April 7, 2026: A noisy debate at the State Capitol; DU professor and jazz artist wins first Grammy!

Summary

Colorado Matters — April 7, 2026: Noise Debates at the State Capitol & DU Professor's First Grammy

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Episode Overview

This episode of Colorado Matters delves into two major stories shaping Colorado's cultural and legislative landscape: state-level debates over noise regulation affecting public venues, and a local jazz professor’s landmark Grammy win. The first segment, in collaboration with Purplish podcast, unpacks the complex noise disputes centered around the new Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs and recent legal and legislative developments. The episode then shifts to an intimate conversation with Remy LaBeouf, University of Denver professor and first-time Grammy winner, exploring his musical career and creative inspirations.

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I. The State Capitol’s Noisy Debate

(Starts at ~00:00)

Main Theme

• Colorado lawmakers are debating who should have control over noise regulations for venues — the state, or local communities? The debate has intensified following neighborhood disputes and a recent state Supreme Court case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Ford Amphitheater: Center of the Storm (01:31–04:21)

• Venue Background: Colorado Springs opened its major new venue, the Ford Amphitheater, hosting top acts (e.g., One Republic, Beach Boys).
  • Estimated $100 million annual economic benefit.
  • Excitement among many residents for the new cultural hub.
• Neighborhood Fallout: Homeowners close to the amphitheater experienced significant disruptions and filed numerous noise complaints, especially after the inaugural concerts (e.g., 150 complaints after the opening night).
  • "The kids were unable to fall asleep until after 11PM because the bass and the screeching of the band was present in their bedrooms." — Dan Boyce, 03:04
  • Residents’ appeals for action persisted even after the venue invested in engineering solutions.

B. The Legal Backdrop – The Salida Case (07:13–11:07)

• Historically, cities controlled local noise limits, issuing permits for events.
• Matthew Hobbs (Salida resident) sued the city after a bar was permitted for frequent outdoor concerts in violation of state decibel limits (Colorado Noise Abatement Act, 1970s law: 50 dB in residential areas).
  • The state Supreme Court ultimately sided with Hobbs, strictly interpreting the law to restrict local exceptions for private, for-profit permits.
  • “Noise is a major source of environmental pollution.” — Legislative intent quoted, 10:39
• The ruling jeopardized local governments’ ability to grant noise variances for private events/venues, setting off alarms in communities across Colorado.

C. Legislative Response – Senate Bill 98 (12:52–19:06)

• Within weeks of the court decision, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced Senate Bill 98, restoring local authority for noise permits, regardless of event type or profit status.
• Stakeholder Testimony:
  • Local officials and businesses: Emphasized live music events as cultural and economic lifeblood.
    • “A blanket noise ordinance across the whole state does not make sense.” — Mayor Holly Rogan, Lyons, 16:58
    • “Existential threat to our events and our business as a whole...” — Zach Tucker, festival organizer, 17:51
  • Neighborhood opposition: Residents, especially near Ford Amphitheater, argued noise is pollution with recognized health impacts and feared local political processes would favor economic benefit over individual well-being.
    • “Water and air quality standards don’t allow local opt outs for polluters and noise pollution should be treated no differently.” — Danielle Fry, 23:10
    • “This is a significant matter of public health.” — Dr. Murray Relf, 23:50
• Vote Outcome: Despite emotional testimony, the bill passed handily in committee (5–2) and the full Senate (30–4), with most opposition from Colorado Springs–area lawmakers.

D. Lingering Tensions & Human Impact (20:07–31:07)

• The legislative shift may restore the previous status quo, but does not resolve community strife.
• Displacement: Neighbors near the Ford Amphitheater recount selling homes due to persistent noise.
  • “We had about five or six houses go up for sale on our street on Coyote Willow because of the theater. Everybody just kind of said, we're not doing this anymore.” — Dr. Murray Relf, 30:28
• Equity Concerns: Many affected by noise complaints can't vote in Colorado Springs city elections as they live just outside city limits.
• Complexity of Sound: While music venues strive to be “good neighbors,” technological, musical changes, and urban development mean noise regulation remains a moving target—even at iconic venues like Red Rocks.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Noise affects people in totally different ways, and it’s just really hard to gauge somebody’s personal discomfort from hearing a concert playing throughout your house at night.” — Dan Boyce, 26:19

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Key Timestamps

• Ford Amphitheater’s impact on community: 01:31–04:21
• Salida court case details: 07:13–11:07
• Senate Bill 98 and legislative response: 12:52–19:06
• Personal stories & health concerns: 22:36–26:19
• Red Rocks & evolving venue practices: 27:11–29:36
• Displacement from neighborhoods: 30:00–30:39

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II. Denver Professor Remy LaBeouf Wins First Grammy!

(Starts at 32:08)

Main Theme

• Remy LaBeouf, award-winning jazz musician and DU professor, shares his experience of winning a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition, his creative process, and the role of music in his family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Grammy Moment & Artistic Identity (32:43–34:06)

• Emotional Experience: LaBeouf describes feeling “almost floating to the stage,” with immense anticipation and relief.
  • “My mind was immediately blank...it was like a very physical experience. My heart shot through my chest.” — Remy LaBeouf, 32:48
  • He made a spontaneous decision in his acceptance speech to honor his identical twin brother, Pascal, who’d won a Grammy in the same category the previous year: “My identical twin...which is just bonkers.” — Remy LaBeouf, 33:46
• Musical Beginnings: Chose saxophone out of a desire to emulate his sister’s ska band tastes, but over time the instrument and composition became intertwined aspects of his identity.

