The musical ventures of Chad Clifford: How a small town guy made a home for music

Chad Clifford, 42, is an easy man to spot.  His neon yellow hair looks like he just stuck his finger in an electrical socket, he speaks as if he’s kicking back a beer with an old friend and his energy is contagious.  His frantic excitement seems to spread whenever he enters the foyer of Front Porch Music, his shop in Valparaiso, Indiana, which he owns with wife, Michelle, 42.  His over washed black Wilco t-shirt hangs loosely over his distressed jeans, which hang loosely over his gym shoes.  He’s not a traditional businessman dressed to the nines, but Front Porch isn’t a traditional business.  

Photo courtesy of irenetron.com

The shop is an old home transformed into a musicians dream offering everything from lessons in an array of instruments to open mic nights and sales.   If it weren’t for the sign out front, it would easily be mistaken for a residence.  The large slate blue veranda and slightly peeled beige siding make Front Porch look as though it should be on a farm.  But that just adds to its charm.

Clifford bought Front Porch in 2007 after working there as a manager for 10 years.  Ever since, he’s been busier than ever, running the shop, buying and co-operating The Alley recording studio, also in Valparaiso, and fronting his band, the Crawpuppies.  For most, this would be far too much to balance, but Clifford finds a way to engage in it all.

Clifford began working at Front Porch in 1997, after graduating from Columbia College with a degree in Music Management.  He started small, teaching guitar and eventually progressed to store manager.  The shop was a place to hang out and interact with friends and musicians.  “My wife used to get mad because I’d go in to buy guitar strings and take 20 minutes,” Clifford said. 

In 2007, the owners of Front Porch decided to sell it, leaving Clifford with one of the biggest questions of his life: should he buy the shop?  “I kind of thought it was time for me to move on,” Clifford said, “But then people came around to buy it and they were in suits and ties and I thought, these guys are gonna kill this place.”  He wasn’t alone.  Most of the employees agreed and feared the new owners would turn the laid-back music shop into a corporate hell.  “People kept pulling me aside and were like, come on! Please buy the shop!  Don’t let these people buy this place!” Clifford said.  So through a revelation, he did.  “It was scary, but I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do,” Clifford said.  “I think he really always hoped he could own it,” Michelle said, “I’m glad he bought it, I love it here." 

Since Clifford bought Front Porch he and Michelle have done their best to preserve the homey atmosphere so many had grown to love about the shop.  “The biggest thing is that people feel like this place is home,” Clifford said.  It sounds cliché, young kids and adults alike finding an escape in music, but one foot inside Front Porch and it’s obvious that’s true.  “It’s like a family here, a lot of people have been here for years,” said Devin Whitten, a guitar teacher and clerk at Front Porch.  “A lot of people have said Front Porch is like a home to them, that’s why we continue to do it,” Michelle said. 

In addition to owning and operating Front Porch, Clifford also ventured into the recording aspect of the music world.  He bought the space for The Alley recording studio in May of 2008 and brought on Marc Nelson, a talented local musician, as his partner to be responsible for day-to-day functions and sound mixing.  One may think that with a successful business in tow, adding a project with such magnitude would be, well suicide.  Clifford thought just the opposite.  “I was a little high on the fact that Front Porch was going so well,” Clifford said, “But I’ve always wanted to own a little recording studio and when the space went up for sale I saw that as an opportunity to expand what I’m doing here [at Front Porch].”  Clifford owns the business and the name for The Alley, and Nelson owns the equipment. 

The Alley’s main purpose is to be a vibey getaway for artists and bands to record their upcoming albums, or, for those with a wad of extra cash, have some fun.  However, the studio has recently expanded its repertoire to TV show as well.  Nelson came up with the idea to host a series at The Alley, fittingly titled Live at The Alley, where local musicians from Northwest Indiana and Chicago can be featured and exposed for their talent.  Clifford hopes that the show will bring in more business for the studio, which has gone through a bit of a struggle starting up.  “It’s a rough time now, and the economy has changed things a little.  The studio was hit more by the recession than the store,” Clifford said.  “It’s a niche market, there’s only so many people who like music. Of those some of them are going to play, some of them are going to record and only some of them are going to come to me.” 

Although The Alley hasn’t taken off quite as much as Clifford would like, he’s optimistic about the future of the studio and has complete faith in Nelson.  “I think if the show continues that will help things,” Clifford said, “It’s not a traditional partnership, but I wouldn’t be able to do The Alley without Marc.”  But, nothing about Clifford’s business strategies seem traditional, and they’ve suited him just fine.

As if the man didn’t have enough on his plate, he’s also in a band called the Crawpuppies, which he and friends started in 1996.  “We’ve done a lot of cool things over the years,” Clifford said.  “We’ve played at the Metro, the Aragon Ballroom, the Double Door and opened for Counting Crows last year at the Hard Rock in Chicago.”  The band, which Clifford sings in, plays guitar and writes songs for, is always doing something, whether it be a small tour, playing locally or tearing it up in Chicago.  “It seems like we’re still growing, we’re still an indie band, which is nice. We don’t have to travel too much,” Clifford said.  “I like the guys in my band, but a month straight together?”

