>> THIS PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MEMBERS OF WCNY.

THANK YOU.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS.

♪... >> PORCHFEST IS A MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT TAKES PLACE ON PEOPLE'S PORCHES.

>> PORCHFEST IS A FESTIVAL WHERE EVERYBODY PLAYS MUSIC ON A PORCH.

USUALLY THEIR OWN PORCH.

>> PEOPLE VOLUNTEER TO HOST BANDS ON PORCHES, SOMETIMES IT'S THEIR FRIENDS THAT THEY'RE HOSTING.

SOMETIMES IT'S THEMSELVES.

USUALLY IT'S COMPLETE STRANGERS.

>> IT'S A CHANCE FOR NEIGHBORS TO GET OUT AND MEET EACH OTHER AND SEE HOW TALENTED THE FOLKS THEY LIVE NEAR ARE.

♪ ♪ >> IT'S A SIMPLE IDEA.

IT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC AND COMMUNITY IN A TIME OF RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE.

SO, WHAT MAKES PORCHFEST SO UNIQUE?

WHY IS IT POPULAR AND HOW HAS IT BROKEN TO PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SO MANY COMMUNITIES?

PORCHFEST ALL STARTED WITH A PORCH.

OR ACTUALLY, ON A FRONT PORCH.

AND FRONT PORCHES HAVE PLAYED A PROMINENT ROLE IN AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE.

THE FRONT PORCH CAN TRACE ITS ORIGINS TO MANY NATIONALITIES AND CULTURES.

IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH, SHOTGUN HOUSES BUILT BY SLAVES, MIMIC SIMILAR DESIGNS BROUGHT OVER FROM WEST AFRICA.

PORCHES ON THESE HOUSES PROVIDED SHADE AND RELIEF FROM THE HEAT.

AS THE 1800S PROGRESSED, THE FRONT PORCH TOOK ON A GREATER ROLE.

FRONT PORCHES OFTEN DISPLAYED THE STATUS OF A HOUSE.

WHEREAS THE BACKYARD OVERLOOKED THE OUTHOUSE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, FRONT PORCHES BECAME A TRUE EXTENSION OF THE HOUSE, A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE HOME AND THE STREET.

PORCHES PROVIDED A SPACE TO RELAX COMFORTABLY, TO SHARE STORIES AND GREET NEIGHBORS.

THEY WELCOMED FRIENDS AN PASSERSBY AND HELPED TO FOSTER A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

AMERICA HAS ALWAYS HAD PORCHES.

SO HOW DID IT GET PORCHFEST?

IT ALL STARTED IN ITHACA, NEW YORK.

♪ ♪ ♪ AND TONIGHT, YOU BELONG TO ME >> THE IDEA FOR PORCHFEST CAME FROM A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH MY NEIGHBOR GRETCHEN.

>> IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE SPRING.

I WAS WALKING WITH MY DOG AND MY SON AND AS I WALKED BY, LESLIE AND ROBERT'S HOUSE, THEY WERE OUT PLAYING THEIR UKULELES AND WE GOT TO CHATTING.

>> AND WE GOT TO TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH WE LOVED HEARING MUSIC OUTDOORS, AND THEN NOT ONLY THAT, LIKE THERE ARE SO MANY MUSICIANS AROUND IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT COULD YOU PRACTICALLY CREATE A FESTIVAL.

WE WERE LIKE, NO, YOU COULD TOTALLY CREATE A FESTIVAL.

>> IN THE EARLY YEARS PORCHFEST WAS REALLY SIMPLE.

WE DIDN'T TALK TO THE CITY, WE HAD JUST ONE TIME SLOT FOR ALL THE BANDS.

SO IT WAS SIMPLE.

LIKE IT WAS LIKE REACH OUT TO FRIENDS WHO WERE MUSICIANS AND FRIENDS OF FRIENDS WHO WERE MUSICIANS AND SEE IF THEY WOULD PLAY, AND SO GRETCHEN AND I DID IT ALL.

BY 2013, WE WERE NEEDING SOME EXTRA HELP AND SO I PUT OUT A CALL ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD LISTSERV AND WE FOUND ANDY.

>> I GREW UP IN ITHACA.

AND MOVED AWAY FOR A BUNCH OF YEARS FOR COLLEGE AND A FEW YEARS AFTERWARD, AND THE SAME YEAR I MOVED BACK, 2007, WAS THE YEAR THE FIRST PORCHFEST HAPPENED.

