Seeking a sense of place

Posted in CULTURE to Top of the Blogs by Joel Gillespie on Friday, October 14, 2011 at 8:00 am

"It's great to hear people's critical approaches, talking about what they think about the latest album from so-and-so, but I care about that so much less than listening to artists that I love talking about their music or the music that they love." — Jon Stone, co-founder of Prairie Hymnal

It's been said that no one's more Catholic than a convert, and in the same way, it seems that often those who are most enthusiastic about Midwestern culture are those who grew up elsewhere. And so it is that two English grad students from west of the Rockies came to start a music video blog, Prairie Hymnal, that seeks to establish more clearly the relationship between musician and geography, especially as it relates to the sometimes-elusive concept of roots music.

"Having conversations with Jon about roots and tradition, for me really brought to the surface my experience moving here from California," explained fellow co-founder Cody Caudill. "When I arrived here, I was really excited about finding the music from the Midwest. That was one of my main goals when I moved here, and I started thinking about musical popularity, the things that influence us, [and] the things that we're familiar with as a part of where we spent a lot of time. So, trying to make that bridge between a song and where it comes from, I'm trying to make that clear in the type of content that you see online."

"I think that the idea is to get people talking and sharing stories, and the stories will obviously connect back with the song itself," Stone expanded. "I think this is why Storytellers on VH1 was so popular, and I think it's actually a really cool format. For example, I was listening to Jim James from My Morning Jacket talk about the genesis of the song 'Golden,' which is one of my favorite songs.

"He was talking about this conversation that he had with his grandma, and his grandma mentioned to him — he was right on the cusp of gaining success as a band, and he's talking to his grandma, trying to explain this being a rock star on the road thing — and his grandma said, "You've gotta be careful of those bars. People always told me that bars are dark and lonely places." And he's like, that's a great lyric! If we can find those kinds of moments along the way that connect back with specific places, that's what is most interesting to me."

Caudill countered, "I think that was what really got me excited was: this new experience of being excited about hearing people talk about music, coming from a different place and a different tradition, how that almost comes through folk expressions and being around other people who have experienced similar music, gone to the same shows, and how that comes to the surface in our different interests."

Prairie Hymnal's first artist-focused video centers on Milwaukee quartet Blessed Feathers (view the video here), who were filmed on the banks of a pond at the southwest corner of Windsor and First in Champaign. "They're young," Caudill said of the group. "I think they're producing stuff beyond their years, and I was stunned when they got out of the van to see that they were that [young], because their music has influences that you don't always see from younger artists." As explained in the video intro on the site, "In 'American Sands, Earthly Treason' they sing an ode to Wisconsin about the eastern peninsula that juts out from that state and into Lake Michigan called Door County."

"I think there are always stories behind songs," Caudill continued. "I think so much of music is found. It's found somewhere and through other people, so I think there are always stories behind songs, and even songs that aren't trying to tell a story. It was great to be able to capture that story."

Stone is drawn not only to the sometimes-linear tale of a song's inspiration, but also to its deeper roots in a person's experience. "The thing about musical history is that's it's this equal pride and complete embarrassment about what your parents liked or what your earliest influences were," he noted. "They play into what you become, and especially if you're a musician, what kind of music you play.

"My parents wore out a Lionel Richie Greatest Hits tape, and so I just know those songs. If those songs come on the radio, I can't help it, I sing along. I don't own that tape; I don't put it on on my own, but that's an important piece of me. I can't disavow that. Part of the project is breaking down some of the cynicism and the facade of irony. I can like Lionel Richie only ironically, right? But what if 'Say You Say Me' is a really great song? There's not enough of that discourse. I hope that as we talk to artists we can draw out these stories, and give proper respect to great songwriting." 

While the philosophical aspects of Prairie Hymnal are well thought-out, Stone and Caudill also have the technical chops to create high-quality content. "We want a pretty product, we want things to be aesthetically pleasing, but at the same time we want to be mobile," Caudill said. "We have a really great portable mic, so it's me on the mic and a stationary camera, and Jon roaming, getting some other b-roll footage that we can splice in and out of." They also get tech support from Dan Bergren, a former student of Stone's who now lives in Chicago.

The duo would like to find other locations for location shoots, whether they be outdoor or indoor, so contact them if you have suggestions or connections. "As it gets colder, we're hoping to find other places," Stone said. "We're really looking for those kinds of settings. Whoever has access [to the graffiti silo] that can hook us up, we'd love to get in there."

Caudill also pointed out the site's causes of choice. "We're trying to link this project up with non-profits and not-for-profits that work towards conservation," he noted. "If we're trying to draw this connection to place and we're lending some importance to maintaining these places that are important to us."

While it's daunting to create regular posts containing on-location video, Prairie Hymnal will fill in the gaps between larger projects with guest essays on related topics, as well as regular blog-style posts from Stone and Caudill on things that pique their interest. Prairie Hymnal is a welcome addition to the C-U online world, and it will be exciting to see what sort of stories and connections they unearth as they continue to grow.

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There are many tremendous bloggers in Champaign-Urbana, and this column will recognize them one blog at a time. Every other Tuesday Extremely haphazardly, we’ll shine a light on a different outstanding local blog, explaining how they got started and revealing what keeps them going and where they’re headed. If you know a local blog that you’d like to see profiled in this space, send me a tip at joelgillespie [at] smilepolitely [dot] com.

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