Alanis Morissette
"Over the last couple years I realize that if I trust in generosity of spirit I will give naturally and organically," said Alanis Morissette, when asked about her travels to India. Morissette is not just a singer/songwriter but also an actress and humanitarian and her career has seen many evolutions. Morissette just starred in an adaptation of a Phillip K. Dick novel and is currently working on a biography that she intends to release within the next year or two. Despite her success, Morissette remains humble "I think the nature of the song writing process is very grounding."
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DMS Global Forum:
"There have actually been a series of technologies very much like the Internet and it's useful to have a historical sense of humility," said Debora Spar, Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. According to Spar, the Internet phenomenon is not unique, following on the heals of other revolutionary technologies like the printing press, radio, and television. Spar suggested that the anarchy of the business is only one stage in the progression of the technology. The Canadian music industry is stuck in a phase of standardization but Spar says believes "The benefits of orderly commerce outweigh the benefits of anarchy." This chaos of cyberspace will necessitate a shift towards regulation, which will in turn see governance return to the hands of governments.
Olivier Bomsel
"There is a critical point beyond which it will not be profitable to physically distribute music anymore," said Olivier Bomsel, Professor of Economics at the Cerna-Centre of Industrial Economics. Bomsel's research has shown that there are possibilities for monetizing music piracy. Figures show that the majority of people who illegally download music are willing to pay a premium for faster Internet connections. "The broadband consumer is willing to pay €20 more a month for faster connections and downloads." Capitalizing on this demand will be one of the most effective strategies in rolling out new systems of distributions.
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Mobile Marketing
"The nice thing about mobile marketing is that you can make money with it right away, and in the future," said Ryan Brown in today's panel focused on the Driving Listenership/Revenue Through Mobile & Database Marketing. In no way will mobile marketing replace traditional revenue streams but in countries like the United States it compliments the traditional revenues stream in place. Radio stations are now able to promote and advertise through text messaging, enabling them to reach broader and more diverse audiences. The cost of advertising to the listener through text messaging was a concern raised by some panel members but the consensus seems to be that as long as the listener is getting value, the cost doesn't matter.
Pimp My Rhyme
Exposure is becoming more and more difficult to procure in the declining music industry. The core principles of the business have not changed though and Ed Glinert, President of Casablanca Media Publishing Inc., impressed the need to maintain relationships between artists and publishers. "You need relationships with people all over the world," said Glinert. Carl "Boo" Harris, Owner/CEO Phat Groov Recordings, also conveyed the need to have a basic knowledge of the business's mechanics, "You would be amazed how many artists don't know the intricacies of publishing."
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The Marriage of Music and Gaming
"The video gaming industry has been slowly waking up for 15 years," said Clint Bajakian, Sr. Music Supervisor Sony Computer Entertainment America, "and last year the business eclipsed the movie industry, approaching the $18 billion mark." The most important thing about creating music for videogames is to keep in mind the game's genre and Shawn Clement, President of Clemistry Music Inc., suggested that "You want to be where the people are hiring, everything is relationship based." Clement feels that success comes from fostering positive relationships and ensuring contracts are negotiated from the get-go.
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We Create the Music:
The Kings of Songwriting
"If you don't feel comfortable enough to explore who you, you are not going to capture the lightening in the bottle," commented Glen Ballard, Producer at Java Records. Ballard's career has spanned many years but he still stays true to the music writing process, valuing the ability to convey emotions through song that cannot be expressed through speech. Ballard and songwriter Mark Hudson, ASCAP, discussed the evolution of song writing and how writers need to keep the core values of writing in mind. "We must keep experimentation alive in the business," said Hudson, insisting that music needs to have emotional resonance and artistic originality.
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Unraveling the Mystery of Song Placement in Film & TV
Carianne Brown, Creative Licensing at Songs Music Publishing, suggested "You need to get your music to the people who are most likely to use it." Panelists discussed the need to pitch the right genre of music to the right genre of film or television show. Brown also reminded artists that the "This business is really small and your reputation is one of the greatest assets you have."
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| larry leblanc newsletter |
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THE LEBLANC NEWSLETTER ISSUE - #18 (5/01/2008)
In this issue:
• Put Another Burger on the Barby, will ya k.d.?
