Over the past year, I Heart Local Music Magazine has been the only point of access connecting the Lawrence, KS local community with a diverse range of musicians and their work. The magazine highlights musicians of all genders and ethnicities, and thrusts their work into the spotlight via photographic documentation and great stories. Accompanying free, live events, highlight even more artists in the area by putting them directly in front of audiences in a public venue – many of which are accessible to all ages.

The I Heart Local Music Magazine right now produces quarterly publications, using written essays and features to showcase the artists’ personalities, as well as their talents. Each print release is accompanied with live showcases, where musicians perform in free event spaces to local audiences. The magazine also contracts freelancers (photographers, writers and illustrators) to provide further photos, graphic images, and written content for the publication. Generally, their talent pool comes from an underrepresented demographic of artists (women and people of color), since they are adamant in making sure their freelancers include artists of color and a diversity of backgrounds.

So far in the first year, every single issue has had a woman or minority on the cover and featured in the magazine. This has been extremely well received in the area. The combination of print promotion with a live performance showcase of the artists’ music to accompany the release of the issue, is resulting in much bigger audiences for many previously overlooked performers. The funding will allow I Heart Local Music Magazine to support the work of many experimental artists and musicians who may not otherwise find a platform or exposure in the mainstream music scene.

 

Fally Afani is an award-winning journalist and photographer with a career spanning more than 15 years in media. She has worked extensively in radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and more.

As the Editor of a local music publication, her photography primarily focuses on the excitement that is generated in live music. She believes in the power of storytelling and prefers presenting the human experience as she sees it: through vivid, colorful images. This is why she has dedicated the last two decades to working with musicians and encouraging her community to put them at the forefront.

Fally’s work has been featured in magazines, newspapers, and television stations across Kansas. She has received several Kansas Association of Broadcasters awards as well as an Edward R. Murrow award for her online work in journalism. In 2015, a video she made detailing one second of her life every day gained national attention after it was featured on BuzzFeed and The Huffington Post.

Currently, she resides in Lawrence, Kansas, where she works with local and touring musicians. She enjoys photographing live events and concerts, and spending time with her two daughters.

I Heart Local Music is a team of journalists who provide accurate and balanced coverage of the local music scene. With a team of writers, photographers, and videographers, they connect audiences with the public through avenues that have never been done before. The magazine’s high standards require vivid imagery to thrust artists in the spotlight.

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