Rick Tvedt Interview for the Pulse newspaper
February 2010
Interview conducted by Art Paul Schlosser
Q: I think my readers would like to know who you are, what kind of music back ground you have and how did you come up with the idea of The Madison Area Music Awards.
I was born and raised in Mt. Horeb, spent a lot of time in Madison growing up. I’ve been playing guitar since I was eight and the first band I was in was the Blue Hornets when I was nine. I’ve been playing, writing and recording ever since. In the 80′s I was the guitarist for the And, a very popular local group. My most recent band was the Sled Dogs.
I started Rick’s Cafe newspaper in 2003. That same year I got the idea that Madison needed its own awards show to draw attention to the artists, whom I’ve always felt have been underappreciated in the city. I discussed the idea with some peers and they urged me to go forward so we did. We lost about 12 grand the first year and erased that by the end of the second year. We’ve been in the black since, essentially granting over $30,000 in funds and instruments over the last four years.
Q: Okay musicians, bands, fans and outsiders wonder why there is a charge to vote or to register your band ?
Our voting system is online. We could not do the awards selection without this vital mechanism, which Broadjam donates to the MAMAs – an annual value that approaches 20 grand. Broadjam does the Academy of Country Music awards and so that mechanism has been tweaked to our purposes. There is a $5 donation – not a fee – to become a MAMA member. Not only have these donations allowed us to do the bulk of our charitable giving (they go straight to a seperate bank account and are designated for charitable giving only), it prevents the online voting system from being subverted, which would happen if it was a free-for-all.
There are currently registration fees as well, something I have always wanted to move beyond. Without those fees, however, the MAMAs would never have survived. Sponsorships are very difficult to find. This year we tried something new which was to find smaller sponsorships for chosen award categories. I think it was a huge success and next year the goal is to have every category supported by a sponsor. This presents another problem, however, as we will be flooded with entries. We may have to impose a limit to how many items an artist can register once the charges are removed.
Q: What kind of good causes does the money support ?
We’ve done a lot of work in the public schools, supplementing the music programs and meeting the demands that are brought to us. People sometimes think we work only with the school system but in actuality working with the school system is not very easy. We’re trying to establish a matching program for the very small amounts each music teacher gets to fund their classrooms for the year. So far we’ve been met with indifference, probably because the school system is not very keen on having its shortcomings highlighted.We’ve worked with the Community Centers in the city, the Boys and Girls Club, Bonnie Greene’s Music Makers program, etc. We also have helped individuals in need and even the developmentally disabled.
Q: I noticed that it was more affordable to register for the CD and instrumentalist catagories do you think that will effect how many artist enter and get involved ?
There is no doubt of that, Art, and we saw that happen this year. There were nearly 120 recordings released in the Madison area in 2009. That’s astounding! We lobby those people pretty aggressively to enter the awards because putting an album out is a significant event for any musician. This year we have more albums registered than ever before.
Q: Will the Category Sponsorship be the Future of The MAMAS ?
Yes, I think this is the way to go. But also, we need the city to be involved. People think Madison should be like Austin. Well, there’s a lot of work to be done to make that happen. The city itself must be invested and treat its musicians as a part of the local economy and make some investment into it.
Q: So when are the MAMAs and is there still time to vote yet ?
The first round is open now until March 18th. We announce the Nominees at our Nominee Announcement Party fundraiser on March 27th at the Brink Lounge. Second round is March 28-April 28. The MAMAs are May 8th at the Capitol Theater in the Overture Center. We’re cutting the ticket price to $10 this year. People should come; it’s a blast – we do it just like the VH-1 Awards. It’s a special event, as it should be, the artists are special. We don’t just want to have a barbecue in someone’s yard you know!
Q: What happen to Rick’s Cafe,will it ever comeback and what is > Local Sounds ?
