Written by: Brian Huang
Hello there, my name is Brian! I grew up in the greater Richmond area and I’m proud to call this place my home. I didn't really have the opportunity to get plugged into the music scene because I left to attend the University of Michigan. Recently, I’ve been able to move back and am super excited to break into the local community! You can also find me playing bass in my Shoegaze band, bellwether, or looking for records to pick up.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. While I did take piano lessons as a kid and was playing Bach and Beethoven pieces, I don’t think my interest in music solidified until I started taking guitar lessons and discovered Linkin Park on the radio. From there on, music had a deeper, visceral effect on my interests and personality.
After picking up skateboarding, I tried to learn cool riffs from songs I was discovering from my fellow skater peers. I was looking up guitar tabs and playing in my bedroom over and over. My friends and I would also share all these CDs with each other and we’d marvel over the lyrics and sounds we heard. In high school, we started a band and won a school competition where we played some covers, which was super cool!
Fast forward to today, I’m still trying to discover new music constantly by looking for another genre that clicks and then trying to read about the history of the movement. I also have this desire to get involved with local musicians and artists by connecting people to each other and help with logistics to make things happen!
Something that people need to know about Richmond is how tight-knit the community is and if you can get your foot in the door, you can easily meet folks who all know and take care of each other.
Start by finding local artists that suit your tastes and go out to shows! There’s a ton of stuff happening every week and Richmond is still small enough where you can quickly meet others (including the artist themselves) or discover organizations where you can get involved.
You may also discover a network that goes beyond just RVA; for instance, the east coast shoegaze scene is generally well-connected and I’m starting to notice that lots of these bands that I listen to are planning tours and playing various shows together.
Anyway, I’m happy to be a part of HearRVA and am looking forward to spreading the word about the awesome music coming out of my hometown!
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Blog Author - Brian Huang: Hello there, my name is Brian! I grew up in the greater Richmond area and I’m super excited to break into the local music community. You can find me playing bass in my Shoegaze band, bellwether, or looking for records to pick up.
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