B. Practice & Teaching Philosophy (35:10–36:15)

• LaBeouf emphasizes consistency and routine in practice but says he moves in “phases” between composition and performance, imparting structure and self-discipline to his music students.

C. Artistic Inspiration & Process (36:19–41:27)

• Started composing in his early teens—using a karaoke machine to record ideas before understanding formal composition.
• Influence of Charles Mingus: “Mingus Ah Um was the record that probably got me into jazz. I listened to that record incessantly...hoping that I would wake up the next day being able to sing all the solos.” — Remy LaBeouf, 37:12
• On ‘First Snow’: The Grammy-winning piece was inspired during the first snowfall; LaBeouf sought to find beauty in “dissonant crunch” and wanted the piece to evoke a journey with moments of delicacy, celebration, and intensity.

D. Collaboration & Evolution (41:32–43:21)

• Enjoys collaborative projects, especially with his twin brother Pascal (as the LeBoeuf Brothers). Their creative explorations have ranged from intimate ASMR-inspired recordings to orchestrated pieces based on Kafka stories.
  • “We’re in the recording studio...it feels like we’re all whispering really close to each other, and that changes the way we make music together.” — Remy LaBeouf, 42:03

E. Philosophy on Jazz’s Future & Genre (45:51–47:35)

• LaBeouf sees jazz splintering into many forms, drawing from the global influences of the information age, while emphasizing the importance of honoring tradition: “It’s important to do that, but it’s also important to keep jazz pure in some sense so that people know where it’s coming from.” — Remy LaBeouf, 45:59
• His own work now resists strict genre labels, incorporating diverse influences to forge new artistic ground.

F. Parenthood’s Influence on Music (47:35–48:38)

• Becoming a father reshaped his routines and approach, bringing new structure and inspiration—he composes pieces inspired by and for his young daughter, Esme.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “My daughter now gives me structure.” — Remy LaBeouf, 47:43
• “Jazz music can go in a lot of different directions. I think that for myself, what I contribute to the music, to the genre, is definitely taking it some new places, and that’s what’s fulfilling for me.” — Remy LaBeouf, 47:20

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Key Timestamps

• Grammy win & family reflections: 32:43–34:06, 33:46
• Teaching philosophy: 35:44–36:15
• Mingus influence & composition process: 37:03–38:55
• Creative partnerships: 41:32–43:21
• Jazz, genre, and tradition: 45:51–47:35
• On being a musical parent: 47:35–48:38

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

The episode maintains a thoughtful, locally-grounded tone, blending policy analysis and personal storytelling. The noise debate segment illustrates the challenge of balancing community quality of life with economic and cultural vibrancy, while the musical profile showcases how local artistry reverberates far beyond Colorado.

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For further details, listen to the full segment:

• Noise debate & legislative analysis: 00:00–31:07
• Remy LaBeouf interview: 32:08–48:38

Transcript

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

From cpr news, this is colorado matters. State lawmakers are turning up the volume, so to speak, on noise limits at venues. How much is too much and how much say should local communities have?

[Dan Boyce]

And to be clear, this isn't just an outdoor music thing. The noise debate can come up with just about any kind of loud the nightlife scene, fireworks, sporting events.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

We'll get into the debate with Purplish then. What's it like to win a Grammy? Just ask first time winner and University of Denver Professor Remy LaBeouf.

[Benta Berklin]

And I was almost floating to the stage. I was aware of the moment. I was like thinking about it almost outside myself.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

The jazz musician and composer talks about the moment he realized he won his twin brother who's also a Grammy winner, and what it's like to see his young daughter experience music. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. State lawmakers are turning up the volume, so to speak, debating on noise levels in Colorado communities. What's too loud and how much say should local communities have? Let's get into that now with Purplish, the podcast about policy and politics from CPR News and the Colorado Capital News alliance. Here are CPR's Southern Colorado reporter Dan Boyce and public affairs reporter Venta Berklin.

[Dan Boyce]

After years of planning and excitement, Colorado Springs opened the city's first major outdoor music venue.

Concert season is officially underway in Colorado Springs. Hundreds of people packed the Ford Amphitheater. The new outdoor concert venue promises to

[Benta Berklin]

bring world class music acts right to our front door.

[Dan Boyce]

The very first concert in summer of 2024 featured the city's own hit making band, One Republic. Other big names followed from the Beach Boys and the Black Keys and Chicago.

[Benta Berklin]

We've been dying to see this place.

[Dan Boyce]

We've been watching it for I don't know how long, six, eight months a year being built. So we're excited to see it.

I've been here 30 years and we have never had a venue where we could actually go see big art.

[Benta Berklin]

The opportunities that we'll have to come enjoy this place and not have to drive to Denver.

[Dan Boyce]

I don't know, I just, I love outdoor music. So this is great.

Colorado Springs estimates This venue generates $100 million in annual economic activity.

But you know who's not bought into this whole party? The thousands of homeowners who live near the amphitheater.

[Benta Berklin]

My family and I were enjoying our

[Dan Boyce]

last night of summer with the kids outside before they started school on Monday. We had to cut our evening Short as the band was screaming profanities, you could feel the constant bass notes thumping, boom, boom, boom, everybody, you know, like

[Benta Berklin]

that all night long.

[Dan Boyce]

The kids were unable to fall asleep until after 11pm because the bass and the screeching of the band was present in their bedrooms. These quiet middle class neighborhoods were here long before the amphitheater. And some of those residents were so worried about how it might impact their lives, they tried to stop it before it was even built. Obviously that was unsuccessful.

And when it did debut, many of these residents felt their concerns were immediately justified. That one Republic opening concert, it generated nearly 150 noise complaints. In the time since then, the venue's operator has spent millions to install what they say are the latest engineering strategies and technologies to dampen this sound before it can make its way outside of the amphitheater and the company and the city and have promised to keep working on the problem.