Rick’s Cafe resurfaced in June as Local Sounds Magazine (localsoundsmagazine.com), part of the Local Sounds network, which seems to gain momentum daily. We are forming as a nonprofit to document and preserve Madison’s musical heritage. There is a lot to it. I guess I just wasn’t busy enough.
Q: What do you read as far as music magazines or what kind of music do you like ?
I like all kinds of music, generally. I have a huge recorded music collection to testify to that. I mostly listen to rock, pop and alternative music but also am into jazz, classical and elctronic music. I write for Progression magazine out of Boston on a quarterly basis. I read a lot of music magazines, just about anything I can afford or get my hands on. I’m a music junkie.
Q: Do you read the Bible or are their Books that inspire you ?
I have just about every religious handbook in my home. I don’t read them a whole lot. I am much more inspired by the natural world and being open and attuned to my place in the cosmos. I follow the golden rule I guess. I am deeply inspired by music and art and am fascinated by the creative process and the transferrance of experience to the medium of art. There’s a secret there that intrigues me. Lately, I’ve been reading lots of music biographies. It’s interesting to spot the similarities between these stories.
Q: Besides music what are you other interests ?
I am so involved in music that there is little time for other interests. I would love to travel but that is a luxury I cannot afford too much of. I love my wife and kids and my son. I yearn to spend more time with them.
Q: Do you have any ideas to help decrease homelessness and lower unemployment ?
Most of the world’s problems are easy to solve, I feel. Fixing people, however, is a much deeper issue. Greed is the chief culprit. Intolerance probably comes next.
Q: What happens after The MAMA’s Awards are over ?
We pick up almost immediately and start the cycle again. There is so much work in establishing an organization, espcially one built from the grassroots, without a wealthy backer.
Q: What is your opinion of the Wamis and the Grammys or the MTV Awards and is there a differance between other award shows and The MAMAs or are the MAMAs a Madison award show similar to the others ?
I think the WAMIs are a fine organization. They do a lot of charitable work and put on educational workshops for their members. They cannot purport to cover the whole state, however, that is impossible. So they really should just call it like it is, which is Milwaukee. It costs $40 per band member, up to $200 to be a part of the WAMIs. It currently is $5 to be a MAMA member. The average artist spends $35 probably on the MAMAs in a year. I don’t watch too many other award shows as they reek of politics to me and of propping up a music industry that has little relation to the art of music. But let’s face facts, any awards show is a popularity contest. There is no way to remove the bias even if it were a committee of selectors.
I think the MAMAs is unique because of the way it was created. I don’t know if there is a similar program in the country that is so focused on one community and doing the type of charitable work we do. The MAMAs is destined to become more, working for the artists as well as the charity.
Q: Do you have a favorite venue in Madison where you go to see bands?
Hard to pick a favorite. I sure like the Frequency. I’ve probably seen more shows at the High Noon than any other. I think the Brink has a niche because people actually listen there! The Harmony has such a comfortable vibe. Scatz in Middleton is a real exciting club. Reminds me of the old days like the Shuffle Inn and Headliners. It’s a real music club although there are way too many TVs!
Q: Is there anything you would like to promote to the Madison Street Pulse readers ?
I work constantly to promote togetherness and unity. Don’t take injustice lying down. This is a time to act.
Q: Some people have said music should be free and others have said a musician should be supported do you have any opinion about this ?
I don’t know why people “expect” music to be free. It’s a symptom of the increasingly high-speed, internet-driven society we’ve become. People want it now. They don’t want to make a commitment artistically or financially. It’s instant gratification and somehow we all must just deserve that because we exist. The art of music is being lost. People listen to their music on crappy earbuds playing compressed files while they’re busy doing other things. I don’t think bands like Radiohead are doing music any favors by making it free or pay-whatever. They’re Radiohead! They’re already rich! That said, the music business is entirely to blame for the mess it’s in. Who knows how the chips will fall?
Q; Thanks for your time and I was wondering if you have any last word that you would like to say to the readers ?
Love each other.
