Photo Illustration I The Daily Mississippian
Oxford Sessions is an online talent showcase that emphasizes the use of social media and word of mouth to garner attention for the abundance of talent in the Oxford area. Its mission is to provide a platform and an audience for musicians who might otherwise not have a chance to be heard, but there is a twist. Similar to the popular MTV show “Unplugged,” all performances are acoustic.
Co-founder Danny Klimitz sums it up succinctly on the Oxford Sessions website: “The premise is quite simple, music when broken down to its raw and organic form would not only be fantastic to hear but inspiring to see.”
Oxford Sessions was started by Klimitz and Gabriel Scala, who were soon followed by videographer Brian Flint and sound engineer Tim Burkhead. These four come together with local musicians to produce extremely high-quality music videos that highlight the raw power of an unplugged performance.
Emerging artists and established musicians alike are featured on the roster of Oxfordsessions.com, from the legendary Johnny Winter and the renowned Oak Ridge Boys to University of Mississippi students such as Will Echols, Buki Alabi and the well-known Rebels King Kobraz, who drop the drum machine and auto-tune in exchange for acoustic guitars, in addition to many other astounding musicians. This website functions as automatic promotional material for those who want to spread the word about their musical presence. Ole Miss student Buki Alabi said it has been extremely useful for describing her music to other people.
“People would ask me, ‘What does your music sound like?’ and since I obviously don’t have a guitar attached to me at all times, it was always difficult,” Alabi said. “After I did my performance with Oxford Sessions, I could just point to the website and say, see for yourself.”
This type of free publicity and exposure is incredibly useful to emerging musicians.
So Oxford Sessions is a place for musicians to market themselves, a place for indie music fans to find the newest and best music Oxford has to offer, as well as a place for those who just want to support local artists and want this town to retain the cultural status that makes it unique. They can’t do it alone, though. The folks at Oxford Sessions rely on the average person to help get the word out about their website and their mission.
There are a variety of ways to get connected to see all the great musicians that they have to offer. Obviously stop by Oxfordsessions.com, but for up-to-the-minute updates on their latest projects, new musicians and upcoming performances, follow them on Twitter or like their Facebook page.
Musicians can contact Oxford Sessions to set up a shoot, and fans are welcome to contact them with any questions or concerns or just to lend a voice of support to the great work Oxford Sessions is doing. As Oxfordsessions.com states, “We can’t do this without you.”
-Michael Prestwhich
maprestw@go.olemiss.edu