[Benta Berklin]

We are people that predominantly live in this community and are committed to the success of this in the context of the community.

[Dan Boyce]

What I heard clearly is that you want action, not just patience.

[Benta Berklin]

That is correct.

[Dan Boyce]

Okay, so we're hearing you loud and clear. But years later, those neighbors complaints remain as loud as ever.

A decades old Colorado law could give neighbors more more power over the amphitheater's volume knob. That's if state lawmakers don't step in first. I want to talk about the Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs because this is one of the most glaring examples of the noise debate happening right now in the state. Certainly not the only example, right?

I mean, this just kind of goes with the territory, right? It makes sense. A town builds a new loud thing, does a new loud thing. If people live by said loud thing, they're probably not all going to be too happy about it. And the bigger the event or the venue, the bigger the potential uproar. At least that's how Dean Budnick described it to me. You do hear about this, especially with amphitheaters and also with new music festivals when they crop up. Budnick's been writing about the live music industry for decades for magazines like Variety and Billboard. I find that almost invariably there's some kind of issue that comes up locally, and it does just take a little fine tuning to make it work. To be clear, this isn't just an outdoor music thing. The noise debate can come up with just about any kind of loud experience. The nightlife scene, fireworks or sporting events.

Yep. Dan, I don't know if you remember when pickleball just first got really big. There were A ton of stories about neighbors hating the noise from the courts.

What? Nope. Bento. I guess I can say that I haven't heard anything about the pickleball noise complaints.

Well, count yourself lucky if you've avoided any pickleball controversy, but it was definitely a thing. But events, whether it's pickleball or an outdoor concert, these kind of experiences can bring people together. They're community gathering spots, and people say it really adds to their quality of life. At the same time, for people living next to them, it can have the opposite impact. Feeling under siege in their own homes

Decades ago, Colorado law lawmakers set statewide limits on noise for different types of areas. So lower noise limits near homes, louder away from them.

But a recent court case has upended the rules about who was allowed to be extra loud and how much, say local governments have. And that has state lawmakers this year wading into the noisy debate over noise. Sometimes on purplish, we talk about what a bill does and then explain where it came from. But in this instance, we really need to start with the backstory to make it all make sense.

That backstory starts with the fact that for years, Colorado cities and towns have effectively been in charge of setting noise limits within their borders. They've had the power to issue permits for concerts, outdoor music and all kinds of noisy events.

But that recently changed, and this is thanks to a court case that came out of Salida. It was brought by a man named Matthew Hobbs. He lives right by Salida's downtown. He was unhappy when a bar called High side got permission to host outdoor concerts.

[Benta Berklin]

Salida city council approved 60 concerts per season, roughly two to three times per week.

[Dan Boyce]

Hobbs complained to the city. He said the concert noise drifting into his neighborhood. And he told his local newspaper, the Arkansas Valley Voice, that it was like having an unwanted rock concert in his living room. And when the concerts continued, he did eventually sue the city.

I looked at the court case and the city did try to work with him. They limited noise after 10pm set some other restrictions. But Hobbs said it was still too loud. And his biggest issue he talked about was the frequency and he felt the law was on his side.

And in this case, that law was state law. From the 1970s, the Colorado noise Abatement

[Benta Berklin]

act recognized excessive noise threatens the serenity and quality of life of Colorado residents and cause real physiological and psychological harm.

[Dan Boyce]

That's Hobbs testifying at the Colorado Capitol recently. And he's paraphrasing what lawmakers said back in the 70s that about the intent behind establishing this statewide noise standard. So this law sets certain volume thresholds, decibel limits for different zoning areas.

It's statewide universal. It applies to the biggest cities and the smallest towns.

Hobbs argues in his lawsuit that the city of Salida broke state law when it gave the bar permit to be louder than what's legal under the Noise Abatement Act.

Now here's where the legal argument gets a bit tricky. So the Noise Abatement act, it does allow communities to permit certain things to exceed the usual noise limits. But that's a small list. Think political rallies, non profit celebrations, and government sponsored events. So 4th of July fireworks show, or a public festival.

But the law doesn't say anything about for profit businesses seeking noise permits. And that was the issue in this Salida case. Could the city make an exception to the law for a private company on private property? But I do want to make it clear that for decades, cities had been giving these ordinances for private businesses like bars and restaurants. So Salida didn't think it was giving this bar an exception that it wasn't allowed to do. So the city thought it had the power to give this permit.

That question made its way through the court system. The first court agreed with Salida. The appeals court was later split, and the case makes it all the way to the state supreme court.

The justices actually said it wasn't clear just from the language of Colorado's law whether a private business could get this noise permit exemption. So the court looked back at the legislative record all the way back to 1971 to find out why. Lawmakers said these rules were needed.

And lawmakers wrote back then that Colorado had to set a standard because, quote, noise is a major source of environmental pollution.

So after reading that legislative intent, that declaration, the state supreme court unanimously sided with Matthew Hopps and against the city of Salida. And this happened last fall.

We probably should talk about what these noise limits are. They're pretty strict. For residential areas. The limit's about 50 decibels.

And, you know, having spent my career in sound, you'd think I'd know this, but I did have to look it up. And 50 decibels, it's like the sound of a moderate rainfall.

Exactly. So before our taping here, I've downloaded a decibel reading app on my phone. And so I'm talking into it and I'm kind of a loud guy, but me talking in a normal voice is in the 70s and 80s decibel range. And that range, 60s, 70s, 80 decibels, that's the noise level that's reaching most of these Ford Amphitheater neighbors. So we're not talking like a jet engine here, but at the same time, let's recognize if you're trying to get to sleep, you surely don't want Dan and Benta talking into your ear at normal volume.

