Dreamspider Publicity’s Erin Scholze Nominated for a 2015 IBMA Momentum Award in Industry Involvement

So honored and thrilled to announce that I just found out I got nominated for an
International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Momentum Award for Industry Involvement!

… AND Isis Restaurant and Music Hall got nominated for an IBMA Momentum Award for Festival/Event/Venue

.. AND Woody Platt from Steep Canyon Rangers is nominated for IMBA Momentum Award for Mentor!

Asheville’s rockin’ out IBMA this year!

See all the Momentum Award nominees and the IBMA Awards nominees at https://t.e2ma.net/message/mm5ki/a9qbfm

~Cheers!
Erin Scholze, Dreamspider Publicity

Read Full Post »

AMP Music Marketing & Publicity Workshop at The Grey Eagle on Tue, Aug 25th – Free!

Asheville Music Professionals Presents:
Music Marketing and Publicity Workshop
at The Grey Eagle on Tuesday, August 25th
Free Event! 6-8pm
185 Clingman Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
www.TheGreyEagle.com

RSVP on Facebook
Find out more at www.AshevilleMusicProfessionals.com

Join Asheville Music Professionals (AMP) at The Grey Eagle on Tuesday, August 25th for a free workshop on the best practices of marketing for musicians with publicists Crissa Requate and Erin Scholze, author and editor Alli Marshall, as well as non-profit director and events publicist Josh Stack. The workshop goes from 6-8pm and will feature a panel discussion exploring topics ranging from when to hire a publicist, what a publicity campaign consists of, and creative ways to promote your band through social media.

Seyrn performs that evening at 9pm, just after the workshop. Expect a dynamic show featuring layered textures of guitars, ukulele, accordion, bass, violin, banjo and various percussion. The Dallas Observer raves the band displays “beautiful arrangements (both in instrumentation and in vocal harmonies) and an epic “big sky” sound that, at times, seems more fitting washing over dilapidated wooden pews in an old church than the usual torn-up couches, vinyl booths and barstools of area venues.” As a special for AMP attendees, The Grey Eagle is offering a discounted $8 ticket price to the show (reg price $10 ADV / $12 DOS).

Topics covered in the AMP Music Marketing and Publicity Workshop include:

• How to work with media, when to send a press release and what it should entail, best ways to ensure coverage and what NOT to do
• Assembling a music team: What are the first steps and each person’s role? How the team ties in to the whole process of growing a band (ie. management, booking agents, publicists, radio promoters and their relationships to venues promoters, journalists, radio programmers, photographers, etc.)
• When is the right time to hire a publicist?
• What does a publicist do?
• What your publicist needs from you
• What are the press materials band needs for promotion? (ie. professionally written and current bio, high resolution press shots, music videos, tour posters, etc.)
• The cycle of working a record
• The importance of radio promotion
• Cross promoting: when and when not to join forces with another band/nonprofit/business to increase media exposure and draw
• The importance of social media

More about each panelist:

Crissa Requate is CEO and Founder of Mason Jar Media. Based in Asheville, NC, Mason Jar Media provides creative publicity and radio promotions campaigns for festivals, artists, events, and brands. Requate has over 10 years experience as a music publicist and moved to Asheville in 2007 from Brooklyn, NY. Her current client roster includes Bonnaroo, Forecastle, Shaky Knees And Shaky Boots, Brewgrass, Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa Festival in Mexico and the WayHome Festival in Toronto. Artists on the Mason Jar Media roster include ALO, Perpetual Groove, TAUK, Earphunk, Rising Appalachia, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, and The Hip Abduction. www.masonjarmedia.com

Erin Scholze is Founder and Sole-Proprietor of Dreamspider Publicity. She offers services to musicians which include album promotion and national publicity for touring bands as well as festival and event marketing, social networking and consultations about the basics of self-promotion. Her current clients include Donna the Buffalo, Everyone Orchestra, The Duhks, Town Mountain, The Honeycutters, Tellico, Jon Stickley Trio, Suwannee Springfest, Magnolia Fest, and Songlines Americana and AAA Radio Promotion. She’s represented a variety of other acts throughout the years, including many from Asheville. Erin headed up LAAFF as Stage Entertainment and Marketing Director from 2002-2010 and also has planned, promoted, and/ or consulted on a plethora of other music events during her career. www.dreamspider.net

Alli Marshall is the Arts Section Editor at Mountain Xpress. She’s been on staff with the local publication since 2003. Alli grew up in Western New York and moved to North Carolina to attend Warren Wilson College. She’s been published in music and lifestyle magazines such as Our State, Metro Pop, Shuffle and Blurt!; her debut novel is How to Talk to Rockstars. www.alli-marshall.com

.