• Eddie Schwartz— The Rhinestone Songwriter.
• *Trying to Get Musicians Together—Like Herding Cats.”
• Starbucks Sells Coffee. Music is a Side-Line. Got It?
• Carl Dixon Making Progress.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE
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Celebrity Interview with Moby
Lighthearted and honest, Moby openly talked about his political and life views, interspersed with comments on the state of the music industry. Fascinated with the opportunities technology is affording young artists today, Moby believes "The ethos of do it yourself has spread to all aspects of music." The DIY approach to music has had incredible benefits for the music industry but Moby also feels "In the old days, information—and the way it was distributed—was precious. And now, the amount of information is overwhelming." Moby jokingly suggested that artists should censor themselves, only releasing ten songs a year. |
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Urban Hip-Hop Super Session
Will Strickland describes himself as a failed artist. Strickland recognized his calling, moving from New York to Canada and is now President of the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC). "You have to humble yourself enough to see your own faults. We all have something to contribute to the industry but maybe not as an artist," said Strickland. Leading a discussion on the state of the hip-hop, conversation revolved around the diversity of the Canadian industry. Producer Kevin "Khao" Cates said "Canadians embrace musicianship and incorporate and infuse sounds from all around the world." Jully Black stands as one of the best examples of diverse and creative Canadian content being produced today. |
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Brother to Brother: The Dannas Talk "Track"
The Danna brothers have made successful careers composing and scoring music for motion pictures. "The best and most interesting scores are the ones you make for less, because you have to do them in interesting ways," said Jeff, commenting on the variety of jobs he's taken on in his career. Although Mychael and Jeff left Canada to work in the United States they still recognize the advantage of beginning their careers in Canada. "In Canada you feel like you can write music in your own world, but in L.A. you are aware of all the politics going on," said Mychael.
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In Conversation with RZA
"The mistake I made was thinking I could do everything myself. It's all about collaboration," said producer and rapper RZA, also known as Bobby Digital. RZA did not create a career overnight, spending many years studying the craft with mentors and experts in the business. In his conversation with Will Strickland, President of the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC), RZA expressed his passion for learning and knowledge, "Don't enter anything without studying it first," he warned. |
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This year's Independent Music awards will be dedicated to the memory and legend of Jeff Healey. Healey has been hailed as one of Canada's greatest blues guitarists and jazz connoisseurs, popularly acknowledged for his unconventional technique. A rare form of cancer, known as retinoblastoma, left Healey blind from birth necessitating his unique, lap-style guitar playing. From his roots as an independent artist Healey created an international career and was working on his eighth album before succumbing to his disease last week at the age of 41.
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Hitmakers: Producers Secrets for Turning A Song Into a Hit
When asked about the degree of producing and engineering required to turn a song into a hit, Kendrick "Wyldcard" Dean, The Dean's List & Full Deck Entertainment, pointed out the need to "Do enough to get your opinion across but leave enough room for the listener to hear other melodies so they can feel like they are part of the experience." Panel moderator Steve Thompson, Steve Thompson Productions Inc., believes that creating hits is much different in today's industry, "It's the whole package now, its not just about great music anymore." Panelists urged artists and producers to focus on the musical experience not just the profits. |
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Edison Media Research Radio & Internet Summit
When asked about the degree of producing and engineering required to turn a song into a hit, Kendrick "Wyldcard" Dean, The Dean's List & Full Deck Entertainment, pointed out the need to "Do enough to get your opinion across but leave enough room for the listener to hear other melodies so they can feel like they are part of the experience." Panel moderator Steve Thompson, Steve Thompson Productions Inc., believes that creating hits is much different in today's industry, "It's the whole package now, its not just about great music anymore." Panelists urged artists and producers to focus on the musical experience not just the profits. |
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The Bedroom Project: How Young Adults Use, Consume and Interact with Techonology and Media