Yeah, I would think no one wants that. But I actually just heard of a purplish listener who listens to purplish as they're falling asleep. So on the one hand, I'm really happy they're a purplish listener. On the other hand, like, is that a good thing that they listen to it as they're dozing off?

Let's get back to this court ruling. I bet you can guess who is keeping a close eye on that Salida case. All those neighbors opposed to the for profit operators of Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs. So they sued in January this year, just a couple of months after that Salida case, and they pointed directly to it as the source of their justification. They even hired the same lawyer that Hobbs used.

But not so fast. Colorado Springs residents weren't the only ones watching this Supreme Court ruling. Less than a month after those residents filed their lawsuit to block the amphitheater, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers dropped a bill to essentially undo the state Supreme Court decision. It would revise the Noise Abatement act to say explicitly that local governments can issue whatever noise permits they want for profits, nonprofits, whatever.

So this is just such a rollercoaster, right? The court, it limits cities ability to permit noisy venues and then lawmakers just immediately step in to give it back to them.

Pretty much. And I think it's telling when you look at the four main sponsors of this bill. It's Senate Bill 98. One of the lawmakers is from Colorado Springs, but the others are from Denver, Aurora, Castle Rock. So fair to say, Dan, that city leaders from across the state were really worried about the ramifications of the Salida case and have been working their phones to their local lawmakers.

That sponsor from Denver is State Senator Matt Ball. He's a Democrat and he says these permitting choices, they need to be a local decision made with the input from local residents.

[Benta Berklin]

I think the accountability that this bill foresees, which has traditionally been the case in Colorado, is, you know, if a city extends a permit to a venue to go above and beyond 50 decibels and residents really don't like it, their recourse is to go to their local elected representatives to rescind that permit.

[Dan Boyce]

But as we saw in some of These examples from Colorado Springs and Salida. Sometimes elected representatives side with the noise, not with unhappy residents.

Sure, and Ball says he does understand the concern of unhappy residents. But he emphasizes this bill is really just about letting local leaders weigh the pros and cons of loud experiences themselves, and then they're on the hook for making those hard decisions for their communities. And that's what we'll get into next.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

CPR's Dan Boyce and Benta Berklin on Purplish, CPR's podcast on politics and policy. I'm Chandra Thomas Woodfield. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. Today we're hearing about a debate over noise levels. How loud can music be at outdoor venues? And how much control should local communities have to turn down the volume? State lawmakers are debating that now, and we're talking about it today on Purplish, the podcast about policy and politics. From CPR News and the Colorado Capital News alliance, here again are Dan Boyce and Ben to Brooklyn.

[Dan Boyce]

This bill is, of course, a really big blow to the people living near Ford Amphitheater who'd hoped to use the Supreme Court ruling to get the venue to really turn down its volume. And many of those residents showed up to testify against this bill.

[Benta Berklin]

This is not acceptable.

[Dan Boyce]

Skepticism about the proposed bill is not cynical.

[Benta Berklin]

It's just plain common sense. This makes things even more worse for us.

[Dan Boyce]

On the flip side, though, this ruling in Salida vs. Hobbs, it has a lot of different groups worried it could set a difficult precedent. And they also came out to testify, but in strong support of the bill.

Yeah, and really what we're seeing here, too, is a lot of lobbying support for Senate Bill 98. More than 50 individual lobbyists and firms are backing this, and they represent everything from concert promoters and various industry associations and local control advocates. The Colorado Municipal League is behind this bill, the State Brewers Guild, Live Nation, and then lots of local governments.

My name is Holly Rogan. I'm the mayor of the town of

[Benta Berklin]

Lyons, and I'm here today in strong

[Dan Boyce]

support of this bill, mayor Rogan told lawmakers during the bill's first committee hearing. A blanket noise ordinance across the whole state does not make sense.

[Benta Berklin]

Good noise regulation is not one size fits all. Lions has a unique topography, which means that sound carries much differently than it

[Dan Boyce]

would in, say, Longmont or in Denver. Lyons is home to popular summer events like the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. And during this hearing, you Heard Rogan and others stress that these kind of live music events are a cultural and economic lifeblood for a lot of smaller communities.

You really heard that in testimony from Zach Tucker, and he's with the company that puts on the Folks Festival and other bluegrass festivals, and that is a for profit company. The Supreme Court ruling in Hobbs versus the city of Salida really poses an

[Benta Berklin]

existential threat to our events and our

[Dan Boyce]

business as a whole, as well as the community that has built up around us in Lions. And so we desperately need SB98 to pass to allow us to continue our work with the town of Lyons in

[Benta Berklin]

collaboration on noise permitting that is sustainable

[Dan Boyce]

for us and has proven to work for the last 25 years. Supporters say the way things stand after the Supreme Court ruling, one disgruntled neighbor could have veto authority over any loud event or venue that they don't like.

Yeah, if it's put on by a private company. But we have to caveat that there may not be like suddenly lawsuits across the the state blocking every arts festival or music. But definitely a lot of folks in support of this bill feel like things will be put in jeopardy potentially for sure. This Senate hearing got pretty tense at times, right?

I mean, it was three and a

half hours long and particularly as people who live near the Amphitheater in the Springs testified on how hard it's made their lives. But the vote on the bill itself wasn't really close. It was five to two in this committee. And then the bill went to the full Senate. It passed. It did even better. It passed with 30 votes. Only four no votes.

Just decisive.

