With everything that's been going on in the world lately, news about the latest happenings with the Mars Lander, Curiosity has pretty much taken a back seat. Granted, there's been no revelation that life has been found there since it's landing on the red planet back in August of 2012, but History is still being made.
On Jan 31st scientist a JPL will test Curiosity's drill. That's right. For the first time in our history, humans will be drilling on Mars. Rover operators are being very cautious as they attempt what has never been done before. A test hole will be hammered in first, followed by use of Curiosity's percussion drill. Samples won't be examined by Curiosity's on board laboratories for several days as scientists at JPL want to take their time and analyze the results of the drilling test before proceeding.
Several days ago, Curiosity discovered veins of Gypsum. This find indicates that water once flowed freely across the surface of Mars. This is significant because where there is or once was water, there is or has been life. This might make the days ahead very promising, as comparisons between the mineral veins now seen on Mars look very similar to those found on Earth.
Even though humans won't be there in person, exploration of our solar system is proving once again that space really is the final frontier.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
There And Back (Part VII)
Before I go further, I think that I should back up a bit and talk about a contributor to the current state of popular music that may not have been considered, and that is the music merger. When ownership of a record company changes, so too can the names of those who run it. Also, artist rosters can often change as some companies will chose to trim them in order to make the new company more profitable. And, there may also be a change in musical direction, after acquisition.
Have you ever wondered what happened to a very popular artist or band, who seemed to disappear right after their most recent success? I'm not talking one hit wonders. I'm talking artists who had a track record. It's quite possible that a change in ownership of their recording entity may have been the culprit. Sometimes, even a proven performer may refuse to sign on with their company's new parent, and may decide to shop their music elsewhere. That is, at least if there aren't any clauses in there contract that prohibits them from recording or signing with another company for a prolonged period of time.
A string of music industry mergers form a list that is too numerous to mention. It has been my contention that certain business decisions that go back to at least the mid to late 1980s right up to the present are at play here. That possibly, the current sound of the music market place actually began with MCA's purchase of Motwon in 1988 and Sony's purchase of Columbia in 1989, and has culminated, so far with Universal's 2012 acquisition of EMI .
This is not to say that I think that these mergers or any others that took place through the 1990s on into the 21st century are inherently evil. No. The music business is a business like any other business. But, it's also a business unlike any other business. The aesthetic of artistry is always ever present. When that aesthetic is over looked in favor of "watching the bottom line," then we become in danger of losing not only a goodly part of our culture but also our heritage. Whole generations could lose sight of what real music is or how it is made, as it has continued to be replaced by an ever more disposable sound.
Fortunately, the end of the 1990s brought with it, new opportunities for recording artists of every ilk. Global access is now readily available to any songwriter or musician with a dream, some talent, and the will and desire to make something happen.
Have you ever wondered what happened to a very popular artist or band, who seemed to disappear right after their most recent success? I'm not talking one hit wonders. I'm talking artists who had a track record. It's quite possible that a change in ownership of their recording entity may have been the culprit. Sometimes, even a proven performer may refuse to sign on with their company's new parent, and may decide to shop their music elsewhere. That is, at least if there aren't any clauses in there contract that prohibits them from recording or signing with another company for a prolonged period of time.
A string of music industry mergers form a list that is too numerous to mention. It has been my contention that certain business decisions that go back to at least the mid to late 1980s right up to the present are at play here. That possibly, the current sound of the music market place actually began with MCA's purchase of Motwon in 1988 and Sony's purchase of Columbia in 1989, and has culminated, so far with Universal's 2012 acquisition of EMI .
This is not to say that I think that these mergers or any others that took place through the 1990s on into the 21st century are inherently evil. No. The music business is a business like any other business. But, it's also a business unlike any other business. The aesthetic of artistry is always ever present. When that aesthetic is over looked in favor of "watching the bottom line," then we become in danger of losing not only a goodly part of our culture but also our heritage. Whole generations could lose sight of what real music is or how it is made, as it has continued to be replaced by an ever more disposable sound.