Josh Stack is Founder and Executive Director of local nonprofit FATE – Funding America Through Entertainment, which media campaigns to publicize corporate philanthropic activity in conjunction with high profile entertainment events. Stack has worked professionally as a musician, and enjoyed PR success in the corporate, nonprofit, and entertainment industries. Clients that he works with include Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bruce Hornsby, Jim James, amongst others. www.supportfate.org

Asheville Music Professionals aims to set the standard for good music business practices while acting as a common voice for the Asheville music industry. AMP offers membership educational workshops, fun events and socials all targeted at advancing local music business. With a focus that extends from touring bands to recording studios, venues to festivals, and gear manufacturers to instrument repair shops, this hard working group of volunteers intends to make a positive impact on the lives of musicians and music lovers like you. The Mission is to provide education, advocacy, connection and collaboration for the people who work and thrive in music in Buncombe County.

Find out more about Asheville Music Professionals and how to get involved at www.AshevilleMusicProfessionals.com

Read Full Post »

“What is Is” Ep. 1: Publicity, Networking and more!

Here’s a video of Joe Kendrick’s “What It is” discussion I was part of on Wed, Feb 27th, 2013 with Carol Rifkin and Amy Jones on Iamavl. We talked about publicity, social networking, creativity, and more!

www.IAmAVL.com

Read Full Post »

Ever wonder more about Dreamspider Publicity’s services? Erin answers some of the most commonly asked questions in this fun podcast

Here’s a fun and informative podcast interview with Dreamspider Publicity‘s Erin Scholze, a national music publicist based in Asheville, North Carolina. In this podcast interview, SoConvo asks some great questions that will allow you to get to know what she does more in depth. Being a musician without the proper publicity can be a challenge. Erin discusses how she walks each of her clients through a custom evaluation and steps to make their campaign successful.

Erin Scholze. Photo By Anthony Harden.

Read Full Post »

Lingua Musica Interviews with Larry and Jenny Keel!

Lingua Musica Interviews with Larry and Jenny Keel!

Erin Scholze with Dreamspider Publicity interviews Larry and Jenny Keel at Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain, NC on October 6, 2011. The Keels talk about their music workshops which combine songwriting with trout and bass fishing, their upcoming album, playing with Steve McMurry, Gove Scrivenor, Jeff Mosier, Caroline Pond, Keller Williams and more. This video as filmed and edited by Tony Preston and is copyright Luminescence 2011.

http://larrykeel.com/
http://www.fishinandpickin.com/
http://dreamspider.net/
http://amrmediaproductions.com/
http://linguamusicalive.com/

Read Full Post »

Dreamspider Erin’s Lingua Musica Video Interview with Danny Barnes

Dreamspider Erin interviews Danny Barnes at Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain, NC on October 6, 2011 for Lingua Musica. Danny talks about his new record, Rocket, his love of cassette tapes and vinyl albums. He also details his first project of 100 different CDs that were signed and numbered, how he met Larry and Jenny Keel and more. Tony Preston filmed and edited this video, which is copyright Luminescence, LLC 2011.

Read Full Post »

Alive Without Permission’s Review on Erin Scholze of Dreamspider Publicity

Hey all!

Amazing writer friend Dave Shiflett just posted a review about me– Dreamspider Erin– haha– I am so used to getting all the musicians and events the press, that this is a turn of events…

Check it out at:http://alivewithoutpermission.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/erin-scholze/

Here is a short excerpt of a much longer story:

I had made plans to stop and see Erin on the way home from the Mt. Airy music festival in northern North Carolina. I  met Erin several weeks before at Merlefest, where one of her clients – Tara Nevins, who fronts Donna the Buffalo and also has a solo career – was talking up her new CD, “Wood and Stone,” in the press tent.  Erin is one of those people who is instantly likable, with a warm bearing, terrific smile and whose eyes, as I’ve pointed out in an earlier post, are full of sunshine. What also stands out is her love of her clients’ music. I have dealt with many publicists during my years as a critic and many times they seem to simply be going through the motions. Erin, by contrast, is genuinely enthusiastic about her work. Over the course of the Merlefest weekend, whether at the press tent or during a performance, she would slip by to fill me in on some aspect of the song being played, perhaps how it fit into the band’s history,  or to invite me to another performance. I would soon find that Erin’s enthusiasm is also a reflection of her belief that music is not simply entertainment but a source of social cohesion and an antidote, if only temporary, to life’s endless trials and tribulations.

