Graham Reid | | 1 min read
This week the multi-layered 13thFloor website celebrated its 10thbirthday, a remarkable achievement given it is a project of love and passion with little thought of profit or how to make it pay.
The helmsman is Marty Duda, a radio man, music lover and producer originally from Rochester in northwest New York State who came to New Zealand with an irrepressible enthusiasm for music of all kinds and a record collection as wide and as deep as his memory.
Marty supported 13thFloor through a day job in television but Covid has seen the music and arts (and more) platform hit an even higher level: he lost his job, had time for the site, Zoom meant artists all around the world were as available as locals and . . .
If you haven't seen 13thFloor you have missed one of the country's most important – if not the most important – websites for music interviews, reviews and conversations. And increasingly theatre, politics, the visual arts . . .
Marty also lives in a beautiful and spacious heritage apartment where he has hosted hundreds of local and international artists for interviews and performances.
And it is to his great credit that 13thFloor puts emerging locals on the same platform and with the same enthusiasm as the big internationals.
And he has taken young students into mentoring programmes where they can go on – as many have done – into actual paying jobs in all areas of music from studio work to PR.
To celebrate on the night he, typically, introduced the young band Adam Hattaway and the Haunters whose new album is out on Friday.
Congratulations music lover Marty, you are a rare one.
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To see the 13thFloor website go here
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