Seattle Film + Music Blog Office of Film + Music and Special Events

Seattle Film + Music Blog

2018 Look Back on Film & Special Events

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2018 in Seattle Film

The Office of Film + Music coordinates permissions for film productions to operate on public City of Seattle property by issuing Master Film Permits. A strong Seattle film industry is at the center of the local creative economy.

Scroll through our Instagram snapshot of the numbers from 2018:

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2018 was an amazing year for #filminseattle! Filmmakers, let’s take a look back at what you achieved: . . . 🎞 537 permits issued – a 10% jump over the last 2 years! 👩🏽‍💼5,610 local cast + crew hired 💰56% of all permits were Commercial Productions – year after year, commercial work takes up the bulk of productions in Seattle 🎥 21% of all permits were for Feature Film or Episodic Content, including “Language Arts,” a feature film which was filmed completely in Western Washington over the course of 30 days in the Summer of 2018 🎬 The remaining 23% were for other content including student films, web series, music videos, PSAs, VR/AR projects, and more 🏬 312 out of the 537 permits issued in 2018 were to production companies that defined themselves as a small business 🏞 95 of Seattle’s 485 beautiful public parks were used for filming in 2018 – and parks were used 520 times across all permits ☀️ The top 5 most frequently filmed parks were Gas Works Park, Kerry Park, Volunteer Park, Discovery Park, and Golden Gardens Park 🏙 42% of all permits were from production companies within Seattle 🏔 19% of permits were from production companies within the rest of Washington State ✈️ The other 37% of permits were from national and international production companies – largely Los Angeles and New York – but also England, Singapore, and Australia . . A strong Seattle film industry is at the center of the local creative economy. Cheers to the great work in 2018, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2019! #wecanpermitthisforyou #seattlefilm #filminwashington

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2018 in Special Events

The Special Events Office operates within the Office of Film + Music, coordinating Special Event Permits for large or impactful public or private events (e.g., Seafair, Rock’n’Roll Marathon, Capitol Hill Block Party) and constitutionally protected free speech marches and rallies (e.g., Womxn’s March).

Here’s a snapshot of the numbers from 2018:

In 2018, 521 Special Event Permits were coordinated This included 426 Special Event Permits, 82 valet permits, and 13 charter vessel permits Total attendance at special events in 2018 was estimated at 2.3 million by event organizers The most popular neighborhoods for special events were Downtown, Queen Anne, Pioneer Square, South Lake Union and Capitol Hill 50% of events were free and open to the public 55% of events occur during the summer months - June through September There were 62 free speech events in 2018 19 events used public waterways 1,662 street segments were used for events There were 64 run/walk/cycling events throughout the year

  • In 2018, 521 Special Event Permits were coordinated
  • This included 426 Special Event Permits, 82 valet permits, and 13 charter vessel permits
  • Total attendance at special events in 2018 was estimated at 2.3 million by event organizers
  • The most popular neighborhoods for special events were Downtown, Queen Anne, Pioneer Square, South Lake Union and Capitol Hill
  • 50% of events were free and open to the public
  • 55% of events occur during the summer months – June through September
  • There were 62 free speech events in 2018
  • 19 events used public waterways
  • 1,662 street segments were used for events
  • There were 64 run/walk/cycling events throughout the year

2018 was an amazing year for film and special events in Seattle. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2019!

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City hosts opioid harm reduction training for club owners and staff

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The Office of Film + Music, thanks in part to a partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County, is supplying nightclubs with a lifesaving drug called Naloxone to use on people overdosing on opioids.

As part of the new program developed by Nightlife Business Advocate, Scott Plusquellec, club owners and staff will receive training on how to properly identify an overdose and administer the drug. The first training was on Monday night.

“Fortunately, opioid overdoses are rare in nightlife establishments,” Plusquellec said,” However we are aware of incidences where cocaine was laced with a deadly opioid fentanyl. We’re also hopeful the nightlife community can respond to incidences on the streets outside their venues should they see issues. We want to make sure everyone comes out, has a good time and gets home safely.”

