| In the early 1980s, Washington D.C. had a music scene that many people felt was quite vibrant. Indigenous styles of jazz, blues, and go-go were thriving alongside a healthy mix of rock and roll, R&B, and pop. Talented artists from around the metropolitan area were striving to break into the national market, but there was no organization among them. "No one was doing anything specific to focus attention on our many brilliant musicians of all sorts," says Michael Jaworek. In an attempt to change this lack of organization, Jaworek teamed up with Mike Schriebman to create an awards ceremony to recognize local and regional artists. In doing so, Jaworek and Schriebman became founding members of the Washington Area Music Association - known by those in the scene as WAMA. The awards ceremony became known as the Wammies. It is a Washington version of the Grammies. Awards are given for accomplishment and quality in dozens of categories. That first ceremony organized by Jaworek and Schriebman was successful enough to establish it as an annual event in the metropolitan calendar. Eighteen years after the idea for the organization was first conceived by Jaworek, he has taken a less active role in the Association. But he says that WAMA has maintained the original impetus that caused him to start the Wammies. They still work, he says, on "getting 'our' people recognized, and assisting in achieving their goals." Schriebman, on the other hand, is still involved in the day-to-day business of WAMA. For the past five years he has been President of the association. He has been around to see WAMA grow and progress. "Back then when we first started, we had so many artists who felt they had to leave D.C. to make it," he says. But, it has gotten better and in order to make this progress, WAMA has had to become much more active. Just holding the Wammies every year was not enough. In addition to the Wammies, WAMA now organizes another annual event, The Crosstown Jam. The Crosstown Jam is a concert series meant to highlight the diversity and quality of the district's music scene. WAMA also periodically puts out compilation albums of local artists' music for resale, they create an industry directory known as the WAMA Pages which includes information on how to contact people in all facets of the music scene, and they hold educational seminars on areas of law that are of interest to musicians. The Crosstown Jam will take place on April 19-20 this year at the Millennium Arts Center at 65 I St. SW. Seventy bands will participate on seven stages. This format of having all the performances at one venue is new to WAMA this year. In the past the concerts were spread out among different venues throughout the metropolitan area. "The problem with this is you might not be able to see everything you wanted to see," says Schriebman. "Maybe there was a really great blues show you wanted to see on U Street, but you've never seen go-go and the go-go show is up in Bethesda. You had to make a decision. Now it will be as easy as walking from one room to the next in the Millennium Arts Center." The compilation albums and WAMA Pages have been put out to the public regularly for several years. Both products are available at the WAMA web page at wamadc.com. The educational seminars are generally quite successful. Cosponsored by the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, or WALA, they tackle topics such as copyright basics, contracts, and trademarks. These seminars, which average between 30 and 50 attendees, have a mixed audience of lawyers and musicians. According to Rita Graham, Director of Education for WALA, "Both groups learn the basics and practice them in their daily lives." Graham describes the relationship between WAMA and WALA as being fluid. Although she is new to her position she has been working with Schriebman to create better cooperation between these associations. "Musicians have problems that could be prevented with knowledge," says Graham. "Sometimes they can't afford a lawyer, and sometimes it's not convenient for all of their transactions." Therefore, all of these seminars focus on the basics. They are meant to arm musicians with the knowledge and skills that will help them to focus on their art by avoiding crippling legal problems. The next three upcoming seminars are Contracts on March 26, Copyright Basics on April 30, and Trademarks on May 7. More information can be found at the WAMA web page. This cooperation is one of the biggest assets that WAMA can bring to an artist. Among WAMA's 1,100 members are musicians, lawyers, graphic designers, producers, sound specialists, and professionals of every type that can contribute to a music scene. Regular membership to WAMA costs $30 annually, and bands can have up to 7 members join for only $100. Although this may be steep for some small bands, the benefits generally outweigh the costs. "It's a great networking organization and there are a lot of really good people involved in it." says Jon Kaplan. Kaplan, who joined WAMA several years ago says, "I have definitely met a bunch of people in different genres that I wouldn't have otherwise known." The fraternity among WAMA members is meant to benefit all parties. Kaplan is the lead singer and manager of a rock band called the Bicycle Thieves. He and his bandmates have had some special benefits come from their WAMA membership. At the 2001 Wammies, which were held on February 24, the Bicycle Thieves won "Best Duo/Group" in the "Rock/Alternative Rock" category. And, Kaplan brought home the "Best Vocalist" in the same category for the second consecutive year. Already, Kaplan can feel the effect of winning the awards. "A lot of people hear about it and they are impressed so that helps us out. It gives people at least some frame of reference to know that we're doing something right." A boost in publicity like that for an up-and-coming band can make all the difference. Just as every band in any scene hopes to burst into the national market, every music scene strives to establish itself as a major market competitor on the national scene. There are people, like those in WAMA, in every city who want to gain a reputation of being a good place for musical artists to launch from. This is an area that D.C. has always suffered in. Musical acts that have gained national prominence after beginning their careers in the district, such as Jefferson Airplane, Mya, and Toni Braxton have not associated themselves with D.C. According to Kaplan, "there are a lot of good bands and talented people here but the absence of a really good scene. Frankly, I think most places are probably similar except for New York, L.A., and Nashville." Schriebman agrees that major label acts from D.C. are not recognized for their beginnings in the district. "On the national scene, there is Los Angeles, New York and Nashville," he says. "Everybody else is second tier and we're right up there." Having been with WAMA since its founding, Schriebman has seen the organization grow and the music scene around it improve. After eighteen years with the organization he says, "It is a lot stronger than it ever was." There is more to be done though. "We're taking it event by event," says Schriebman. Return to Writing Ryan's Communications page Return to Writing Ryan's main page |
| WAMA Does Washington by Ryan Cofrancesco |