The Wammies

It's time for the Wammies!

The Washington Area Music Association celebrates its 19th annual music awards show on Monday, Feb. 7, at the new Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda. Showtime is 8 p.m.

The Wammies: The Show, the nominees, the after parties

Washington Area Music Association president Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown,vice president of programming at the Music Center at Strathmore and WAMA board member, were online Friday, Feb. 4, at Noon ET to discuss this year's awards.

Learn more about the voting process, how the bands are picked and what other shows are coming up on the WAMA schedule. Ask what's on the bill at Strathmore or reminisce about the WAMA-Strathmore Concert Series.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Bethesda, Md.: How does a band get considered for a Wammie? Is it local bands only?

Thanks!

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: MS: You have to be playing regularly in the Washington area and generally considered a Washington group. The members of WAMA do the nominating and the final voting. You don't have to be a member to be nominated. Probably 50 percent of the people who get nominated are not WAMA members.

SB: The WAMA membership is made up of 1,000 local musicians and people from the music industry.

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Vienna, Va.: How does the WAMA decide which performers are local and which are not? For example, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Tom Paxton?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: MS: They both maintain residences here and it's a question of whether they perform here regularly. The board goes over the ballot to make those judgments when the names appear on the ballot.

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Manassas, Va.: I see that Mama Cass Elliott is getting a Hall of Fame award. I did not know she was from the area or had a history here. Can you tell me a little about the time she spent in the D.C. area?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: MS: When she was just starting her career she played in several groups who played regularly in the Washington area. She grew up here. She was in a group called the Mugwumps.

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Washington, D.C.: Who's in the Root Boy Slim Tribute Band?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: That's led by Tommy Lepson. It also includes Ron Holloway, Deanna Bogart, Marshall Keys, Dan Hovey, Scott Ambush, John Ziedar, Torro Gamble, Jim Orr, Cherie Grasso and Dick Bangham with a special appearance by Ernie Lancaster.

MS: Most of the people in the group played with Root Boy when he was performing here.

SB: Also attending the ceremony will be Ken Mackenzie, Sister Clare and Brother John to accept the Hall of Fame Honors, so his family will be here.

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Arlington, Va.: Mike, having been around the D.C. scene in the early days of HFS, what do you think about the station going off the air?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: It's been a long time since HFS was meaningful to the Washington market. In recent years they've only played the hits. In the earlier days, they were true radio pioneers.

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Washington, D.C.: I've heard that the Wammies is an old boys network and that most nominees are over 30. Isn't there any new fresh blood in the Washington music scene?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: WAMA is always on the lookout for bring, young performers. As a board member, I try to get out and see young performers as often as I can.

MS: I do too.

SB: But the process is one of nomination by the membership and therefore some names continue to be nominated. The system has some inherent flaws but it's the best we've been able to come up with. I would encourage you to join WAMA and make nominations for young performers that you see. Those nominations are welcomed and supported heartily by the board.

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Fairfax, Va.: Hi Shelley and Mike:
I went to the Nils Lofgren show on the lawn at Strathmore this past summer -- what a wonderful event! Will you continue to have local musician at Strathmore? Will the Timeline series continue? That was truly the best series I've ever attend.
Thank you so much for pulling it together.
Angel

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: I can just speak for Strathmore and say that local performers will always have an important role in the programming here. While the Timeline concert series won't continue in weekly concerts, we will continue to present performers from the area and performers that connect to the history of the area.

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Arlington, Va.: Who are the hosts for the Wammies this year?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: MS: Cerphe from 94.7 WARW, Gerald Scott and Myuki Williams from WPFW.

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Arlington, Va.: The outside of the new Music Center at Strathmore looks amazing. Is there anywhere we can see pictures online of the inside before Monday night?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: Here are some photos:Music Center at Strathmore

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Fairfax County, Va.: I have attended the Wammies twice, once in a hotel ballroom and last year at the State Theater. Both times I had a lot of fun "table hopping." How will the event be different in the formal row seating at Strathmore?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: Networking is always an important part of the Wammie Awards ...

MS; And it's encouraged by the ushers.

SB: But we hope that the more formal row seating will provide for a more attentive audience.

SB: If they want to get together they can that afterwards at the party which is at the Austin Grill in Bethesda.

