A musician who understands the difficulties of building a name in the music industry is getting things started for lesser-known talent in the Foothills.
Turner Valley singer/songwriter Deni Kobi is spearheading a concert series in Black Diamond called 306 Sessions, which will offer an intimate setting for the region’s up-and-coming musicians once or twice a month starting in January. The venue, which will also serve as the new location for Kobi’s Lyx Studio, is located at 306 Government Road.
“There are so many musicians out here per capita and they have no place to go,” Kobi said. “With bars and venues not paying a lot of money I’m creating that option for them to rent this venue so they can put on their own show. Anybody who buys tickets is putting money back into music in our area.”
Kobi said there are numerous concert series across the Foothills, but they often feature more seasoned musicians. Finding opportunities to perform for large audiences for those just starting out or who aren’t well known can be a struggle, he said.
“There’s lots of places doing concert series, but they’re not really helping the working class musician out in terms of solo acts and duets and that type of thing,” he said. “I’m having primarily acoustic acts because of the size of the venue and intimacy of it. It’s basically a place where they can come and I can help them sell the show out so they make some money.”
Kobi has been supporting young and burgeoning singer/songwriters in the area through Lyx Studio for years and is confident he’s made enough connections during that time to fill a few months worth of concerts.
“I’m going to bring in some people that I work with regularly,” he said. “It’s just good quality entertainment. I’ve got a pretty vast network.”
The concert series will offer a more intimate setting with seating for about 50 people, said Kobi.
“The benefit of it is the intimacy of the performance and the audience being fully engaged, listening and actually getting it when they listen,” he said. “It rings through your bones in the small setting. You feel a part of it.”
Kobi is leasing the Government Road building with a friend, which he will also use as his studio.
“I was teaching lessons out of my house and it got to be too many students and I had to look for space to evolve,” he said.
“The building came available. In my mind there was only one thing it was for, a little, tiny concert hall.”
Kobi will also rent the space out for such uses as yoga classes and workshops.
“There are lots of people dropping by, even though I’m closed and renovating,” he said. “There is a big buzz.”
Kobi said he is eager to showcase the variety of hidden talent in the Foothills through 306 Sessions.
“This area is known for talented musicians,” he said. “It’s trying to keep that in tact. It’s more about trying to cultivate talent. It’s giving them some opportunity and some guidance.”
Another initiative Kobi is initiating is Mama Let ‘Em Play, which accepts donations of musical instruments to give to talented musicians who can’t afford to buy one of their own. Those who donate instruments will receive free concert tickets, he said.
“There’s a lot of people with an old guitar sitting in the corner,” he said. “If it’s only worth $80 it could make a huge difference in someone else’s life who wants to pursue that.”
The Turner Valley musician has also been busy helping out with special events centered around music in his community, including the Diamonds in the Rough Family Music Festival and working with the Diamond Valley and District Boys and Girls Club on writing an original song for Canada Day to be performed during this summer’s festival.
Kobi is also busy working on the lineup of artists that will perform for 306 Sessions in the new year. Tickets to each show will cost $25.
For more details about 306 Sessions, Mama Let ‘Em Play or Lyx Studios go to lyxstudio.com