“Naloxone saves lives by reversing opioid overdoses and can be effectively administered by anyone who receives training in how to use it. In 2018, we know of 2,235 overdoses that were reversed using naloxone in King County—and that number is likely even greater,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Partnerships like this one with nightclubs help us reach the social networks of those at risk for opioid overdose. If you know or are around people at risk for overdose, please carry naloxone and if you suspect a drug overdose, don’t be afraid to call 911 right way. The Good Samaritan Law serves to protect you.”

Cities throughout the United States are struggling with an ongoing opioid epidemic. In many cases, deaths can be prevented the use of Naloxone, a simple to use medication. Public health agencies are working hard to make life-saving drugs more readily available to the public.

“We need to do everything in our power to ensure that anyone who can save a life has the tools and knowledge to do so. I’m thankful Seattle’s nightlife community wants to be part of the solution,” Kate Becker, Director of the Office of Film + Music said.

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Self Care and Activism: Ways of Living and Surviving in the Music Industry with Sharlese Metcalf

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At this month’s Mixer, special guest Sharlese Metcalf shared her talk entitled “Self Care and Activism: Ways of Living and Surviving in the Music Industry.” Whether it’s through her roles as Education Coordinator and DJ at KEXP, as a member of the TUF collective, or her work as a Music Commissioner, Sharlese has been a leading advocate in Seattle’s music scene for years. If you couldn’t make it to the Mixer, you can watch the full talk here, and we have also included Sharlese’s written script below.

During her talk, Sharlese shared her 26 ways of self care while working in the music industry:

  1. Wake up and don’t look at your phone. Take a walk instead.
  2. Don’t answer emails right away, they can wait.
  3. Take walking meetings at work, if you can. Don’t sit in a room with walls.
  4. Pack your lunch with healthy yummy things and eat your lunch away from your computer. They can wait.
  5. Write fan mail. Write a short letter or text to someone that you love or that inspires you and tell them you appreciate their work.
  6. Compliment someone. I have found that when I tell someone something nice, the impact is that it makes me feel good and them.
  7. Journal thoughts of gratitude.
  8. Meditate and breathe.
  9. Exercise. Do yoga. I do and DJ yoga quite often. You should come!
  10. Listen to your favorite songs and dance alone. Like DoNormaal’s ‘Ego Slave.’
  11. Massage your creativity, like make a mix of your favorite songs.
  12. Eat with intention. Cook your favorite meal. Plan ahead to do so.
  13. Address positivity at your organization. It’s easy to frustrated at work by things that happen. Make sure to talk to your co-workers and find ways to be happy.
  14. Find the good work of others happening in the world, especially in Seattle community and send them to people. It can inspire and motivate positivity.
  15. Find ways to turn the upside down, right side up. Meaning if you found something that’s sad or bad, find a way to bring people together to amplify your voices.
  16. Keep educating yourself. Take a class!
  17. Learn to say no without explaining yourself.
  18. Acknowledge yourself and your strengths and consider your value.
  19. Know peace.
  20. Respect, be kind and forgive yourself. You’re great!
  21. Be intentional and always know where you’re trying to go.
  22. Use your intuition to navigate better. Always trust your heart.
  23. Support live music! Going to show can mean the world for an artists and that in return will make you feel good. To be more real, support the arts! There are so many great artists in the Northwest and if you need help finding cool things to do, Artist Trust has a great calendar of full of statewide events to support. You can also find out about grant applying workshops and more there as well.
  24. Clean your space to your favorite album. It can be a trip to experience actually how an artist creates an album from start to finish.
  25. Spend time with friends and family. These people are some of the most important people in your life and they provide epic support.  
  26. Look up. Everyone looks down, but have you ever tried looking up? A teacher in college recommended that to me and it changes your perspective and you might learn something!

You can find Sharlese Metcalf on Twitter, Soundcloud, and read more about her on our blog. Read below for Sharlese’s scripted speech.  [Read more…]

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Inaugural Seattle Film Career Day connects young people with industry leaders and expertise

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Film + Music Office Director Kate Becker speaking on stage introducing the four Sound + Vision panelists

Film + Music Office Director Kate Becker introducing the Sound and Vision panelists.

