That Finger Lakes Sound: The Finger Lakes Music Community

by Ben Haravitch –

I’ve never loved the word ‘scene’ when used to describe the music in a given area.  As in, “Who’s hot on the Rochester music scene right now?” or, “I’ve tried for years to break into the music scene with no success.”  A scene is something removed from those who view it.  It’s something you look at and judge, it’s something up on a stage and behind curtains.  The word gives spectators and musicians alike the idea that making music is a popularity contest – where a band’s place in a scene is an indication of how good they are.  As a spectator this idea makes me feel somewhat intimidated by the process of finding my favorite players on the scene.  As a musician it often detracts from the very reasons I make music, when I think about how it will be received by the scene.

Furthermore, I don’t think these connotations lent by a word like ‘scene’ accurately represent the music-related behavior in our lively upstate New York culture.  When I am ‘out on the scene’ in our area, the lines between performer and audience are often blurred.  The events are more often collaborative and ‘potluck’ in nature than they are contestable.  I see a massive kinship who share in joy, sorrow, and accountability; musicians that hold themselves accountable to continually impress their audience, spectators that hold themselves accountable to support their musicians, and venues that strive to offer a fine experience for everyone.  There’s already a word that describes a large group of folks who support each other, share in life’s ups and downs, and hold one another accountable: Community.

By acknowledging that we are part of our music community, we can all hold a little bit of ownership of it.  No band succeeds purely by the fruit of its own labor.  The folks who show up and dance deserve part of that success.  The folks who play CDs of their local favorites on road trips get some of that success.  The other bands who play on the bill get some.  The musicians in the audience who run up to change a broken guitar string get some.  The bartenders who cut their fingers while slicing limes get some.  The designated drivers who bring their drunk friends to the show get some.  We all get to participate and we all get to enjoy the fruit.

The spirit of community was electric last weekend at Ploughshares Barn in Cheshire.  About eighty folks gathered with homemade brownies/curry/wine in tow to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and revel in the mastery of Trumansburg-based duo Richie and Rosie.  It was relaxed, welcoming, and every face in the barn was glad to be there.  Hosts Brian and Kate Burley sum up their motive simply: “Music equals joy.”  Intimate house concerts like this are becoming more and more popular these days.  The idea is simple: get enough of your friends together to see one of your favorite bands play at your house.  Everyone chips in a relatively small amount to make the gig worth it for the musicians, some might bring homemade food or drink, and the musicians like performing for an enthusiastic audience.  No scene, just community.

Whether in your backyard or at a public park, opportunities to tap into the community are everywhere this summer.  From the monthly Food Truck Rodeo events in Rochester to the many breweries and wineries of the Finger Lakes, from the Jazz Festival in June to Grassroots in July to the many town-sponsored gazebo performances, bonfires, porches, kitchens – you’re a member of the community every time you infuse a little local music into your summertime plans.

 

Ben currently lives in Warsaw, NY.  He teaches banjo, records music made by his friends,

and performs with a variety of roots-based bands throughout the Finger Lakes region.  http://www.benharavitch.com