Community and Music

Photography By Ashlyn Ablao

For the past few years, student run organization TunedIn has been making noise in the UCLA music scene by throwing eclectic DIY shows around the Westwood area of Los Angeles. TunedIn founder Ben Hudnut and TunedIn photography Ashlyn Ablao open up about how the organization started, working as a team , and creating a safe space for all students.

Los Angeles, USA

What is TunedIn and what its origin story ?

Ben: TunedIn is a self organized, self funded collective of UCLA students dedicated to producing high quality DIY events in Westwood that connect students to the broader music scene and vice versa.

I started TunedIn as an events bulletin to make local events more accessible to all students. I then started throwing shows, so that I could play in them with my band. Eventually, I realized it was too much work for one person and decided to build a team.

Why is TunedIn important?

Ben: TunedIn is important because we create space for music and connection.

How and why did you get involved? How is it working with the rest of the team?

Ben: The team is wonderful. We span many grades and many interests, but we are all dedicated to high quality music and events. None of us get paid and so it is our comradery and shared passion that motivate and define our work.

Ashlyn: In my first year at UCLA, I found myself involved in the music scene here when I started doing photography for another music organization. This was something I had never done before; I didn’t even really consider myself particularly interested in music. Through being involved in that scene, I learned about TunedIn and became a frequent attendee of their events. I grew to love the sort of community that was built around TunedIn. At each event there were always familiar faces and this experience felt essential to my first year in getting more comfortable in a new environment. When applications for TunedIn came out at the beginning of this school year, I thought, “Why not?” That was probably the best decision.

Working with the rest of the team genuinely feels like a bunch of friends hanging out. The team is divided into photography, events, media, and sound, but these aren’t strictly set roles. It’s sort of an all hands on deck situation. More seriously, I feel like I have learned something new from every single person on the team, even in the few months I have been involved.

Do you remember the first event you worked on? What was it like?

Ashlyn: The first official TunedIn event I worked on was our Halloween party, TunedIn Terror. It was hectic. Crowd control was difficult, the backyard we were using wasn’t big enough for how many people were trying to get in, the electricity went out for a little bit. Just so many crazy different things. It definitely made me realize how much work I didn’t know went down behind the scenes to make things run smoothly when I was just an attendee.

Ben: The first event I did, I played in, promoted, and produced. It was wayyy too much work but soooo many people showed up and my bands set was amazing and in the end it was one of the highlights of my college experience.

How have you grown since? How have you seen TunedIn Grow?

Ashlyn: Working alongside the other photographers, Johnny and Chloe, has definitely pushed me to be a better photographer. I know you’re not supposed to compare yourself, but seeing their photos and edits after each event makes me think, “Damn why didn’t I think of doing that?” Seeing their work outside of TunedIn has also inspired me to imagine a possible career in the music industry later on.

With this being an all hands on deck organization, I have learned things about booking, artist management, and outreach that I never thought I would be involved in or find interesting. I mean, I never even saw myself part of a music club before coming to college so this is all so new and exciting.

Ben: Yes, grown in a million ways. From understanding what is needed to create professional level sound, lighting, and stage to learning how to ensure the space is welcoming to all, the group has grown in every way possible.

Tell the story behind one of the images from a TunedIn event.

This is a photo of our Sam Austin’s show. There were so many moments during the process of planning this show that made all of us think we would have to cancel. The venue we initially planned on using backed out on us last minute. There was a whole scramble to find a new place big enough for such an exciting up and coming artist. We ended up having to use one of member’s backyard as the venue. In this you would have no idea the stress that went behind making this a successful show, but you can tell the star power that Sam has harnessed.

What are some things you love about photographing these events? What are some challenges?

Ashlyn: I get to meet so many new people. From the artists we book to the people attending the shows, I always feel like I have left each show with a new friend. The camera is an automatic conversation starter too. I used to consider myself a really shy person and would get scared to meet new people but people feel so drawn to the camera whether that means being the subject of a photo or asking about the actual camera itself.

The main challenge is navigating the crowd. I have to be really mobile at these events and cross through the crowd multiple times a night. I start feeling kind of rude doing it so much. Let's just hope no one takes it personally.

What kind of artists perform at TunedIn shows?

Ashlyn: Every kind of artist. We really try to get a broad variety of artists to come in. The benefit of having such a creative and diverse team is that we are into all kinds of music and that reflects on the artists we book. A few weeks ago we had a boiler room style party with Alice Longyu Gao and our more recent event was a jazz night. We appreciate all kinds of artists and believe they should all be allowed a platform to show off.

What are some memorable past shows?

Ashlyn: I attended the Laundry Day show TunedIn hosted before I was a part of the organization. The band just had such good stage presence and really had the crowd moving. This was around the time I started recognizing the faces of the people behind TunedIn. Seeing them running around working the show while still having giant smiles on their faces planted the initial idea of being a part of the team.

This is so cliche but every show I have assisted in has been memorable. Our Swooned In 2.0 show we just had with a live jazz band was amazing. This quarter we have been throwing a lot of more hype shows, so having a more mellow show was a nice change of pace.

What’s next for you? What’s next for TunedIn?

Ashlyn: For me, I really want to refine my photography style to be something that feels unique to me. Lately I have been focused a lot on a more documentary style of photography, but I would love to try editorial. In the past I have turned down opportunities to do this because I didn’t have the confidence to direct people. In the past few months, I feel like I have produced work that I am proud of and have grown comfortable with the idea of having someone trust me to produce their creative vision.

For TunedIn, we want to continue expanding our reach and pull to more of LA while still uplifting our local bands. We’re just going to continue having fun and doing what we love!

Ben: What’s next? We have some big shows on the horizon. We are continuing to make a name for ourselves in the LA scene so that we can bring talented artists back to what music is all about: energy, fun, and connection. The bigger we get, the bigger the platform we can create for our local artists as well.