The Making of SLeuX: Interview with Producer/Guitarist Chris Dinardo
The building used to be a bank. But in December, 2004, when I first met Chris Dinardo, the sign on its door read “SMR Studios.” Chris, and two of his hard-rock bandmates, from DownNeck had opened the rehearsal-recording space there in Garfield, NJ and were running their own label, Saturday Morning Records. I discovered the new studio via Craigslist—
Communicate Like Drugs
Communication is a drug. Active ingredients: Force, Information, Relevance, Entertainment. Across any medium, from email to blog, newsletter, tweet, text, status, song, or video, when you communicate you want to deliver verbal Valium. Three elements of F.I.R.E. is a gateway drug. Four is mainline euphoria. Full molecular composition and drug facts are detailed within. Warning: F.I.R.E. triggers action.
VEVO Launch Tonight—Do You Viva or Veto?
The major labels’ new video site Vevo is due to launch tonight. A potential upside is that Vevo’s backend is powered by Google and YouTube technology, which may make it easier to integrate social features. It might also fuse somehow with the Google music search. The potential downside is that it could be fueled by greed more than music.
Music Consumption in a 180°—Terry McBride Interviews.
The interviews below featuring Terry McBride—CEO of Nettwerk—offer terrific insight to the digital era of music. Terry points out that the ways in which we consume music are changing rapidly—largely due to smartphones—and that the “emotional glue” between fans and musicians is the essence of music business.
Musicians—Money Is Not Motivation
Musicians (artists) are driven by a fundamental need to create. Music is their art and their expression. Even in a world without money there would be music, and arguably there would be even more music (and other art) than there is today. In his 2009 TED talk, Daniel Pink makes a strong case relating the science of motivation to creativity and business.
Musicians, Brands, Endorsements, and Partnerships (Part 2)
The internet has leveled the playing field. It has proven that content is king, and that those who work hard at delivering content can build a following. Artists have channels with live streaming video content and direct connection with their fans through mobile applications. The same opportunities exist for everyone, and they’re almost all free. You may think that endorsements and partnerships are only for megastars—but I don’t.