Last week, the City of Seattle Office of Film + Music, in partnership with the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) and One Reel, produced the first Film Career Day. Hundreds of students, educators, and young adults gathered at McCaw Hall and the Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center for the day-long event featuring expert panels and networking opportunities with industry professionals.

“We are delighted to offer Film Career Day as a new opportunity for young and prospective filmmakers in the region,” said Kate Becker, Director of the Seattle Office of Film + Music. “It’s more important than ever that we connect youth, especially young people of color and women, with all the exciting creative opportunities waiting for them in our local film industry.”

“As the first generation born and raised into a world dominated by digital video, these kids are cinema-savvy and ten steps ahead of their teenage forebears,” said Marty Griswold, Executive Director at One Reel. “These are kids who just want to get there. Many are already equipped with the explosive creativity and skills to do it. Our job during Film Career Day was to point them in the right direction – and step out of their way. Based on the feedback we’ve received since then, I think we were successful!”

A large room of people seated in circles, talking.

Speed networking at McCaw Hall.

“The inaugural Film Career Day opened the door to the film industry to hundreds of youth from the Seattle area. I was blown away by the dialogue that was created between the young aspiring filmmakers and the industry professionals we invited to speak on the panels,” said Kyle Seago, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NFFTY. “I heard from many industry people that they had never seen such excitement and curiosity about their jobs before. It’s exciting to know that an event like this can serve a major role in growing the film and media industry in Seattle and beyond. Two-way exchanges of information and resources are vital to keeping a creative economy alive.”

Film Career Day began with NFFTY’s speed networking session, giving attendees the chance to meet industry experts, share their stories, and build relationships. Keynote speakers Chris Caldwell, Zeek Earl, and Brice Budke, the writer/producer/director team from Seattle production company Shep Films, discussed how they got their production company off the ground and how they overcame obstacles along the way.

Keynote speakers Chris Caldwell, Zeek Earl, and Brice Budke seated on stage.

Keynote speakers Chris Caldwell, Zeek Earl, and Brice Budke.

Shep Film’s first feature, Prospect, filmed entirely in Washington, premiered this year at SXSW and will be in theaters this Friday, November 2. “It was an emotional grind,” said Earl, describing their long journey to get the green light to film Prospect. “We kept shooting commercials, making money, developing our skills, kept working on our script. It kept getting better and better and better, until we really had our plan down. And we got the green light.”

The rest of the day featured six different panel sessions. Panelists tackled tough questions facing local young people who are pursuing a career in film—for example: Is film school worth the money and time? What are the pros and cons of starting a film career here in Seattle, versus moving to cities like LA or New York? What kind of film work is available right now in Seattle, and how can you find it?

“It gave me a lot to think about,” said one young woman who attended the “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” panel on where to build a career. “I didn’t think so many jobs were on the corporate side. It sounds like that’s where jobs are, if you want to get started [in the film industry].”

Panels also gave attendees a chance to ask questions and hear from professionals who play various roles in the film industry, from producers and directors to composers and costume designers.  The “Sound and Vision” panel featured Mayor’s Film Award winner and costume designer Ron Leamon (Blue Velvet, Man in the High Castle) and film composer Mike McCready (Sadie, We Bought a Zoo); the “Should I Stay or Should I Go” panel featured Mayor’s Film Award winner Jennifer Roth (Black Swan, The Wrestler).

Drawing on Seattle’s reputation as a leader in Virtual and Augmented Reality technology, local experts including Xuny Haley, Operations Manager at CoMotion at the University of Washington, Kim Voynar of WonderTek Labs, and Amy Lillard, Executive Director of Washington Filmworks, held a panel on VR/AR filmmaking.

Big local and national names participated in the inaugural Film Career Day, including surprise guest Mike McCready at the “Sound & Vision” panel. While McCready is best known from Pearl Jam, he has also been composing music for film and television for years.

During lunch, attendees also had the chance to browse through a table fair hosted by local schools and organizations including Scarecrow Video and TeenTix, to learn about part time jobs and internship opportunities and chat with current and former film and animation students.

One Reel has collaborated with the City to host career days, including Music Career Day, for many years. The first Film Career Day presented a new opportunity to partner with NFFTY, who’s experience and expertise were invaluable to connecting with  the youth film community.