Yes, very decisive, very bipartisan. But I do think the handful of no votes, it was interesting to look at where they came from. Three of those four no votes were Colorado Springs area senators. I don't think that's a coincidence, Dan. Supporters of this bill say it's about upholding the status quo because communities across Colorado have for a long time been giving these noise permits variances to a variety of venues.

That's their core argument, that what they're doing is just undoing the precedent set by that Supreme Court ruling and going back basically to how things have been.

Even though this bill does have statewide implications, the real heat on this issue seems focused on one place right now, the Ford Amphitheater in the Springs. Dan, why do you think that is? Is it just because the amphitheater is the newest, most prominent place dealing with a noise controversy?

Simply, this venue represents both the benefits and drawbacks of this legislation on just about the largest scale. You can imagine. What I found interesting, though, is that even some of the lawmakers most closely involved in this bill didn't seem really that up to speed on the fight around the Fort Amphitheater.

Gretchen Ryden, state representative, House District 38.

So Gretchen Ryden's a Democrat from Littleton, and we get on the line to chat about Senate Bill 98 before its first committee hearing hearing, because she was one of the sponsors. She used to be on the city council in Littleton. And So Senate Bill 98's focus on local control really resonates with her, especially

when it comes to events and things like that. I mean, those are very localized.

But as we get a little further into the conversation, it really surprised me because she says before I reached out to her for this interview, well, I

will say I didn't know anything about what was happening Colorado Springs. I was not aware of that. Wow, that's interesting because, Dan, you're in the Springs and it's such a big issue there. But it sounds like Ryden was focused on the festivals and events in Littleton in her district.

That's the impression I got. And anyway, the day after our interview, she emailed to say that she had removed herself as a bill sponsor. Though she does say that she still supports the bill. For all the heat that's on this topic, there are only two lobbying groups registered as opposed to the bill. There's the United Veterans Coalition and then some Ford Amphitheater neighbors have hired a lobbyist, 50 some lobbyists in support, two against. Living in Colorado Springs, you would think that this is one of the most contentious bills this legislative session. But on paper, it just really doesn't look like it's that much of a fight. Benta, what's your insight there?

Well, I think it's a tricky issue because a lot of people enjoy going to concerts and events. They want those opportunities to be available. And like I said, you know, if this bill doesn't pass, that doesn't mean they all go away. But there's a concern that they could be in jeopardy. It's a much smaller group of people who live near these venues and have to endure the downsides. You know, for instance, for the amphitheater in the Springs, Dan, what's the seating capacity?

It's an 8,000-person seating capacity. The way people who live near the amphitheater put it. Noise should not be left up to local politicians because they might be more concerned about economic impact than the experiences of some subset of their residents and their quality of life. Opponents, they go back time and time again to this argument that noise is pollution. Danielle Fry testified in the first committee hearing and she lives less than a mile from the Ford Amphitheater.

Water and air quality standards don't allow local opt outs for polluters and noise pollution should be treated no differently.

And look, see there are some nuances to that. There are some exceptions to what she's saying, but there is a reason for those standards and I think you understand her point there. Also testifying retired radiologist Dr. Murray Relf. He notes the impacts of excessive noise on human health are well documented.

[Benta Berklin]

It is linked to sleep disturbance, stress, anxiety and cardiovascular risk. This issue should not be regarded as a popularity contest supporting patio music at a favorite bar. This is a significant matter of public

[Dan Boyce]

health and those health impacts, noise pollution, it is felt by some people more than others. You've heard Dan, from veterans living near the Ford and they say it exacerbates their PTSD symptoms.

Yeah, it can also be a real issue for people with sensory issues. Marianna Bailey told the Senate committee she originally moved to a neighborhood, a neighborhood that's now by the amphitheater. But when she moved there it was because it was quiet.

[Benta Berklin]

We were searching for a safe place

[Dan Boyce]

where our son would.

[Benta Berklin]

Sorry. Where our son could feel calm, protected and truly at home.

[Dan Boyce]

And her son has a form of autism that requires substantial support.

[Benta Berklin]

The world is already overwhelming for him. Everyday sounds that most of us barely notice can be feel painful or distressing to him.

[Dan Boyce]

So when the concerts at Ford started,

[Benta Berklin]

I was shocked at what I saw. My son had his ears covered and he was shaking. We, we don't have a safe place for him anymore.

[Dan Boyce]

That sounds so incredibly challenging and such a difficult situation for their family.

And Benta, to put a finer point on the whole local control versus pollution argument. Marianna Bailey, she does not live in the city of Colorado Springs. Her neighborhood is just outside city limits in El Paso County. And that's the case for many of the residents affected by the Ford Amphitheater's noise because it's just kind of right on the edge of the city. So if Colorado Springs elected leaders issue a noise permit for the Ford, these people outside city limits have no ability to vote. Vote to change those leaders. Here's Dr. Murray Relf again.

[Benta Berklin]

Local control is not infallible. City governance often fails. When this happens, people get hurt. Local permits render segments of the population vulnerable and without recourse. Citizens depend on state law to provide accountability when local measures fail.

[Dan Boyce]

Dan, I think it's really interesting Being an audio journalist, we understand a lot of complexity of sound, but working on this episode with you, we just see the added level of complexity, especially how it impacts communities who live near these things.

You know, we joked earlier about people not wanting to hear us talking at a normal tone of voice when they're sleeping, and we're being a little bit glib about that, but it really is a ton different if we're talking about somebody having a conversation in a room where you're trying to sleep than if it's thumping bass stuff that's rattling your windows. Noise affects people in totally different ways, and it's just really hard to gauge somebody's personal discomfort from. From hearing a concert playing throughout your house at night.

