Saturday, December 29, 2007
2008
I'm sneaking this post in between Christmas and New Year and after 3 or 4 months of no blog activity. The inactivity was due to my work at Stroud College, which has now thankfully come to an end. I can now sympathize with teachers when they say they've got a hard gig. January 2008 stretches in front of me and I'm eager to start as my brain is bursting with ideas and resolutions for music stuff I want to begin in the new year. However I'm going to chill for a few days first or at least try to! This post is probably only for my benefit as I don't think anyone's reading anyway - if you are give me a shout as I intend to totally and utterly re-launch this blog soon!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Some random thoughts about the music industry
Just reading Lefsetz Letter. He mentioned a Charles Darwin quote:
"It's not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change"
This is really relevant to the state of the music industry and highlights the artists and businesses that are surviving each day's digital revolution.
Andrew Dubber says that the music industry hasn't just changed it's actually changing all the time so I continue to dream up new ideas that I figure 1000s of other musically interested people are also dreaming up at the same time.
It does make me question whether there is a future professionally to be had or not. I'll just keep keeping on with Wired and see what I can make of it for myself and the city of Gloucester's music scene.
"It's not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change"
This is really relevant to the state of the music industry and highlights the artists and businesses that are surviving each day's digital revolution.
Andrew Dubber says that the music industry hasn't just changed it's actually changing all the time so I continue to dream up new ideas that I figure 1000s of other musically interested people are also dreaming up at the same time.
It does make me question whether there is a future professionally to be had or not. I'll just keep keeping on with Wired and see what I can make of it for myself and the city of Gloucester's music scene.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Legit free streamed music
Check out www.deezer.com
It's a free music stream which is legit. You can build playlists from the wide range of mainstream released stuff there. I've just added albums by Amy Winehouse, Ryan Adams and Joni Mitchell to my playlist.
What they've done is taken the commercial radio income generation tool - Advertising - and applied it to a library of mp3 streams where users can build their own preferences for listening. It's the same as radio except it's interactive. Not all of the streams are compressed nicely though. I searched for stuff by Nik Kershaw and it sounds like AM radio quality.
Amy Winehouse's latest album sounds like it might be 128kps which is enough for most people and in comparison to FM radio which is majorly compressed signal anyway it's acceptable for background music while you do something else.
It's a free music stream which is legit. You can build playlists from the wide range of mainstream released stuff there. I've just added albums by Amy Winehouse, Ryan Adams and Joni Mitchell to my playlist.
What they've done is taken the commercial radio income generation tool - Advertising - and applied it to a library of mp3 streams where users can build their own preferences for listening. It's the same as radio except it's interactive. Not all of the streams are compressed nicely though. I searched for stuff by Nik Kershaw and it sounds like AM radio quality.
Amy Winehouse's latest album sounds like it might be 128kps which is enough for most people and in comparison to FM radio which is majorly compressed signal anyway it's acceptable for background music while you do something else.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Necessary Stuff
Two things today to mention:
Wired Records Community Interest Company has been successful with a bid for funding from the County Council's Youth Capital Fund. This is good news. In addition to money from the City Council and money I've been awarded as an individual for social enterprise from Unltd, It means we can proceed with our plans to set up a dedicated project space for making music in Gloucester called MusicHut and also set up a media suite/Wired HQ at the Guildhall called DarkRoom.
The second thing is about the Gloucester Music Forum/Hub Group. I meet as part of this group with representatives from the Guildhall, Gloucestershire Music Service, Gloucestershire College, University of Gloucestershire and my mate Dan (from Ghosting). We're planning a scoping exercise that the County Council have coughed up for. The idea of the exercise is to map out who's enthusiastic to get involved and find out who's doing what in the city area relevant to music. Yesterday we had a busy meeting. Matt Booth from Bristol Music Foundation / South West Sound / Dartington Plus and he got all our heads busy thinking about the scale of the potential investment that we might tap into if we create an effective local music network and begin to contribute to the momentum that the South West Music Industry Forum has begun to create.
Wired Records Community Interest Company has been successful with a bid for funding from the County Council's Youth Capital Fund. This is good news. In addition to money from the City Council and money I've been awarded as an individual for social enterprise from Unltd, It means we can proceed with our plans to set up a dedicated project space for making music in Gloucester called MusicHut and also set up a media suite/Wired HQ at the Guildhall called DarkRoom.
The second thing is about the Gloucester Music Forum/Hub Group. I meet as part of this group with representatives from the Guildhall, Gloucestershire Music Service, Gloucestershire College, University of Gloucestershire and my mate Dan (from Ghosting). We're planning a scoping exercise that the County Council have coughed up for. The idea of the exercise is to map out who's enthusiastic to get involved and find out who's doing what in the city area relevant to music. Yesterday we had a busy meeting. Matt Booth from Bristol Music Foundation / South West Sound / Dartington Plus and he got all our heads busy thinking about the scale of the potential investment that we might tap into if we create an effective local music network and begin to contribute to the momentum that the South West Music Industry Forum has begun to create.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Out of the blue
On Monday I had a phone call from a chap called Matt Eaton asking if Lo-Fi City could do a day's recording for him the next day. No problem I said, it'd be a pleasure.... and it was.
He came equipped with a couple of guitars and a Vox amp and recorded a couple of tracks, playing all the drums, bass, guitars as well as singing and I helped out with an organ part. The tracks might be part of an EP he intends to put out on Drift Records.
He's also the front man to a band that I'll be checking out on myspace later called Actress Hands.
It turns out he went to Marling School in Stroud and was in the year below my good mate Matt Dench, with whom I was in bands at uni with in Lancaster. I may well put together something on the net with Denchie's songs up there soon.
Anyway check out Matt Eaton's myspace page, there are three great tracks to listen to.
He came equipped with a couple of guitars and a Vox amp and recorded a couple of tracks, playing all the drums, bass, guitars as well as singing and I helped out with an organ part. The tracks might be part of an EP he intends to put out on Drift Records.
He's also the front man to a band that I'll be checking out on myspace later called Actress Hands.
It turns out he went to Marling School in Stroud and was in the year below my good mate Matt Dench, with whom I was in bands at uni with in Lancaster. I may well put together something on the net with Denchie's songs up there soon.
Anyway check out Matt Eaton's myspace page, there are three great tracks to listen to.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Making Money Out of Music.
Making Money Out of Music: how can regional music economies remain successful.
Given that Gloucester is benefitting from the GHURC's efforts for an ambitious regeneration effort for the whole city I thought I'd post this link to some good research above that is likely to be very very relevant.
Given that Gloucester is benefitting from the GHURC's efforts for an ambitious regeneration effort for the whole city I thought I'd post this link to some good research above that is likely to be very very relevant.
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