The Office of Film + Music looks forward to making Film Career Day even bigger and better next year! If you have ideas for things you’d like to see at 2019’s event, shoot us an email at filmandmusicoffice@seattle.gov.

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Seattle Music Commission looks to youth leaders to guide future of Seattle’s music industry

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Youth leaders sitting around conference tableThis month, youth leaders joined members of the Seattle Music Commission for a roundtable discussion on supporting youth who are entering Seattle’s music industry. Leaders representing Totem Star, KEXP, The Vera Project, 206 Zulu, Seattle Theatre Group, and MoPOP’s The Residency gathered at KEXP with representatives from the Music Commission and the Office of Film + Music to share resources and begin a dialogue on what young artists need to be successful.

Youth leaders and music commissioners entered the discussion sharing a common goal: learning from each other and discovering ways to support artists. “What I hope to accomplish out of this meeting is just finding better ways to help the youth have access to opportunities,” said ZAG, who was representing both Totem Star and The Residency. “Both performing opportunities I guess, and being able to build connections with artists and get into more opportunities to pursue their dreams.”

Youth leaders sitting around conference table“I’m a student and an artist myself. My aspirations are to open my own nonprofit record label. What I hope to accomplish from this meeting is to gain a wider perspective on the issues of artists,” said Bryce Villatoro-Thomas, representing Seattle Theatre Group.

“My goal is to learn how I can best help to open up spaces for you all to work together, create change within our music industry climate here in Seattle, and uplift your communities by means of collaboration and really letting the City know, the City of Music know, what you need,” said Daniel Pak, chair of the music commission’s Youth + Community Committee.

During the roundtable, youth leaders and commissioners shared their thoughts and experiences with existing resources for Seattle artists. Many shared information on the programs and services provided by their own organizations. Participants also discussed the contemporary “DIY culture” in the music scene: what it means to them, what tools they use, and whether it is best (or possible) to really do things yourself as an artist.

While the group only scratched the surface during this first roundtable, participants left the meeting with hope and excitement for future conversations. “What I’m excited about is that these are happening, we got these [roundtables] off the ground,” said KEXP Education Coordinator Sharlese Metcalf. “So besides being a resource, I want to keep these going.”

Youth leaders performing at open mic eventThe roundtable was followed by a youth-led open mic at The Vera Project. The young leaders from the roundtable emceed and coordinated a two-hour program that showcased all types of music, from punk rock to house. Several of the youth leaders performed themselves.

The Seattle Music Commission is currently working to create a directory of resources for Seattle artists of all ages, informed by input from the youth roundtable, and are looking forward to future conversations. If you have ideas for the Commission or want to learn more about how to get involved, shoot them an email at seattlemusiccommission@seattle.gov.Group photo of youth leaders and Seattle Music Commission/Office of Film + Music representatives

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Meet the Music Commission: SassyBlack on her career and elevating youth voices

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SassyBlack headshotSeattle Music Commissioner SassyBlack—otherwise known as Catherine Harris-White—has been an influential part of Seattle’s music scene for the past decade. A singer, songwriter and producer, SassyBlack is a psychedelic soul singer whose music is influenced by jazz, R&B, funk, hip-hop and more. Her latest EP, “Wakanda Funk Lounge,” was released in June 2018.

SassyBlack has been working toward a career in music for most of her life. “I have been writing music since before I can remember. Always liked music, always liked figuring it out. The more that I learned about it the more intrigued I was by it,” she says. “I started singing early in choirs when I was in middle school, and continued to go on learning singing and acting and stage presence, so it started at a really young age.”

Having been performing and releasing music since she was 18, SassyBlack has seen a lot of evolution in the local music scene over her career. “I see people understanding the importance of creating and fostering a community in Seattle as well as traveling back and forth between Seattle and other cities, to kind of grow that. Even between cities in Washington State, Bellingham, or Olympia or Tacoma, you know. Starting to build a scene.”

Besides a more interconnected music community, she also sees creatives becoming more strategic in their business. “I see people finding new ways to showcase their music and grow, and I think right now, there’s a lot of people understanding their worth as musicians in Seattle. So I think what I most notice as a change in the music scene is being business-minded, artists being business-minded.”

