The Capricorn Center
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
! THE THE CAPRICORN CENTER! A PROPOSAL FOR THE USE OF THE FORMER ! CAPRICORN SOUND STUDIOS BUILDING! ! Jared Wright and Chris Nylund, 2014 PROPOSAL OVERVIEW! ! In 2010, the Georgia National Trust named the former Capricorn Sound Studios on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard one of ten Georgia places in peril due to the rich musical history the building represents. Subsequently, The Peyton Anderson Foundation and NewTown Macon partnered to purchase and stabilize the building with the goal of restoring the building and creating a recording studio, music-themed restaurant, museum, gift shop, outdoor amphitheater and loft living spaces.! ! This proposal represents an expansion of those initial ideas and focuses on the installation of an interpretive area and archive within the central portion of the building that includes the studio’s live room, control room and former offices. The plan outlines the development of these areas as the first phase of the project, which will allow the Capricorn Sound Studios building to generate revenue and interest within the community while the other phases of the project continue to be developed and completed as it transforms into a multi-purpose facility known as the Capricorn Center! ! Other potential partners for this project include, but are certainly not limited to, the Otis Redding Foundation and family, the Tubman African American Museum, and the Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House. These organizations and institutions have ties to the Capricorn Sound Studios building and are potential partners in its revitalization. An effort has also been made to involve the city’s institutions of higher education in order to provide a sturdy backbone for the proposal’s academic and interpretive elements. ! ! With the cooperation and involvement of these various groups, the Capricorn Center will become an essential part of a citywide musical tour. The interpretive area will complement existing and planned exhibits at the Tubman and the Big House, and the archive will become a major repository for researchers across the country. ! ! Wright/Nylund %2 This proposal identifies and describes several major collections for potential inclusion in an archive and exhibit space. The first collection, described in more detail below as the "Chuck Perkins collection," is a privately owned trove of correspondence and recorded material from the Capricorn Sound Studio, and the Capricorn Records o#ces. Though privately owned, the collection of Capricorn materials was inventoried in the summer of 2013 and work has continued with the goal of preserving the collection in perpetuity. The current owner supports this goal, and is interested in a donation of the materials, especially if the collection is used to promote Macon’s musical heritage. The second collection belongs to the Big House Foundation, which is currently housed at the Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House. Through talks with the Big House Foundation’s board of directors, it has become clear that the current location of the museum’s collection is less that optimal, and the board is seeking a repository to house the materials. They have expressed interest in the possibility of an archive at the Capricorn Center, and this proposal will examine potential scenarios for the inclusion of the Big House Foundation’s collection. Another potential collection is owned by Otto Zeilke and located in California. That collection is briefly detailed as well. Plans for the use of these collections within an interpretive area - and thoughts on the growth of the collection - will also be included.! ! In an attempt to move away from the inclusion of loft apartments, a detailed outline for use of the second floor of the Capricorn Sound Studios building will be examined thoroughly. While loft apartments could o$set operating for the Capricorn Center, they would not enhance its mission and would represent a liability to the first floor exhibit and archive. This proposal will explore several options for use of the additional space that could simultaneously draw revenue and strengthen the mission of the Capricorn Center.! This proposal was prepared with funds from the University of West Georgia’s Center for Public History, NewTown Macon and the Georgia Music Foundation.! ! ! ! Wright/Nylund %3 ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA’S CENTER FOR PUBLIC HISTORY! ! The Center for Public History researches, documents, preserves, and promotes public discussion of the history and cultural, architectural, and folk life resources of the broader west Georgia region. The Center supports the mission and program of the History Department, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the State University of West Georgia. Drawing on the expertise and talents of university faculty and students through disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborative projects, the Center engages in a wide range of research and educational public outreach services and programs in its service region.! ! Faculty and students at the Center provide consultation and services in historical research, oral history, folk life fieldwork, architectural survey, exhibit development, and public and community program development for the wider university service region. Center sta$ serve museums, local governments, historical societies and organizations, historic preservation groups, businesses, industries, churches, civic organizations, libraries, schools, community groups, and private individuals.! ! ! ABOUT NEWTOWN MACON! ! NewTown Macon is a non-profit organization dedicated to implementing the community’s vision of a comprehensive, coordinated, and continuous plan for revitalizing downtown Macon, Georgia. NewTown’s work in downtown is focused on three areas: Increasing Residents, Growing Jobs, and Creating a Sense of Place. In 1996, The Peyton Anderson Foundation enabled a group of visionary corporate and civic leaders to establish a non- profit, public-private partnership called NewTown Macon. The goal was to restore and re- establish downtown Macon as a thriving center of economic, cultural, and social activity. For over 15 years, NewTown has been providing Macon with leadership, planning, and support toward this goal. The community has responded by investing over $350 million to improve downtown.! ! Wright/Nylund %4 ABOUT THE GEORGIA MUSIC FOUNDATION! ! The Georgia Music Foundation works to foster an appreciation for the state’s rich music heritage through programs of preservation, education and outreach. In 2014, the Foundation will continue to develop and strengthen partnerships to facilitate initiatives that fulfill its mission goals and promote Georgia music. Priorities include:! ! Preservation: The Georgia Music Foundation works closely with the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries to provide stewardship for the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collection of artifacts and media. The Foundation will work with UGA to fund a project archivist in 2014.! ! Education: The Georgia Music Foundation will continue to explore ways to most e$ectively support programs that provide opportunities for students and youth to engage with and participate in music programs. The Foundation will also continue its support of Georgia music research and study programs conducted by the Joseph R. Johnson Scholarship recipient at the University of West Georgia Public History Center.! ! Outreach: The Georgia Music Foundation has published and underwritten Georgia Music magazine since 2007; the magazine originally debuted in 2007. The goal for 2014 is to increase the digital and social media presence of the magazine and ensure that the strong content that is produced by a stable of talented writers reaches as many new audiences as possible. Wright/Nylund %5 TABLE OF CONTENTS! ! PROPOSAL OVERVIEW!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2! !!! PHASE I: ARCHIVES AND INTERPRETIVE AREAS!! ! ! ! ! 7! ! SCOPE OF COLLECTING!! ! ! ! ! ! ! 8! ! LAYOUT AND COMPONENTS!! ! ! ! ! ! 8! ! ARCHIVE AS INTERPRETIVE AREA!! ! ! ! ! ! 9! ! CHUCK PERKINS COLLECTION OVERVIEW!! ! ! ! 10! ! BIG HOUSE FOUNDATION COLLECTION OVERVIEW!! ! ! 11! ! OTTO ZEILKE COLLECTION OVERVIEW!! ! ! ! ! 12! ! MAIN INTERPRETIVE AREA!! ! ! ! ! ! ! 14! ! USE OF FORMER OFFICE SPACE!! ! ! ! ! ! 14! ! USE OF LIVE ROOM AND CONTROL ROOM!! ! ! ! 14! ! SUGGESTED EXHIBIT NARRATIVE!! ! ! ! ! ! 15! ! GIFT SHOP!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 19! ! ! PHASE II: SECOND FLOOR EDUCATIONAL SPACE!! ! ! ! ! 20! ! ABOUT THE OTIS REDDING FOUNDATION!! ! ! ! 20! ! CAPRICORN CENTER AND REDDING FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP!! 21! ! PHASE III: HAMLIN BUILDING!! ! ! ! ! ! ! 23! ! PHASE IV: AMPHITHEATER!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 23! ! APPENDIX A: FLOOR PLANS!!!!!!!!24! APPENDIX B: CHUCK PERKINS COLLECTION PAPERWORK INVENTORY!! 28! APPENDIX C: CHUCK PERKINS COLLECTION TAPE INVENTORY!! ! 83! APPENDIX D: SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY!! ! ! ! ! ! 135! ! Wright/Nylund %6 PHASE I: ARCHIVES AS INTERPRETIVE AREA! ! Every archive claims to be important for any number of valid reasons: preservation for future generations, facilitating the interpretation of history through primary sources and artifacts; the list could go on. All of these reasons apply to this particular collection of materials from Capricorn Records and Phil Walden and Associates, but there are certain and undeniable qualities specific to this archive that make it all the more unique and important, especially for the city of Macon. This archive documents the rise and fall of an independent record label; a label that was founded with strong roots in classic soul and R&B, quickly (and formidably) establishing itself as “the” southern