I KNEW ABOUT IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS IN, LESLIE AND GRETCHEN PUT OUT THE CALL ON OUR ROBUST AND VIGOROUS NEIGHBORHOOD EMAIL LIST, THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SOME MORE HANDS TO HELP MAKE THE THING HAPPEN.

AND I HAD PLAYED PORCHFEST AND I LOVE PORCHFEST AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN A MUSICIAN AND WORK IN MUSIC A LOT AND IT SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.

>> MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT PORCHFEST IS THAT IT'S A DEMOCRATIC MUSIC EVENT.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT ANYONE CAN SIGN UP TO PLAY.

THERE IS NO BARRIER TO ENTRY.

WE DON'T CURATE IT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE GOOD ENOUGH OR ANYTHING.

AND THERE IS NO STYLISTIC LIMITATION TO IT.

ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO PLAY MUSIC CAN PLAY AND THAT'S IT.

>> PEOPLE LOVE IT.

AND I THINK PART OF IT IS IT'S ACCESSIBLE.

IT'S FREE.

THERE IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY EXCHANGE THAT GOES ON.

LIKE THERE ARE SOME FOOD TRUCKS THAT HAPPEN, BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, IT'S LIKE JUST PEOPLE GOING OUT AND ENJOYING EACH OTHER AND ENJOYING THE DAY.

AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO SHOW THEIR TALENTS, TOO.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

>> JUST A LITTLE OL' ME ♪ >> THIS PRETTY SIMPLE IDEA OF NEIGHBORS GATHERING AT PORCHES TO LISTEN TO MUSIC HIT A CHORD IN ITHACA FROM 20 BANDS IN 2007, IT GREW TO 40, THEN TO 80.

AND WORD OF MOUTH TOOK OFF.

>> WE ARE THE SECOND PORCHFEST THAT WE ARE AWARE OF IN THE COUNTRY ON THE HEELS OF FALLS CREEK IN ITHACA.

WE LOVED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE CAME UP WITH AN IDEA TO HOST A NEIGHBORHOODS OF SHAKER SQUARE HOME TOUR IN 2008.

WE DID THAT EVENT AND IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.

BUT IT DIDN'T QUITE GET THE COOL FACTOR, I GUESS.

AND SO ONE EVENING WE WERE SITTING AROUND AND ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS SAID, FALL CREEK HAS AN INCREDIBLE PORCHFEST, WHERE MUSICIANS PLAY ON THEIR FRONT PORCHES.

IT'S AMAZING.

IT'S BEEN HAPPENING A COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND I LOVED THE IDEA.

SO I JUST STARTED MAKING CALLS.

AND SO JANUARY OF 2009, WE HELD OUR FIRST LARGEMERE PORCHFEST MEETING.

WE HAD LESS THAN A DOZEN MEMBERS AT THE VERY OUTSET AND WE PULLED OFF OUR FIRST EVENT SIX MONTHS LATER IN JUNE.

>> AND SO THE FESTIVAL SPREAD FROM ITHACA.

>> WELL, WE FOUND OUT ABOUT PORCHFEST, ITHACA HAS A BIG PORCHFEST.

WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PIGGY BACK OFF OF THEM, OSWEGO, FAIRHAVEN HAVE ALL HAD PORCHFEST.

WE NEVER DID AND WE WANTED TO TRY IT.

IT STARTED WITH GOING DOOR TO DOOR TO ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS AND ASKING THEM TO HOST A BAND ON THEIR PORCH.

SO INITIALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WEREN'T SURE WHAT THAT MEANT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF HEAD SCRATCHING.

SLOWLY WE STARTED GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF UPTAKE AND ENDED UP WITH SOMETHING LIKE 35 PORCHES AND 50 BANDS.

WE WERE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE EVERYONE.

IT WAS A GREAT TIME.

WE FOUND PEOPLE ACTUALLY ADJUSTING THEIR SUMMER VACATION PLANS TO BE SURE TO BE IN TOWN FOR PORCHFEST SO THEY COULD HOST.

♪ IF YOU WANT TO BE STRONGER, YOU BETTER NOT... >> BEEN ON OUR CALENDAR SINCE THE DATE WAS ANNOUNCED.

WE GOT HERE AT 1:00, PARK THE OUR DAUGHTER'S HOUSE AND JUST WALKING ALL AROUND.

IT'S A GREAT EVENT.

>> THE NEIGHBORHOODS LOVE IT.

YES.

