Celebrating Regional Music and Local Partnerships at the TRMC Launch Party
By Evangeline Ciupek
On November 9, 2024, under a clear night sky on Amicus Brewing Venture’s outdoor stage, a librarian’s dream of preserving regional music came true with the Launch Party for the Tallahassee Regional Music Collection (TRMC).
FSU College of Music Librarian Elizabeth Uchimura had dreamed for years of creating a regional music collection.
“The TRMC has been a secret desire of mine since about 2017, after I attended my first music library conference,” confided Uchimura.
She was inspired by a similar project at the University of North Texas, but the timing for Tallahassee wouldn’t be right for five years. In 2022 she discussed her dream with Dr. Panayotis League, Director of the Center for Music of the Americas (CMA), who excitedly agreed to collaborate on the project.
“We spent the last two years digging into the details and dreaming of the future,” Uchimura recalled.
With the support of FSU’s College of Music and partnership between the CMA and Warren D. Allen Music Library, the TRMC was born.
A community-centered initiative to preserve local music, the TRMC includes recorded audio and artifacts created by artists who have ties to the Tallahassee region. TRMC’s Launch Party at Amicus showcased live music by Revival, stories from local artists, a free raffle, and interactive table displays.
The night began with “Songs and Stories,” featuring music from Revival interspersed with stories by the local music community. Speakers included Kathleen Spehar from the Council on Culture and Arts, Mary Kelsey from Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Chris Skene of MusicLocal, Avis Berry of Revival, and many more. Uchimura emceed the event and enjoyed witnessing people’s enthusiasm for the project.
“We had a solid crowd the entire time … and I could hear their hums of excitement and agreement. I was so glad that they really saw the value of our local artists and arts organizations,” said Uchimura.
Adrian Fogelin of local musical duo Hot Tamale described the night’s electric feeling.
“The crowd lounging on the lawn, a gathering of musicians and music lovers, Avis Berry and Revival playing their hearts out in celebration of something big, bold, and beautiful. The music history of this musical town now has a place where it will be honored and preserved,” said Fogelin.
Hot Tamale was the first group to submit materials to the TRMC.
Music venues also came together to celebrate. Amicus Brewing Ventures advertised and hosted the event, Sound Bar donated Blues Festival tickets for the raffle, and Carrie Hamby of Blue Tavern shared her story from the stage.
“This project makes me feel like Tallahassee is more fully recognizing itself as a real place,” Hamby said. “It takes a lot of concerted energy to resist getting sucked into the machinery, and this gives me hope.”
Blue Tavern hosts the CMA’s First Thursdays Concert Series, which spotlights local and regional artists practicing global musical traditions that are underrepresented in North Florida.
Staffing the TRMC archive table, which boasted a robust sampling of CDs and LPs reflecting decades of local music history, including Cannonball Adderley, Velma Frye, Creed, T-Pain, and more, College of Music Cataloging Specialist Gwendolyn Saporito-Emler curated her presentation for participants of all ages.
“A group of three kids came up to the table,” she recalled. “I wasn’t sure how interested they’d be in hearing the spiel I’d come up with for the adults, so I just focused on what they were already looking at. They were really excited about being able to actually touch and interact with the LPs! I encouraged them,” she said. “Unless you really try, you can’t do anything to that record that I can’t fix.”
Dr. Carrie Danielson, Assistant Professor of Musicology and Les and Ruth Akers Endowed Chair of Community Music at the FSU College of Music, is inspired by the community’s positive response and commitment to local music.
“I’m so happy to be working with such a dedicated team and group of colleagues who are all focused on building long-lasting, meaningful connections with our community,” said Danielson. “This collection is more than just an incredible resource of local music—it’s a reflection of the College’s commitment to connecting our academic work with the rich, musical life around us.”
Danielson is excited to bring the TRMC to her classroom and is currently planning future TRMC engagements for her classes alongside Uchimura and community partners.
“It’s a unique chance for [students] to gain hands-on experience in research and archival work, while also deepening their understanding of Tallahassee’s rich musical heritage and how music builds, reflects, sustains, and transforms a community over time,” stated Danielson.
“We’re so excited that this has finally come to fruition and even more excited that our community feels the same way,” said Uchimura.
Though preservation was the catalyst to the TRMC, what motivates Uchimura are the people behind the music.
“Our community is full of really cool and kind people,” said Uchimura, “and somehow part of my job now allows me to build relationships with them by helping to preserve their legacy! It’s really fulfilling and the fact that I get to do it alongside some of the most wonderful people I know is just the cherry on top.”
Uchimura looks forward to more community engagement events and strengthening the community partnerships started at this Launch Party.
The TRMC team includes faculty and staff members from the FSU College of Music, including Elizabeth Uchimura, Laura Gayle Green, and Gwen Saporito-Elmer from the Warren D. Allen Music Library; Drs. Panayotis League and Carrie Danielson from Musicology; and Evangeline Ciupek from the College of Music’s Engagement Office.
To learn more about the TRMC and how to get involved, visit music.fsu.edu/trmc
