If Virginia is for music lovers, WVPT viewers can look forward to a new program premiering Saturday, March 23 on the PBS affiliate. Aux Send will feature up and coming independent artists and bands, most of which are Virginia-based.
Operating as a web show since 2011, Aux Send was created by Doug Stanford, a producer at DIGICO Shoot | Post | Design in Harrisonburg. The show, co-produced by DIGICO, is currently distributed on a mobile content provider in the United Kingdom and will now be featured on the WVPT Saturday night lineup, airing at 10 p.m. before Austin City Limits.
“I’m exploring what creating independent music looks like,” says Stanford. “Most of the unsigned artists I interview tend to have a pretty individual take on whatever genre they’re approaching, whether they’re exploring lyrics or their instruments in an exciting or unbelievable way.”
The initial broadcast run consists of 13 one-hour episodes, comprising material from the web show as well as unreleased performances. Aux Send will feature performances and interviews with 2-3 bands per episode, includingartists such as Elephant Child of Harrisonburg, Staunton’s Bryan Elijah Smith, Wes Swing of Charlottesville, Richmond’s Nelly Kate and Nick Coward & The Last Battle and more.
“With our continuing efforts to bring programming for and about our region, WVPT is thrilled to add Aux Send to our Saturday night schedule,” says WVPT President David Mullins. “Doug’s show really puts the spotlight on so many local music communities throughout Virginia. And it’s another example of how a great partnership can work with independent producers like Doug, as we ‘flip the broadcast model’ with content that begins online and transitions to the television screen.”
Stanford says it was the support from his colleagues, like DIGICO Partner Joey Groah, that got the show where it is today.
“Side projects have always been supported by the company and me,” says Groah. “Over the years different areas of interest come up. We try to let each other come and go, give each other feedback on content and help each other out on certain projects. In general, that’s really the kind of people—and company—we want to be.”
Stanford says he is excited to see the project make it this far.
“I’ve met so many people through Aux Send—many of whom have become my friends—and this program is helping their audiences grow to include people who don’t actively seek out local or independent music,” he says. “It’s a completely new audience for these artists to reach and hopefully touch.”
About Aux Send
Aux Send showcases the talent of rising independent artists and bands. Produced by Doug Stanford with DIGICO Shoot | Post | Design in Harrisonburg and Winchester, Va., the series began as a personal project—combining Stanford’s passion for music and video production—which has grown to feature more than 25 bands in its first two years. Aux Send is available through the mobile content provider Yamgo TV and will air on WVPT Public Television beginning in March. For more information, visit auxsend.tv.
About DIGICO
DIGICO Shoot | Post | Design is a full-service film, video and motion design firm based in Harrisonburg, Va. DIGICO works with individual businesses, advertising agencies and corporations to create advertising, corporate communication and original content. DIGICO forms lasting relationships with clients using its ability to deliver all aspects of production including concept development, scriptwriting, field production, post production, branding, motion graphic design and consulting. For more information, visit godigico.com.
About WVPT Public Television
Since 1968, WVPT has been the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia’s public television station. But that’s just scratching the surface. WVPT is also a classroom, a concert hall, a conference center, a college and a library of the airwaves. WVPT is one of the most accessible educational institutions in the region, utilizing the power of broadcasting to help carry out its mission of education, culture and citizenship for everyone within its reach. WVPT’s over-the-air broadcast coverage area consists of 40 counties; the signal is also carried on cable channels in Staunton, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Lexington, Lynchburg and Winchester. WVPT’s sister station WVPY is carried on both Dish Network and DirecTV in the Hagerstown/Washington, D.C. market. For more information, visit wvpt.net.
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