AND THERE IS FOOD TRUCKS, PEOPLE BRING THEIR COOLERS, THEIR LAWN CHAIRS.

SOME PEOPLE HOP FROM EVENT TO EVENT AND SOME PEOPLE WILL COME AND JUST STAY FOR ONE EVENT FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS.

EVERYBODY IS HAPPY TO SEE EACH OTHER.

IT JUST BRINGS A GOOD SUMMER FEELING.

♪ ♪ >> ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO PLAY PORCHFEST CAN PLAY PORCHFEST.

♪ ♪ >> THE RULES?

SIMPLE.

START ON TIME.

END ON TIME.

DON'T BE TOO LOUD.

♪ ♪ >> WE DO NOT HAVE ANY TROUBLE FINDING HOMEOWNERS WILLING TO SHARE THEIR PORCH.

>> I'M HAPPY TO BE ONE OF THE HOST PORCHES FOR PORCHFEST.

WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL PORCH HERE AND I THINK PART OF ME, WHEN I WAS DESIGNING THIS PORCH, THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AND AHEAD OF TIME THAT WE NEEDED A STAGE AS WELL AS A PORCH.

IF YOU WANT TO WATCH MUSIC AT PORCHFEST, YOU HAVE TO HUSTLE.

YOU HAVE TO WALK MILES.

THAT'S ONE WAY TO DO IT.

THE OTHER WAY IS TO DO IT SIT AT ONE PORCH AND WATCH THE MUSIC COME TO YOU.

>> HOW MANY YEARS HAVE I BEEN HOSTING PORCHFEST?

THIS IS MY, I THINK-- WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT.

I THINK THIS IS THE FOURTH YEAR.

MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE I GREET TO SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HERE THAT I GO IT TO SEE JUST ONE TIME A YEAR.

THEY COME TO MY HOUSE BECAUSE THEY HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

>> WELL, I HOST PORCHFEST BASICALLY BECAUSE I AM BORN AND RAISED FULTONIAN.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GET THE PEOPLE IN TOWN TOGETHER TO REALIZE THAT THERE IS A COMMUNITY AND THAT THE CAMARADERIE AND JUST THE ENTERTAINMENT IS A GREAT ESCAPE.

THERE IS SO MUCH THAT ISN'T PLEASANT NOWADAYS, SO HAVING A FUN SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER IS JUST SOMETHING GREAT.

IT WORKS FOR US.

>> LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY.

I'M GOING TO HAVE A PORCHFEST EVERY YEAR WHETHER THE CITY HAS IT OR NOT.

I'M GOING TO HAVE MY PEOPLE OVER HERE.

>> IN THE YEARS SINCE IT BEGAN ON A PORCH IN ITHACA NEW YORK, PORCHFEST HAS BEEN CELEBRATED IN OVER 230 COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S.

AND CANADA.

IN 2019, IT JUMP ADD CROSS THE PACIFIC AND IS NOW A PART OF TWO NEIGHBORHOODS IN AUSTRALIA.

>> I THINK THERE ARE AS MANY TYPES OF PORCHFESTS AS THERE ARE PORCHFESTS.

AND I THINK EVERY PORCHFEST EVERYWHERE IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

THE PORCHFESTS HERE AND THE PORCHFEST IN ATLANTA AND ONE IN NASHVILLE AND ONE OUTSIDE OF SAN FRANCISCO ARE ALL GOING TO BE DIFFERENT EVENTS BECAUSE YOU ARE OR DEALING WITH REALLY DIFFERENT CREATIVE >> I SHOWED UP IN SITKA WITH A MANDOLIN FROM A GIFT FROM MY DAD.

WHEN I GOT TO SITKA AND SAW HOW COMMUNITY ORIENTED THE TOWN WAS, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION.

>> FORTUNATELY DIXON ELEGANT CAME TO THE ARTS COUNCIL WITH THIS IDEA FOR PORCHFEST.

WE HADN'T HEADER OF PORCHFEST BEFORE AND WE ENDED UP WITH A MIX OF ARTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL.

>> EVERY MAY OR SO, LATE MAY, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE USUALLY BLOCK OFF THE MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN, WE SET UP A FEW DIFFERENT STAGES THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

WE ALSO HAVE AN ART WALK THAT CONSISTS OF ARTISTS SELLING THEIR WORK, SHOWING THEIR WORK, AND ALSO GIVING WORKSHOPS.

>> WE GET A LOT OF TOURISTS IN THE SUMMER.

