Make Music Day: Meet the Musicians
Produced by Meghan Jonas and Ashley Jackson Lawrence
Capital Community Media celebrated the Summer Solstice with musicians across the city for Make Music Day 2023. Make Music Day is a vibrant celebration of live musical performances put on by 165 bands at 50+ locations. Originating in France in 1982, Make Music Day has spread across the globe.
CC:Media live-streamed performances from the Gerry Frank Amphitheater main stage, and Ashley and I spent the day interviewing local performers. Hear from the Severin Sisters, Stormy Outside, The Reverberations, and more, and check out CC:Media’s YouTube for full interviews and performances from Make Music Day 2023.
The Severin Sisters
When The Severin Sisters play, boots start tapping. With siren-like harmonies that could call any sailor home and an undeniable bluegrass twang, this trio of sisters reminds us of the long days of an Americana summer.
Below is an edited excerpt of CC:Media’s Q&A with The Severin Sisters for Make Music Day 2023.
Meghan Jonas (CC:Media): What's it like playing music with your family?
Amy Scott: I love it! To me, it's like getting to have the best hobby with the best people. And getting to spend time with the girls and do something we all are really passionate about and sometimes get paid for it, and we get to go to all the fun events. I think it's fantastic.
Heidi Wiegal: You know, being siblings, I think that we're able to connect with those harmonies and stuff a little bit more.
MJ: What was it like growing up in your house? Were you always singing together, playing music together? When did that start?
AS: So for Heidi and I, we were around nine, right? Yeah, nine when I decided to start playing guitar, and then violin for her. And we just decided we wanted to play together. And the best way to do that is folk music. So thank goodness, the Salem Public Library hooked us up with some really great folk tune books. We were able to start playing together and once you're kind of in the folk music genre, it's easy to go to bluegrass.
And then Haley's always been singing, [she’s] always, always, always had a beautiful voice, from the time she was just a baby. She was singing in the shower, singing in the bath, singing when she would wake up. So we used to call her Haley Bird because she had that beautiful voice.
HW: I will say when we were growing up and playing music, we figured out really quickly that we could get out of chores. And we were in our rooms practicing, so we were never bored. We were always playing music.
MJ: How do you think that your musical style has changed with the pandemic years, coming out of that? Or do you think it's changed at all?
AS: I think we've just kind of relaxed into doing whatever brings us joy music-wise, not that there was really much pressure before, but I think just playing music for the heck of it. Just whatever we want to do. You know, you like a song. Let's work it up.
HW: I think also, we probably play with a little bit more gratitude when we get to play live. Because playing in front of a live audience is totally different than just playing in your living room. That's practice. And so we play with much more gratitude.
MJ: Haley, I'm curious what you think of all of this? Especially being Haley Bird, the singer.
Haley Duvall: I grew up watching their shows before I became involved. And it's been really interesting trying to forge my own place. But I think at this point, we're getting to the point where we're all pretty comfortable. And we're working as a team, you know, and I think that we're all better off for it.
AS: She really has [forged her own path]. And now she sings the majority of the music, and I love that. It's great! Like I’ll sing too, but just to get to see Haley doing her thing up there, rocking it on the bass, you know, just kicking you know what. I'm just bursting with pride. She's amazing.
StormyOutside
StormyOutside is a soft-spoken, authentic solo artist that reaches across genres, drawing from punchy pop-punk formulas and mixing them with rap for a Machine Gun Kelly-esque sound, though you may not expect it from his quiet, kind demeanor.
With purple hair, painted nails and music to mosh to, StormyOutside is one to watch. As he opens for Soulja Boy in the Fall, and with a slate of performances lined up for the rest of the year, StormyOutside has no intention of slowing down.
Below is an edited excerpt of CC:Media’s Q&A with StormyOutside for Make Music Day 2023.
Meghan Jonas (CC:Media): Is this your first time at Make Music Day?
StormyOutside: I have done Make Music Day here in Salem for the last five to six years. Yeah, I started at the skate park.
MJ: Wow, that’s awesome! What's your favorite Make Music Day memory so far?
SO: I did a set over at the cake shop, which was really fun. And they were my sponsors before their shop closed down. So it was a really good time, being on the street and as people are passing by, singing to them. Yeah, it's really fun.
MJ: How would you say the vibe between you and audiences has changed over the past few years?
SO: Um, well, I've gotten better. I used to not be as good. But now that I've gotten more comfortable with myself and more comfortable with my stage presence, I can really feel the connection. And with social media and short-form content being super popular right now, I was able to drop a song, not just preview it, for two weeks. And then I performed it and everybody already knew the words when I performed. So it was kind of cool to see how music gets out there.
