| |
| |
|
Music Information |
|
|
|
Taking iPod Culture into Clubs as Well as Cyberspace: Jonny Rocket Interviewed by The G-Man
Already making plenty of noise in the marketplace is a new concept called Playlist, which exists both as a club and as an online music competition (see www.ipod-dj.com for details on how to enter and what you can win). Playlist is attracting attention for several reasons. First, as a part of what some are calling "iPod Culture," Playlist is helping disseminate music to a wide audience. And second, many of us just love the Warholian idea of a bunch of people showing up at a club to be a DJ for 15 minutes of fame. So far, the Playlist club is only in London, but you can expect them to go global soon because this concept takes social networking and marries it to a party context. And who doesn't like a nice loud party? Briefly, here's the rundown on the two forms of this new phenomenon: BRICK-AND-MORTAR PLAYLIST. You arrive with your favorite 15-minutes of music on an iPod or other digital music player, sign-up (first come, first served) and you play your songs through the club's sound system. Or you sign up to be a judge of the quarter-hour sets. The best DJs win extra set time and prizes. Or you just drop by the club and dance. CYBERSPACE PLAYLIST. Anyone can register at the Web site and send a 15-minute playlist for judging. Again, there are prizes for the best set. Playlist does not yet feature streaming, downloading or Internet radio broadcasts, but you can bet that these are coming soon. A BEHIND-THE-SCENES CHAT. I spoke with Playlist's co-creator, Jonny "Rocket" Evans, who is excited by the unpredictability of his new venture. "What will happen at Playlist? That's just it. We don't know what will happen." Evans is happy to let the audience take control. "We can't say what the music will be, except that it will be diverse. We think it'll appeal to people with broad musical taste, a sense of humor and the desire to have fun. We also think we'll attract artists and musicians, who will want to explore the creative potential of the whole idea." Evans sees the Playlist concept as inevitable. "I think music is about to enter a new boom time. It's going to be very interesting, because digital downloads (legal and peer-to-peer) have reinvigorated interest in music, and I think the most recent US album sales and downloads figures from SoundScan show this. This also encourages a sense of diversity in the music-loving audience. We think this is going to mean people want the unexpected. And this is why we think the Playlist idea is an idea that reflects its time." The current consolidation of major media across the globe is somewhat counter-balanced by the Playlist concept. As Evans notes, "In the case of radio, for example, commercial radio playlists are designed to appeal to a particular demographic, which musician and music tsar Feargal Sharkey describes as 'Teenage girls,' as this group statistically buys the most music. And that's not good for music. We think we live at a point in time when digital diversity will propel music sales beyond anything ever seen before. And we really, really like the idea of harnessing a personal technology such as the iPod in a way that transforms it into a collective, social activity such as Playlist." CHANGING TIMES. There is a philosophical element in the way Evans describes the culture surrounding Playlist. "Music is at once a deeply personal activity and a deeply social activity, both for players and listeners. I think music is tribal glue. And it's a truism, isn't it, that whenever music marries new technology it sees economic benefit that is good for companies, artists and all involved in the entertainment ecosystem," he states, pointing to the sales figures of firms involved in sheet music, juke boxes, 33rpm vinyl, and clubs, not to mention CDs. "Playlist is all about the music, not the genre," Evans says. As their manifesto states: "The principle is simple: if you want to share your music, just turn up, sign in and play out. If you want to judge other people's music, turn up, sign up and speak out. If you simply want to party, just turn up, tune in, dance it out." In the planning stages for months, Playlist is now launching down the block and in cyberspace near you. Everyone can participate, and everyone can be a DJ, at least fifteen minutes at a time. Web: www.ipod-dj.com # # # Scott G is president of G-Man Music & Radical Radio. His music is on commercials for Verizon Wireless, Goodrich, Monaco Motor Coaches, BAE Systems and more. A creative director of the National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP) and a member of The Recording Academy (NARAS), he writes about music for MusicDish.com and the Immedia Wire Service. The G-Man's albums are released by Delvian Records and are on Apple's iTunes. He can be reached via http://www.gmanmusic.