Columbus Sound Project Symposium

On Saturday, I sat on a media panel for the Columbus Sound Project Symposium at the OSU Urban Arts Space. Created by PhD student Robert Klein, the event was devoted to celebrating and strengthening local music. It featured panels on booking, media/promoting, and community organizing. Time and Temperature, Jason Quicksall, and Matte Black Silhouettes gave life performances.

I write about music for Columbus Underground and recently began reviewing albums for Brooklyn-based music webzine The Agit Reader, so I was happy to support such a constructive event. The highlight was meeting the other members of the media panel: Wes Flexner from Columbus Alive and donewaiting.com; Joel Oliphint from The Other Paper and donewaiting.com; and Kevin Joy from The Columbus Dispatch. Perched in directors chairs, we took turns answering questions about how we decide what bands we cover, how we think local bands can reach a wider audience, and how the Columbus music scene can improve itself.

The Urban Arts Space is located downtown in the basement of the old Lazarus building. It's an exquisite little modern art oasis. There are 60 species of plants growing on the building’s roof and the toilets are powered through a rainwater system.