That's exactly right. And you know, the Ford Amphitheater, it's at the center of this debate. It is so new. But how to manage noise is an issue. Even with the state's most iconic outdoor venues. For instance, Red Rocks has had to adjust its noise rules over the years.

[Benta Berklin]

You always want to be a good neighbor while keeping your business intact. And so I think that it has been an evolving relationship and, you know, some negotiation over the years.

[Dan Boyce]

That's Brian Kitz, and he's with Denver's cultural agency, Arts and Venues, which operates Red Rocks. And it's not just that there are more people living near these venues like Red Rocks, but music and music technology has changed a lot.

[Benta Berklin]

When you look at Red Rocks historically, the earliest music there is all classical art, symphony, opera, and ballet, you know, and then, you know, the risk of sounding like that, hey, you kids, get off my lawn, guy. You know, rock music comes around and that changes everything. And then, you know, EDM comes around in the early 2010s, and, you know, the bass is a little deeper, and that changes things.

[Dan Boyce]

Speaking of EDM concerts, that heavier bass, that amplification, it riled some residents in Morrison and other areas. In the mid-2010s, Red Rocks did consult acoustic experts, and they adjusted some noise rules. There are some fans who haven't loved this. Our producer tried reaching out to Morrison officials to see how they feel Red Rocks has done. We didn't hear back, though, in time for this taping.

Red Rocks, again, it's just a very different scenario to the Ford Amphitheater, because in that case, you had these long standing residential areas, and then an outdoor live music venue moves into those neighborhoods, not the other way around.

I think, you know, Red Rocks is just an example of how it's a constant negotiation, even for places that Many Coloradans love to brag about being a, quote, good neighbor is not static. And it changes. Pivoting back to the Ford Amphitheater, we have this bill moving through the state House. It has a lot of support. You never know what'll happen. But I think it's likely to pass and become law. Dan, should that be the case? The bill's law. Local communities can set these noise levels. How do you think things could work out for Colorado Springs and for the venue and the residents there? Will they reach some agreement?

You know, first, I don't think that these neighbors are going to go quietly into the night. They're going to be still mobilized. You know, they're going to be looking into the law. They're going to be looking how this venue was built. They're going to be examining every possible option to try to get that noise brought down. These negotiations, the complaints, it's going to keep going. You remember Dr. Murray Relf?

Yeah.

So I met up with him at a diner, and when the amphitheater opened, he lived right nearby it.

[Benta Berklin]

Well, because the theater was so disruptive, we just, you know, couldn't. You know, you could hear it in the house. It was quite loud outside and in the house. And we just didn't really figure that there was going to be any remedy at that time, so we just decided to move. Wow.

[Dan Boyce]

So he ended up moving to the amphitheater.

Yeah. And he says he's not the only one.

[Benta Berklin]

We had about five or six houses go up for sale on our street on Coyote Willow because of the theater. Everybody just kind of said, we're not doing this anymore.

[Dan Boyce]

This doesn't mean that everybody living near the amphitheater has the resources or the ability to just pack up and move. But I was just there again recently in the these neighborhoods, and just on one street, I saw several more homes for sale. So if these noise levels from Ford stay the same as they have been the last couple of years, that's what I think the future looks like.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Cpr, Southern Colorado reporter Dan Boyce, public affairs reporter Benta Berklin, and purplish the podcast about policy and politics from CPR News and the Colorado Capital News Alliance. The alliance includes KUNC News, the Colorado sun, and Rocky Mountain pbs. And now an update. After passing the Senate, the bill that Dan and Benta were talking about, Senate Bill 98 is set to go before the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee this afternoon. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. You're with CPR News and KRCC this Is Colorado Matters. From CPR News and krcc, I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. Colorado based jazz musician and composer Remy LaBeouf is reveling in the feeling of winning his first ever Grammy. A professor at DU's Lamont School of Music, he'd been nominated six times before, but this year he clinched the best instrumental composition category for his piece First Snow. He spoke with our Sandy Batuca.

[Sandy Batuca]

We are in your office right now at the Lamont School of Music. Are you a type A or a type B person when it comes to, like, tidiness, an organization?

[Benta Berklin]

Oh, well, you know, I. It's a little messy around here. I did a little bit of cleanup, but it's. Yeah, whatever. Whatever a little messy is. That's me.

[Sandy Batuca]

Sure.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Okay.

[Sandy Batuca]

Do you think that, like, is also your composing style?

[Benta Berklin]

No, I'm very organized in my mind. I mean, I'm not a messy person. I don't want to, like, you know, identify myself as a messy person.

[Sandy Batuca]

No, you're.

[Benta Berklin]

But my office, it's been a busy, busy year. You know, I'm pretty organized in my. In my composing. I pride myself on having very clean, clear parts.

[Sandy Batuca]

Gotcha. About that Grammy win, what went through your mind when your name was called on the stage?

[Benta Berklin]

Oh, I mean, my mind was immediately blank. I think I just stood up. It was like a very physical experience. I was. My heart shot through my chest, and I was already so excited leading up to it. You know, when you have, like, a really big moment, it's almost the anticipation of that moment that's, like, more intense than the moment itself. There was a sort of relief, and I was with two of my collaborators, and we just looked at each other in disbelief and just stood up, made our way to the stage. And I was almost floating to the stage. I was aware of the moment. I was, like, thinking about it almost outside myself.

[Sandy Batuca]

Yeah. Did you already have what you were going to say prepared, like, before you got on stage?

[Benta Berklin]

Yeah, a little bit, somewhat. I. I had some folks I wanted to thank, but I kind of winged it a little bit. I wasn't gonna say something about my twin brother at first, but then I

[Sandy Batuca]

wanted to acknowledge him because he also won a Grammy.