WE CAN HAVE UP TO FIVE BOATS.

THEY USUALLY HAVE BETWEEN 1500 AND 4500 PASSENGERS PER SHIP.

WE PICKED A DAY WHERE THERE WEREN'T ANY BIG SHIPS IN TOWN SO THAT THE LOCALS COULD KIND OF TAKE OVER DOWNTOWN FOR ONE LAST TIME BEFORE IT REALLY KIND OF BECAME A TOURIST PLACE FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER.

SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THICK THAT IS UNIQUE TO PORCHFEST.

AND IT MAKES IT PARTICULARLY LOVED BY THE LOCALS.

>> YOU KNOW, SITKA IS A VERY RAINY PLACE BUT FOR SOME REASON, ALWAYS ON PORCHFEST, THERE IS ALWAYS A POCKET OF SUN.

♪ I WILL KEEP ON TRAVELING ♪ ♪ HOPING I RUN INTO YOU ♪ >> IN SUCH A SMALL COMMUNITY, IT MAKES AN EVEN BIGGER IMPACT FOR YOU TO SCHAFFER YOUR CREATIVITY AND PASSION WITH PEOPLE WHO YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY ALL THE TIME.

AND TO KNOW YOU, DEEPLY, AND IT'S LOVELY.

>> THAT'S ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT PORCHFEST.

EVERY YEAR IS YOU CAN JUST LOOK DOWN MAIN STREET AND YOU CAN JUST SEE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED TOGETHER, LOCAL PEOPLE, ENJOYING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LOCAL ARTISTS AND OF ALL DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND THERE IS JUST SMILES ALL WAITED DOWN THE STREET.

IN YEAR THREE, I STARTED HEARING PEOPLE WALKING AROUND WITH THEIR SMILES SAYING HAPPY PORCHFEST.

AND I FELT LIKE WE HAD ARRIVED BECAUSE IT WAS A THING.

IT WAS LIKE A HOLIDAY ENOUGH TO HAVE A GREETING LIKE THAT.

HAPPY PORCHFEST.

♪ ♪ >> THERE WAS A TIME WHEN MUSIC WAS A SHARED EXPERIENCE.

MAYBE NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED THE MANY WAYS WE INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.

THE INTRODUCTION OF AIR CONDITIONING ALLOWED PEOPLE TO AVOID THE HEAT AND STAY INDOORS.

THE ADVENT OF THE TELEVISION HELPED KEEP THEM INSIDE.

THE SWIMMING POOL REPLACED THE FRONT SWING.

THE BACK PATIO REPLACED THE FRONT STOOP.

THE FAMILY HOME BECAME MUCH LESS A PUBLIC SPACE.

BUT INSTEAD, A MORE PRIVATE ONE AS THE BRIDGE TO THE OUTDOORS MOVED TO THE REAR OF THE HOUSE.

HEATHER BUCKMAN IS PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AT HAMILTON COLLEGE.

>> INFORMAL MUSIC MAKING ON PORCHES SEEMS TO BE A PART OF OUR CULTURE, AND THE IDEA OF EXPERIENCING MUSIC IN PERSON IN THIS INFORMAL KIND OF SETTING OF A PORCH CONCERTINGS SUCH A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL COUNTER TREND TO THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE IN OUR CULTURE OF TENDING TO BE ONLINE ALL THE TIME, AND ISOLATED.

>> I THINK IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO LOSE SIGHT OF MAYBE WHO OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR IS.

GOING BACK TO WHEN I GREW UP, YOU KNOW, YOU KNEW WHO WERE NEIGHBORS WERE AND YOU HUNG OUT TOGETHER AND ALL.

AND IN SOME WAYS WE HAVE LOST THAT A LITTLE BIT.

THIS IS A WAY TO BRING IT BACK.

>> IT IS SO EASY TO BE SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER AND STAY BACK BY YOURSELF AND BE IN YOUR OWN COMFORT ZONE.

THIS IS A GREAT THING WHERE PEOPLE WALK AROUND AND MEET DIFFERENT PEOPLE, MEET DIFFERENT BANDS.

IT REALLY GETS YOU OUT OF YOUR SHELL.

>> I STAY INSIDE A LOT, YEAH.

>> WHILE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOCIAL MEDIA, SOCIAL CONNECTION IS VERY DIFFERENT ON THE SCREEN THAN WHEN YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, WALKING DOWN A STREET, DISCOVERING SOMETHING NEW, MEETING NEW PEOPLE, WHEN A NEIGHBOR IS HOSTING A BAND ON THEIR PORCH AND THEY'RE OFFERING EVERYONE WHO IS THERE A CUP OF LEMONADE.

IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE IT'S A FUNNY THING WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON OUR DEVICES.

AND AT PORCHFEST, SURE, THERE ARE DEVICES, BUT USUALLY IT'S TAKING PHOTOS OF FRIENDS.

IT'S TAKING A VIDEO OF A REALLY AWESOME BAND THAT YOU JUST HEARD FOR THE FIRST TIME.

THERE IS A SHARED MOMENT HAPPENING.

>> EXPERIENCE OF HEARING MUSIC LIVE, IN PERSON, AND SHARING THAT WITH OTHER PEOPLE IS-- IT FEEDS OUR SOUL IN JUST A DIFFERENT WAY.

THE SOUND IS AROUND US, VIBRATING THE AIR AND SO IN A WAY, TOUCHING US.

THE SENSE OF EXPERIENCING ART, MUSIC, IN PERSON, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, SHARING IT WITH THEIR FRIENDS, SHARING IT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

THIS IS A REALLY ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF CREATIVE PLACE MAKING.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ YOU SAY I'M THE ONE YOU LOVE ♪ ♪ I'M THE ONE YOU ARE THINKING OF ♪ ♪ I HEAR YOU TALKING BUT YOU DON'T... >> HOW ARE YOU DOING, PORCHFEST.

[ CHEERING ] I LOVE THIS EVENT BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE YOU PLAYING FOR PEOPLE, YOU ARE ALSO PLAYING AT PEOPLE.

>> I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT OUR EVENT IS JUST THAT IT IS OPEN TO EVERYONE.

I LIKE TO CALL IT A DEMOCRATIC MUSIC FESTIVAL.

>> THIS IS OUR THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR, MAYBE EVEN FIFTH ON THIS PORCH, WHEN WE STARTED PLAYING NOW WE ARE LIKE LET'S PLAY PORCHFEST.

IN FACT, THE TRUMANSBURG PORCHFEST WAS OUR FIRST SHOW EVER.

SYSCO, BRETT AND MYSELF WAS THE FIRST TIME WE PLAYED LIVE IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> WELL, MY FAVORITE THING IS IS THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO SEE US PLAY BECAUSE THEY'RE FRIENDS OF OURS.

>> I JUST LOVE PERFORMING.

IT'S REALLY FUN TO PERFORM AND THIS IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PLACE.

♪ AND EVEN NOW I'M STILL WRITING MORE SONGS ABOUT THE SPACE YOU HAVE ON YOUR... >> IT'S SUPER COOL TOE PLAY FOR THE TOWN, RIGHT?

I THINK, LIKE I SEE PEOPLE WALKING BY ON PORCHFEST AND GO OH WOW, LIKE I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE OR LIKE I GO GET COFFEE FROM YOU.

AND THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH THEY DON'T KNOW THAT I SING, RIGHT?

I DON'T GO UP AND SAY I'M THE LEAD SINGER OF THE SOUL BENDERS, RIGHT?

IT'S LIKE A COOL, ANOTHER LAYER IN WHICH YOU CAN SORT OF CONNECT WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY COOL THING.

♪ ♪ I FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN PORCHFEST AS A PERFORMER WHEN I MOVED TO ITHACA 13 YEARS AGO.

A LOCAL BAND INVITED ME TO PLAY AND I JUST ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE WITH THE EVENT.

SO PORCHFEST PROVIDES A STAGE FOR PERFORMERS TO SCHAFFER THE MUSIC THAT THEY LOVE WITH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN A WAY THAT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE.

A LOT OF SCHOOLS WILL HAVE BANDS, ORCHESTRAS AND CHOIRS, LARGE ENSEMBLES THAT ARE PHENOMENAL BUT IF A STUDENT WANTS TO BE PART OF A SMALLER GROUP, ROCK BAND OR FIDDLE GROUP, MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM SO PORCHFEST GIVES THEM A PLACE TO EXPLORE MUSIC MEANINGFUL TO THEM.

>> THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT PORCHFEST IS THE RANGE OF AGES OF THE MUSICIANS.

SO MANY PEOPLE START OUT PLAYING WITH THEIR PARENTS, LIKE IN THE FAMILY BAND, THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN EXIST IF THERE WASN'T A PORCHFEST TO PLAY AT.

