About Us
From the Front Row, LLC was created in July 2023 by a group of engineers and musicians with a long history of commitment to helping local musicians share their work with their community. We think live music brings people together - our goal is to create unique and memorable events for the residents of the Midwest and beyond! Each event will be video-recorded and cut into a 30-minute episode for later viewing by music lovers.
Join our Patreon to stay up to date on our newest episode.
We are now accepting tax-deductible donations through Create Wisconsin. Please follow this link to donate.
Our Mission
From The Front Row recognizes the exceptional music scene in Wisconsin. The Midwest is home to a multitude of world-class artists, and our goal is to connect those artists with a wider audience. We believe that live performances are also a visual art. Our events will place musical artists in unique and important locations across Madison and the surrounding area, spotlighting local watering holes, hidden gems, and historical treasures.
Bios
Buzz Kemper, Host and Technical Director
Buzz Kemper is the co-owner of Audio For the Arts, a recording studio in Madison established in 1996. In their 27 years of their operation, Audio For The Arts has recorded countless albums and live performances of local musicians, allowing them to create a permanent record of their work to share with their fans and expand their artistic reach. Audio For The Arts has received numerous awards for their work, including Best Producer, Best Live Sound Engineer, Best Studio Engineer, and Best Studio from the Madison Area Music Awards.
Peter Charles Allen, Executive Producer
Peter Allen is a Broadcast Systems Engineer at the State of WI Educational Communications Board and a WORT 89.9 FM On-Air Host and Producer. He hosts One Fine Morning, a 3-hour music program which includes self-engineered live studio sessions promoting local and nationally touring acts. Peter's commitment to helping artists share their music with their communities is evident throughout his decade-long work in live broadcasting.
Claire Kannapell, Executive Director
Claire Kannapell is a Madison musician with a decade of experience playing electric and double bass (Woodrow, Old Oaks, Toyger, Bigtooth). She received the 2022 Arts + Literature Laboratory Artistic Development Grant for her original project of a Jazz Composition Blitz, creating an opportunity for amateur jazz composers to learn from a world-class professor of jazz harmony and hear their original compositions performed by a band of professional players in front of a live audience.