On or off stage, SassyBlack is an active voice for her community. “I really like working toward making the music industry stronger in Seattle, so finding ways to support musicians.” Being a member of the Music Commission has given her more capacity and power in her music activism: “It’s giving me a lot of perspective as an artist, and it’s giving me perspectives that I wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Like from an attorney’s side, licensing, or publishing. It’s a community of people who want the best for the music industry.”

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It's #GRAMMY TIME! #SassyBlack #GRAMMYS #GrammyWeek

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SassyBlack sees young people playing an important part in the future of Seattle music. “We need to include all voices in order to grow successfully, and for it to be most beneficial for those who actually need it,” she says. “So I’m really excited for making space for more youth voices to come in, and learning from that community. And also, working things so that the next generation and the current generation can be involved in the decisions that affect them and help make the powerful change in our music industry here in Seattle, and globally, really.”

As part of their effort to elevate youth voices, the Music Commission organized a roundtable discussion with youth leaders from Totem Star, KEXP, the Vera Project, Seattle Theatre Group, 206 Zulu, and MoPOP’s The Residency. Following the roundtable, youth leaders are hosting an Open Mic at the Vera Project that will be open to the public.

Through the roundtable, SassyBlack hopes to hear “what is needed for this generation of musicians that are coming out. What do they need, what are they provided.” Feedback and ideas from the roundtable will be used to inform the Commission’s work to provide resources and support, not only for young people but for people of all ages in the industry.

The roundtable is also meant to be just the beginning of an ongoing relationship between the Commission and the youth community. “We’re trying to create some kind of foundation, repetitions, meetings, interactions. That’s what’s gonna be beneficial for Seattle’s music scene, or any music scene, having that input, having that conversation. And taking that conversation and actually applying it to something.”

SassyBlack has this advice for people getting their start in music: “Visualize it. Understand that feeling that you get when you do music, that one that makes you feel really excited. Know what makes you feel that way and harness it.”

“A lot of writers say to just enjoy the process,” she continues. “I would suggest that to any young artist, or to any artist who’s just getting into it, whatever age you are. Put together a plan, it could be a vision board. Just enjoy that sense that you’re learning. I think the folks that learn how to enjoy learning it are the ones who last for a really long time. Because they remember their joy out of it.”

If you’re new to her music, she recommends starting with “Personal Sunlight” or “Wakanda Funk Lounge.” She also released a “Best of SassyBlack” collection in August. You can catch her performing as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival on October 27 at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute as well.

SassyBlack and the rest of the Music Commission hope to see you at the City of Music Open Mic this Friday, and you can contact the Commission anytime at seattlemusiccommission@seattle.gov.

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Meet the Music Commission: Sharlese Metcalf on speaking out for Seattle artists

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Headshot of Sharlese Metcalf holding her cat.

Asking Seattle Music Commissioner Sharlese Metcalf for local music recommendations is a serious question. She has too many ideas to choose from, which is no wonder. Described by the Stranger as “one of the city’s strongest and most devoted advocates for local music,” Sharlese has worked on KEXP’s local music show Audioasis for the past ten years.

Sharlese has dabbled in lots of aspects of the music industry throughout her career. Her first radio experience was hosting Green River Community College’s Northwest music-focused show, Local Motion, on KGRG in 2001. “From there I just basically became really interested in kind of the background, logistics, development of music,” she explains. “I started trying a bunch of different things, so besides having a radio show, I started booking, and tried working at a venue as an intern, and started working at a label, Kill Rock Stars.”

Her career at KEXP began with an internship with Audioasis as an assistant to the host and booker. In 2009, she became an Audioasis producer and was promoted to host in 2012.

While Sharlese is passing the Audioasis DJ mantel on to Eva Walker of The Black Tones this week, she still wears many other professional hats. In addition to being a rotating host on KEXP’s Sunday evening Expansions show, Sharlese serves as the station’s Education Coordinator. Sharlese is a resident of Studio 4/4 and Depth Seattle and is also a member of the TUF collective, which works to uplift the voices of womxn of color, and marginalized communities in music and art. She additionally serves on the board of Northwest Film Forum and, of course, on the Music Commission.

