Why Ocala Magazine? Why?

Upon doing some reading the other day I discovered that Ocala Magazine proclaimed to have a ‘comprehensive look at the area’s thriving arts community‘ and I was overjoyed because I assumed that they, being a hip magazine leading in readers aged 18-25, would touch on the local music scene. I was quickly disappointed. In the whole section dedicated to this ‘State of the Arts’ there were i believe three musicians covered. The band Mosiac was the most extensively covered and then there were two painstakingly small sidebars about a soloist and Ocala’s Julian and the Heartthrob Heroes. That was it! There are over 25 performing and giging local bands in Ocala and that was it! I was abhorred! So in my fury, I decided that instead of doing what most people would do, which is complain about it to their friends, throw the magazine away and swear never to read it again; I was going to do something no matter how small about it. So I got my email client open and started a letter to the editor. At first I wanted to be mad, I wanted to ask them how dare they ignore the music community, but my years in journalism class taught me that journalist, like flies, desire honey much more than vinegar. So I composed an email asking them why. Why was Ocala determined to ignore its music community? Was it ignorance or abhorrence? It was a very stirring letter, it made me feel better about the situation a little. Happily proofread and all formatted, I have sent it off. I hope I get a reply and I really hope it is a step toward getting the music scene brought to the light in this little town that turns off at ten.

Toodles,

Trysta Rosenweig
Manager of Slow Motion Killers
Founder of Project Revive Ocala Music!

I am posting the letter below this just in case you wanted to read what was said.

Cover of the issue in question.

——-

To: letters@ocalamagazine.com

From: Trysta

Hi,

I’m a occasional reader of Ocala Magazine, I tend to read it while I am at work if I think an article will interest me and I have a serious question. Why does it seem like Ocala is trying to ignore it’s local music scene, or at least most of it? In your issue the cover claimed to have a ‘comprehensive look at the area’s thriving arts community’ but I find that you covered maybe 70% of it. There is a music community here in Ocala that I believe doesn’t get enough exposure. I am unsure if it is because people aren’t aware it exist or if Ocala truly wants to sweep it under the rug, but a lot of Ocalans are missing out. I have a bit of first hand experience in this community, being that I am a manager of a local Ocala based band. There are around 25 to 30 performing bands of varying genres here in Ocala. Julian and the Heartthrob Heroes are not the only ones here, but they are the only ones mentioned in a painfully small sidebar on one of the pages. The band I manage is an alternative band with songs that range from a folk indie sound to definite rock, called Slow Motion Killers, but we aren’t the only ones either. There are bands such as Gettendeep, who has played as a start up band for International Acts such as Papa Roach; Kings of Awesome, a band with it’s own take on southern rock; Cullitarlarii which sounds like an amazing combination of the worldwide sensation Nightwish and screamer rock band ArchEnemy, just to name a few. Hardly anyone in Ocala knows about them. Why is this? Why is it that your ‘comprehensive look’ overlooked this part of our community? Is there someway that we can finally bring the thriving Ocala Music scene to the attention of the people who live here?

Thanks,

Trysta R.

Tags: central florida music, fl, fl music, florida, florida music, local bands, local music, marion county, marion county music, ocala, ocala fl, ocala florida, Ocala magazine, Ocala Magazine Opinion, ocala music, ocala music news, ocala news, trysta rosenweig

This entry was posted on September 23, 2010 at 7:25 pm and is filed under Music News from Trysta, Ocala News, Uncategorized, Views. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.