With so much to do, even the ever -energetic Clifford has a moment.  “It’s challenging to balance, but I think it would be more difficult at this point if I worked for someone else,” Clifford said.  “Me and my wife were talking about this last night, and I think we’re just the kind of people that if our lives aren’t full, we’ll find something to fill them with.”  Like any good businessman, he knows how to prioritize.  The businesses come first, then the band.  And like any good family man, his wife and four boys (17,14, four and one, and yes, they’re all musically inclined) don’t figure into that equation, they are far above it.

Clifford is also a hands on boss.  But, he’s nothing like what most people think of a boss.  “Chad’s really laid back, really cool,” said Paul Uhrina, who teaches drums, clerks and interns as an assistant engineer at The Alley.  “That’s what makes him a cool boss.  Anyone can boss you around, and you do a good job when they’re there, but here, it’s always like that.”

Clifford doesn’t have to be a strict boss, or breathe down his employees’ necks because he makes sure to hire the right kinds of people.  “People joke that you have to ask me at least 10 times if you want a job here, but it’s because I only want people who really want to work here,” Clifford said.  Many of the employees at Front Porch have been there for a long time so they know and respect the kind of feel good, open aura the shop boasts.  “It makes it easier to balance everything when you have people you trust working for you,” Clifford said, “And it’s great to add to our family here.  I want everyone to feel welcome.”

The future looks like the past for Front porch, with some minor facelifts.  Like remodeling the basement, which currently has a mural of a front porch scene painted behind the stage, headshots of musicians who have played there cover the walls (the kinds of musicians only die hard musicians know) and a hodgepodge of chairs for open mic nights and concerts— a vintage atmosphere, but not quite as current as Clifford would prefer.  He would also like to add more educational activities to the roster of things Front Porch offers, such as strum alongs and more garage band sessions, which is a lesson kids can take where they are paired with other musicians and learn how to make music as a group. 

But the thing Clifford, and all the members of the Front Porch family, cherish most is going to stay intact.  “This place is home.  In a business sense, you can’t sell that,” Clifford said.  “I think if Front Porch were to close down people would feel like part of their history was gone.  That keeps me going.”

Front Porch is open Mon-Fri 10:00am-8:00pm, Sat 9:00am-4:00pm

Open Mic Nights are Thursdays, visit www.frontporchmusic.com for more details

How that tiny museum got all that art

Valparaiso University, in Valparaiso, Indiana, is a small college, less than 4,000 students small.  But inside that less-than-a-mile campus is the Brauer, a seven galleried museum located inside the Valparaiso University Center for the Arts, which is home to an impressive collection of over 3,300 works of art.  

Ranging from regional to famous artists, like Ansel Adams, Ivan Albright, Salvador Dali, Georgia O'Keefe and Pablo Picasso, to name a few, the Brauer Museum of Art is a small place that boasts big talent.

The Brauer specifies in 19th-20th century American art, world religious art and Midwestern/regional art, paintings, sculptures, drawings, print and photographs- from Asher B. Durand to Andy Warhol. The university was lucky at the start and received a donation from Percy Sloan in 1953, son of famed Midwestern artist, Junius Sloan, of over 200 of his father's paintings to be used as educational tools along with an endowment to purchase more art.  

That endowment is just one way the museum, which is run by only two people, Gloria Ruff, Registrar/Assistant Curator and Gregg Hertzlieb Director/Curator, acquires money for new art, exhibits, and events.

"We get the artwork either as gifts or we buy it. We have donors that give us money to buy something specific or they will just give us the artwork," Ruff said.

  

However, the process isn't as simple as that, and often times, gifts aren't pieces of desire.  "When something is given to us as a gift we have a collection committee it must go through, four professors, a person from the community, and Gregg and myself.  We look at things like will we use it and also storage and conservation issues.  A lot of times the things we get are clunkers.”  

The Brauer also gets grants, endowments and monetary donations to help purchase art at auctions, which are great places to obtain art.  "Our collection needs are many and varied, and much art exists in the market that appeals to us and suits our needs," Hertzlieb said.  These funds also go to help book traveling exhibits and artist appearances that are used for events like student coffee hours and gallery talks, where the public can also come in to hear from artists.

Much of what is displayed is on loan or borrowed from another museum to go along with an exhibit. "We have some paintings on extended loan and what we do is cover the insurance. For the short loans we do borrow pieces from here and there to go with an exhibit we’re having," Ruff said.  "Other places will borrow from us as well and that’s another great way to get word out about the museum."

But the most creative way of gaining exposure for the museum also gives back to students.

"We have exhibitions of regional high school art as well as Valparaiso University student work," Hertzlieb said.  "Both give campus and community members an idea of what young people are creating."  The student shows not only showcase young talent, but they also bring in exposure and awareness for the museum.  "The high school contest brings in a lot of families to see their kids' work and they find out about the museum," Ruff said.

Hertzlieb and Ruff are also working to try new marketing techniques with their advertising group. "The New Integrated Marketing and Communications Group wants to do more online things, like Facebook. We're also trying to get all our images in the collection digitalized," Ruff said. 

Running the Brauer Museum may at times be difficult and time consuming, however Hertzlieb and Ruff are happy to do it.  "Here, you can come in even if you only have 15 minutes and look at one thing, that's so valuable,” Ruff said.  "I hope students and faculty come in and wander."