12:00 – 1:30 PM
Session C - MAIN GALLERY
This Thing We Do (Houston DJ Culture Revealed)
Jason Woods
(presentation)
When it comes to music culture, Houston has always approached it a bit different than other major cities. The reputation of the city varies depending on who you talk to. Someone may know Houston for Oil & Gas or being a top Energy provider. Ask someone else and they may mention NASA, The Ship Channel or the Medical Center. People know about the entrepreneurs, wildcatters, and astronauts, but the last thing people might mention is how diverse and pioneering Houston’s music scene has been for the last 60+ years. The Bayou City has a rich history of Gospel, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Country, Rock and Hip Hop. Flash Gordon Parks will discuss how musicians, DJs and entertainers had to create certain avenues in order to share their talent with the city and the world at large. Artists such as Screwed Up Click, Slim Thug, K-Otix & many more. Also DJ’s who’ve done their own marketing (Def Jam Blaster & DJ Aggravated) and made their own unforgettable album covers (Geto Boys, ESG, Lil Flip), to those who made their own means of distribution (DJ Screw’s mixtape distribution & setting up the Screw Shop), to the venue makers who took space of their own (Ray Barnett), to the shop owners who made a platform and meeting grounds (Chuck Roast, Darryl Scott, etc.) and the deejays who’ve found the music and shared it on the airwaves and in spots that’ve changed the sound of the city (DJ Sun, DJ Cipher, Witnes, etc.) Come hear how Houston musicians have made a way to spin, show, distribute, and play their work outside the lines, redrawing the lines, and changing the game.
From his collections as a deejay, ethnomusicologist, photographer, and documentary filmmaker, Flash Gordon Parks will share vintage photos, records and interviews highlighting why the City of Houston’s music culture is so special and how the artists/deejays/etc have made it that way.
Jason Woods is a photographer, deejay and documentarian from Houston, TX. An accomplished photographer of over fifteen years, Woods began his study of photography at Jack Yates High School. He continued his study and progression as an artist at Sam Houston State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Photography. During that time Woods began to cultivate all of his inherent artistic talents.
Determined to explore new mediums of art that combine various genres in innovative ways, Woods created The Beautiful Side of Ugly (2005) with Eric Blaylock. TBSOU combined the poetic words of Blaylock with the striking images of Woods to document the beauty of urban areas of Houston, Texas.
Jason Woods is also known as Flash Gordon Parks, an accomplished deejay in the city of Houston. As a DJ, Woods strives to reach the souls of people with music. He believes his job is not only to entertain, but expose the audience to music that may not be accessible in familiar arenas. He was the recipient of the 2013 Houston Arts Alliance Grant which in part funded his documentary, This Thing We Do, about how the DJ has helped shape culture in Houston, TX. www.flashgordonparks.com
Esto que hacemos (La cultura DJ de Houston al descubierto)
Jason Woods
(presentación)
Cuando se trata de la cultura musical, Houston siempre la ha abordado de una manera un poco diferente al resto de otras grandes ciudades. La reputación de la ciudad varía dependiendo de con quién hables. Algunos pueden conocer a Houston por el petróleo o por ser uno de los principales proveedores de energía. Pregunta a alguien más y mencionarán a la NASA, el Ship Channel o el Centro Médico. La gente sabe de empresarios, especuladores y astronautas, pero lo último que mencionarían es lo diversa y pionera que ha sido la escena musical de Houston en los últimos 60 años. La ciudad de los pantanos (The Bayou City) tiene una rica historia de música góspel, jazz, blues, soul, country, rock y hip hop. Flash Gordon Parks analizará cómo los músicos, DJs y artistas han tenido que crear ciertas espacios para poder mostrar su talento en la ciudad y el mundo. Artistas como Screwed Up Click, Slim Thug, K-Otix & muchos más. También los DJs que han hecho su propia promoción (Def Jam Blaster & DJ Aggravated) y elaborado inolvidables portadas de discos (Geto Boys, ESG, Lil Flip), a aquellos que desarrollaron sus medios de distribución (la distribución de las mezclas de DJ Screw y el establecimiento de Screw Shop), a los que se apropiaron de lugares (Ray Barnett), a los dueños de negocios quienes crearon una plataforma y lugares de encuentro (Chuck Roast, Darryl Scott, etc.) y los deejays quienes han encontrado la música y la han compartido en las radios y espacios que han cambiado el sonido de la ciudad (DJ Sun, DJ Cipher, Witnes, etc.). Te invitamos a escuchar cómo los músicos de Houston han creado una forma de pinchar, mostrar, distribuir y tocar su música fuera de los márgenes, redibujando los bordes y cambiando el juego.
Flash Gordon Parks compartirá fotos antiguas, grabaciones y entrevistas de sus colecciones como deejay, etnomusicólogo, fotógrafo y documentalista, destacando por qué la cultura musical de la ciudad de Houston es tan especial y cómo los artistas/deejays/etc. han contribuido a su creación.