MJ: How would you say that your musical persona, StormyOutside, differs from your own personality?
SO: I used to go by a different name for the first like, 10 years of my career. And then I felt like I wasn't being myself, if that makes sense? Like, I wasn't being true to who I wanted to be in my music. So I changed my name to StormyOutside, because my actual name is Stormy. So I feel like that's more of what I wanted to be, is more of myself. So I feel like now the music I make is way more authentic and real, in my own opinion. I’ve got a lot of fans that are like, we love the old stuff. And I'm like, I love it too. It's just, it's not as good as what I'm making now.
MJ: Is there anything else you want to leave folks with before we cut back to Make Music Day?
StormyOutside: I think that everybody should chase your dreams. And don't let anybody tell you that you can't, because it is a big world out there. And somebody is going to like it.
Under the Deku Tree
If we were the main characters in a video game, Under the Deku Tree is who we’d want playing in the background. This Portland-based band of loveable gamers covers songs from anime and video games, adding a textured jazz and funk fusion to the Make Music Day mix.
Their merch, featuring a sprouting Deku Tree inspired by The Legend of Zelda, is designed to grow with the group as they go through the epic quest of being a full jazz band in the PNW.
Below is an edited excerpt of CC:Media’s Q&A with Under the Deku Tree for Make Music Day 2023.
Meghan Jonas (CC:Media): Because I know you’re so interested in video games…What would the side quests for Make Music Day be?
Max Mitchell: Well, there would absolutely be one to stop by every food cart and order something. That would absolutely be a side quest for this, for sure.
MJ: The band has existed for six years and different iterations. Could you give more detail on that?
MM: Well, we started out six years ago playing small little gigs and conventions. Very different instrumentation at that point. We had a clarinet player, for example. But over the years, it's kind of changed in terms of who's playing, what kind of gigs we're doing, the complexity of the arrangements that we've been putting together. And this is kind of the third iteration now, [laughs] I’d say third gen. And, honestly, you know, it's been getting cleaner, [the] band has been more together, arrangements have been tighter. So it's been getting better as we go.
Joseph Ten Eyck: Everybody in this group really grows from it, because we're playing all music that is really fun to play. Everybody's familiar with video game tunes and anime tunes. And it's cool because it's a way to practice music without just going home and practicing scales alone in your room. We’re really musical, [and] we really tried to pay attention to the details and make it really good. So we liked that the group is a growth area for people as well.
Erik Gonzalez Lazo: Overall, I think we just all just like to have fun playing music together. Because once we come back together as a core group, where I just see everyone smile, laughing… It's really chill.
MJ: What's your favorite memory of performing together so far?
MM: A couple of months ago in April, we went and played at Dante's in Portland. And that was kind of an interesting gig because there was a whole question of whether or not I was going to be there. I got really sick, like five days before bedridden, and it was like, “Is he going to show up? Is this going to work?” But, you know, I managed to get there because I was like, if I'm not in the hospital, I'm gonna be there. And I'd missed out on some rehearsals and Joey here, during that time, just kind of really went to town on the horns [and] really cleaned up, made it snappy. So when I came back, it was just suddenly for the gig. Suddenly, the horns were just like, snappy and clean. It was like, Whoa, what happened? And the Giggling Gray… it was some of the best we played, I think, especially the horns.
JTE: I think for me, the coolest part of that gig was [that] there was actually a really small crowd. There was barely anybody there. But we played the best we've ever played. And so it completely evens out. It's like, “Oh, my God, we just did something really awesome.” We were changing grooves, we were listening to each other. It was really tight.
All this hard work we’ve put in, even though the hard work is found in the background… everybody is here because the thing we have in common is that we all love music. And we're all striving to get better at it. And that's a point where the hard work comes to a pinnacle, where we're like, “Wow, all of it's paying off right now.” It doesn't matter if there are only a few people seeing it. We've reached an area where we realize we're this good, to love it ourselves and love ourselves for it. It’s really awesome.
The Reverberations
Listening to The Reverberations puts a listener right into the psychedelic, incense-infused aura of the 1960s. With a jacket that could easily fit on the cover of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” a bolo tie that would make Bob Dylan jealous, and red glasses that John Lennon would certainly try to borrow, this PNW rock group grabs an audience’s attention instantly.
As they start playing singles from their last record, “Half Remembered Daydreams,” complete with funky guitar licks, sliding keys and a transcendent voice, this band reminds us why classics always come back around.
