The goal of Tempe Playlist is to uplift local artists and inform Tempe residents of the music being created in their own backyards. Beginning in 2017, the Tempe Playlist has grown into a program for the professional development of musicians and for sharing their work with the community. This project opens calls for music from musicians who live, work, or play in Tempe. Each selected artist is paid to have one song placed on the 'Tempe Playlist' on Spotify. In addition to this, selected musicians receive professional development opportunities including a professional photoshoot.
That’s where I come in! I’ve been working with the City of Tempe for years, and this beats most projects in uniqueness. Because the playlist has 44 bands, we decided to bring in photographer David Blakeman to assist in conquering the mass. Logistically we had 30 minutes with each band to meet, gather ideas, light it up, and shoot. I’m sweating while typing this just thinking about how we did this so quickly. The great people at Tempe set us up with Dream Factory Studio A studio that has cyclorama walls and a multitude of sets. Because of the set diversity, bands had the option to choose where they wanted to be photographed.
Overall I had an amazing time working on this project and really enjoyed the practice of being creative on the fly. Check out the playlist on Spotify or on the Tempe Website.
