Anyone who wants to support under 21 bands/musicians, the next generation of local music -- or who wants to help bring back ALL AGES shows to New London County -- OR who wants to BRIDGE THE GAP between our older and younger local music scenes!!!
If you are reading this... and want to help... this makes you a W-CAST member.
• To support the next generation of local music by raising awareness and supporting teenage musicians in New London county.
• To allow younger musicians to take responsibility for their own ideas and to allow them to be involved in community events. This will help to develop the necessary networking tools they will need to one day carry on our flourishing New London music & arts scene.
• To “bridge the gap” between younger and older scenes by seeking out venues in New London County to hold “all ages” events where musicians of both younger and older scenes are able to play on the same stage as well as to audiences where all ages are welcome. Currently there are no permanent venues in New London County that offer this…at least not yet.
The benefits of these goals are obvious: to make a stronger New London music scene for all to enjoy! W-CAST is making great strides in accomplishing all these goals, all for the better of our community!
Our History:
In November 2007, Meghan Killimade, a local musician & scene enthusiast, brought members of the community in New London County together to see what could be done about bringing "all ages" shows back to New London. Meghan grew up in a flourishing New London music scene with many choices for a young aspiring teenage musician. Unfortunately nearly none of those options still exist for the current & next generations. Her passion for this project drew over 30 people of all different ages and backgrounds to this brainstorming meeting. From there it became obvious something needed to be done to support the next generation of local music. W-CAST is born!
Since then. W-CAST has met just about every month and is open to anyone who wants to help in supporting our mission. Anyone is welcome – if you are reading this and want to help, consider yourself a W-CAST team member!
Our accomplishments:
Since our start, W-CAST has discovered a number of temporary venues to hold all ages shows. W-CAST members have and continue to book extremely successful all ages shows at Eclectic Wear Community Room, The Garde Arts Theatre, The Hygienic Art Park, The Norwich YMCA, The Donald Oat Theatre, and The Waterford Community Center.
We have been working closely with Alicia McAvay and The East Lyme Youth Services. Together we co-presented "YAM FEST", (Youth Arts and Music Festival), which was held in June 2008. The festival was a HUGE success, and we are already planning YAM Fest June 2009!
In addition W-CAST has also managed to successfully get the word out about some of our younger bands in the area and many have been asked to play on what would normally be booked as mostly adult bands such as Sailfest, Hygienic Rock Fix, (coincides with the annual art show), and I AM Fest (Independent Arts & Music Fest).
Most recently, W-CAST is proud to have been the official “street team” for I AM Festival in September 2008! We also co-presented "Bridge The Gap: An All Ages Show" with New London Music Festival, Cosmodemonic Telegraph and Hygienic Art for their 30th celebration in February 2009 which offered a 7 act bill of younger bands & some older veteran acts of New London. The show was a great success!
The Future:
With the help of Alicia McAvay, from East Lyme Youth Services, W-CAST is in the process of obtaining non-profit status. We are currently forming a nine person board: 5 members under 21, and 4 members over 21. We hope to eventually raise money for music scholarships, plan our own community events, and maybe one day open an all ages venue of our own. No idea is too big!
W-CAST continues to research, brainstorm, raise awareness for the under 21 existence in our community, and bridge the gap between our younger and older scenes. Together we can build a stronger community for our next generation!
For more information please email us:
w-cast@hotmail.com
Talk with us on our bulletin board:
www.wailingcity.proboards101.com/
"It's worth noting that the stage I saw Brava Spectre perform on was hosted by W-CAST, the Wailing City All-ages Scene Team. They're essentially a crack squad of music fanatics who formed to solve New London's lack of all-ages shows. Central Connecticut, take heed! Instead of being like yours truly and kvetching about the lack of all-ages venues, these cats actually got up and did something about it. Sounds like we could use a few pages from their playbook."
