be held July 31 at the Green Burro, and will feature Possum Jenkins and
Tom Beardslee. On Aug. 28, the Raving Knaves and Project Tritium are on
the bill. And if you don’t make the live shows, you can see the music
videos or listen to the albums… literally hours after the shows take
place.
For more information about the Dot Matrix Project, or to see examples of the work being done there, see dotmatrixproject.com. To comment on this story e-mail editor@yesweekly.com.
