One Good Deed Deserves Another
By CJ Walker Nuci’s Space is a non-profit in Athens, Georgia, that has helped save the lives of many people and does so everyday without asking for anything in return. The facility is located in the heart of downtown Athens. It is a place that offers help to people struggling with mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression and also to those who are just new to town, looking for companionship. “It seems like Nuci’s is kind of a gateway for people,” said Dave Chamberlin, volunteer coordinator at Nuci’s Space. We’ve built up a reputation for ourselves and Nuci’s Space is well respected due to the fact that we are willing to help just about anyone dealing with anything.” Nuci’s Space has helped numerous amounts of people in the Athens community as well as many people outside of Athens. The facility is completely non-profit so everything they are doing for others and all of the services they offer do not require payment. Everything is through donation. The music program at the University of Georgia has recently partnered with Nuci’s Space to help keep it up and running. They are throwing benefit concerts in support of the facility. “Each year the music business program has a concert series called Nuci’s Space Jam,” said David Barbe, director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia. “I split my students up into teams and have them put on a show with all benefits going toward Nuci’s. I believe very strongly in Nuci’s Space and it’s mission. I think it’s a great thing for Athens and I think it’s a great thing for people to get involved with.” All of this started after the death of a boy named Nuçi Phillips. In 1996, on Thanksgiving Day, Phillips shot and killed himself due to a lifelong battle with depression. After that incident, Phillips’s mother committed herself to help anyone struggling with any type of problem. “After Phillips’s death, his mom set up the foundation, the Nuci Phillips Memorial Foundation,” said Leslie Cobbs, Counseling Advocate at Nuci’s Space. “This was formed in order to insure that when a musician needs assistance, he can get it.” Being that many people suffer from mental illnesses, it is good to know that there are facilities out there to help them overcome their hardships. Nuci's Space has done a great thing for the community and now the community is helping give back.
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Inside the Music Industry in Athens
By CJ Walker Athens is a vibrant city located in the northeastern part of Georgia. The town is known to have an extremely dynamic music scene, but that has not always been the case. In the past 30 years, the music scene in Athens has definitely witnessed a rapid growth. “I was here in 1981 when it was a tiny thing with about 10 or 15 bands and a couple of little places the bands could play at,” said David Barbe, director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia. “It has blown up into this huge thing where there are dozens of places to play downtown and hundreds of bands and it’s now a place where touring acts around the world want to come. If I had to pick one word to describe Athens music scene, it would be thriving.” Though the music scene is constantly growing in this city, some people feel as if the industry side of the business isn’t as appreciated as it should be. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry or IFPI, revenue for artists has been at a stagnant for the past ten years and as of recently it has steadily declined 10.5 per cent to $3.0 billion. There are many opportunities for artists in Athens to be heard and venues for them to showcase their work, but according to Jesse Houle, support staff at Nuci’s Space, their work isn’t getting valued. “We live in a town that doesn’t value labor very well and our culture doesn’t value art as labor so the intersection of those two means that we have very few people whose music is valued,” said Houle. Because of this reason, there is a strong bond between the musicians in Athens. They want to see each other grow and do whatever possible to help one another. “It seems that the people who are musicians in Athens are supportive of each other,” said Dave Chamberlain, volunteer coordinator at Nuci’s Space. “It doesn’t seem cutthroat, competitive or anything like that. It seems pretty tight-knit.” Tight-knit is the perfect word to describe the music industry in this quaint town. Everyday a new band is formed and Athens is a place where they can find their voice and have the support of many. Though there is some room for improvement, the music scene in Athens is nowhere near finished growing. |
School Stories:You will find a few of the articles that I have written here. Archives
December 2016
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