Transcendent Music

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Tank and the Bangas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 04:01:00 +0000

http://www.offbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Tank-and-the-Bangas-Gasa-Gasa-mural.jpg

Tanscendent Music presents the incredible sound and style of Tank and the Bangas! We are excited to feature this band. They are unique in every sense. Tank and the Bangas are fun and incredible stewards of musical creativity. They are from New Orleans, LA. Conspicuously, the flare of the bayou permeates through their compositions. It is almost scary how good this group of young musicians are. The unique talent displayed in their performances is quite frankly an artistic breakthrough in music.

http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2017/02/27/day_0986-nopp16-gusbennettphotography-f1f84036a80c4abca7fa04107843c62b18760c00-s900-c85.jpg

Their musical talent is unleashed and their unique style is unconstrained. Tank and the Bangas are FREE of chains. Their freedom of expression is powerful. It is literally scary to think of the musical potential of this band. Their abilities are limitless.

It is so necessary to break the chains. Tank and the Bangas push the envelop, unapologetically, clear off the table. They push the limits of convention and understanding. Their music embodies elements of soul, hip-hop, funk, many others, and some music that is pleasantly undefinable. It is also enjoyable to experience the lyrical rhythms of spoken word intertwined throughout. Enjoy and support, Tank and the Bangas. They are Transcendentmusic.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Childish Gambino

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 06:46:00 +0000

http://www.billboard.com/files/media/childish-gambino-performance-billboard-1548.jpg

I bring you this Transcendent artist a few weeks after his latest album release, Awaken, My Love. When I began writing this album review, immediately after it's release, I realized there was a lot I did not catch. Captivated by the smooth grooves, I found myself vibing more and focusing less on the message being expressed. Granted, the intricate musical presentation and original style is precisely what makes this release Transcendent Music. However, I wanted to understand it fully and not just be wowed by its stylistic presentation. I listened multiple times to hopefully pick-up what I did not catch the first few go-arounds. You have to be an active listener for this one. This album is an experience that is borderline interactive. In under an hour, it makes you think about the meaning behind its metaphors and subtleties but it also makes you feel good while you're thinking [about those things].

By exploring relevant challenges and experiences in the Black community, Childish Gambino reminds us loud and clear to "stay woke." I would safely assume the challenges and experiences he explores extend to other systematically oppressed groups alike. Awaken, My Love is artistic and hypnotic however, so, it is easy to miss that. During your next (or first) listening session, try to resist being sucked in to the elaborate trance created by honeyed vocals and funky back beats laced with synthesizers and expressive bass guitar licks. Marinate on what he is saying.

Gambino depicts tribulations and seemingly unsurmountable cultural obstacles in our communities. He depicts them as these universally terrifying popular characters, such as soul-stealing zombies and fear-instilling boogiemen. The metaphorical undertones are resounding. Think about it. Who are the zombies? Who is the boogieman? There is likely not a singular answer to these questions. We all have our own versions of zombies and boogiemen. They exist in the form of political policies, social inequities, individual behaviors and many other injustices, or forces that too often seem to destroy us. Regardless of the form that the oppression is manifesting itself, we're reminded at the end of the album to "keep standing tall."

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/796560918993719297/SKt2XXhZ.jpg

Many listeners of Childish Gambino gravitate to his music for it's fun and clever lyrical presentation. He is one of rap's most entertaining and intellectually stimulating artists. He is notorious for his witty metaphors and appropriately inserting his singing voice. His punch lines always provoke deep thought or hysterical laughter (sometimes simultaneously). He does something interesting and different in this album though. To the surprise of many, Childish releases this record without rapping a single lyric and instead relies on the animation of his voice and altering of vocal styles to convey a message, which strikes a more serious tone. He skillfully channels the spirit of classic Funk with the instrumentation choices, fuzzy bass and modulating guitar tones. The music made me feel like I was listening to Parliament or Bootsie Collins or some Funk band straight out of the 70s. This was simply brilliant. This creative approach draws linkage from Funk to Hip-Hop culture. Not to mention, a lot of the issues that were prevalent around the inception of funk, circa mid-1960s, are still relevant today. Intentional or not, the composition of this album is simply an effective Transcendent way to present some of the most critically important issues of our day.