Cheers~!

Erin Scholze, Dreamspider Publicity

Read Full Post »

Dreamspider Interviews with Jonathan Scales Fourchestra on Lingua Musica

New Lingua Musica Episode: Erin Scholze from Dreamspider Publicity talks with Jonathan Scales Fourchestra at The Musicians Workshop on Merrimon Ave. in Asheville, NC in July 2011. Daniel Judson filmed and edited this video which is copyright Luminescence LLC 2011 and may be used as long as proper credit is given.

***

Jonathan Scales has been called a “…rising star of the steel drums…” by Traps Magazine and “The Real Deal” by Pan on the Net and as having “A Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.” Premier Steel Pan magazine, When Steel Talks states , “At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.”

In this episode of Lingua Musica, Jonathan Scales discusses how he came about his style of Steel Pan. Also hear more about his new album, Character Farm & Other Short Stories, which is a 45-minute dive deeper into the compositionally-twisted work. There are nine original instrumental “stories” on the album which transport listeners from the primal Jam We Did to the lush Hallucinations of the Dream Chasers. The title track Character Farm brings the audience into a chilled, ‘worldly’ ride after the frantically emotional The Longest December. Guest appearance on the record include Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band / Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), Yonrico Scott and Kofi Burbridge (of Derek Trucks Band fame) and the dazzling work of fiddle virtuoso Casey Driessen.  Also, you will meet the cast of Characters that make up the Fourchestra: classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro and front man of the Fourchestra, Jonathan Scales, is heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z. Gritty blues guitarist, Duane Simpson, and fusion-chops bassist, Cody Wright, provide the harmonic support for Scales’ sound; while jazz/hip-hop drummer, Phill Bronson, drives the time-shifting, modern grooves. 

Scales, along with fimmaker Daniel Judson, produced an insightful Music Video for the song Muddy Vishnu; snippets of the music video are shown in the interview. Watching Muddy Vishnu is “almost like a Being John Malkovich set inside Scales’ own world of found rhythms, visions, colors, friends, inspirations and rare silence,” writes Asheville’s Mountain Xpress.

In this episode of Lingua Musica, Scales’s also talks about the album’s comic book-inspired images, designed by Gregory Keyzer, that tie together the musical fusion of his Fourchestra. “There’s a different illustration for every song,” Scales says in an interview with Robin Tolleson in Bold Life. “It’s cool because you can kind of put a visual image with each piece. The album is packaged like a book of short stories, but there’s an overlying theme. The sonic tapestry, mixed with the congruent artwork, really ties the whole thing together. The pictures help people make their judgments about what it’s about and how they feel about it. It’s not complete long form, but it’s closer.”

Character Farm, along with a glossy 19 x 13 poster depicting the custom designed comic book graphics illustrating each song are available at www.jonscales.com.

This video was brought to you by Lingua Musica: Where Music is the Universal Language…

www.jonscales.com

www.linguamusicalive.com

www.danieljudson.com

www.dreamspider.net

www.musiciansworkshop.com

Read Full Post »

HATCH Music Panel: ‘What’s Working From Who’s Working’ Workshop on Thursday, April 14th at 5pm

Exciting news! I will be speaking on a HATCH Music Panel, What’s Working from Who’s Working,  in Asheville this Thursday! More info is posted below.

The HATCH Experience takes place in Asheville from April 14th to 17th.  HATCH is a great opportunity for creative professionals on a local and National level to network.  Join in on the Music panels and workshops for discussions on how technology is changing how we interact with music.   Meet thought and creative leaders in music to discuss the cultural trends, the future and you. Find out more about the various HATCH Music events at: http://www.hatchasheville.org/music/. Other creative areas within HATCH are film, photo, fashion, architecture, design/ technology, and journalism. More information is on the website.