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New York City: As an all-volunteer run organization how do you get things done. Do you have people that show up all the time then others that help as you call them? Or do you and Mike do most of the work? What is the most difficult aspect of putting on a large event as the Wammies with only volunteers? I've been thinking about starting similar organization in NYC and feedback would be helpful.
Grace

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: As an all-volunteer organization, WAMA depends on total devotion from a small group lead by a strong leader who, in our case, is Mike. As with any volunteer organization, we have volunteers at different levels of commitment. Some people will come help out for one event, others help out weekly or monthly in the ongoing administration of the organization. I think that WAMA is such an important community link for our area and I would encourage you in your pursuit of starting in New York but I would recommend trying to collect a few devoted people who would understand the mission of the organization from the very beginning.

MS: It doesn't just happen automatically. You need to continuously be on the lookout for volunteers and help develop a new group of volunteers to maintain the mission.

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Washington, D.C.: Without a Pop category, aren't there artists who slip through the cracks? Why was it discontinued?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: MS: We found that we were having to be too picky about whether an act belonged in the alternative rock category or the hard rock category or the metal rock category and we found it was very confusing for the members and we tried to simplify the system.

SB: Putting bands in categories is one of my least favorite activities as it relates to the Wammie Awards. We spend too much time trying to verify if this group is pop rock or alternate and how do those genres differ ... so in the spirit of the awards we wanted to recognize artists from the rock category with integrity and simpler format seems to work better.

The process continues to evolve.

MS: And we reevaluate it every year.

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Washington, D.C.: Will there be a chance to meet and greet the nominees on site either before or after the show?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: Yes. There's a large lobby at the Music Center at Strathmore where the nominees and guests can mingle before and after the performances. The bar will be open throughout the Wammies program. I'm sure some networking and meeting of nominees will happen continuously.

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Vienna, Va.: Do other areas have local music awards similar to the Wammies? Do you consult with them and exchange ideas?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: MS: There are organizations around the country that do it. I've been to the Austin Music Awards and to the San Antonio Music Awards and I've consulted with the Music Association in Michigan and other organizations that have cropped up from time to time. A lot of associations start up just to do awards, for example, the Bammies in San Francisco and the Boston Music Awards and that's their entire function. WAMA offers many benefits for members in addition to presenting the awards such as our membership directory, which is produced annually. We have an e-mail newsletter which goes out monthly and we do important education events monthly that are of particular interest to musicians.

We also showcase local musicians in other formats, for example our Crosstown Jam which has recently taken place at Carter Barron and the Timeline Concert Series at Strathmore.

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Arlington, Va.: Will the Wammies be more formal this year with the new venue? What should I wear? Also, will EU be playing "Da Butt" when they perform?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: MS: By nature of the hall that we're in, the Wammies will be more dressy. Dress for music business success.

SB: I'm wearing a smart party frock.

MS: I don't have a party frock. I'm just wearing a coat and tie.

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Washington, D.C.: Is there a minimum age to join WAMA?

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: MS: No and there's not a maximum either.

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Rockville, Md.: Went to your gogo show and the nils lofgren show -- the Timeline series was the best!
How did you get such an uptight place as Strathmore to accept loud-and-local music?

Keep doing it!

Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: When I presented the idea to Eliot Psanstiehl I tried to underscore the research and scholarship of including all types of music without giving him too many specifics. And then once we began the Timeline we were able to show him that we could successfully present all types of music at Strathmore. Hopefully Strathmore won't be viewed as uptight anymore.

MS: Strathmore has been very courageous in making the entertainment choices that they've made that go well beyond what you would expect of them.

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Mike Schreibman and Shelley Brown: SB: Our music in this area is one of our greatest assets. Come out Monday night to support the hard work and dedication of hundreds of local musicians. Go to Strathmore for tickets.

MS: I'm really thrilled for the Washington area to be able to present the show in this fashion in a such a great hall because it is about the music and this place is a wonderful place to experience music.

SB: Tickets range from $25-50 and are available. The phone number is 301-581-5100. Doors open at 7. Show begins at 8. Address is 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, Md., and we're at the Grosvenor-Strathmore stop on the Red Line. Parking is included in the cost of the ticket.

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