Feature / Regular Columns
Guest Column: Amy Oden - Demystification: A Lesson in DIY

November 17, 2011

Guest Column: Amy Oden - Demystification: A Lesson in DIY
Guest Column: Amy Oden - Demystification: A Lesson in DIY

amy_oden_main.jpg

Amy Oden is a Washington, DC musician, grad student, and filmmaker. Her recent documentary From the Back of the Room explores women in DIY punk, considering such issues as sexism, motherhood, sexuality, activism, and more—encompassing a broad take on the role women take in the scene. While Oden is game for talking about gender issues at any time, we opted to give her a break from the film’s subject matter to talk about other DIY topics.

Demystification: A Lesson in DIY 

Over the past fifteen years, my personal romance with DIY culture has waxed and waned. Participating in this community has enabled me to find political inspiration, given me the ability to travel, and taught me productive uses for my anger at an unjust world. I’ve also had my heart broken more times than I can count, when people’s actions have fallen short of what their words made them out to be. Growing up in this community, I’ve learned to focus my energy on the things that I find fulfilling or redeeming about it. 

Doing it yourself forces you to keep learning. Yes, doing things in a DIY capacity can be revolutionary and anticapitalist/anticorporate, but the other half of the equation is demystification. When I say demystification, I mean being accessible and honest about the things that you are an “expert” at. Ability, skills, and ideas can only be spread if the people who are “experts” at certain things are willing to share their experiences. 

Becoming an “expert” at something really just means that you’ve had the time and resources to focus on it – which is a privilege. If you’ve had the privilege of being in a band, booking shows or fests, or touring – it is unbelievably valuable when you take the time to break down your experiences for other people. I can’t think of anything less DIY than refusing to share skills or information, or pretending that the things you know how to do are really all that difficult. The attitudes that I’ve seen some people have regarding records, gear, audio recording, or even booking is totally antithetical to everything I know about DIY culture. 

DIY also means asking for things if you need them and trusting your intuition. If you want information, go looking for it. If you never ask for advice or help, you’ll never meet other folks who are doing the same things you are. When I started booking shows, playing music, touring, shooting films, and planning fests, I had no idea what I was doing. Anyone you meet who is a guitar god or a total legend in their field had no idea what they were doing at one point. Don’t forget that. Also, “I don’t know that band” is a sentence that I’ve seen people scorned for uttering. If someone gets uppity with you when you try to engage them, know that it’s not you: it’s them.

Skill shares and conferences are both activities that are conducive to the flow of information in a nonjudgmental setting. Something as informal as telling people you like to come over and swap ideas can qualify as this, by the way. I’ve been unbelievably fortunate in my ability to be surrounded by a local community in D.C. that values this kind of thing. The point I’m trying to make is that we all have larger capacities for action than we realize.

Teaching one another can also help us hone our own skills. Once you’ve done a particular thing enough times, congratulations, you’ve become an “expert.” Realize that your skills and ideas can be assets to the larger community if you choose to let them. By simply and honestly sharing things with one another, we’re enabling other people to follow their hearts. 

On that note, feel free to send me any questions about documentary film, festival organizing, or gender studies. I’m always stoked to connect.

--

Amy can be reached at amy @ fromthebackoftheroom . com.

— November 17, 2011

Guest Column: Amy Oden - Demystification: A Lesson in DIY
Guest Column: Amy Oden - Demystification: A Lesson in DIY

Related features

Unseemlier

One Question Interviews • June 27, 2025

Mike Assatly (Unseemlier - guitar/vocals) SPB: Do you have a preferred model of van for touring? Assatly: Chevy G-20 Gladiator! It was my first van, I got it from my uncle with 115,000 on it. He got rid of it for a new van because it was "old" and would … Read more

Dollar Store

One Question Interviews • June 26, 2025

Dave Slaverave (Dollar Store - bass) SPB: This band hits a lot of styles, all kind of overlapping at the same time. How hard was it to find “your sound” when bringing these influences together? Slaverave: Not very hard at all actually. We're all old-ass adults who've soaked in a … Read more

Golden Shitters

One Question Interviews • June 25, 2025

Matt (Golden Shitters) How nervous were you the first time you played a show? My first show was around 2002. I was 15 years old and it was a basement house party in my hometown of Welland, Ontario. I’d just proved myself to my high school buddies by singing The … Read more

Arms Aloft

Interviews • June 23, 2025

Remember Election Day 2024? Maybe you shouldn't. Maybe you've blocked it out. That's fair, but there was one pleasant surprise that day: a new EP from Wisconsin's Arms Aloft. It took a while to claw out of the darkness in November, then Year End 2024 coverage took over the Scene … Read more

Small Steps

One Question Interviews • June 12, 2025

Jeremiah (Small Steps - guitar/vocals) SPB: What song has the best use of whistling? Jeremiah: I feel like the easy answer would be the Bobby McFerrin song "Don't Worry Be Happy". Which is catchy as all get out, but we prefer the road less traveled here in Small Steps. For … Read more

More from this section

Table Talk #18 – Preparing For Year End Lists

Regular Columns / Table Talk • November 22, 2024

I’ve talked about having a writer’s block this year. So when I set myself down (after a stern talk to motivate myself) I looked at this blank page thinking: what on earth should I discuss this time around? At first I thought I would put another couple of labels in … Read more

Guest Column: Jon Snodgrass

Regular Columns • November 6, 2024

Jon Snodgrass has been in the music industry and punk scene for the better part of 30 years, playing with bands such as Drag the River, Armchair Martian, Scorpios, and more. He currently performs most frequently under the name Snodgrass + Buddies, where he plays with a backing band of … Read more

Guest Column: Greg Jacobs – The 5 Sketchiest Venues I’ve Ever Been To

Regular Columns • September 27, 2024

Greg Jacobs managed the bands Big DRILL Car, Drive Like Jehu, Rocket from the Crypt, and Supernova and has worked at the record labels Enigma, CRUZ, SST, Cargo, Capitol (for one day), and Trust. He currently manages two of the aforementioned bands (even though they’re inactive), freelances for one of … Read more