Volume 4, Issue 2
January 24, 2002 - February 6, 2002
Kity Ironton
Mike Drumm clicks the mouse of his laptop while discussing a live video shoot on a hands-free phone. "Actually," he explains to the agent on the other line, "We'll be out in Anaheim doing a shoot with Bad Company-what's the next week look like for you?" He sits in the office of his modest North Denver bungalow, where Music Link is produced and housed. There are stacks of CDs on every shelf, every corner, even piled on the floor.
In one corner, leaning inconspicuously against the wall, is a pile of framed gold records like forgotten memoirs. He gazes past a pendulum dutifully swinging on the Regulator antique clock on the edge of his desk, the face of which is stuck with an ominous note. The memo is a hand-scrawled list labeled "12 steps to good karma." The last line reads simply, "courage."
"Music Link started the summer of 1988," Drumm said, counting years on his fingers. "We're going into our 15th year. That's just amazing." Music Link produces music television shows on KBDI Channel 12 seven days a week. The company has also gained national recognition for producing live concert video footage with major recording artists. Local television shows Music Link, BPM, and Eleven every night at midnight.
Drumm's music television programs have won several Billboard Music Awards; in fact, the production company is currently on a six-year winning streak in the Regional Music Television Programming category. "When you win so many of them in a row," Drumm said, "It's easy to get almost blasé about them." "We've been nominated more than anyone in the history of the awards," according to Jeremy Stroup, Music Link's program director.
Mike Drumm moved to Colorado in 1967. It was the late 60's and the music world was evolving and full of energy with new sounds and new mediums. "The music television shows were exciting to me," Drumm said. "I just got sucked in when I was a kid." Drumm attended the University of Colorado in 1969, but they didn't have a film school at the time, so he left school and went to work for the hippest record store in Boulder, The Record Center. The Record Center introduced Drumm to the record business as well as to the legendary Tommy Bolin (Music Link now runs Bolin's archives). In 1978 Drumm moved down to Denver to volunteer for KCFR radio ("When it was free form," Drumm said, "before it was a classical station.") Less than two weeks later, Drumm found himself hosting his own radio show.
In 1980, Channel 12 started its program broadcasting. "In the beginning it was just so crude," said Drumm. "I thought I could help them. Music videos were just coming out because MTV was about to launch. I knew how to talk to record companies from running record stores, and I was able to get onto service lists so the record companies would send Channel 12 the music videos--we built up quite a library." However, KBDI had all the pains of a growing new business. The station had a division of opinion in which direction the station should grow, and although Drumm had support for his push of a music television show, he would end up leaving KBDI. "I landed on the wrong side of two political factions," Drumm said. "But I had set all the ground work." KBDI would launch FMTV that same year.
Drumm landed at United Cable producing a show called Wave Form Rock Video. Wave Form recorded shows that featured local artists playing live in the studio using a three-camera shoot. "I was like, wow, this is really fun. I had the ability to respond to the music quickly--live on TV. I knew this is what I wanted to do." Wave Form ran 36 episodes and was shown for two years on KBDI.
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul were scheduled to play the Rainbow Music Hall in 1985. Drumm, a Springsteen fan, decided to contact Little Steven to inquire about taping the show at The Rainbow. "I just said look, I think I can get a special TV truck from United Cable to tape the show, and it will cost nothing. They said, 'What do we have to lose? ' and I was able to do a five-cam show." The video was well received and Drumm recalled, "This is what I had to do."
Stroup, for his part, has worked with Music Link for just over a year, after leaving Teletunes, another locally-produced music television program. "I met Mike at a Billboard Awards show, and all three Music Link shows had been nominated for an award. When they offered me the job it was a no-brainer--they win awards over there at Music Link."
The KBDI shows promote new music in an alternative format. "We play new breaking music with a new flavor," Stroup said. "The artists are really creating visual videos with a serious artistic element. PBS has standards that we abide by--we don't promote the bling-bling stuff or some beat out tune. If you're excited about new music, we offer an exciting format in a quality program. We're not just another public access cable show. In fact, we are not a public access show at all."
Musicians often guest host the various Music Link shows when they tour through Denver. "One of the most exciting things we do is have the artists host the shows," Stroup said. "They can talk about anything they want. We actually encourage them to go outside the box. All of the biggest acts have hosted a segment at least once in their careers." Linkin Park recently hosted an Eleven segment on their most recent tour through Denver. Music Link placed their cameras at the end of a bathroom stall while two members of the band graced the porcelain thrones. "You're not going to see that on MTV," Stroup said.
Stroup describes Drumm as extremely determined and exceptionally passionate towards his craft. "He's a really mild-mannered person, but I think he's the most self-driven individual I've ever met." Drumm's search for taping opportunities has led him far afield. In 1990 he was hired to tape the Telluride Bluegrass festival. "It was James Taylor's first year doing the festival," said Drumm. "As soon as the musicians were done with their set, I'd run out of the truck, find the artist, and do an interview. We went up and did a five-cam coverage of 23 different acts, with 25 different interviews in four days." Music Link produced a Telluride Bluegrass Live special that was placed on the Arts and Entertainment network, and Drumm was nominated for Best Director of a Concert Documentary. "Just being nominated was such an honor," said Drumm. "I mean, I didn't win--but I was up against legends."
Drumm came back to Denver after the awards show and got down to business. "We gotta push this harder," Drumm said. "I mean they gave me a chance--an award nomination right out of the box, how do we get more?" Drumm decided he needed to figure out how to generate revenue while promoting "Mr. Record Company." He continued to build relationships with artist's managers, and also started the Music Link Retail Network. Stores like Twist and Shout, Angelo's, and Bart's CDs would give display and monitor space in their record stores for the artists featured on Music Link's programming. The stores are then promoted on Music Link, and the record companies hire Music Link for local promotion. The revenue helps all the Music Link shows continue to air.
"The music business is difficult," Drumm said. "Nobody invites you into it, and once you're in, it's even more difficult to stay in. The bottom line is you have to create a quality product." photo by David Lehl
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