In its third year, Walk the Beat wants to sign up 70 bands to play 35 venues and will host another song contest, with $12,500 in prizes for musicians at stake. Check out the back story and links to sign up.
Building Community: Walk the Beat mastermind Dave Palmer, pictured here during last year’s Walk the Beat wrap-up, hopes to double attendance at the third annual event. (Photo/Tori Thomas)
The idea began as an inspired dream to provide musical instruments and resources for those who could not afford them otherwise.
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Walk the Beat fest returns in August.
But in its third year, the effort has grown into a year-round, nonprofit organization known as Walk the Beat.
The Aug. 20 Walk the Beat festival will feature 70 bands and singer/songwriters – many of them local – performing at 35 businesses in Grand Haven. The 2015 event had 60 acts playing 30 venues.
“The festival is in its third year now,” said Dave Palmer, founder and executive director of Walk the Beat. “The first year was good, and the second year doubled in attendance from the first. And we plan to double in attendance this year, again.”
Organizers are now seeking and accepting applications from bands and songwriters. Registration is now open online at walkthebeat.org here for bands as well as sponsors/venues. Seventy acts will be selected from the pool of applicants to participate.
The winner of the “best band” portion of the contest — selected in text-voting by fans who stroll from venue to venue to catch performances — will win a huge prize bundle, including 40 hours of production and recording time with Bill Chrysler at Third Coast Recording Co., a professional music video, photo shoot and band website. The winner also will get a chance to play a Walk the Beat Victory Tour at four West Michigan venues, organized by Local Spins.
Song Contest Winners: Roosevelt Diggs won last year’s song contest and performed at the wrap-up party. (Photo/Tori Thomas)
All acts selected to play Walk the Beat in August will be paid for their performances ($60 per musician, up to $240 per band).
The winner of the “best song” contest, chosen by a panel of experts — including Chrysler, a renowned sound engineer who most recently toured with John Mayer — will receive either $2,500 in cash or 40 hours of production time at Third Coast in Grand Haven. All songwriters/bands must submit an MP3 of the song to Walk the Beat, along with a $25 registration fee.
Musicians and audience members also will be eligible for door prizes such as bicycles, televisions, stereos, fishing kits, kayaks, tablets and more. There is also a $10-per-ticket raffle for a shot at $5,000 cash during the unusual event.
‘FANTASTIC PR FOR MUSICIANS AND FOR LOCAL SHOPS’
Last’s year best band winner was Third Degree Burns, a high school ensemble from the Detroit area, with Grand Rapids’ Roosevelt Diggs winning the best song contest. Read more about that and coverage from the 2015 event in this Local Spins story.
“Walk the Beat serves as fantastic PR for musicians, and for local shops,” Palmer said. “The festival helps the community, and it is family-friendly. We work with other nonprofits, and they can also benefit from the event. Plus, we give away a ton of prizes. I love giving when giving is not expected – I love spreading peace and love through that.”
Third Coast Honcho: Bill Chrysler will once again offer recording/production as part of the grand prize. (Photo/John Sinkevics)
Through donations, sponsors and money raised through its August event, Walk the Beat offers support to those interested in “enriching their lives and the lives of others through music” by donating instruments, arranging lessons or providing financial assistance for musical ventures.
Palmer, a musician himself who hosts a “Walk the Beat” radio show on 103.5 WAWL, keeps his finger on the pulse of every music event in the area. But it may come as a surprise that he was an adult before his interest in music really blossomed.
While his mother played guitar, traveling the area to play in gigs and music circles, he said he didn’t get interested until his own son got into choir at school in Grand Haven, and began to progress through the choir system.
“Eventually, his path led him to sing in a performance at Carnegie Hall, of all places,” Palmer said. “Sitting there, watching our kid perform at Carnegie Hall, I was blown away.”
But the moment that truly changed his view on music was at another performance of his son’s choir career. At one competition, the Grand Haven choir took the stage with a large number of students, polished and in tuxedos, complete with a conductor and pianist. When they performed their piece, they did well, as was expected.
Venues of All Kinds: Last year, City Hall was a Walk the Beat venue, along with business ranging from hardware stores to coffee shops.
Later, students from a smaller school came out for their turn: only five kids, in street clothes. At one point, the judge of the competition stepped in, asking the group who among them was the best singer. As the small group all pointed to one young boy, the judge suggested to the group that this boy should lead, and everyone else just follow him. When they began again, the improvement was startling, Palmer said.
“It dawned on me, sitting there watching this, with that tiny bit of coaching, they grew by leaps and bounds,” Palmer said. “Then I knew: it wasn’t about lacking the talent; some students or groups didn’t have the money to be successful. It was an epiphany. I wanted to help people have the funding and the means to enjoy music.”
Palmer has seen firsthand that while people often disagree, when it comes to music, it doesn’t matter.
WALK THE BEAT DEDICATED TO AIDING MUSICIANS, BOOSTING MUSIC
“It has been such an incredible ride, being able to communicate with music,” he said. “I have played with people who are 9, and people who are 89, in the same room. Not everyone was on the same religious page, or the same political page, but we were on the same page for music.
“You just sit down, and start playing. It breaks down barriers – you aren’t afraid to talk to someone of a different age or generation. You are all there for the same reason.
“No one can survive without culture,” he added. “Music, art. It’s got to be here, what would become of us without it? It is life. It’s what keeps us connected. Even if we have different views, music is something we can share.”
Palmer said Walk the Beat is dedicated to getting people to love music.
Watching for Foxes: The Grand Rapids band returned to play last year’s event after winning in 2014. (Photo/Tori Thomas)
“Our mission is to help any musicians further their careers, any way we can,” he said. “Helping provide instruments, lessons, sound engineering. We’re trying to raise the funds to help people who want to be in music. I may not meet Madonna or John Mayer, but I’m here for the kid sitting in front of me, who may become them. That is why I do this.”
Growing the Walk the Beat program hasn’t come without its bumps and detours, but Palmer has continued to foster the nonprofit, thanks to the effort and determination of a community of supporters helping to spread the word.
“The community is getting on board now,” he said. “As you go, you get suggestions from performers, retailers, and the community. If you can’t be willing to adapt or improve upon your ideas, you probably will fail.
“If you want to have a positive impact on a young person, I can’t think of a better way than through music,” Palmer added.
“I am not an artist, with a paintbrush, but with these events, I put a little bit of this with a little bit of that, and as we all participate in the same event, at the same time, we all get something different, something personal, out of it.”
Walk the Beat is hosting a special “ticket club party” featuring a performance by Traverse City native and Pittsburgh-based singer-songwriter Rachel B at 6 p.m. Saturday at Third Coast Recording Co., 1447 Washington Ave., in Grand Haven. During the event, raffle tickets will be distributed to those who will be selling them for the Walk the Beat event. Refreshments will be provided. Get details online here.
Copyright 2016, Spins on Music LLC
