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October-November, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 10
THE SAN DIEGO MUSIC HALL OF FAME
BY BART MENDOZA © MUSICSCENESD // MUSICSCENESD.COM
OCTOBER 2021
Third Annual Ceremony
San Diego’s rich musical history will be celebrated on November 5, when the 3rd Annual San Diego Music Hall of Fame takes place at the NewBreak Church in Ocean Beach. Hosted by Jefferson Jay, this year’s honorees include The Beat Farmers, Yale Strom, DJ Karlos Kulture, Lisa Sanders, The Deering Family and Bob Taylor & Kurt Listug of Taylor Guitars. According to Jay, the inspiration for the award came with the realization that many folks don’t know about all the incredible musicians that have called San Diego home. “There’s a rich tradition of music in San Diego dating back over a century that many of our local residents are unfamiliar with,” he said. “Our goal with the awards is to lift the morale of musicians, music lovers and residents of San Diego County and generate positive feelings by honoring and celebrating the great accomplishments of musicians in our region’s history.” Jay notes that choosing candidates for induction is no easy task. “Because there have been so many years of great music in so many genres, there are dozens, probably hundreds, of worthy honorees,” he remarked. “With that said, we aim to create classes of inductees that span across genre, era, and all the other important ways of representing the diverse community we are blessed to be a part of.” What is the criteria for possible inclusion? “Because there are so many worthy candidates, we look for people who have separated themselves with their character, kindness, and consideration of the other people involved in making a music scene,” Jay commented. “Kindness counts.” While the Hall of Fame event is not an “awards show” per se, “the format is along the lines of the awards shows seen on TV. There are performances,
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presenters, and emotional moments in what is designed to be an overall uplifting event,” Jay said. One special part of the night will be the presentation of the The Dawn Steel Award for Strength presented each year to someone who has exhibited strength in the face of great adversity. “This year we will present that to children of 2021 inductee DJ Carlos Culture, who passed away during the pandemic, and their mother Tanya Daley Torres.” What does he hope attendees take away from the night? “A positive feeling and perhaps, some things they didn’t know before about the people we are inducting,” Jay said. “We have received some wonderful donations for our silent auction so attendees may also go home with a new electronic drum set, an electric bass, an electric guitar, or a Baby Taylor acoustic guitar, musical treasures that can last a lifetime.” Interest in the event has been growing, but at least for now, plans are for it to remain in Ocean Beach, optimally at the Newbreak Church. “Pastor Carter Moss of the church is a friend of mine.,” Jay said. “We are like-minded in our commitment to our community here in Ocean Beach. The SDMHOF has done everything we can to keep our event in Ocean Beach as long as possible and will continue to until the event outgrows the venues available in OB.” He points out that the Hall of Fame ceremony “is not a partying and drinking- based event so the beautiful room at the Newbreak Church in Ocean Beach lends itself to the kind of reverence and attention we are looking for, for our event. It’s perfect where we are `right now. “ While the Hall of Fame ceremony has been keeping Jay busy in recent weeks, he is also working on other projects. Among them is “The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit,” “an inclusivity initiative/animated holiday musical series designed to show the world what folks with disabilities are capable of when given proper opportunity,” Jay explained. “It stars a fully inclusive cast of voice actors and is based on a series of plays I directed at a day center for adults with developmental disabilities in El Cajon from 2014 to 2017.” Beyond visual arts, he @LocalUmbrellaMedia
remains an incredibly prolific musician. Jay is currently completing a five-record set called, “Spring.” “It is acoustic and features many songs that I wrote for 2016’s Operation 365 2, in which I shared three videos and a blog every day for a year, including an original song, and a cover song daily, 86 songs in all.” While he’s looking forward to these next items on his schedules, he’s happy with the progress and reception of the Hall of Fame. “The two events we’ve had so far been unforgettable, moving events,” he said. “The inductees and attendees have embraced what we are doing. When I informed one of the inductees this year, they were moved to tears. That may have elicited a couple of tears from me as well.” He considers that sort of response to be a major factor in his efforts with the Hall of Fame. “This is the kind of love and appreciation our local performers deserve to experience,” Jay said. “Local people, whether or not they are big music fans, deserve to appreciate and understand that music is a huge part of what makes our city and region great,” he continued. “Our goal is to make that a lot easier for everybody and so far I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished.” https://sdmusichalloffame.com/ about/2021-induction-ceremony/
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