{image1}As if WMSE hasn't already done enough for the local music community by giving much-needed airtime to area talent and booking shows that include Milwaukee-based bands, the radio station of the Milwaukee School of Engineering is now launching the Milwaukee Sound Environment (M.S.E.) Project.
One of the main features of the project is a Web site, mseproject.org, which aims to provide information artists need in order to be heard in Milwaukee and on WMSE and to give exposure for those artists to music fans.
"The site is one-third of the Milwaukee Sound Environment Project, which also includes 'Live from WMSE' compilation CDs, and a forthcoming weekly live local music program," says Brent Gohde, WMSE promotions director. "The M.S.E. Project is a way of focusing our efforts to present local musicians to potential listeners. WMSE is one of very few venues in this city where Milwaukee artists can be heard. ... Through this project, we're letting bands know that they have a home at WMSE, and it's really not so difficult to get their work out to the masses. It was the idea of our station manager Tom Crawford to give it the name of Milwaukee Sound Environment. The name kind of proclaims ourselves to be the physical place where Milwaukee music can be heard."
Although the site won't have reviews or editorials written by WMSE staffers, it will have an event calendar, mp3s of some of the performances recorded at the station by nearly 200 bands and other features.
"We envision mseproject.org to be a one-stop for Milwaukeeans looking to learn about local music," Gohde says. "For now, it is exactly this: A schedule of live performers booked to play on the WMSE airwaves, news relevant to what we're up to as it relates to local music, FAQ's where artists can learn how to get on the air and where listeners can learn about what we do, specs for our recording studio and what artists can expect when they arrive, a history of live acts who have been recorded on the air with links to their sites, a 'behind the scenes' section of anecdotes and images, and a 'resources' page which has helpful hints from experienced musicians and those in the music business."
Anyone familiar with the station's fund drive can attest to the amount of support WMSE receives from the community and this project has been no different. According to Gohde, WMSE drew on the expertise and support of a number of outside sources to make the project a reality. And, for the first time in its 23-year history, Gohde says, WMSE applied for grant money.
"We rely exclusively on listener support and program sponsors to meet our budget, otherwise," he adds. "The Milwaukee Arts Board saw merit in our proposal, and gave us a matching grant, which has allowed the station to employ a part-time Web designer and a full-time recording engineer -- Billy Cicerelli. We found Jeremy Ampe, who did a fantastic job of interpreting my design ideas, which consisted primarily of, "like, you know... sort of?" to create a beautiful site. MSOE's CCSD department, and an alumni volunteer named Mike Bailey were a huge help logistically and in holding my hand as I got a Web site onto a server for the first time in my life. An amazing woman named Polly Morris, who sits on our Advisory Board, helped flesh-out our half-baked ideas enough to make it a viable project."
Tuesday, Dec. 14 marks the official launch of the site and WMSE will host an on-air party with four artists -- all featured on the fourth installment of the CD series, "Live at WMSE." Steve Peplin of Invocation Trio will perform at 10:30 a.m., Those Royals will do an acoustic trio set at 1:30 p.m., The Blue Rubies play their farewell gig at 5 p.m. and Temper Temper plays at 7:30 p.m. Copies of the new WMSE CD will be available all day at the special price of $12 and can be purchased in person at the station, 1025 N. Milwaukee St., or via wmse.org.
"We're very excited about the talent Milwaukee has to offer, and we're working harder than ever to make sure everyone else knows," says Gohde. "We'll have no shortage of music to fill a weekly local live program, which will begin in February."
In the meantime?
"Right now we're just working hard on adding new content all the time," Gohde says.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
