Jack Olmsted, Seattle PI Reader Blog – Videoblogging 206 -podcast, talks with Gabe Strand, NWFolklife Podcast Coordinator, about Folklife podcasts and the streaming audio broadcasts he will be producing during this year’s Festival. In September, he began podcasting as a way to highlight and spread archived Festival performances. “I love the idea of podcasting, because it provides a channel for Folklife’s voice throughout the year,” he says, “and reaches out to people who may not know about or live close to the Festival. Northwest Folklie is a year-round community arts non-profit, so it is important that we impact the arts in the Pacific Northwest in ways that reinforce what happens at the annual Festival.” On Sunday, May 24th at 1PM, Gabe organized the Independent Music in the Pacific Northwest panel that brings together organizations and record companies who have developed innovative projects that promote independent artists in web-based formats. Members of the panel will include: Ball of Wax Quarterly (a web-zine), Song Slide (a web-based music store), and record labels like Voyager, K Records, and Bicycle. The discussion will be followed by a showcase of independent Northwest artists from genres as diverse as hip hop to old time music, at 3:30PM on the Vera Stage. Some podcasts promote upcoming Folklife events, or act as mini-documentaries about local music communities. The streaming audio is a free service and funded through donations. NOTE: The podcast interview features Folklives #22: Live at the 2007 Northwest Folklife Festival at the beginning and the end. (Used by permission.) Less