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.
 Google News Updated : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:08:57 GMT Persistence pays off for Serena at US Open - FOXSports.com
FOXSports.com - by Matt Cronin, Special to FOXSports.com NEW YORK - About nine days after Serena Williams lost in the Wimbledon final to her elder sister, Venus, she was still killing herself, unable to shake her mind of the errors that came late in a contest that she ... Williams beats Jankovic for title, No. 1 ranking Winning US Open never gets old for Serena Williams Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:38:21 GMT Store eases baby bottleneck - Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune - When Georgette Finnie e-mailed What's Your Problem? on Aug. 25, she was 9 months' pregnant with her first child. The expectant mom had done some research about the baby bottles she had received as gifts through her baby registry at Babies "R" Us. Hot Docs: Defending Georgia, Girls Married by 15, the Chemical BPA ... That Plastic Baby Bottle Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:18:53 GMT McCain Leads Obama 50% to 46%, New Poll Finds, USA Today Reports - Bloomberg Bloomberg - By James Kraus Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain leads Democratic contender Barack Obama by 50 percent to 46 percent among registered voters, according to a weekend USA Today/Gallup Poll, USA Today reported. Convention rejuvenates GOP US campaign sharpens as McCain takes poll lead Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:38:07 GMT New Zealand compromises on India nuclear deal - Xinhua
Xinhua - WELLINGTON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government said on Monday that it got the best deal it could on nuclear trade with India. Indian shares rise more than 4 pct early Indian rupee rises as stocks rally seen Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:36:42 GMT Fla. Keys residents weigh evacuation ahead of Ike - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) - As a ferocious Hurricane Ike ripped across Cuba, residents from Key West to the Gulf Coast watched the storm's unpredictable path, worrying it could hit anywhere in the US from Texas to Florida. 'Hurricane fatigue' shows Louisiana still possibility for Ike Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:20:42 GMT "Stand Up to Cancer" tops Friday ratings - Reuters
Reuters - By Paul J. Gough NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The industrywide "Stand Up to Cancer" telethon averaged a modest 10.3 million viewers during its hour-long simulcast on ABC, NBC and CBS Friday. In a star-heavy telethon, Hollywood takes a stand on cancer 'Stand Up to Cancer' Raises $100M Plus Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:37:28 GMT Hurricane Ike Crosses Northeast Cuba After Landfall (Update1) - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Aaron Sheldrick and Demian McLean Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Ike is crossing Cuba after smashing into the northeast of the country with winds of 205 kilometers (125 miles) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Video: Raw Video: Ike's Harsh Impact on Turks and Caico Hurricane Ike set to batter Cuba Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:56:09 GMT Amazon Content |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... I was listening to NPR the other day when they... Read More Songwriters dream of making their living by writing, and sometimes... Read More The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments... Read More This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed... Read More It is said that the forerunner of the guitar, the... Read More Guitar chords, (chords played specifically on a guitar,) differ only... Read More Admit it... you were expecting a magic answer to this... Read More Piano arranging is the process by which you take a... Read More Propelled into fame as one of the Beatles, along with... Read More Movie and record producers alike are saying file-sharing networks that... Read More The new competition package available for the BMW M3 is... Read More Remember when radio stations played great music?OK, before you accuse... Read More John Lennon wasn't always my favorite Beatle; at first it... Read More When you read music you are deciphering the printed page... Read More Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is delighted... Read More A lot has been said about the 'post-rock' revolution as... Read More With the increased proliferation of online guitar and musical equipment... Read More Almost everyone has heard about the massive crack down on... Read More The Search for the Right MusicEver since Georgi Lozonav, the... Read More I will be honest. I am addicted to music recording.... Read More Discover the phenomenonal complexity of music and reflect on the... Read More One of the rules of practicing we all hear over... Read More Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litte... Read More The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the... Read More "But I'm not in it for the money" you say.Me... Read More
Adsense
websites
14 Ways Musicians Can Increase Their Tips
Make Money with Your Music ? the Top 5 Ways
What is Guitar Tablature and Can I Find It Online?
Right Hand Guitar Playing Tip
Guitar Facts: A Glossary of Terms
How Many Guitar Chords Do I Need To Know?
How Can You Make A Rock Vocal Sound Better?
Learn To Play The Piano Better By Learning To Arrange Chords & Chord Progressions
The Life and Music of Beatle George Harrison
The Record Industry Continues Battle Against Free Music Downloads
New M3 with Competition Package
Radio - What?s Happened To It?
JOHN LENNON - The Man and His Times
Does Reading Make Music?
Interview With An Up And Coming Musician From Toronto
The Post-rock Revolution (Explosions in the sky)
How to Buy an Electric Guitar Online
Free, Legal Music Online
Music for Cross Cultural Accelerated Learning
To Record or Not To Record - At Home, That Is
Top 50 Music Quotations
Play Piano As Fast As Possible!
How To Change Your Guitar Strings
Sheet Music ? Violin and Other String Instruments
How To Make a Fortune Teaching Piano (or Guitar, or Drums, or Singing, or?) To Beginners
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Zen and the Art of New Age Piano
We all want to be in the moment. That's where... Read More
How to be Creative at the Piano
So you want to be more creative when playing piano.... Read More
How to Create Hip, Mature, and Lush Harmonies [correction]
Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in... Read More
Acoustic Or Electronic Drums - What Is Your Choice?
A debate rages on in the drumming world! You might... Read More
6 Tips for Organizing Your Music Files
If you're a digital music fan, you probably have problems... Read More
How Many Songs Are In Your Pocket?
The portable MP3 player continues to be the hot item... Read More
Creating Caverns - an Improvisation Exercise
In a recent post to my Yahoo group, I mentioned... Read More
Music Downloads: Free & Low Cost Ways For Musicians To Get Their Music Known All Over The World
Music downloads are highly compressed audio files transferred onto a... Read More
Alternative Sales Sources for Your Music
Following, is a list of alternative sources that may be... Read More
Right-Hand Techniques for New Age Piano
Recently, I had a student ask me to offer some... Read More
A Brief History of Fender Guitars
Perhaps no other guitar maker has touched the hearts of... Read More
Arpeggios and New Age Piano Playing
Chopin used them extensively. So did Beethoven and Mozart. Arpeggios... Read More
Oh My Aching Head! Can Music Really Make You Feel Better?
We all know, if only instinctively, that music has a... Read More
Pakistani Pop Music
Pakistan is blessed with talent and when we talk about... Read More
Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music
They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look... Read More
How Can You Make A Rock Vocal Sound Better?
Admit it... you were expecting a magic answer to this... Read More
So You Want to be President? Learn to Play a Musical Instrument!
President Harry S. Truman, the man in the White House... Read More
Sheet Music ? Violin and Other String Instruments
The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the... Read More
Does Your Band Need a Manager?
New bands looking to book gigs and establish contacts often... Read More
Performing, Whats the Big Deal?
Performance anxiety is not something that only happens to musicians,... Read More
Play Piano As Fast As Possible!
One of the rules of practicing we all hear over... Read More
Music Business Contacts: Music Business Registry connects artists, managers, publishers, producers &
"The difference between success and failure is information," notes Ritch... Read More
The Dos and Donts of Getting Your Child to Love Learning an Instrument
We all know that music can be inspiring, entertaining, and... Read More
Anglican Arrogance: Small-Minded Choirmembers
What is "Episcopal" music?We often hear people express concern about... Read More
The Revolution of Electric Guitars
Sometime during the 1930's electric guitars were introduced onto the... Read More
Music & MP3 |