Sweet Tunes at SweetHeart Market
On February 3rd, I had the pleasure of visiting the SweetHeart Market, an event thrown on by the Tally Print Studio. There, our talented friend, Sammy Rose played a number of original songs for those in attendance, including Coffee, Valentine, and I Used to Love the Rain, which are available on Spotify under her name. These songs perfectly capture Rose’s (anything but) little life that she has carved out here in Tallahassee. With beautiful lyricism that exists not only in conversation with the music itself, but also with what it means to be human and specifically what it means to be a human that exists in this town, Rose’s music begs the listener to really take a moment and soak in the he(art) and soul of this beloved city of ours.
In addition to her original music, Rose also played a number of cover songs including, but not limited to Pumped up Kicks by Foster the People. I was especially particular towards her cover of Valerie by Amy Winehouse. It was a song that truly suited her and complimented her voice beautifully – high or low, she was musically consistent with her guitar and gave a soul to an already buzzing air. It’s impressive to be able to sing and play the guitar under any conditions for any length of time, but for Rose to do so for an hour under a hot sun was a joy and sight to see.
Those in attendance shopped with local artists and food trucks. A beignet station smelled up the place with fresh dough while vendors displayed their homemade jewelry and plushies, offering a number of wares perfect for Valentine’s Day, or for any small gift which might make someone’s day. I spoke with a number of artists; One told me that chainmail was coming back, and so I bought a pair of metal teeth earrings. Another was crafting with bone and obsidian with silver or gold inlay, and I loved the number of plushies ranging from yarn possums to an inverting mushroom doll and a Cthulhu doll. There were original posters and art, good food, a shelf stocked with lgbtq+ literature, and I was incredibly pleased when a trio of students stood up to speak about the importance of voting regarding women’s rights.
It was a small market day tucked easily into this little square chock full of artists and people looking for food or to get the word out on subjects important to themselves. It was so distinctly Tallahassean. These were people living here, looking to share their works, thoughts, and companionship. This, to me, is what SoFA is all about in spirit. It should be the mission of a community to come together and simply share.
Walking around, I had great conversations with some of the folks there, and I’d like to share the many business cards I picked up along the way:
@beads.bysea (Instagram)
Common Ground Books (128 N. Bronough Street)
Tally Print Studio (@tallyprintstudio – Instagram)
Workshops and classes, open studio access, and custom orders all run by Amy Alonso and Melissa Gonzalez-Lopez
Olyvia’s Marvelous Desserts (livydavis@aol.com)
More of the artists there are available through Tally Print Studio’s January 30th post on their Instagram. If you’re looking for a post-Valentine present for your sweetums (or even yourself, we won’t judge), the events going on there are a wonderful resource for meeting wonderful people. And Sam, you put on a superb performance!
Thank you!
