Lady Denim
Who is she?
Here I am -- the music reviewer whose experience includes roughly 6 years of public school concert band and a lifetime bond with iTunes.
My name is Gavin Berlyak. I'm a junior at the University of Northern Colorado, pursuing a major in journalism with an emphasis in news and multimedia studies. Outside of school, I work as a waitress at a local drive-in restaurant. I live with my cat, Loki, and stacks upon stacks of old records and albums.
Originally, I hail from the generalized "south." More specifically, I'm from the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee -- otherwise known as Music City. For years, I grew up and lived in a place that people see as the Mecca for singers and songwriters.
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My love for music has been around for as long as I can remember. In thinking of a topic for my blog, close friends and family reminded me that music has been a big part of my identity. I'll admit, but I'm sure you can already tell: my Spotify playlists are my babies, and I think I take more care of them than I do myself.
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When I moved to Colorado for college in 2017, I didn't know a single soul. In 2019, I eventually found myself standing in The Moxi -- a Greeley-borne venue -- watching a group of college students perform some songs that they single-handedly wrote, mixed and produced entirely on their own. From that point on, I was hooked. These musicians, who took time out of their everyday lives to be creative and vulnerable, became my inspiration, my colleagues and eventually my friends.
How can I express my adoration for the local music scene while using this degree I spent thousands for? How can I accentuate the connections between the music scene and the community as a whole? But most importantly: How can I genuinely help these artists and venues that highlight the uniqueness of Northern Colorado?
That's where this blog comes in.
My main goal is to propagate a crucial community that has been working under our noses for as long as music itself has been around, enriching the community. These musicians and venues enrich the community around them, yet are often overlooked for the larger, better and more privileged. The music industry has always been one with a strong foundation in "knowing the right people," and this blog is a godsend to eradicate that fear -- both for musical collaborators and their audiences. I also see this as a great opportunity to spread an eclectic and open mindset to find new music -- namely by exposing you, my beautiful audience, to songs (new and old) and posing discussions on fundamental elements and emotions behind said exposure.
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If you get nothing else out of this blog, I want you to give these artists and songs a chance in your playlist. The world is big, which reflects heavily on the music industry, other forms of art and, therefore, our own psyche. Here's to finally getting some organization in our lives.
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ALSO, follow my Instagram to see the latest shows I go to in northern Colorado!