Below is an edited excerpt of CC:Media’s Q&A with The Reverberations for Make Music Day 2023.
Meghan Jonas (CC:Media): How would you describe the sound of The Reverberations? You said earlier that you don't speak through your words, you speak through your music.
Dave Berkham: Yeah, that's, that's a good way to put it. We kind of started off as more of 60s garage rock, playing three-chord Louie Louie kind of rip-offs. Now we've kind of gotten a little more to the psychedelic side of things. And whatever feels natural is really kind of how it goes. We write songs that mean something to us and are special. Bob and I are kind of the main songwriters. But we all collaborate and work on our own parts.
Bob Fountain: We rarely play covers anymore. So what you’re going to hear today is all originals.
MJ: So with that psychedelic sort of influence, I'm curious what you think the funkiest part of living in the Pacific Northwest is?
DB: Oh, funkiest? Well, that's tricky. That's a tough one. Sounds a little cliché, but, you know, there's kind of a sense of freedom and who you want to be. And acceptance, which is kind of nice about the Pacific Northwest. From personal experience, going on the road and stopping in a small town, sometimes it can be a little nerve-wracking, dressed the way we are, but that's all just, you know, part of it.
John Jenne: Yeah, I'd say that's right.
BF: And the Pacific Northwest does have quite a history of garage rock. So The Kingsmen recorded Louie Louie in Portland, Seattle has The Sonics. Portland in the 80s had The Miracle Workers. So there's been a long history of it.
MJ: What’s your favorite thing about Make Music Day?
JJ: I'd say the diversity. Like there's an orchestra right now, and then we're an amplified rock and roll band. I think the River City Rock Academy was up first. So I mean, there are three very different things [happening] right there. I love that.
Hip-Hop with Cody Nash, Robotic Torres, JayKub Hernandez and Tevin Rose
This hip-hop crew, featuring Cody Nash, Robotic Torres, JayKub Hernandez and Tevin Rose, brought the seemingly underground but widely growing Salem hip-hop scene to the surface of everyone's minds at Make Music Day 2023. Cody Nash is the center of the group, bringing together lifelong friends with new acquaintances to offer audiences an eclectic sound.
Below is an edited excerpt of CC:Media’s Q&A with Salem’s Hip Hop Crew for Make Music Day 2023.
Meghan Jonas (CC:Media): What can you tell me about yourself and the set that y'all are about to play?
Cody Nash: I've been performing out here for 10+ years, I used to go by ThatKidCry. I stopped performing for a few years, and this is my first time back. So super excited to hit the Riverfront Stage! And DJ42 invited me, so shoutout to DJ42. And then he asked me to bring some friends. So I was like, “Hey, I got some friends!”
Robotic Torres: [Beatboxes] What up guys, Robotic Torres. As you heard, I'm a beatboxer. I've been doing this for about 17 years now, [I] started at 8 years old. I'm 25 right now, [and have] been performing since 13. So about 13 years on the books of performing out here. I’ve been doing Make Music Day since I first got word of it and I haven't stopped. Every year, I'll make sure to come and mark it on the calendar. So pretty happy to be here.
Tevin Rose: I started music, freestyling, and a lot of people just told me to do something more with it… I started putting myself into not being scared taking the first step. And then it's kind of grown from there. So now I've got more shows and I’m connecting with people that I didn't know a week or two ago. You know what I mean? Like it's new faces and new relationships. And that's what's cool about music, is connection brings everyone around. This is my first time out here. So hope to have many more.
JayKub Hernandez: Well, my name is JayKub. I haven't performed in several years. And this is my first time attending Make Music Day. I'm pretty self-reserved most of the time but I'm ready to turn up tonight. So we’re gonna put on a show, put on for White Collar, put on for Cherry City Salem, Oregon, born and raised.
MJ: How would you say that being a musician and being in hip-hop shapes your life?
JH: I think the way it shapes us, it just makes us into a better person.
CN: Yeah, I mean, it's fun. It makes a lot of good connections. And you meet a lot of new people. Like I honestly met my wife at a hip-hop show performing. And so I wouldn't even have four kids and a wife if I didn't do rap. Like, you know, my baby shower was a hip-hop show. I live and breathe it.
TR: I love music, the way it makes you feel. And with me, I got two daughters, and they've really taken to it. And that's one thing that really makes me smile, shines a light, you know? Like, I got a 2-year-old daughter who runs out with a guitar around her neck, and she's strumming it. And I have a mic and a speaker and stuff I practice on and I can't have it. They’ll start crying, “No, I want it,” singing their songs. That's the family aspect of it. Like he's saying, you know, being away from your family - they're out in Colorado. And you do it for them.