Music Conversation: What’s Working From Who’s Working Workshop
Echo Mountain’s API  Recording Studio
Don’t miss this conversation with musicians, publicists, agents, club and festivals at Echo Mountain’s API Recording Studio Thursday, April 14th at 5 pm – 7 pm. Join local musicians and industry pros for a discussion about making money making music.  Real advice for musicians who are making a living performing music.  Network with your peers and learn tips from musicians and industry folks on how to make it in the new music business.

Justin Ray ~ Professional Musician (Michale Buble, Spork, Boathouse All Stars)
www.facebook.com/#!/Sporkband and www.facebook.com/#!/BoathouseAllStars

Justin Ray has spent the last 8 years touring as a trumpet soloist, composer, and
arranger for Warner Bros recording artist Michael Buble. In addition to his duties with
Buble, he also fronts two other ensembles: Spork, a jazz quintet comprised of Asheville-
area musicians; and the Boathouse All-Stars, an internationally recognized group that
performs his original compositions for big band.

Jay Sanders ~ Musician (Acoustic Syndicate, The E.Normus Trio) and Application Developer (Creative Allies)
http://mindtonic.net and www.creativeallies.com

Jay Sanders has been a successful musician in the Western North Carolina music scene for almost 20 years.  He is best know for his work with Acoustic Syndicate, Donna The Buffalo and The E.Normus Trio.  When not shaping low frequency sound waves into genre bending styles, he is an active participant in the local technology sector through his work with Creative Allies and many other community minded projects.

Jessica Tomasin ~ Studio Manager at Echo Mountain Recording, Band Manager
www.echomountain.net

Jessica Tomasin has been the studio manager at Echo Mountain Recording since it’s start five years ago and has assisted it’s growth to become a world renown recording studio working with acts such as Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, The Avett Brothers, and Dierks Bentley amongst many other national and local acts. She was also the manager of the label, Echo Mountain Records. Jessica had been managing Aaron Wood for the past two years and launched the first successful Kickstarter campaign in the Asheville area to fund Wood’s self-titled album which was released this month.

Bowie van Ling ~ DJ / Producer / Percussionist, Graphic Designer, Event Producer
http://playlowmusic.com

Bowie van Ling of Playlow, the Asheville based DJ / Producer / Percussionist with complimentary expertise in multimedia design, event production and promotion. Has been observed in the wild wielding a multi-faceted multi-genre approach that empowers his career in the music industry. He’s seen great success with hundreds of shows at venues, spanning 3 continents from Amsterdam to the rainforests of Costa Rica. Locally he’s known as the four year consecutive hall of fame winner of best DJ/Turntablist in WNC.

Katherine “KP” Powell ~  founder / partner at Geniass Productions, partner at Tree Power & Sound, owner Asheville Music Hall / The One Stop Deli & Bar
www.geniassproductions.com and ww.treeleafmusic.com/treepower.html and

Katherine Powell has been working in the industry for the past 6 years with the intent of propelling music and musicians towards a place of business stability and financial security. She founded Geniass Productions in 2005 and shortly after teamed up with Laura Reed to form Deep Pocket which they quickly grew into a successful touring operation. Katherine also does solar-powered production, talent buying, publicity and is currently working on opening a music venue in Downtown Asheville.

Erin Scholze ~ owner of Dreamspider Publicity & Events
www.dreamspider.net

Erin Scholze has long been one of the greatest supporters of the Asheville music scene.  Her love of celebration has manifested itself through the work she has done for the community at large for such events and organizations as the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival, Music Video Asheville, the All Go West Festival, Community Choreography and more.  Her company, Dreamspider Publicity, raises international awareness of the amazing local, regional and national talent that she represents.  Her client list includes Donna the Buffalo, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, Acoustic Syndicate, Galen Kipar Project, Dehlia Low, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra and Mad Tea Party.