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Music - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How the Internet Helps Musicians Everyone talks about the negative impact of the Internet on the music business. Illegal file sharing and copyright violations have decimated the profits in the industry. RIAA Files Second Wave of Lawsuits The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a second wave of lawsuits against users of internet2 (a specialized high speed version of the internet that makes it ideal for file sharing). By adding 20 new schools to the list, RIAA has greatly expanded the number of students involved in the case. Modal Theory for Guitar Players - Part 1 IntroductionThe fact that you are holding this in your hands suggests that you have got to the point in your explorations of, and curiosity about the guitar that the next step is the modes. Maybe it's because you have read somewhere that Steve Vai loves the Lydian mode, or you have listened to music by Frank Gambale and wondered what he was up to. Piano Music - How to Begin and End a Piece How do you begin a piece of music? That's a question I'm often asked. The answer I usually give is that you begin as soon as you start playing - that is, if you're trying to "compose" something, the piece begins the moment it has energy and is something you want to capture. Chords or Melody First... Which is Best? There are basically two ways you can compose a piece of music. The first and most traditional way is to write out the melody and then harmonize it. Independent Music Promotion on the Web: 3 Steps to Success Let's face it, the wildfire spread of web-based portals designed to introduce independent music to the world has created a bewildering array of opportunities and costs. So where do they all balance out? When does the cost of signing up to yet another music promotion service yield results? What results are we looking for anyway?The key is to make your web promotion targeted, systematic and rich. Liberate your iPod When Akio Morita came up with the idea of the Sony Walkman all of his colleagues at the thought he was completely insane. The general consensus was that people wouldn't want to walk around the streets wearing headphones. Where To Download Music On The Internet Virtually all of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest to crush online music piracy. The illegal sharing of copyrighted songs via the MP3 format on top the Internet costs the music industry billions of dollars. Hip Hop Clothing Celebrities now such as Outkast, a fashion wear can be a must have. Likewise gainful for celebrities included within the clothing lines world, which is how come we are in possession of these most up to date hip hop clothing lines on the market like, FuBu. Dont Go Tubthumping I have always had a big problem with my addiction to music. I tend to hear I song I like, then rush out to the local record store to buy the CD, without consideration for whether or not I would actually like the rest of the songs on the set. How to Create Backing Tracks If You Dont Play All the Instruments... or Any Congratulations! Your singing has become amazing, and it's time the world knew. You've also written some songs that are just kick you-know-what. 10 Ways for Unknown Musicians to Get the Word Out When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper doesn't like you, how do you win over new audiences?The good news: there are many, many ways. Here are ten of my favorites. Downloading MP3s Made Easy The MP3 movement started out with a huge audience of music enthusiasts on the internet. The MP3 digital music format has had, and will continue to have, a huge impart on how people, gather, listen to and share music. 1959 Stratocaster Vintage Guitars Mid 1959 Stratocaster vintage guitars have a slab rosewood fingerboard with white "clay" position dots. The fingerboard radius of this Fender guitar is 7. How to Create Interesting Textures A lot of new age piano music consists of repeating patterns, or textures in the left hand while the right hand improvises a melody. This approach is really a good one! It frees you up to create in the moment. Play Piano As Fast As Possible! One of the rules of practicing we all hear over and over is "Be sure to practice slowly." (I'm guilty of this too!) Often the result of this is a feeling of inhibition, which leads to tedium. Dont Censor the Music and Artistic Expression Ann Powers said: "Don't censor the music and artistic expression. Eminem's music, in particular the songs "Kim" and "Stan," is a continuation of a tradition in music and American art in general: the Gothic murder ballad, which has been with us ever since the blues or Appalachian folk music. Form - Giving Shape to Your Music Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so, good. This has its place in music making and in new age piano playing in particularly. The Life and Music of Beatle George Harrison Propelled into fame as one of the Beatles, along with Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr, George Harrison was known as the "quiet one" of the group, and also as the "spiritual one." He was the lead guitarist. Learn to Play the Piano Rocket Piano is a very professionally done piano lesson package. It includes a number of ebooks, audio tracks, and video tracks to support the instructional material.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
