Make

Music

Hartford

Make Music Day is an annual event that takes place in various cities around the states. Starting in Washington DC, the intent is to have live music performance be more accepted in public spaces. This was the second year Hartford took part and The Greater Hartford Arts Council was overwhelmed by the continued support of their committee and volunteer staff.

We were approached by the council to discuss creating a body of work about these very people - the folks behind the scenes that make things happen. Over the course of 6 weeks, we had discussions with each person to be photographed and we determined together how they were to best be conveyed given their role helping Make Music Hartford a reality.

Charmagne Tripp

Charmagne brings years of experience both on and off the stage to Make Music Hartford.

With a career spanning 20 years as a singer/songwriter, it is of no surprise that she has released five of her own records and has won a Grammy for her work with Eminem in 2009.

In recent years, she has formed Gripp Productions, which focuses on creative and production consulting for the theater and music industries. We spoke about her role as a producer and what that would look like.

As soon as you walk in the door, Charmagne is the ballast that keeps things moving in the right direction.

Ashley Floyd

There are those who create, and those who create through facilitating. Ashley Floyd has forever been a lover of hip and hop, especially local artists.
“Hip hop affects people on many levels, it’s not just a style of music”.
Lyrics in Da V is a platform Ashley has created to showcase local lyric artists. The “V” stands for vehicle. She travels to various locations in Connecticut and a dash mounted camera films artists in her passenger seat. It’s so simple, yet ideal.
Not only did she create a platform, she created a brand that provides a common ground amongst artists to discover and support one another - even if the location is an abandoned parking lot.

Dan Deutsch

As the marketing and communications director for the Greater Hartford Arts Council, Dan has been fundamental in helping this project to come to life. When Iweapproached him and Amanda Roy, they understood this was more than just taking portraits.
It was not about “who” were key players for Make Music Hartford, it was the “why”. Before accepting his role at the Arts Council, Dan was involved in various artistic efforts around Hartford. Though his involvement with Night Fall Hartford is what truly built the foundation for him in the Hartford arts community.
“Working with Ann Cubberly and being at the Dirt Salon allowed me to meet so many creatives, I learned so much”.
We brought Dan back to the building formerly known as the Dirt Salon so he could reconnect with his roots .

Dwight Hatch

When we first started thinking about this project, we knew didn’t want to photograph on the day of Make Music Hartford. The reason being was that there were already great images being produced and Dwight was the person behind many of those images.
He would get the schedule of acts and produce his own schedule to move his way through the city efficiently. He expressed constantly being on the go to capture as many performances as he could.
We photographed Dwight around key spots of the Hartford do just that, making his way to the next location. There were some great backdrops though this old carriage house on Ann Uccello St had the perfect vibe.

Dylan Healy

Dylan is someone who is able to connect the dots easier than others. He is a very “outside the box” creative who’s efforts have had a great amount of impact. During the day he’s working in special education in West Hartford, though most people know him for being the man behind Funnybone Records.
Funnybone is a Hartford based record label that produces albums of all music genres and has helped create a very supportive music scene. As a guitar player himself, Dylan understands experiencing music performance can elevate the influence it has on the audience.
Recently, he and some of his colleagues founded Wherehouse in Hartford, a multidisciplinary venue that has hosted musical performances, art exhibits, and social gatherings. It is a very open, transformable space with endless potential. It is obvious all of Dylan’s efforts are the result of his love to make Hartford a better place and to provide platforms for artists of all disciplines to grow.

Amanda Roy

Amanda reached out to me years ago to find out more about the intentions to build more community through Arbor Light Studio. It was hard to believe we had never met reflecting on our three hour conversation. Sharing thoughts about Hartford, our love of music, and why dogs are better than people.
“The goal of Make Music Hartford is expose Hartford communities to more live music being played in public. There is a lot to organize and it would be impossible without all of the volunteers that have stepped forward.”
Being in the production world, we understand how the process often gets overlooked and many do not get the credit that is due. The Greater Hartford Arts Council picked the 16 individuals to be photographed and we photographed everyone over the span of five weeks. Though regardless of how many people it takes to make this day happen, it all started with the one and only Amanda Roy.

Zoë Chatfield and Richard Hollant

Co:Lab is a development and design studio that I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years on various projects. Much of their work focuses on social impact and community development.
About a year ago they made the decision to move from their Parkville studio into a former branch of the Hartford Public Library.
The vision for this space was to go beyond Co:lab and have it there for the community as well. From these intentions, Freecenter was born. A multi use space that can facilitate collaboration and creativity.
They are still adapting the space to their needs, though things are moving quicker now that Zoë Chatfield has taken the lead. Zoë has worked at Co:lab for a few years now as a project manager under the guidance of Richard. If there is anyone that he can trust to keep Freecenter growing and giving back to the Hartford community, it’s Zoë.