Read Full Post »

Pollinator: Lexington Avenue Arts & Fun Festival, aka Lex Fest or LAAFF

pol·li·nate : verb [pä-lə-ˌnāt] — to innovate and collaborate to grow a more sustainable and vibrant community

by Suzanne Hacket, 2009 August 30

[See the Blog for Pollinating Asheville for more links to different pollinators mentioned in this article]

LAAFF Poster Design By Sound Mind Media

LAAFF

The 8th Annual LAAFF, or Lex Fest, is coming up one week from today on September 6 from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Lexington Ave. in downtown Asheville. Usually I highlight specific people as “Pollinators,” but as I sat and talked with Erin Scholze, I realized that there are so many people and business involved that the entire festival is a Pollinator.

A Bit of History (or Herstory, as it were)

LAAFF was the brainchild of Miss Kitty Love and tall bike freak, Michael Mooney. In 2001, in order to celebrate their gallery and the downtown culture and businesses, they wanted to have an art car parade. Instead they decided to have a festival. Alexis Gault (former Rebelle’s and now Lush Life Designs) had already started Arts2People and wanted to partner. And, LAAFF was born under the umbrella of Arts2People in 2001. Rebecca Hecht, Adorn Salon, has organized the arts vendors since year one.

2002: enter Erin Scholze. As a caretaker for Kitty’s son, Erin caught the LAAFF bug and started organizing the music for the festival. Graham Hackett (Catalyst Poetix and Poetix Vanguard) and Alexis Gault partnered with Erin in helping to program the festival. Alexis and Graham both moved on to their own personal projects, and Erin has become a major face for LAAFF focusing on music and public relations.

2004: enter Brad and Elizabeth Reichardt, owners of BoBo Gallery. Brad, an original Burning Man visionary, wanted to be involved and expand the festival, and schedules the BoBo stage outside of the venue.

2006: LAAFF focuses on greening the festival. Long-term volunteer, Aaron Johnston, organizes with local organizations to make sure their are options for compost and recycling. They ask vendors to use Jack’s Boxes.

NEW For 2009

New LAAFF DIRECTOR: Kitty Love steps down as director to focus on Arts2People to connect with arts organizations in town around an Artist Resource Center. Frank Bloom, former music committee member, is hired as the new director of LAAFF.

LA ZOOM TOURS: Jim and Jen Lauzon made art cars for LAAFF and recently have built their most extravagant art “car” yet, a huge rococo-style purple performance bus, La Zoom. This year, LaZoom is also going to be a performance space for LAAFF. They are doing bus rides around town with live entertainment.

ASHEVILLE BREWERS ALLIANCE: Long-term partner, French Broad Brewing Company, extended an invitation to the newly formed Asheville Brewer’s Alliance (Beer City USA Y’all!) to partner with the festival. Multiple local brews will be available at LAAFF this year.

WALNUT STAGE: The stage at Walnut is now located in the parking lot at the corner of Lexington and Walnut.

And, every year more and more businesses and Lexington Ave. spaces want to be a part of the festival and have built it into the largest independent street festival in Asheville, and perhaps in Western North Carolina. LAAFF now draws about 12,000 people.

The other most important part of LAAFF are the volunteers. Interested in volunteering? They still need help. Email Justin Mitchell, volunteer@lexfestasheville.com

And, the sponsors and partners…LAAFF wishes to thank Greenlife Grocery and Mountain Xpress, in particular, and all the other local sponsors.

Other Pollinators involved with LAAFF

LEAF in Schools & Streets, LaZoom Tours, Barley’s Taproom, French Broad Brewery, Jenny Greer of Soundmind Media, Andrew Usher, Stewart Sound, Charles Mooney, Tristan and Jackson, Bob Robertson of Mountain Roots Management, Aslan Roshon of RALAK Fest, Bill Mesmer, Arts2People Board of Directors, Honey Pot, Asheville Mural Project Artists, Phil Cheney of Cheney Graphics, Asheville Downtown Association, Margaret Lauzon of Villasonica, Christina Aurea, Jay Sanders of Sum Networks, Earthfare, The Orange Peel, WNC Magazine, WNCW, vendors, all performers and volunteers who have generously donated their time.

Erin and I sat at Earthfare and brainstormed this great pollination, but we are sure that we missed many who have helped. Please use the comment section to let us know how you’ve contributed to LAAFF!

See who’s playing this year.

Look in this week’s Mountain Xpress for further information and schedule or go to LAAFF’s new website.

from → Arts & Thoughts Artistic, Community Growth & Development, Pollinators & Cultivators: People to Know

Read Full Post »