Live performances have always been a major part of artist development for me. While managing and working with several musical artists a few years back, many venues either closed or became harder to secure for live entertainment. Harpers Ferry (now Brighton Music Hall), Church, and other music hot spots throughout the city that normally allowed artists to hone in on their live stage presence were no longer accessible.
In 2014 while thinking of various ways to showcase live performances, I stumbled across a live music segment on Youtube titled Tiny Desk created by Bob Boilen of NPR. The first artist I saw was T-Pain, singing live without any post processing to his voice in an intimate setting. For years speculation surrounded The Nappy Boy Ent founder, questioning his ability to vocalize without “Auto-Tune” a plugin used to alter and correct the pitch of vocals and instruments. TinyDesk allowed the viewer to view and listen to what appeared to be the artist performing in a natural state. I immediately thought this would be a great way to showcase the talents of Nancia, an R&B Vocalist Native of Cambridge, MA.
I kept the idea at bay until the right location presented itself. 2019 was the year I entered Dorchester Art Project. I noticed an office with the door slightly ajar. A very welcoming voice prompted me to enter as if I belonged in this space that I'd never occupied previously. At this time, I could see the characteristics of this office: from BCN articles, to artwork of community members, and even a pair of brown leather boots that I later realized belonged to Emma, the kind woman that welcomed me earlier.
I communicated with Sam of DAP boasting how we could create a similar vibe of “TinyDesk” and play off the name by calling our segment “TinyDAP” showcasing Nancia with a live band. In the last quarter of 2020, Sam confirmed that we would go forward with the idea while adding several artists to the spectrum now becoming the “TInyDAP” concert series.
Season 1 composed of DJ Whysham, Tashawn Taylor, Notebook P, Shellz, and Kasia Lavo shows a diverse lineup of emerging talent of Greater Boston artists. The LoopLab collaborative with SmokeHouse Media did an amazing job with audio video production. Converting the multifaceted spaces of DAP into mini concert halls made it possible for us to showcase the talents of artists while providing a safe environment during the pandemic. Covid-19 created additional obstacles that were challenging, but nothing that teamwork couldn’t overcome.
Get ready for Season 1: Episode 1: premiering June 17, 2021 on the Boston Compass Newspaper Youtube Channel!
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