Thurston Community Media’s New Show, ‘The Riff’, Highlights Local Musicians and Production Students

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Are you looking to get your music heard? If you are a local talent waiting to be discovered, “The Riff” just might get you that chance. Thurston Community Media (TCMedia) created the new show to showcase Thurston County musicians with an interview and performance in front of a live audience.

From left: Gabriel Gutierrez, Ker Malkin Gesulga (TCMedia Staff), Fletcher Ward (TCMedia Staff), Lakota Dorris, Shannon Riggs, Genevieve Dabrowski, and David J. Spears. Photo courtesy: TCMedia

TCMedia already has a successful media education program, that includes workshops on cinematography, photography, editing, production, audio and more. The new show is not only inspired by the program, but ran by the students who have taken the three-part Studio Production workshop. “The Riff,” is named after the term used for guitar solos, the idea of “riffing” in a conversation and the host’s goldendoodle. Host Fletcher Ward, TCMedia staff member, says its an amazing addition to the TCMedia line up. “For me, personally, ‘The Riff’ combines an exciting mixture of music and media production as well as education,” said Ward.

The first episode of the “The Riff” was filmed in December 2019, with students filling all the production positions for the live, in-studio event. Their names even appear in the credits, making this an amazing opportunity for local production students wanting to get their name on projects.

Those who want to get started can become members of TCMedia and take classes like Studio Production, iOS Production, and Intro to Cinematography. It all starts with Orientation on the second Saturday of each month at 10:30 a.m. Then, students would take the three-part Studio Production class before getting to be a part of filming the next episode of “The Riff.”  Becoming a member is easy, just go to the TCMedia website to get signed up.

Showcasing Thurston County Musicians

The Riff was an incredibly cool talk show experience!” says Dorris. Photo courtesy: TCMedia

Lakota Dorris had the honor of being the first local singer-songwriter featured on “The Riff.” He discussed his music and performed songs from his most recent album, “Steadily Moving Through Growth and Decay.” “The Riff was an incredibly cool talk show experience!” says Dorris. “I had a great time meeting the folks who work so hard behind the scenes to make it possible, and witnessing the ebb and flow of such a community minded studio.”

Dorris’s music can be found on all streaming platforms and “The Riff” is now available on the TCMedia’s YouTube channel, channel 22 and 77, and Video-On Demand (VOD).

Find all of TCMedia’s content on channels 3, 22, 26, and 77 on Comcast. You can also watch on TCMedia.org, Video On-Demand or our Roku channel. To learn more about what TCMedia does, visit the Thuston Community Media YouTube channel or the TCMedia website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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