MAMA 25th
By Chris MurphyIt is a mind blower that it has been 25 years since the 1st MAMA Awards at the Doubletree Hotel. There have been many hall of fame performances, bands and artist that have gone on to national acclaim, but every year, there are new bands and developing talent that is truly amazing. MAMA is more than just an award show, but a night for musicians to celebrate musicians and recognize all who are working hard to make great music in here in Modesto. You never know how far people can go. Recently, French Cassettes performed at Outsidelands and I was just reading an article about Effie Passero who was a regular here in our community and she is touring with the Post Modern Jukebox as you read this.
Since we started the MAMAs, our mission has been to promote and support live music of all genres in our area. Some people come down from Sonora, Stockton or Merced, but we strive to make Modesto the epicenter. Middagh Goodwin has been the local music encyclopedia for the last few years and I think we have a great line up of MAMAnees for this year.
One of the highlights each year is the Lifetime MAMA Award for those who have gone beyond performing to teach, give back to the community, empower other musicians, and are trailblazers in their own right. This year’s inductee has been at the core of Modesto music since the 1970s. I remember being a “bouncer (aka door ticket guy)” at Mom’s, the pub at Stanislaus State in the early 80s, remembering a mind-blowing early new wave performance by Collage performing Gary Numan’s “Cars.”
We recognize as the 2024 Modesto Area Music Association Lifetime Award inductee Modesto native David Dow.
Synthesizers have always been magical, and David was one of the early innovators and experts in various versions. Starting early with classical and blues piano training, Dave was one of the early adaptors of electronic music in the early 1970s. He earned his BA in music at UC Santa Barbara and a computer music certificate from MIT. Dave was not only an innovative musician but also a composer and teacher, still serving today as a professor of music technology at MJC.
Dave has been in a band of some sort nearly all of his life, in garage bands growing up and in 1973 formed The Source. Joining the staff of MJC, he founded the new music department where electronic music is still taught and showcased. In the late 70s and early 80s, there were two versions of Collage, the area’s premier “new wave” band. He has been part of the late Ernie Bucio’s band, as a duo with Penny White, and as a member of The Touch, Prodigy, Easy Street Band, Kid Charlemagne, the Tall and Small, and more recently David Dow & Friends. He has composed over 150 TV, radio, and computer game pieces. He has performed works in Europe and, most recently, at the 50th Annual International Computer Music Conference in Seoul, South Korea, where at Paiknam Concert Hall, he performed his composition “Phantasma.”
What makes Dave a music legend in our community is his non-stop involvement in making music and, more significantly, his desire to teach, engage, and encourage people to learn and perform. He hosts the open jazz jams, encouraging people to perform live. Dave has performed worldwide, taught, and studied in faraway places but returned to Modesto to make a career in music and share his love of music to inspire others to live a musical life here with his wife, Dianne.
We celebrate David Dow’s lifetime achievements and encourage you to listen to him play or attend one of his many gigs.
What is the Modesto Area Music Association?
The MAMAs are a 501 c 3 non-profit, and we have been working with area sponsors and fundraising to be able to sponsor and support local music programs like Music in the Plaza, Rockin’ Holiday, Art Walk, Rockabilly and Unplugged and Jazz and Blues Blue Monday events. Thank you to all that have been donors and sponsors, and we look to do more grants and opportunities,
Want to wear MAMA?
Look for these cool T-shirts, available for sale at the 2024 MAMA Awards at the State Theatre on October 15. 100% of the proceeds of these shirts will go directly to fun musical opportunities for local musicians.
We encourage any donation. Here is the link to donate.
www.modestoareamusic.com<www.modestoareamusic.com>
Vote for MAMA! See the bands, musicians, and venues in our area and VOTE.
www.modestoareamusic.com
