Member Profile: Joe Constantine Written by Vanessa Vartabedian

Joe Constantine has been a member of SCAT since October of 2001, when he first moved to Somerville. He is the Director and Co-Producer of a music program called CafÈ SCAT which is taped once a month and includes all genres of music in Somerville, including metal, punk and reggae bands, as well as singer/songwriter acoustic players.

Joe started as anyone else, a curious advocate of community television, and came in to become a member. Once certified in Studio Production, Joe began crewing on “CafÈ SCAT” with Rich Howley who founded the program. When the show’s previous director, Lee Stewart, took a temporary leave, Rich suggested that Joe get some “hands-on” experience as director during his absence. He had some experience working with cameras and had watched Lee direct, so he figured he’d just pick-up the ball and run with it. It turned out to be his strong-suit. Lee still participates in the show but did not return as its director, so Joe continues to direct the show. Joe also directs “ERA,” a real-estate show, with Donald Norton.

“I enjoy CafÈ SCAT because I have a hand in it. I love music and try to be around music whenever I can, whether working at a record store or checking out live bands.”

When asked what he liked about SCAT in comparison to a bigger television station Joe commented, “I really like it here at SCAT because of the way it empowers the community. I think there’s something valuable about a community service that offers people a voice. Ultimately I’d like to have a job in non-profit or educational media rather than commercial media. I don’t think that working at Channel 4 would be very rewarding. And although the quality of access television varies, it’s more about the message and where it’s coming from that’s important. Plus, I am learning so much here." The crew on the show is different every month, so there are variations in skill level and artistic interpretation which present a unique set of challenges for Joe as a director. But he’s the first to say, “Fun is the goal.”

When asked about other projects of interest, Joe said, "I like animals. I had an idea for a show where I would profile pets that were up for adoption at The Animal Rescue League in Roxbury, so people could see the pets, learn a bit about them and hopefully adopt one. Another possibility was to do the same thing with a smaller agency like the Grey2K in Davis Square who rescue retired Greyhound racing dogs.”

Vanessa: So Joe, just to recap, how do you think CafÈ SCAT benefits the community?
Joe: CafÈ SCAT benefits the community because folks get entertained and they get exposed to music they might not hear otherwise. If people see something interesting, then maybe it will bring them down here.”

Well said Joe. We’re happy it brought you here!

Somerville Community Access Television
90 Union Square, Somerville, MA 02143
Phone: 617-628-8826 | Fax: 617-628-1811
Email: info@access-scat.org
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