Tevin Rose: You got to do what you love for yourself so that you can do it for the people around you. And that's kind of what music does.
RT: Honestly, for me, it's a huge dopamine builder. And just to keep getting the rush of wanting to do more. Then getting into my first Urban Art Fest… that's where I met [Cody] as ThatKidCry. And from there, just getting a lot of networks, it was pretty cool. Being able to get a lot of doors open that [I would have] had no clue were there without music being in my life.
Bluessence
Bluessence sounds like the up-and-coming college band of our dreams. Made up of a rotating band of musicians, including Annabella Eisner on vocals and Sam Batz on bass, Bluessence invites listeners to join them on a higher vibrational wavelength, reaching past genres and drifting into their collective consciousness. On their latest single, “seeing spots,” a surprising violin floats over dreamy indie synth as a steady drumline brings listeners back down from the clouds.
Below is an edited excerpt of CC:Media’s Q&A with Bluessence for Make Music Day 2023.
Meghan Jonas (CC:Media): When did y’all start Bluessence?
Annabella Eisner: I started the project back in August. I brought some original songs to a drummer and guitarist and I was like, I think this could really spice it up. And then Sam…
Sam Batz: I went to a little show they were doing in November in Corvallis at a place called No Nations, which unfortunately isn’t open any more due to COVID… But yeah, it was a really good show. And I was around a firepit, [and] Annabella came up and word came out that they needed a bassist and I was like, “I play bass.” And so yeah, I've been with them since November.
MJ: I noticed on your last single, “seeing spots,” that you mix the country fiddle with a more indie, synthy beat and I'm curious - do you guys cross genres a lot in your music?
AE: Yeah, for sure. I'd say that. The fiddle and the violin sound definitely adds sort of that folky vibe to it. And then with that song, I also wanted it to be very dreamy… We're also going down a route that's a little more like, I don't even know, it's very genre-bending. Like, it's a lot of things at once. We're just going where it's taking us.
MJ: How would you describe your sound to someone who's never heard y'all before?
AE: I call it sort of dream-pop. Because in a lot of songs, I play the keys, which sort of changes the sound from this four-piece rock band to a little more chill and emotional.. not like, as heavy as a punk rock band, but still rock.
MJ: What's your favorite musical memory that you've had so far with the band?
AE: I really enjoyed house shows because the vibe there is just unmatchable. It's just very fun and everyone wants to get to know each other. And it's very interactive, you don't feel like you're a performer and they're the audience. You just feel like you're all friends, hanging out [and] playing music together.
Orgelkids USA
It’s not often that you see a family pedaling a bicycle across the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge while the classic sound of an organ envelops them. It’s even less often that the bikers are making the music themselves, but the Scheessele family is the whimsical exception. Operating one of two organ bikes in the world, Orgelkids USA brings the magic of the pipe organ across the country through interactive performances.
Below is an edited excerpt of CC:Media’s Q&A with Oregelkids USA for Make Music Day 2023.
Meghan Jonas (MJ): What can you tell me about this beautiful bike and this wonderful contraption you have here?
Peter Scheessele: [This project] was started in the Netherlands by a team of people who wanted to raise awareness for organs among people who are young. So they started this group called Orgelkids, and they built a kit very similar to this. At first, it was just an organ that would be pumped by hand and could be brought to schools and other events for kids to build. We thought the idea was awesome, so we worked to bring it to the US. And recently, we put it on a bike so that we can catch up with the crowds.
MJ: What is the difference between a piano and an organ?
PS: So pianos are a percussion instrument. It's like the hammers strike the strings, while an organ is a wind instrument. Essentially each of these pipes is a whistle [whistles]. And while the wind is pumped by the bellows and goes through, the keys let wind into certain instruments.
MJ: And how does it feel back there for you? What's it like biking around with this organ behind you?
PS: Well, you have to pedal constantly. So it's a bit of a challenge, but I get used to it.
MJ: How long have you been playing the organ?
PS: I've been playing the organ since I was 4 years old. It's been a lot of fun.
MJ: And is this something that you can assemble and disassemble easily? Or is it a permanent fixture on this bike here?
PS: It's a 133-piece puzzle. So it can be built by a family in one or two hours. Or if you mix up all the pieces, a school can build it in three.
MJ: What’s been your favorite memory of being on the Organ Bike?
PS: As it raises awareness, lots of people are like, “Oh my gosh, what is that?” and take out their phones. And it's awesome to share the music.
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