Through her role on the Commission, Sharlese is passionate about tackling some of the biggest issues facing Seattle’s music industry, including the local debate surrounding the preservation of cultural spaces. As the ongoing effort to save the Showbox has demonstrated, Seattle is facing something of an identity crisis as the city continues to grow and change.

Sharlese points to organizations like the Vera Project, Hollow Earth Radio, and KEXP as hopeful examples of where the city could be heading, but she still sees a lot of work to be done. “I feel like we’re still working towards a goal of making sure there are affordable spaces for living, for practicing, that there are equitable opportunities to play and network, and that places are accessible so that people from all different types of backgrounds can enjoy art and music.”

Preserving a cultural space means much more than preserving the physical building, she says: “Saving a creative cultural space is all about making sure the neighborhood is livable, affordable.” If cultural spaces are preserved, but the artists who use those spaces and the staff who keep them running can’t afford to live in the area, then the space is only preserved for a privileged few. The Music Commission is one of the groups working on solutions that will meaningfully preserve the spaces that give Seattle its cultural character.

Whatever solutions the Commission can find, Sharlese is proud to contribute as one of the voices speaking up for the needs of artists in Seattle. Artists have a voice through their music and performances, but Commissioners can be active within the context of City government, making sure that those in power hear the priorities and needs of artists. “I think that’s the purpose that the Music Commission serves,” she says, “and these are the things I really care about.”

You can contact Sharlese Metcalf and the rest of the Music Commission at seattlemusiccommission@seattle.gov.

And, as for those music recommendations we asked Sharlese for, enjoy:

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Meet the Music Commission: Ricardo Frazer on influencing and preserving Seattle’s music scene

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Music Commissioner Ricardo Frazer“Music, arts, that’s the soul of the city,” says Seattle Music Commissioner Ricardo Frazer. Best known as the manager for Sir Mix-A-Lot, Frazer has been serving on the Music Commission since 2015 and is a pioneer in Seattle’s music industry.

Frazer started his career in a pretty non-musical direction. Having emigrated from Costa Rica and grown up in New York, he first went to school for electrical engineering and joined the U.S. Air Force. After moving to Washington, he started working on a degree in communications from Evergreen State College. “I couldn’t sing, I couldn’t rap, I couldn’t play anything…” Frazer ticks items off a list of reasons why he thought he wouldn’t have a career in the industry. “But I worked my way up.”

While at Evergreen, Frazer began DJing for the college radio station, playing mostly “out there” jazz. He steadily picked up more experience and “became part of the scene,” he says. Frazer worked internships at local radio stations and even got his first job with Seattle Theatre Group as a custodian at the Paramount. (Frazer is now President of STG’s Board of Directors.)

Frazer also began his career as a manager during this time, first working with a reggae group. A turning point was getting the offer to manage Sir Mix-A-Lot in the early 90s, an offer that he was at first hesitant to accept. “Mix asked me to manage him, and we were on the phone for about an hour. I was kind of grilling him,” Frazer remembers.

Ultimately, Frazer took the job and went on to grow his influence in the scene during what he describes as an “incredible time” in Seattle’s music history. Frazer became Manager and President of RCR Records, working with artists like The Presidents of the United States of America. He’s also an experienced entrepreneur, having served as VP of Business Development/Artist Development at hardroad.com as well as President of MeMusic. Frazer’s most recent venture is the creative agency/production/entertainment company ZakiRose, which he co-founded.

The Seattle Music Commission is one of the city’s newest commissions, and Frazer sees its creation as hugely important to the future of Seattle’s music culture, particularly as the region continues to grow and change. “It’s so important to have a seat at the table for musicians, and getting that was such a seminal moment.”

He stresses the importance of recognizing the music industry as a key part of the local economy: “When you look at the [Seattle] Chamber’s categories, you have technology, you have aerospace. What about music?” In his work on the Commission, Frazer has focused on addressing the question of how musicians and artists, who are vital to Seattle’s culture and character, can afford to live in the city. The Commission, in partnership with the City and others, is working to address that question through both expanding existing programs and exploring new policy solutions.