Fred Jacobs, President of Jacobs Media, discussed findings from an ethnographic study conducted in partnership with Arbitron on the media habits of today's youths. Literally following youths into their homes and bedrooms, this study revealed that more and more today's youths are driven by the desire for control, variety, and choice. Young adults now depend on devices like cell phones and mp3 players and companies are meeting these demands. "Cell phones to them, are essentially Swiss army knives, offering far more functions that just talking," said Jacobs, also noting the importance of the 'coolness' factor in the success of these media delivery formats. |
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Tommy Ramone
"It is ironic, strange, and satisfying that the Ramones are now more important than ever," said drummer Tommy Ramone when addressing the growing contemporary success The Ramones are enjoying, even though the band broke-up in 1999. Both Tommy Ramone and Seymour Stein, who signed The Ramones on his label Sire Records back in 1975, recognize that the initial success the band enjoyed was partly because "The intellectual press was behind us from the start." Stein feels the music industry needs a complete overhaul but attributes The Ramones continuing success to modern advances in music sharing and distribution |
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Building Tomorrow's Rock Classics
There is a consensus in the music industry that superstardom is dead. The variety of choice afforded by ease of production and distribution has changed the nature of the struggle and as Alan Cross, Program Director at 102.1 the Edge, suggested "Bands will have to work hard to gain popular consensus." Radio no longer provides the same filter it used to and Cross believes this is because the variety of sources available for people to obtain music from have usurped radio's role as the authority on music taste. Panelists like Jack Ross, VP/Agent of The Agency Group Canada, believe we have entered the "age of the entrepreneur" and that it will be the band's responsibility to create their own brand and music experience. The industry has changed and expectations of superstardom must also change to fit this new model. |
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Indie Music Panel
It cannot be argued that the Internet has provided a forum for a greater variety and access of music, but Michael Hektoen, President/CEO of RockSTAR Music Inc., believes this has done nothing for the business. Hektoen's views contradicted with others on the panel who feel that the Internet has provided incredible opportunities for artists. Josh Rabinowitz, SVP/Director of Music Grey Worldwide, suggested that in order to gain success in the business, the imperative of artists must be to redefine standards of success and their expectations of the business. Rabinowitz also suggested that future success would come from "Marketing to the right fans. Bands need to start from the ground up and stay focused on their goals." |
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Ringtones Panel
The subscription service killed the ringtone business. The future is in proper, full-track services," said James Howdle, Strategic Development at Indie Mobile, when addressing the future of mobile entertainment. Panelists agree that mobile companies are moving towards models that favour engagement and experience. "We will continue to see much stronger ties from the mobile device into the online world," said Mark Donovan, Senior VP Products & Senior Analyst at M:Metrics Inc.. |
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Fbook
"It's myspace not your space," said David Jaworski, Co-Founder/CEO of Passalong Networks, when referring to the lack of openness and external linking provided by social networks like myspace.com and Facebook. Unrestricted access to information is the key to social networks and the goal must be to the foster intimate relationships between the artist and their fans. Websites like buzznet, bebo, and Zude have created environments within which people can share and express their passion for bands. These social networking models provide opportunities to advertise and generate revenue but the ongoing debate revolves around where advertising profits should be allocated and whether social networking sites should have to pay fees to the artists. |
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Rogers MusicStore CMW Headines
 Canadian Music Week coverage from Eye Weekly
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He won't stop the music
http://www.metronews.ca/story.aspx?id=109650
Hard rock heartbreak
http://www.metronews.ca/story.aspx?id=109660
Canadian Music Week comes alive
http://www.metronews.ca/story.aspx?id=109654
From Alanis to Z
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=356514
Your Club Crawl Starts Right Here
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/WhatsOn/article/309783
The real Kim Deal
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/309734
Collett something new
http://torontosun.com/Entertainment/Music/2008/03/06/4923806-sun.html
Ten acts you shouldn't miss
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080306.wacts06/BNStory/Entertainment/home
"Canadian Music Week" under Clubs
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080306.LISTINGS06//TPStory/Entertainment
"Canadian Music Week Rock On" under Music
http://www.xtra.ca/public/ViewContent.aspx?AFF_TYPE=3&static_content_id=112
Canadian Club Crawl
http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx
Si, Si, Senor!
http://www.fabmagazine.com/style/index.html |