Fortunately, the end of the 1990s brought with it, new opportunities for recording artists of every ilk. Global access is now readily available to any songwriter or musician with a dream, some talent, and the will and desire to make something happen.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Timeless
While watching TV the other day, I heard another handful of classic songs from the 70s. I know that I've been over this many times in the past, but the fact that 70s music continues to be used heavily in Film and Television must mean something.
It's true, and I understand that every generation feels that it's music is/was the best that has been recorded. But, the music of the 70s was music made in an "inclusive," as opposed to an exclusive style or styles. What I mean by this is that artists of the seventies tried to include things into their music that went beyond genre. More attention was paid to how a song was arranged. For instance, a Rock, R&B, or Country song might have included strings, not so much that it made it less the song that it was intended to be, but added in a way that moved that song across genre lines.
Another trait of 70s music was the adherence to a song form that has become synonymous with Pop Radio, and that's the 3:30 format. The verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-fade became as comfortable to listen to as your favorite old pair of jeans is to wear. While there were hits that varied that formula, the key was that none of the most memorable songs strayed very far from it. Or, actually some songs played on some other aspect of the song, so that a listener never realized that the song even held to that structure.
And of course, there were these awesome "hooks." Some were riff driven while others were a combination of bass guitar and drum, while still others were driven by some word or words or catch phrases taken from popular expressions of the time. The listener would be drawn in and held there in the song by the repetition of the hook that would repeat several times throughout the song, causing it to get stuck in one's mind.
The only thing left to say about 70s music is that it wasn't music, "for the moment." Inspired songs were cast in the best and brightest light possible and this has allowed them to remain ever present, even within today's Pop culture. In a sense, 70s music has become timeless.
It's true, and I understand that every generation feels that it's music is/was the best that has been recorded. But, the music of the 70s was music made in an "inclusive," as opposed to an exclusive style or styles. What I mean by this is that artists of the seventies tried to include things into their music that went beyond genre. More attention was paid to how a song was arranged. For instance, a Rock, R&B, or Country song might have included strings, not so much that it made it less the song that it was intended to be, but added in a way that moved that song across genre lines.
Another trait of 70s music was the adherence to a song form that has become synonymous with Pop Radio, and that's the 3:30 format. The verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-fade became as comfortable to listen to as your favorite old pair of jeans is to wear. While there were hits that varied that formula, the key was that none of the most memorable songs strayed very far from it. Or, actually some songs played on some other aspect of the song, so that a listener never realized that the song even held to that structure.
And of course, there were these awesome "hooks." Some were riff driven while others were a combination of bass guitar and drum, while still others were driven by some word or words or catch phrases taken from popular expressions of the time. The listener would be drawn in and held there in the song by the repetition of the hook that would repeat several times throughout the song, causing it to get stuck in one's mind.
The only thing left to say about 70s music is that it wasn't music, "for the moment." Inspired songs were cast in the best and brightest light possible and this has allowed them to remain ever present, even within today's Pop culture. In a sense, 70s music has become timeless.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Now We May Begin
The New Myspace is now open for business. That is, if you've gotten your invitation. It's really easy to do. Just drop by the New Myspace and type in your email address and in a short time they will send you your invitation.
The site looks great and the number of members is building. The design is unique. Once you've created the type of page you want and chosen a user name and password you can use the search function to find just about anyone whose music is on the site. Then, you can also choose to connect with other artists, friends or fans. The site utilizes large thumbnails which seems to lend it's self to the touch screen technology of most hand held devices. The news stream scrolls side ways. I think this is done to include as much of what has been posted by your connections.
The music players rises up from the bottom of the screen when you mouse over it, which in my opinion is a lot nicer than the pop up player which was sometimes hard to keep track of. And, unless you're using the radio feature, it plays only the tunes listed on an artist's profile.
The design of your profile allows you to add a photo and a cover shot that serves as a back ground for your entire page. Underneath your profile picture you can access your music, mixes, connections, photos, videos and events. Directly below that is a pencil icon. Clicking this will allow you to make a post to your stream.