[Benta Berklin]

But last year, he won a Grammy in the same category last year, my identical twin, which is just bonkers.

[Sandy Batuca]

Is there, like, a friendly competition between you two?

[Benta Berklin]

Just brotherly love.

[Sandy Batuca]

So you're not only composed fursna, but you also played saxophone on it. Why is the Saxon instrument, that is your primary one?

[Benta Berklin]

Well, I'll just say that my voice as an improviser and as a saxophonist is an important part of my composition, and my composition is a part of my voice as a saxophonist. Like, they kind of feed into each other. It's all part of my identity. I chose saxophone because when I was 11 and my school started a band program, I wanted to be cool like my sister, who listened to a lot of ska. And so I was like, I'm gonna play the saxophone. Cause saxophone's in the ska band. And I think my friend Max, when we were, like, really little, had, like, a plastic saxophone that I coveted maybe when I was, like, six years old. Yeah, yeah.

[Sandy Batuca]

Some jazz musicians I know, like Charlie Parker, clock. 15 hours a day of practice. How do you approach practice?

[Benta Berklin]

I've approached it differently at different times in my life. I think generally it's important to be consistent with practice and to have a routine. Nowadays, I'm much more phase oriented, so I might go through a big composition phase and then really focus on saxophone. Right before tour or a big performance, I'll always be doing some playing and some composing. But before a tour, I'll be practicing a lot more.

[Sandy Batuca]

Do you translate that to your students as well of, like, trying to guide them on how to get better at their craft?

[Benta Berklin]

I mean, every student has unique challenges and unique passions that drive them. But having someone to be an enforcer or to give them a sense of structure I think is really important, especially for college students who are entering a time in their life when they have perhaps less structure than they're used to living on their own, you know, so I can help them at least in one way.

[Sandy Batuca]

Right. How long have you been composing?

[Benta Berklin]

I think since I was partway through high school, maybe around. I think I tried composing when I was, like, 13 and wrote, like, a melody or something. Maybe when I was like, yeah, around that age, I was really into Charles Mingus's music. And I was also in youth orchestra, and I was in choir. And I did a lot of different things, not even just music, but I had these big things in my imagination, but I didn't really have the understanding to put those down on paper or anything. So I remember I had my sister's old karaoke machine, which used tapes. And I would, like, sing these ideas onto her tapes and be like, oh, and this. And the orchestra comes in here and that, you know? And I wasn't writing for an orchestra or anything. Like, I was 13, but I had a lot of fun and I had a big imagination.

[Sandy Batuca]

You mentioned that Mingus was important to you. When you were younger, is there, like, a specific record or song you remember listening to and be like, wow, this is. This is it.

[Benta Berklin]

Yes. Charles Mingus's Mingus a Oom was the record that probably got me into jazz. I listened to that record incessantly. I went to bed at night listening to that record, hoping that I would wake up the next day being able to sing all the solos. So, yeah, it was about a year of that record and nothing else. And then I tried to transcribe some of the solos off the record. And it's a great record. Recommend it to anyone.

[Sandy Batuca]

What was it about that record that really attracted you?

[Benta Berklin]

Mingus is just so real. He's so good at expressing vulnerability and power and emotion, and his music is just really powerful. And I think those things hit me hard. When I started writing First Snow, I remember I was sitting. I have a voice memo. So I have it exactly documented. But I was just sitting at my piano in my apartment here in Denver, and it was October 28th, the first snow of the year. It was my sister's birthday. And I think I probably just had a coffee or a tea or something and had a moment to write. And it's very peaceful when it's snowing outside. And I just had the space and was exploring ideas on the piano.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Sa.

[Benta Berklin]

So I think the piece is based on seconds, two notes right next to each other, forming a kind of dissonant crunch and trying to make that dissonance beautiful. Mm.

[Sandy Batuca]

Well, I'd love to dig deeper if there are specific emotions or memories that were embedded in the piece.

[Benta Berklin]

It's interesting. When you write for jazz, within the jazz tradition, it's good to have a character to the piece, but it's also good to have a certain amount of flexibility for the players to. To add their own emotions to the piece. I think that this was one of those situations where I started working out an idea and I just went with it and went where it wanted to go. When you orchestrate something for a jazz orchestra, which is maybe 17, 18, 19 people, it becomes a lot more epic. So a piece that might be more intimate, once I start adding more instruments, you can try to retain that intimacy. But I think this piece, it had moments of delicacy, for sure, but moments of celebration, moments of intensity. And, you know, I think it evolves. It's a story, and a story has a lot of different emotions within it.

[Sandy Batuca]

You recorded it with the Nordkraft Big Band. Did the piece change at all once you actually heard it with the live orchestra?

[Benta Berklin]

Definitely. I oftentimes will revise my pieces after their first performance. For this project, I was composing music for vocalist Danielle Wirtz, who was collaborating on the project. So it's from an album called Silent Chorus, and Danielle is kind of a mix between some kind of modern jazz phenom and maybe Joni Mitchell. She's very inspired by Joni and has a Joanie project that she does as well. And so we got a Joanie song on the album. I wrote two songs for the album, and the rest were her songs that I arranged. And that's a very creative process. Like, I can kind of rediscover a song of hers and make it different, but that was really fun. And this was one of the songs from the album, the only one that didn't have lyrics.

[Sandy Batuca]

Do you have a favorite collaborator just on any kind of musical piece?