Frazer advises those who are new to the industry to know their worth and not to undersell themselves: “Young musicians need to understand, there’s value in what you create.” While it’s often difficult for artists to make a living in an increasingly expensive city like Seattle, Frazer is also adamant that young people should “follow their passion.” Having switched career paths and working his way up through Seattle’s music scene over many years, Frazer knows first-hand, “There are lots of jobs out there.”

Have questions or ideas for the Seattle Music Commission? Reach out to them at seattlemusiccommission@seattle.gov.

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Meet the Music Commission: Nadine Zgonc on bringing music to Seattle’s public sphere

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Seattle Music Commission Vice Chair Nadine Zgonc“I certainly didn’t think it would become a career,” says Seattle Music Commission Vice Chair Nadine Zgonc, referring to her first-ever desk job, a gig at AEI Music Network. She started out in customer service (“which I really sucked at”), but the job was the first step in her career in the music industry.

When people hear “music industry” they might first think of performing musicians, and less about companies like AEI Music Network and PlayNetwork, where Zgonc is currently Head of Brand Strategy. Maybe you haven’t heard of these companies, but you’ve definitely experienced their work: these music providers and others supply in-store soundtracks and more for clients including Starbucks, MAC Cosmetics, Tory Burch, Under Armour and NARS.

Zgonc has spent a lot of time in her career battling the idea of “muzak,” or the notion that “music in public space environments [is] background music.” In both her professional career and her work on the Music Commission, Zgonc seeks to bring high-quality music into the public sphere, not as background but as a way to enrich lives.

In the world of the Music Commission, this mission has translated into the “Experience the City of Music at Sea-Tac Airport” program, which has been introducing millions of Sea-Tac visitors to our region’s music culture since 2012. The Music Commission approached PlayNetwork to be a partner in the program, which was Zgonc’s introduction to the Commission. The program includes live performances seven days a week from local musicians, overhead music exclusively from Northwest artists, and video clips showcasing Seattle’s music scene and history that play on monitors across the airport.

You also might have noticed some familiar voices last time you waited in the security line. “The fun part was digging into all of our rolodexes to reach out to local artists and have them do the TSA announcement reads that play overhead,” says Zgonc. “I was like kid in a candy shop, you know, getting in all these message records from Jerry Cantrell and Macklemore and Sir-Mix-A-Lot and Ann Wilson… So that continues to be a really fun project, where we get to connect with not just big names, but also emerging names. Tacocat did some recent messaging updates.”

Zgonc and the Music Commission are looking for ways to expand the Experience the City of Music program beyond the airport and make live music more integral to everyday life in Seattle, while at the same time providing more work for local artists. The Commission is in conversation with the Washington State Convention Center about making live music a bigger element of their events, for example, and is looking to work with local businesses, sports teams and more.

Having worked in Seattle’s commercial music industry her entire career, Zgonc has had a bird’s-eye view of our music culture. “From an artistic perspective, we’ve had an incredible caliber of music that’s come out of our little pocket of the world,” she says, pointing to artists like Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix, as well as the ’90s grunge era and more recent indie and hip hop artists. “Music is in Seattle’s DNA, and I think my greatest fear, like many of us, is based on the continued development and growth our city is having, how do we continue to preserve music as a pillar of our city?”

The Music Commission is working with the City and other partners to help answer that question—in part through their work expanding and improving programs like Experience the City of Music. Zgonc is also optimistic about opportunities such as the Upstream Music Festival and Summit, which is “helping emerging artists try to understand how they can make a living and foster a path and navigate the music scene.”

You can contact Nadine Zgonc and her fellow Music Commissioners at seattlemusiccommission@seattle.gov.

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Training for nightlife industry and security personnel on June 25

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On June 25, join the Seattle Police, Fire Department, and Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board for a Nightlife Security Training. This multi-disciplinary class is tailored for nightlife industry personnel to learn how laws, policies and best practices of our city and state impact the nightlife industry and how to effectively foster a safer work environment. This training is for nightlife industry and security personnel only. 

The training is $60 per student, with lunch and refreshments provided, and will be held in the Southwest Precinct Community Room on June 25 from 12:00-8:00 PM. Register here, and contact Chris Brownlee at (206) 684-4371 or spd_nightlife@seattle.gov with any questions.

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