On the right side of your profile you can add your bio. Below that you is a total of your those that you've connected to as well as those who have connected to you. The page also includes your location and a list of your top eight friends
To the left of you music player controls are icons for the home page, your profile, your notifications, and your messages. There may be a detail or two that I've missed, but on the whole, I think that the New Myspace does everything that it claimed it would do. Music is definitely at the forefront and it is easy to connect to what ever it is that you like. The best way to find out what the New Myspace has to offer is go there and get an invitation, so you can begin
The site looks great and the number of members is building. The design is unique. Once you've created the type of page you want and chosen a user name and password you can use the search function to find just about anyone whose music is on the site. Then, you can also choose to connect with other artists, friends or fans. The site utilizes large thumbnails which seems to lend it's self to the touch screen technology of most hand held devices. The news stream scrolls side ways. I think this is done to include as much of what has been posted by your connections.
The music players rises up from the bottom of the screen when you mouse over it, which in my opinion is a lot nicer than the pop up player which was sometimes hard to keep track of. And, unless you're using the radio feature, it plays only the tunes listed on an artist's profile.
The design of your profile allows you to add a photo and a cover shot that serves as a back ground for your entire page. Underneath your profile picture you can access your music, mixes, connections, photos, videos and events. Directly below that is a pencil icon. Clicking this will allow you to make a post to your stream.
On the right side of your profile you can add your bio. Below that you is a total of your those that you've connected to as well as those who have connected to you. The page also includes your location and a list of your top eight friends
To the left of you music player controls are icons for the home page, your profile, your notifications, and your messages. There may be a detail or two that I've missed, but on the whole, I think that the New Myspace does everything that it claimed it would do. Music is definitely at the forefront and it is easy to connect to what ever it is that you like. The best way to find out what the New Myspace has to offer is go there and get an invitation, so you can begin
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Spam On Rye
I think that I might have mentioned that I started my affiliation with Facebook several years ago after receiving an innovation to star an artist page. After several week, I tried to use certain features and kept getting a, " you must first establish a profile before accessing this feature," message. So I did. Not happy with the way the site was run at the time I decided to deactivate my account. This only lasted for a short time, as I returned to the site to find that things had improved.
About a few months or so ago, Facebook started allowing everyone in a group to notify you of their post directly into your personal email inbox. So if you're a member of a large number of groups, your inbox could become flooded with notices of members posts. I tried to turn off the notifications individually, but at first was only able to turn off all them. This meant that I couldn't receive anything from the site at all. This must have been a big problem for many other members, because not too long after that, I was able to turn off individual group notifications by clicking the notifications icon and scrolling down to find the group or notification in question an then click "turn off" from the small dialog box. This also made things a lot less messier in my personal email inbox too.
I know that all of this was done in an effort to control spam, but in a sense, Facebook had create some of the spam themselves. But wait, there's more. Just the other day, while sharing with friends and in several groups, I was summarily blocked because, "you were moving too fast." What? Apparently, if you share as many as 6 or more items in a thirty minute period, you can lose the privileged to for up to two days. This policy affects profiles and not artist, fan, or other pages. You can still post as many photos and update your status, as only those post with links to other pages or website are affected.
First, I understand that unwanted messages and posts can be a problem at just about any social site. Second, there are many security features that allow users of Facebook to add or exclude anyone that they choose from participating in any posts that they might share. They already count the number of unanswered friend requests, and if they reach a certain number, you are blocked from making them for thirty days. I understand why this is done though at times, this too can be annoying, especially if you are certain that you've been giving prospective friends ample time to reply before making another request.
With about a billion users to it's credit, it's hard to fathom, at least in my mind, how Facebook could allow so much negative communication that I know goes on, on the site, while stiffing good intentioned sharing of news and information. I just don't get it. The site's owners are billionaires. the site's users just want to share. After all, there wouldn't be a Facebook without it's members, or would there be?
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
A Solution, Anyone?
