In this installation, CHS Crow swoops over to the recently re-opened Canterbury and meets a surfing Capitol Hill social worker who’s all about the remodel, mindful growth, and free chips, goes to Redlight and meets a dietary DJ who treasures his friends, family and the great outdoors and stops by Vivace to catch a video game musician with an interactive approach enjoying one of the things he loves most. Read on.

Paige

Years old: 30 Curricular: BA in Women’s Studies, masters in Social Work, at UW – Seattle Day Job: Social worker Has lived in Capitol Hill: About six years Moved from: Kirkland and Redmond, via Lower Queen Anne via First Hill via Ravenna via the U-District Happy thought: Heart-to-heart conversations

Ok, required question — how do you feel about the new Canterbury?
I like it a lot more than the old Canterbury, which I’ve been frequenting since I was maybe 21. It’s a lot more open. I like the artwork. I like the layout. I like the booths. I like the open space.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done?
I followed someone to South America one time. It was a friend and I wasn’t really motivated much by it, and then I took surfing lessons, and learned surfing. And that was the most unusual thing I’ve ever done. I took lessons for 15 days and by the end I was a surfer, a legit surfer.

… where in South America?
Brazil and Argentina.

What’s your favorite drink?
A very citrusy IPA, local, hoppy. I was very intrigued by one recently — it was called the Hopvine from a brewery that I was at in Georgetown called Schooner Exact Brewing Company, on Fourth Avenue South. I had an amazing brunch that was six dollars, and a Hopvine IPA, and it was very good.

… we need that here.
I know, it’s expensive. It’s getting more and more expensive by the year. A burger costs like $18. Not literally, but you know. On Broadway there’s a place where during happy hour you can get free chips and salsa. That’s like unheard of. Free food!? That’s very European.

What would you like to see happen on Capitol Hill over the next ten years?
Affordable housing. Public transit. A slowing of the gentrification. More mindful architecture. More inclusive space for GLBTQ affiliations. More art. Affordability. Dog parks!

Sounds like you’ve thought about this before?
Yeah. And I don’t have a dog but in the future my future dog wants a future dog park.

… what kind of dog do you want to get?
I want to get an old-ass retired racing greyhound. Very sleepy, old, decrepit, but I’m gonna love it.

What makes you happy every time?
When I know that I’ve listened to someone thoroughly and in a meaningful way and have made a connection. And that they heard me. And that we’ve not necessarily come to an agreement, but have understood each other.

Alex

Years old: 20 Curricular: Studying to be a dietician at Bellevue College. Extracurricular: DJing and enjoying music and the great outdoors. Visiting the Hill from: Renton Happy thought(s): Relationships, music, art, everything

You said you visit the Hill a lot — what do you like to come over for?
Just kick it with my friends, shop, and the food over here is pretty awesome too.

What are some of your favorite places to hit up?
Definitely here, Redlight, is one of my favorite places, I also like Urban Outfitters, that’s a cool one, and get a burger at Dick’s. Just anywhere really.

Have anything to say about changes around the Hill?
I actually don’t honestly. I’m still pretty young, so I’m kind of new to this whole Capitol Hill area, the scene and everything. I’m not really a veteran, so, no.

What inspired you to start studying to become a dietician?
Just helping people. I love food. I love the science behind food. I love being healthy. I love promoting health. I like the fact that if you eat right, you’ll be right.

Is there any issue around nutrition you’re particularly passionate about?
Yeah actually, world hunger. And how our country is actually. People might not know it but there’s a lot of people here who actually suffer from hunger. And there’s a lot of kids who don’t eat.

What are you looking forward to most this summer?
Oh man just hanging out with my friends. I love my friends. Honestly, wake up every day, hit em up and say ‘Hey let’s go do something fun.’ You know, it doesn’t matter what we do as long as I’m with them. I gonna go to some festivals and whatnot, just listen to music, go to the lake, go hiking — I love the outdoors, so that’s really what I’m trying to focus on.

… what festivals are you going to?
I got Capitol Hill Block Party coming up which is gonna be awesome. And then some other small festivals around here — I’m going to Watershed too, which is over at The Gorge.

What makes you happy every time?
My relationship with my friends, and the fact that I can just be happy around them. I really pride myself in relationships with my family and my friends. And also I love music — music is a really big inspiration to me. It keeps me sane, and also just takes me away from the world a little bit. And I love art too. But pretty much I’m always happy, so really, anything.

And you said you deejay a lot — any summer albums coming out that you would recommend, or something you think is going to be ‘the summer album.’
Yeah, actually. I’m really big in to electronic music. And one coming out, it’s not going to be this summer, but later this year, by Madeon. He’s got a mind for music and I’m really excited for his new album.

David

Curricular: Studied rhetoric and film studies and Whitman College in Walla Walla. Day job: Makes music for video games. Visiting the Hill from: Oakland Grew up in: Eugene, Ore. Happy thought: Free time

What’s a big challenge you’ve overcome?
Recently, just being able to get work doing music. That felt like a challenge for a bit. I thought ‘well that would be great to be able to live as an artist or whatever,’ so I’ve temporarily overcome that at least. We’ll see how long that lasts, ha.

What brings you to the Hill?
I’ve got friends around here. And I’ve also got a wedding I’m going to in Walla Walla on the weekend.

Oh cool who’s getting married?
Some friends from college.

What video games have you made music for — anything I would have heard of?
Probably not, unless you play a lot of games. They’re little small games. One game called Proteus. Another game called Dyad. They’re little indie games. Dyad’s sort of a racing shooting game. Proteus like is a like a nature-wandering game — you just wander around and everything sings at you, so that’s kind of fun. You can download both of those on the PS3, or a PC.

 … do you like your work?
I love it. I like making music and I didn’t think I’d be able to get any work making music, so that was kind of surprise. And on top of that here I am reading at 10 in the morning; it gives me flexibility with my schedule.

What’s something interesting or unexpected about making music for video games?
One interesting thing about it that I enjoy is that it forces you to think about music in terms of space instead of time. So, if we’re making music for a forest, all these different forest elements will have different music elements attached to them, but since you’re going to be playing through the game differently each time, it doesn’t make sense always to say, ‘Ok, here’s a piece with a beginning, middle, end.’ It’s like creating a big installation.

What in your mind might be a considered a master piece of video game music?
There was a lot of stuff when I was younger — the Zelda game Wind Wicker had really great video game music. What I’m really interested in is when the sound can get really interactive, so it kind of feels like you’re playing a musical instrument when you’re playing the game, and so some of these older games have bits like that.

How do you like Capitol Hill?
It’s great. I just showed up here, I haven’t been here for four years. I’ve been around Capitol Hill a bit last time I was here. Now I just got up from a friend’s house where I was staying and walked down here, so just this coffee is the one thing I’ve experienced so far.

… how’s the coffee?
It’s great. This place is one thing I do remember. It has a really soft flavor.

Other than coffee, what something that makes you happy every time?
Just this is great — I love reading, walking, just some quiet free time. Free time always makes me happy.

Previously on CHS Crow

• Kesan, Adrienne and AJ — ‘Soak up everything you possibly can’
• Alyssa, Brian and Rachel — ‘Well life is whatever you make of it, right?’
• Beatrice and Fred — ‘I wore a white uniform and had free booze’
• Sage, Janice & Sarah — ‘I just want to be happy and free and alive’
• More