Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2018

north mount pleasant www.NorthMountPleasant.com | www.ParkWestNeighborhoods.com | www.BrickyardHomes.com NMP - 13 togetherness.” To help ensure that the public’s needs are represented at Awendaw Green, White recruited artist-in-residence Danielle Howle. A singer-songwriter, Howle sometimes performs at the jams but mostly works on outreach with local musicians to learn about the creative landscape of the county and discover what people want. “We’ve done so many different things out here,” she said. “Jesse and Friends has hosted kids’ music camps, and we do something called Swamp Sessions, where artists record together on solar-powered equipment. It’s really cool because if the community likes something, I can make it happen. I’m like a living resource.” It takes more than Howle and White to run an outdoor venue with a scope this wide. A number of people, which White refers to as a “volunteer army,” dedicate their free time to shepherding Awendaw Green in whatever capacity they can. One volunteer is a pizza maker and for years has been bringing her brick oven to the Barn Jams to provide food for artists and their audience. Vendors from across the area set up tents to sell goods and offer services. Volunteers help by taking the $5 donation, setting up the stage and taking out and putting back chairs – it’s very much a cooperative effort. “It’s become something bigger than itself now,” Howle said. “It’s stayed true to its intention as far as being a community event where people can come to be safe and have fun.” While it’s clear that the community loves the unique venue that allows people to BYOB or pack a picnic, the artists gravitate to the venue as well. “They really appreciate the listening room quality and that we allow them to play original music,” said White. “There’s not a wall between the artists and the fans, so there’s a lot of authentic networking that occurs. It brings people together.” Everyone from high school bands to Grammy award winners have performed at Awendaw Green. Many Charleston bands that have made it big, including well- known rock band Stop Light Observations, performed some of their first shows on the Barn Jam stage. “We’re the place for original music,” White commented. “I’ve had so many people come up to me and say, ‘I really feel like I belong here. It feels like home.’”