Dominique Ehmig
BOOKER, DJ, SINGER
AGE: 21
A student in her final year at the University of Oregon,
Dominique Ehmig books shows at The Boreal, an all-ages DIY
venue in the Whiteaker; she DJs for KWVA campus radio; and
she is vocalist for Eugene grindcore band Paranoiac.
“Extreme music, and its subculture, is the place where I have
found sanctuary and support. I love this community and the
music and values we share with each other,” Ehmig says.
While Eugene is a relatively small city, it has a well-developed
music scene. What makes it work?
Everyone knows each other, and since many shows are put on
by volunteers and community members, the ethic of DIY feels
genuine and can be inspiring. There are some seriously talented
and creative musicians in Eugene and some really great fans and
community members.
Socially speaking, music and shows bring people together.
I’ve met people through the music scene here that I never
would’ve expected to in my life, and I think everyone has
something to gain from hearing others’ perspective and stories,
and that’s what happens when you see someone play music: You
get insight into their mind and what’s going on in their life.
Talk about some things you think might surprise some people
about Eugene’s music scene.
I am biased because I’m engaged in heavy music: hardcore,
death metal, grindcore, etc. So I am apt to say that extreme music
does well here as well as music that pushes the boundaries of
genre and sound. I think people are surprised by the amount of
noise and experimental artists in the area.
I also think it depends on the act, but there’s a lot of artists
here with a strong anti-hate message, which is awesome. I think
that music from the Pacific Northwest also tends to be on the
moodier side as well; I know I gravitate towards music that has
emotional output and feeling, but I also like sillier acts that have
fun on stage and joke around with the audience. The scene can
feel like a family.
What do you think Eugene’s music scene will be like in ten
years?
I’d like to think there’s going to be an increase in the diversity
of bands and musicians. Already there are a bunch of really rad
bands that include members of marginalized communities, and
I think that’s incredibly important going forward so that genres
that maybe some people felt were exclusionary or pretentious
will become more accessible or friendly.
Something that would be really radical and different is if we
had a music festival, or some event that would draw in crowds
from out of town and state, so that others can experience the
Eugene music scene.
I think that the limits of genre and creativity are going to
continue to expand and be tested. When a lot of people think
of punk or metal music, they have a pretty limited view of what
they think it sounds like or looks like, when in actuality there’s
so much diversity in sound and aesthetics.
There are some really creative minds emerging in Eugene,
and I think it’s only going to get wilder.
Helping families
prepare kids
for SUCCESS in
school and life.
Decades of research have shown that the
first five years are important brain building
years that shape our children’s futures.
Giving children a strong, early start helps
set them on a path toward success.
A proud recipient of the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grant.
BRAIN BUILDING
APP
ONLINE PARENTING
PROGRAM
KINDERGARTEN
READINESS
The Vroom app helps parents
turn shared moments into
brain building moments.
Triple P Online is parenting
education where you want it,
when you want it!
Helping kids and parents
get ready for kindergarten
joinvroom.org
lanekids.org/triplep
Register for summer 2017
541-681-4206
KidsInTransitionToSchool.org
eugeneweekly.com • A pril 13, 2017
11