[Benta Berklin]

I mean, I can't list one favorite. I have many favorite collaborators. Up there would be Danielle. She's really fun to work with. My twin brother Pascal. We have a band called Leboouf Brothers, and we've actually got an album coming out in June. But he's great to collaborate with, and we've been collaborating since before we were born. Since we're identical twins, I guess there are lots of other wonderful people to work with.

[Sandy Batuca]

What kind of stuff do you do with Pascal? Is there a theme to your duo?

[Benta Berklin]

Each project has a different theme. So our last project was called Hush, and for that project, we did a lot of fun things with microphones. So if you'll notice, I'm getting really close to the microphone and talking really quietly. I'm not sure if this is going to show up. It's very like asmr, but we did that with instruments, so we recorded everything at a really high input level. And then we played really quietly, and it captures this sort of whispery intimacy that impacts the way that we perform the music. Because we're in the recording studio, we got these headphones on, and it feels like we're all whispering really close to each other, and that changes the way that we make music together. So that project was really fun, but we'll do other projects. We did a project with a string quartet called Jack Quartet, where I wrote a whole piece based on a Kafka short story. Oh, look at that. And, yeah, we just have a lot of fun, and we. We go on musical adventures together.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

DU music professor Ramit LaBeouf speaking with my colleague Sandy Batouga about his recent Grammy win. His first. Our conversation continues after the break with how composing jazz compares with improvising jazz and his vision for the future of the jazz genre. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and KRCC. Welcome back to Colorado Matters from CPR News and KRCC. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. Denver musician Remy LaBeouf loves jazz, and he also loves composing. And now the professor at DU's Lamont School of Music has won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition. Let's get back to his conversation with my colleague Sandy Batuga.

[Sandy Batuca]

How is composition, which is like writing down a specific melody, how is that similar or different to improvisational jazz to you?

[Benta Berklin]

Well, there are a lot of different ways to think about it. Some people think of improvisation as composition in the moment. So I'm composing a solo in the present, and that's a beautiful way to think about it. Having different ways to think about improvisation is always fun. I'll think about improvisation as language. I'm improvising right now, talking to you, and I'm using a set of tools, words to convey my emotions or to tell a story. And that's essentially what I'm doing when I'm improvising, but it's also what I'm doing when I'm composing. I'm creating the structure of a story or moments that highlight the story if the soloist is telling the story or things to guide the energy in a certain direction. So, yeah, I think it's really fun to compose and to go places.

[Sandy Batuca]

Well, you've been nominated multiple times before you won this Grammy. What is it like to look on your past work and see your own evolution?

[Benta Berklin]

I don't know. Yeah, I think I've certainly evolved since I started my career. I don't think that I'm doing anything so differently right now than I was like five years ago with the jazz orchestra.

[Sandy Batuca]

Sure.

[Benta Berklin]

I guess my first project was maybe more classical influenced. I did a kind of more rock thing. This one is a little more folky, so it's fun to go different places. But yeah, I think that this was this award was maybe the culmination of a lot of my projects, even though technically it's not supposed to be. I think people have noticed what I'm doing across my projects and maybe that's what what did it.

[Sandy Batuca]

What do you think about the future of jazz? Where do you think this genre, if it can be contained to just a genre, is going to.

[Benta Berklin]

It's an interesting question. I think jazz will splinter into a lot of different things. As it is, as is happening right now, I'm living At a time. We're all living in, a time when information is so accessible and you can be influenced by things from all over the world. Cultures, music, ideas, technology. And that pushes the music in a lot of different directions, but it's almost overwhelming. Meanwhile, we also have the jazz tradition, which is. It's important to preserve it and to keep it whole and representative of the culture that it's born out of, and to respect that and highlight it. So to fuse jazz with too many things, I think it's important to do that. But it's also important to keep jazz pure in some sense so that people know where it's coming from. I almost. I feel like the older I get, the less I feel like my music is one genre. I'm just taking on so many different influences from different areas, and it's really fun to add on to who I am with each new project and explore some new thing. So jazz music can go in a lot of different directions. I think that for myself, what I contribute to the music, to the genre, is definitely taking it some new places, and that's what's fulfilling for me. But I really respect people that really hold true to the tradition and try to reflect it in an authentic way.

[Sandy Batuca]

Well, I see here on your piano, you have a piece you're composing for your daughter. Has parenthood changed your approach to music?

[Benta Berklin]

Yeah, I think I've had to live a more structured life and have some boundaries. When I come home, I'm home. I'm not thinking about other stuff, or if I am, I'm trying not to. Just like my students, you know, they need me to give them structure. My daughter now gives me structure.

[Sandy Batuca]

Yeah. So what's her name?

[Benta Berklin]

Her name's Esme.

[Sandy Batuca]

Does she respond to music?

[Benta Berklin]

What is it like?

[Sandy Batuca]

Does she interact with the world?

[Benta Berklin]

She. When she was really little, I would, like, beatbox on her chest, tummy, and she loved it. She thought it was the funniest thing. She's always been very percussive and maybe drawn to percussion, like, things she gets on the piano. We've got, like, a little step stool for her to go up to the piano bench, and she'll just, like, play around on the piano and dance around, have a great time. She's just starting to sing a little bit, and it's just. It's fun. Just like with any developmental thing, it's fun to watch her grow.

[Sandy Batuca]

Yeah. Well, that's a lovely note to end on. Thank you so much, Remy, for this conversation.

[Benta Berklin]

Thank you so much.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Remit LaBeouf. A professor at DU's Lamont School of Music, speaking with CPR's Sandy Batulga about recently winning his first Grammy. He plays at jazz clubs around Denver like Nocturne, and he's set to perform at Dazzle on May 2nd. Thanks for joining us today. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. This is Colorado Matters on CPR News and krcc.