​Little music show on the prairie

“Prairie Musicians” to premiere a new season July 10

No need to leave the house on Friday nights in July to enjoy and support quality local music. Just turn to channel 13 for an episode of Prairie Public’s “Prairie Musicians.”

The show, which is produced at Prairie Public’s downtown Fargo studio, features performances and interviews with bands and musicians from Minnesota, North Dakota and Manitoba.

From as far away as western North Dakota (Jessie Veeder, Wild Hands) and eastern Minnesota (Keri Noble, Tim Sparks), to right here in Fargo (Brenda Weiler, Amanda Standalone and The Pastry Shop Girls), performers of many genres and backgrounds have been featured on “Prairie Musicians.”

This year’s season, which kicks off on July 10 at 9 p.m., will feature eight new acts, a new set design and even better production, according to Barb Gravel, who’s served as the show’s producer and director since it started in 2009.

“We love the show because it’s fun and it highlights a piece of Prairie Public that we don’t normally feature,” Gravel said.

This year’s lineup includes Reina Del Cid, whose lead singer grew up in Fargo, Lines & Notes, which features MSUM professors Terrie Manno and Kevin Zepper, and NDSU Faculty Brass Quintet, among five other regional groups.

“It promotes us but it also promotes the bands,” said Shane Reetz, the show’s videographer and creative designer/editor. “We have fun making the show. Bands get to come in and have studio time for free, and it’s just really great all around. There’s a really good vibe in the studio when we are doing the show because of that.”

Amanda Standalone, who was featured in 2012, said she still benefits from the show to this day.

“Every once in a while I get calls from friends in different parts of the country and they say, ‘I saw you on TV!’ It’s really heartwarming,” she said. “They replay them over and over again on TV.”

Also, all previous episodes are readily available on YouTube. So folks with Internet access can view any of the episodes anytime and bands can use it as quality promotional material.

“It’s a great resource for local musicians and also just people in the community trying to find music that they can actually go see in their own area,” said Rachelle Cordova, lead vocalist of Reina Del Cid.

For a vast majority of the musicians who have been featured on “Prairie Musicians,” including the veterans, performing for a television show is a rare opportunity. Presenting to a camera can be nerve-racking, especially for those with little experience.

“And as much as you would like to dance when you are behind the camera you kind of can’t,” Reetz said. “So (the musicians) just really are playing into blackness.”

He said building rapport with the musicians is something the crew takes into account when behind the scenes. It’s something Cordova said she really appreciated.

“Everyone was incredibly kind and easy to work with,” she said. “They just put us at ease right away. Usually I’m really awkward in interviews, but they are really easy to talk to, so it ended up going better than it usually would.”

Because “Prairie Musicians” is such a unique local program, Gravel noted the community has been overwhelmingly supportive. She said she has yet to have anyone turn her down for any of her requests.

“Here’s what I found out about the show: I am not afraid to ask anything of anybody,” she said. “I have gone out on a limb – ‘Hey, Schmitt Music, would you go out on a limb and donate a baby grand piano?’ Sure! People are willing to do anything.”

Gravel said she was especially happy to have accomplished local artist Paul Ide paint a graffiti mural for the set. “He came up with everything and was so great to work with.”

Ide, who said he had been going through an artistic “slump,” said this project motivated him to be active and creative again.

“It’s always a good feeling to have someone search you out because of what you do,” Ide said. “… Having a little tiny piece of what I do represented with those talented people is really neat as well.”

Ide added that his friend, artist Micah Leitel, played a big role in the creation of the mural as well.

As far as choosing the talent for the show, Gravel said a number of factors are considered. For one, there needs to be a balance of genres and regions represented in every season.

“I’ve leaned more towards signing bands that can perform some original music,” Gravel said. “Because I think that’s a nice attribute to offer to our viewers, as far as the grassroots of this band trying to make it on their own.”

However, there have been jazz and classical groups, for example, that have done their own renditions of standard tunes. Covers are allowed to be performed on the show.

Funding also plays a big role in the selection of the artists. Because a majority of the monetary support comes from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, six out of the eight acts have to be from Minnesota.

“I get a lot of emails and calls from bands wanting to be featured on the show and 95 percent of them are from North Dakota,” Gravel said. “And unfortunately, I have to say, ‘You’re on my list. But at two a year, it’s going to take me a long time to get through all the North Dakota bands that have contacted me.’”

She says contacting her via email is the best way to inquire about being on the show or making a band suggestion.

“I’m always open to new ideas for bands,” Gravel said. “They just need to contact me and send me a sample.”

YOU SHOULD KNOW

“Prairie Musicians”

Airing Fridays in July at 9 p.m.

Prairie Public Broadcasting, channel 13

www.youtube.com/PrairiePublicBcast