'SLAM' TV show highlights local music
- 'Salem Local Area Music' show
- Watch: 7 p.m. Thursdays and 10 p.m. Fridays on channel 22
Capital Community Television is kicking up the cool of Salem's bustling music scene with "Salem Local Area Music," or "SLAM" for short. It's a TV series featuring local musicians performing in the CCTV studio to a live audience.
Created by CCTV Producer Mark Hernandez and Facilities Coordinator Charles Lewis, the show aims to capture the energy and feel of a live concert complete with stage lighting and audience through artistic camera angles and polish audio. It also includes candid interviews and behind-the-scenes action.
“We had been talking about doing a music show for a while,” Hernandez said.
“We wanted to create something with a college radio feel and sound,” Lewis said. “Eclectic yet it seems right.”
The series premiered with Human Ottoman, an industrial trio from Eugene featuring cello, vibraphone and drums, in November 2014. Other bands that have been featured include The Pumps, The Band Salem, City of Pieces and The Weather Machine.
“We have a commitment to the local community and a passion for freedom of expression and speech. Music has a lot of that. It’s accessible to a wide variety,” Lewis said. “We are hyper passionate about trying to keep and build a local music scene in Salem.”
Free indie world-folk concert Oct 16
The show won the “Best of the Northwest (Local Performance)” award from the Alliance for Community Media - Northwest Region.
“The talent around here, it always seemed kind of hidden. We are looking to expose that,” Lewis said. “We really appreciate musicians that come in here and take a chance on what we are doing. It takes a lot of trust. We work extra hard to do right by them.”
Musicians are encouraged to contact Hernandez about inclusion in a possible future show.
“It is also really important to us that we are making an archive and history of the evolution of music in Salem and surrounding areas,” Lewis added. “We’ve got video that goes back 25 years. It’s a huge archive of the evolution of the community.”
As the music scene in Salem grows, Hernandez and Lewis are documenting it.
“Music programs like this are probably one of the more difficult things that we do,” Lewis said. "There is a lot of technical stuff.”
“We knew the key was great sound,” Lewis added, noting the value Audio Technician Phillip DeRobertis contributes to the team. “Phillip was involved with the music business in LA. He knows his way around a soundboard.”
Karen Holman: Professor by day, punk rocker by night
The show is created with generally one or two staff and about five volunteers per production. They greatly rely on volunteers, Lewis said.
“I cannot say enough about them. We are always trying to train people,” Lewis said.
Orientation takes place on the first Tuesday of every month at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. There is no cost, no experience and no registration required. After orientation, CCTV offers other classes to further develop skills at a minimal cost. Learn more at cctvsalem.org/class-schedule.
“We are encouraging experienced and new people who are passionate to dive in here,” Lewis said.
The duo hopes to have new music in the studio at least once a month. But "SLAM" is not the only music happening in the CCTV studios. The duo also creates a TV version of the “Local Roots” radio show, shoots music at Level B Theater Pub and has studio sessions with Hispanic bands. Lewis also is the producer of the “Northwest Songwriter Sessions” show.
Email cwright2@statesmanjournal.com, call (503) 399-6671, or follow on Twitter @CarleeWrightSJ
'Salem Local Area Music' show
Watch: 7 p.m. Thursdays and 10 p.m. Fridays on channel 22
Connect and find schedule: facebook.com/salemlocalareamusic
Playlist: youtube.com/cctvsalem
Inquire: To find out about performing on the show, contact Mark Hernandez at mark@cctvsalem.org or (503) 588-2288, Ext. 38.