VTHH: What is Sound Affects?
Sound Affects: We are a Hip-Hop community event that focuses on teamwork, support & bridging the gap between Vermont & the rest of the Northeast. We are here to unite the Hip-Hop scene & provide the Green Mountain State with a long-standing community event. We are here for everyone.
Specifically, we are a monthly residency that will showcase the wealth of local talent we have to offer, as well as bring national & regional acts into Vermont. We will be showcasing a local producer each month as well as highlighting local releases, regional tours, national headliners & live-production cyphers.
VTHH: How do you plan to contribute to the current scene?
Sound Affects: Our focus is on delivering high-quality shows & giving hardworking artists the opportunity to play on one of the premiere stages in the state, while also offering a space for people to meet each other and network. There is a natural competition in Hip Hop culture - by utilizing that energy and unifying around a centralized monthly event, we will build a consistent platform to showcase the wealth of talent our state has to offer & simultaneously eliminate the competition between ourselves.
Our state is too small to have artists vying over the same audience. Sound Affects can be everyone’s home field, where we can all meet once a month to support the artists who have new projects to showcase. This unified approach will lead to more connection throughout the scene & ultimately, artists feeding off of each other for inspiration. We want to bring everyone together for the greater benefit of us all.
VTHH: Why is there a regional focus?
Sound Affects: There is a LOT going on throughout the rest of the Northeast Hip-Hop scene right now & most of the other states are already connected & working together in a mutually beneficial way. Between similar events like Mind Spray (MA), Rap Night Portland (ME), Rap Night Manchester (NH) & others, there is a tour circuit developing in the Northeast for upcoming artists. By offering regional & national acts a stop in Vermont on their tours, we will insert Vermont into the larger Northeast Hip-Hop scene & raise our state’s value.
At the same time, by providing opportunities to send Vermont’s best out into the region, Sound Affects will combat the isolation Vermont faces in exposing it’s developing artists beyond it’s boarders. There is no scene within the Northeast that is large enough to survive on its own - look at the way the sports teams are set up. If the states in the Northeast work together, we can all achieve more success.
VTHH: When & where is your first event?
Sound Affects: Our inception event will be at Waking Windows music festival in Downtown Winooski. This is the festival’s 6th year & they have decided that they want Hip-Hop to be represented, so they asked us to curate a 2-Hour Hip-Hop Showcase. This showcase will be on Saturday, May 7th from 7-9pm at Oak 45.
Advance weekend passes are available now & will grant you access to all Waking Windows events for all 3-days. 1-Day passes will also be available at the gates & will grant you access to all events for that day.
VTHH: How can people get involved with Sound Affects?
Sound Affects: A great starting point is to sign up for our email list (below) & connect with us on social media so you can be the first to know about our events. If you want to become involved in a hands-on way, you can join our Street Team & help spread the word about our movement & have opportunities to earn exclusive perks! Interested parties should email SoundAffectsVT@gmail.com with ‘Street Team’ in the subject.
As far as artists go, as an inclusive event we want to work with as many artists as possible. Artists who want to get involved need to do just that - get involved. We want to focus on showcasing the wealth of highly talented artists our state has to offer at our events.
Artists interested in getting involved:
- Email SoundAffectsVT@gmail.com & include; links to your music, your artist bio, a brief description of your live performance, your social media links, & what project(s) you're currently working on.
- 'Like' our Facebook page.
- Follow @SoundAffectsVT on Twitter.
- Follow @SoundAffectsVT on Instagram
Sound Affects is a community event & ultimately, it will become what our community makes it. Let’s make it something truly special. Sign up below to join our community & be the first to know about our events!