Kirk Woodard

The digital world has greatly changed music education. Thousands of videos on YouTube can show you exactly how to play that riff, or figure out that drum solo. Though like all things creative, it’s the intent behind the action. Knowing how to play is very different from knowing what to play.
Kirk and I found a lot of common ground sharing our concerns about things being too accessible. Many people want to find the shortest path to achieving something though so much is missed in the process.
“I can play the same song with five different musicians and every song will be different to compliment the relationship I have with each of them.” Kirk’s beliefs are one of an old soul. He understands his ability to play is a means to something much bigger.
His focus and drive makes him someone other musicians strive to collaborate with. It was refreshing to work with someone with these values so early in their career. We photographed Kirk at a rehearsal space at the University of Hartford where he is finishing up his master’s degree in percussion.

"Our ideation process was made so much easier due to Mike’s active listening which made this a true collaboration. From brainstorming to execution, his approach was always to be authentic to our subjects and focus on storytelling. This was a different type of campaign for us and the engagement was some of the highest the Arts Council has seen. The entire project served as a microcosm of what it's like to be involved in the Hartford community - these portraits illuminated how connected we are through the arts.”

-Dan Deutsch, Marketing and Communications Manager, Greater Hartford Arts Council

Pauline Scott

Scotts’ Jamaican Bakery has been a household name to Hartford families for over 40 years. There are three locations with the main bakery being in the North End on Albany Ave. This location’s front patio served as a music hub for make Music Hartford. I had a great conversation with Artie Hill, executive assistant to The Scotts’, about photographing Pauline.
We talked about her relationship with the family and The Scotts’ love for the city of Hartford. They truly have been a contributor to many community efforts over the years.
“If we play some music and get her dancing, she’ll spend as much time as you need in front of the camera.”
We played one of her favorite songs, “She’s Royal” by Tarrus Riley, a good 7 times. She danced and expressed her love of music and how it connects us all. We had more than enough time as she was not short of any encouragement by every car that passed by.

Megan Fitzgerald

It’s not uncommon to be part of a production where you run into someone you’ve worked with before. That was the case with Megan.
We were both working on a television commercial years ago with CT Public Broadcasting. We were introduced briefly and after that, Meg was the one getting things done.
She has so much experience in the stage and production world and has became a cornerstone of the Connecticut arts community. We spoke about her portrait and we wanted to convey her role beyond production and focus on her confidence and experience.
Various locations were discussed but her home at CT Public Broadcasting was most ideal. Production crews traditional were the required uniform of...well...black. We needed to elevate things a bit so it was obvious that a pair of Frye boots would do just that.

James Johnson

When we first spoke with James over the phone, his passion to see Hartford thrive was evident.
It wasn’t about a specific location to him, it was how music had the ability to transform any place to build community.
Through his profession as a contractor and with his skillset as a DJ, he is used to taking raw materials and creating something people gravitate towards. .

Steve Cusano

If you have any connection to Hartford, you know of Parkville Sounds. It was never talked about as just a recording studio. It is a music hub and Steve is beyond committed to making performing and recording music more accessible.

From recording, to rehearsals, to instruction; it is a wonderful asset to the community.

With all that Parkville Sounds has supported and accomplished over the past two years, it is no surprise that they have since outgrown their space. They recently moved and have more than quadrupled their space and offerings. The energy and commitment that Steve brings to the table is one that makes communities thrive.

SOPIE HUGET

As the director of the New Britain Industrial Museum, it was no surprise Sophie cherished many creations of Connecticut’s past.
The museum lent and created misc metal objects to be used as percussion for Make Music Hartford. When we walked in, she was designing a xylophone out of old Stanley wrenches.
Though not a large space, the museum does have an amazing collection. She had a story of so many pieces but one from the early 1900’s was a favorite.

Nelson Bello

This man’s presence is as rhythmic as his playing.
As soon as he walked in the studio, the vibe was set. We traded stories on playing out live and the current state of the music industry. Despite being in a world where people often purchase songs vs albums - he still believes in the importance of storytelling through a curated collection of music.
Nelson has a wide range of musicians he plays with throughout the state and is currently putting the finishing touches on a new EP from Trombeatz.

Savanna Jones

Choreographer, teacher, mentor - the one common thread between all of Savanna’s efforts is that she starts with a blank canvas.

“People are unique so we can never approach things the same way”.

The way she moves and communicates is always authentic and original with the goal of helping others move forward and stay positive. I have yet to see the day where Savana is not smiling.