Topanga New Times is excited to announce two new projects: TNT Radio and TNTV. Both new livestream channels were born out of experimentation and an effort to engage community and support artists in the absence of Topanga’s traditional most-loved summertime events.
Brian Chapman is a composer, producer, and musician who has, since the pandemic, stepped in front of the camera to host video content for TNTV. Beginning in May, with a 4+ hours long Musical Community Event, live-streaming videos from local musicians in lieu of the beloved Topanga Days festival, Brian’s show reached thousands of quarantined, music deprived citizens, and was hailed a huge success, with 6,000 people viewers and as many as 100 people engaging and commenting on the event at the same time.
The response was positive and the enthusiasm encouraged us to continue to develop new content. Immediately following this, Brian and team TNTV presented 11 episodes of The Magical Artists Tour, a series of interviews with local artists of the Topanga Canyon Gallery, in lieu (again, thanks pandemic) of the annual Artists Studio Tour. The series boosted the Gallery’s online effort to re-create their traditional in-gallery auction of artist-contributed 8 x 8 pieces. The auction was one of their most successful by far according to Marketing Manager Sari Scheer.
TNTV officially launched following the gallery tour, presenting 2 new segments “Kat’s Corner” and “Backyard BioBlitz”.
TNT Radio. We plan to enrich our growing social media presence on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with additional short pieces amplifying what is going on in the community, offering useful information, promoting local business, and educating about our natural environment, and sustainability. Podcasts and regular programming planned.
TNTV debuted Saturday, July 25, with a special Outdoor Adventure Program on tips for a DIY backyard BioBlitz with TNT’s resident naturalist Suzanne Guldimann; and cooking with Kat High, who explored some of our edible and delicious native plants, and how to gather and prepare healthy fare.
Look for regular programming bi-weekly, following our print publication, that will bring our features more to life with live interviews, demonstrations, and discussions. Growing out of the huge popularity of our Musical Community/Virtual Topanga Days event, TNTV will also be launching a monthly music program, soliciting musical creations from our rich community of musicians and performers throughout the Santa Monica Mountains.
We are actively seeking artists, professionals, writers, poets, naturalists, entrepreneurs of all kinds to participate. Contact us at hello@topanganewtimes.com