>> ONE OF THE UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES OF PORCHFEST IS IT REALLY CELEBRATES AMATEURISM AND I THINK AMATEURISM, ESPECIALLY MUSIC HAS A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION OF MEAN CAN NOT A GOOD MUSICIAN BUT REALLY THE ROOT OF AMATEUR, AMATEUR, COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD FOR LOVER.

AND AMATEUR IS SOMEONE WHO DOES THINGS FOR THE LOVE OF IT AND NOT FINANCIAL GAIN.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ SWEET AS SODA POP, I STILL DREAM ABOUT THAT ♪ ♪ ROCKY TOP, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE HOME SWEET HOME TO ME ♪ ♪ GOOD OL' ROCKY TOP, ROCKY TOP TENNESSEE ♪ ♪ ROCKY TOP TENNESSEE ♪ ♪ ♪ >> I LOVE HOW PORCHFEST CELEBRATES THE COMMUNITY THROUGH MUSIC AND THE IDEA THAT WE ARE ALL MUSICIANS AND WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER.

>> WHILE PORCHFEST IS A REALLY SIMPLE IDEA, NEIGHBORS PLAYING FOR NEIGHBORS, IT TAKES A LOT OF ORGANIZATION AND A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS TO PUT A PLAN INTO ACTION.

>> WE BEGIN IN JANUARY, TAKING BANDS AND CONFIRMING ALL OF THOSE, WHAT SIZE OF BANDS THEY ARE, WHAT KINDS OF BANDS.

WE TALK TO BANDS, WE TALK TO FOOD TRUCKS, WE TALK TO THE PORCHES.

WE TALK TO EVERYBODY.

>> IT'S STILL THAT FIGURING OUT WHO PLAYS WHEN AND WHERE, BUT ALSO FILLING OUT PERMITS WITH THE CITY, GETTING INSURANCE AND, YOU KNOW, COORDINATING THE FOOD VENDORS AND THE MAKERS MARKET AND FIGURING OUT ABOUT T SHIRTS.

SO IT'S GOTTEN A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX OVER THE YEARS.

AND ALSO MORE BANDS.

>> THIS IS THE MOST ELABORATE AND DIFFICULT PART OF THE PROCESS IS GOING THROUGH THOSE 150ISH PERFORMERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP AND ORGANIZING THEM AROUND EACH OTHER SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TWO PEOPLE PLAYING RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER OR RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM EACH OTHER.

>> SCHEDULING IS A REALLY TRICKY PART OF IT AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT MY HUSBAND, WHO IS A COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR, ACTUALLY WROTE SOFTWARE TO HELP US SCHEDULE THE BANDS.

>> PORCHFEST DOESN'T TAKE MAT MUCH MONEY TO RUN FORTUNATELY.

>> IT'S REALLY INTERESTING HEARING HOW DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY: SOME ARE THE PRODUCT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION OF SOME KIND, SOME GET A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THEIR CITIES FINANCIALLY AND STRUCTURALLY.

SOME, YOU KNOW, AND SOME ARE JUST COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT NEIGHBORS PUTTING ON A THING, ENTITIES LIKE WE ARE.

>> IT REALLY IS STILL A COMMITTEE OF NEIGHBORS, GRASSROOTS GET IT DONE IS HOW WE ARE ORGANIZED.

>> IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO PUT THIS ON.

THAT'S FOR SURE.

>> IN A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MORE SCREEN TIME THAN FACE TO FACETIME, WHEN SOCIAL MEDIA HAS HARDENED POLITICAL AND SOCIAL BOUNDARIES, WHAT STARTED ON A SINGLE PORCH IN ITHACA, IS HELPING TO UNITE US.

>> I THINK IN TODAY'S CLIMATE OF DIVISIVENESS AND POLITICAL RHETORIC, PORCHFEST HAS A WAY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH A SHARED LOVE OF MUSIC.

>> MUSIC IS A REALLY GREAT UNIFIER.

WHEN WE STARTED OUT TO CREATE THIS EVENT, IT WAS LIVE LOCAL MUSIC, CELEBRATING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHO DOESN'T LOVE A FRONT PORCH HANGOUT?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> I THINK PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO CELEBRATE THEIR COMMUNITYIES, AND BRING THEM TOGETHER AND PORCHFEST IS A REALLY SIMPLE, FUN WAY TO DO THAT.

IT'S FUN.

IT'S REALLY FUN.

♪ ♪ [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> HAPPY PORCHFEST.