Have been to Pandora yet? Sounds great doesn't it? Type in the name of your favorite artist and a station is built that features the music of that artist and those of a similar sound, genre or era. In my opinion, it's a great way to listen to music over the internet.
Recently, Pandora's owner has complained that his company is struggling to turn a profit because more than 60% of it's incoming revenue is going back out in royalties to the artists whose music is streamed on the site. Pandora has been asking the labels and artists to take a reduced royalty rate so that it can remain competitive. The site is ad supported allowing listeners do so for free. Pandora's stocks have been bounced around like a ship on a stormy sea this past year.
I've enjoyed listening to the free music on Pandora, but, maybe, it's time for Pandora to consider a change in it's business model. Perhaps an approach more akin to Spotify is in order. After all, asking artists to take a pay cut when it's their music that makes the whole thing happen, seems kind of backward. In my opinion, those who use the music should be asked to help defray the cost of bringing the music to them. Other streaming sites are already doing this.
In other words, it may be time for a rate hike. Maybe even a tiered structure. Right now you can listen to Pandora ad free for $3.99 a month. This would become the ad supported version and this bottom tier could be called Pandora Basic. A second tier at $4.99 a month could be called Pandora Gold, and a third tier at $9.99 called Pandora premium would have no ads at all.
Users and Fans of Pandora might not like this, but as an artist it just makes more sense. The business of music is not only hard but it can be costly. Lots of money can be poured into the making of just a single recorded release. Reciprocity is all that music makers want
Recently, Pandora's owner has complained that his company is struggling to turn a profit because more than 60% of it's incoming revenue is going back out in royalties to the artists whose music is streamed on the site. Pandora has been asking the labels and artists to take a reduced royalty rate so that it can remain competitive. The site is ad supported allowing listeners do so for free. Pandora's stocks have been bounced around like a ship on a stormy sea this past year.
I've enjoyed listening to the free music on Pandora, but, maybe, it's time for Pandora to consider a change in it's business model. Perhaps an approach more akin to Spotify is in order. After all, asking artists to take a pay cut when it's their music that makes the whole thing happen, seems kind of backward. In my opinion, those who use the music should be asked to help defray the cost of bringing the music to them. Other streaming sites are already doing this.
In other words, it may be time for a rate hike. Maybe even a tiered structure. Right now you can listen to Pandora ad free for $3.99 a month. This would become the ad supported version and this bottom tier could be called Pandora Basic. A second tier at $4.99 a month could be called Pandora Gold, and a third tier at $9.99 called Pandora premium would have no ads at all.
Users and Fans of Pandora might not like this, but as an artist it just makes more sense. The business of music is not only hard but it can be costly. Lots of money can be poured into the making of just a single recorded release. Reciprocity is all that music makers want
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
At The Art Of It All
I've always been good when it comes to artistic things. Seriously. When I was growing up, it didn't matter what it was, paper, pencil, ink, paint, cardboard, you name it. If you could draw or paint on it or fold and reshape it, I probably used it to turn it into some thing else. In fact, I managed to get straight "A"s in art from kindergarten through grade and high school, and yes, even college. And, while I graduated from the University of Akron in 2009 with a degree in Mass Media Communications, I still retain a certain amount of ability when it comes to things of an artistic nature.
Somewhere along the way, I discovered that music or more to the point, songs, were a way to create something out of seemingly nothing. Once I got the hang of how to organize my musical ideas, I couldn't get enough. It's been like using my mind as a canvas to construct the intangible and then bring it into the world of the physical by way of writing it down.
When I got my first chance to record my ideas, things changed a bit. Learning the language of music seemed to slow the process. That's when I began to pick up instruments and fashion sounds as I heard them without regard for rules. This was fun at first, but then what would happen is, I'd get a great groove with no idea if words would even fit to what I had come up with. I spent a couple of years recording my writings in this way. It wasn't until I tried to relate my melodies from my mind to the instruments that I was playing. Not being a virtuoso on any particular one, left some of my tunes lacking in the beginning. But, a little formal piano took care of that in a hurry. Soon there after, I was going hunting for any little melody that passed through my head.
Over time, I've managed to bring the music to the words in a marriage that has not only been gratifying, but has won me an occasional compliment or two. Which, has led me into believing that I'm on the right track. If there has been a weak point, I think that it would be my singing. Which by the way seems to be what makes my songs work these days... go figure. Personally, I feel that I'm a work in progress. And now, being able to record and produce myself as I do so, I have an even greater opportunity to get everything I can from what I hear in my head.
The point of all of this, is that when a song or album is finished and ready to release to the world, it will go into the market place right along side countless other artists. After years of excepting that what I did with paint and paper was art, there are times when I don't feel the same when it comes to my music. The reason is simple. What makes it's way to the world is as close to what I imagined as possible, but the process of producing a record can be a tricky thing. So, the question then becomes, is it the performance, the arrangement, or the production that makes a piece of recorded music a work of art?
I'm sure that we've all heard a song or two on the radio and thought, "now there's no way that that one should get any air play," only to learn that it's a number one smash. Music is subjective, for sure, and I would say that it's true that most singer songwriters, bands, and musicians are creating sounds with meaning, even if only enough for their own tastes.
Radio is alive and well and not about to disappear anytime soon. However, whenever I'm online and I get a chance to stream some music, I'm always able to find something that sounds so good that I've got to hear it over and over again. I mean, folks whose stuff is more than worthy of air time over the terrestrial airwaves. Things with melody as well as rhythm and rhyme. Definitely worthy of being called art.
It just makes me wonder why it isn't possible to give more people a chance to learn that good music is alive and well and living online.
Somewhere along the way, I discovered that music or more to the point, songs, were a way to create something out of seemingly nothing. Once I got the hang of how to organize my musical ideas, I couldn't get enough. It's been like using my mind as a canvas to construct the intangible and then bring it into the world of the physical by way of writing it down.
When I got my first chance to record my ideas, things changed a bit. Learning the language of music seemed to slow the process. That's when I began to pick up instruments and fashion sounds as I heard them without regard for rules. This was fun at first, but then what would happen is, I'd get a great groove with no idea if words would even fit to what I had come up with. I spent a couple of years recording my writings in this way. It wasn't until I tried to relate my melodies from my mind to the instruments that I was playing. Not being a virtuoso on any particular one, left some of my tunes lacking in the beginning. But, a little formal piano took care of that in a hurry. Soon there after, I was going hunting for any little melody that passed through my head.
Over time, I've managed to bring the music to the words in a marriage that has not only been gratifying, but has won me an occasional compliment or two. Which, has led me into believing that I'm on the right track. If there has been a weak point, I think that it would be my singing. Which by the way seems to be what makes my songs work these days... go figure. Personally, I feel that I'm a work in progress. And now, being able to record and produce myself as I do so, I have an even greater opportunity to get everything I can from what I hear in my head.
The point of all of this, is that when a song or album is finished and ready to release to the world, it will go into the market place right along side countless other artists. After years of excepting that what I did with paint and paper was art, there are times when I don't feel the same when it comes to my music. The reason is simple. What makes it's way to the world is as close to what I imagined as possible, but the process of producing a record can be a tricky thing. So, the question then becomes, is it the performance, the arrangement, or the production that makes a piece of recorded music a work of art?
I'm sure that we've all heard a song or two on the radio and thought, "now there's no way that that one should get any air play," only to learn that it's a number one smash. Music is subjective, for sure, and I would say that it's true that most singer songwriters, bands, and musicians are creating sounds with meaning, even if only enough for their own tastes.
Radio is alive and well and not about to disappear anytime soon. However, whenever I'm online and I get a chance to stream some music, I'm always able to find something that sounds so good that I've got to hear it over and over again. I mean, folks whose stuff is more than worthy of air time over the terrestrial airwaves. Things with melody as well as rhythm and rhyme. Definitely worthy of being called art.
It just makes me wonder why it isn't possible to give more people a chance to learn that good music is alive and well and living online.
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