http://saintheron.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Childish-Gambino2.jpg

Listen deliberately to this Transcendent Music to receive Childish Gambino's powerful message in his album, Awaken, My Love.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Robert Glasper

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:54:00 +0000

http://blogs.opb.org/kmhd/2012/03/19/artist-interview-robert-glasper/glasper-3/

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Robert Glasper

YouTube has undoubtedly been a tremendous asset to music. In the advent of social media and video sharing sites such as YouTube, I have been exposed to so many great musicians. YouTube has exposed me many of the TRANSCENDENT musical artists that I have profiled on this blog. Some years ago, I discovered a unique and talented artist on YouTube, and have followed his career ever since. That artist is the one-and-only, Jazz pianist, Robert Glasper.

One-and-only is not used frivolously in describing Mr. Glasper. Robert Glasper was born in Houston Texas where he was exposed to gospel, Jazz and Blues music at an early age. Glasper’s mother played piano and was in the choir at their family church. She also played Jazz and Blues professionally with a band at different venues in town. Glasper’s mother took young Robert along to her gigs, and used them as a modified daycare center. Robert Glasper’s mother was his biggest musical influence during his development as a young musician. Twelve-year-old Glasper began playing for his church and later developed aspirations to become a Jazz musician. Like many Black musicians, church was the place where Glasper cultivated his craft. It was there where Glasper realized the power of music and how audiences could be moved by it. When speaking about playing in the church in his bio on allaboutjazz.com he was quoted saying:

It definitely just gave me that sensitivity and knowing how to reach people and knowing how to be in tune with your feelings and the emotion of the music. My thing is, it helps me relate to the audience 'cause they're gonna give you what you give them. When you bring the crowd into your world, you can do anything you want.

Let’s discuss his music. Jazz is a very broad genre. There is Smooth Jazz, Jazz-Fusion, Classical Jazz, Big Band Jazz and this list probably could stretch the length of this blog. Robert Glasper is a Jazz pianist whose skills, at their core, put him in the ranks of the greatest Jazz musicians of all times. His skills as a jazz pianist are often compared to Thelonious Monk. Robert Glasper has made it a point for his music not to be limited or categorized as strictly Jazz. He has capitalized on his ability to dabble in almost any genre and has stretched the boundaries of what is stereotypically Jazz. Yet, his music could not be mistaken for anything other than Jazz, which is an interesting dynamic of his music. Glasper is quoted in an article on his website saying, “We can go anywhere, literally anywhere, we want to go. We all have musical ADD and we love it.” The point he was making is that all of the musicians in his band enjoy varying genres and styles of music. They are almost incapable of focusing on a single sound of music. Consequently, they have broad influence and enjoy playing a lot of different types of music. This is what makes Robert Glasper such a standout artist. He is one of the few artists who can intermingle Jazz with Hip-Hop and R&B in a way that can both be respected by Jazz enthusiasts and also enjoyed by Hip-Hop and R&B listeners.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/black-radio/id488036560

Robert Glasper along with his band, The Robert Glasper Experiment, and a host of featured vocalists showcased the TRANSCENDENT qualities of his music in his newest Album. In February 2012 Robert released his fourth album, Black Radio. Black Radio includes Robert Glasper’s extremely complex piano scores with Hip Hop style backbeats and R&B and Hip-Hop vocals from artists including Erykah Badu, Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, Yasiin Bey and Lupe Fiasco, just to name a few. The beautiful thing about this album is its expansiveness. It draws you in with its Hip-Hop elements and moves you with Jazz permeating throughout the entire album. Robert is an exciting artist to listen to. His collaborative efforts in this album are going to attract a broader audience and introduce new listeners to Jazz in an indirect way. The TRANSCENDENT MUSIC MOVEMENT supports Robert Glasper’s spectacular work and encourages our readers to view his videos and listen to his music. Black Radio is a great album to start with. Every one of his albums has presented a different style of Glasper’s extraordinarily unique Jazz form. There is something for everyone in Robert Glasper’s TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Gary Clark, Jr.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 03:25:00 +0000

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/interview-blues-sensation-gary-clark-jr-on-influences-guitars-and-technique-519939

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Gary Clark, Jr.

Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Etta James, Ray Charles, Jimmi Hendrix and the list goes on of genuine blues artists who gained popularity in their youth. Unfortunately, this list has become relatively stagnant in recent years. Susan Tedeschi and Derrick Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, John Mayer, The Black Keys and a few others have contributed to the survival of American Blues as a relevant music genre. Not to take anything away from these spectacular musicians, but even these popular artists are not always considered the most pure of blues artists. They are an apparent derivative of the classic blues artist. Their music is undoubtedly rooted in the American Blues of old; but when it comes to the raw, gritty, pure blues musicianship of those in the aforementioned list; there have been very few to gain the notoriety of those blues musicians preceding the 90s. Austin Texas may very well have produced a lifeline for traditional blues in the form of a young man by the name of Gary Clark, Jr.

Twenty seven year old Gary Clark, Jr. is a rare commodity in modern music. Blues has been unable to penetrate the fold of popular music recently. It has been a genre mostly appreciated by older generations. Artists like John Mayor and The Black Keys have introduced America’s youth to remnants of traditional blues with their blues influenced pop music. They are also of the few popular blues artists under the age of 40 to have major success in modern music. Susan Tedeschi and Derrick Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band and artist like Eric Clapton continue making popular classic blues influenced music but they too commenced their blues careers preceding the 90s. Gary Clark, Jr., however, is on the verge of being one of the extremely rare artists of this century to break in to popular music, under the age of 40, while remaining true to a pure form of blues. His youthfulness is the surprising factor. I am unaware of anyone of his likeness to rise to such popularity since at least the 90s.

Gary Clark, Jr. caught my attention with a YouTube video of him performing If You Love Me Like You Say. The music that I was hearing had the spirit of Muddy Waters, Freddie King and other classic black Blues artists. I was amazed by his performance, which was of the truest Blues form. As I viewed his performances I saw the spirit and energy of a young Jimmy Hendrix, with his commanding electric guitar riffs. Then I heard the clever soulful lyrics reminiscent of B.B. King. Gary Clark, Jr.’s performance of the Blues reminded me that this genre was once popular in black culture and indeed dominated by African American Musicians at one point in time. Recently, most of the popular blues artists have been white musicians. These artists have done a tremendous job in sustaining the Blues. While this new diversity has been beneficial to the genre, it is unequivocally shameful that the prominence of blues in the black musical culture has fallen to near extinction. Gary Clark, Jr. brings that classic blues form back to the forefront. Gary Clark, Jr., born in Austin Texas, has been playing the blues for years as a hometown celebrity and as a surrogate for traditional blues.

The Texas budding star got his break after a stellar performance at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. At the festival, he performed his Don’t Owe You a Thang. He also performed with Eric Clapton and Sheryl Crow. He has since received a major recording deal and has subsequently produced and released his first E.P. entitled The Bright Lights EP. I have had this four track E.P. on repeat for days now. I have also enjoyed his many video performances online. The Transcendent Music Movement and I are extremely excited about this artist’s potential. We hope to see him become a catalyst for a greater appreciation of musicianship by the black community and classic blues throughout the world. His popularity can lead to greater exposure of classic blues and may lead to more young people playing and appreciating the Blues again. We wish Gary Clark, Jr. a prosperous future as a true blues artist and encourage our readers to support him as he continues to make TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

Transcendent Music Presents: What We Learned From Experts to Improve Our Business Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 May 2012 05:27:00 +0000

Transcendent Music Presents: What We Learned From Experts to Improve Our Business Plans

http://www.growthink.com/team/dave-lavinsky

In the previously posted blog, we took a look at the profiles and entrepreneurial theories of two experts in business plan development and business startups. The two experts were Dave Lavinsky and Tim Berry. Dave Lavinsky’s philosophy is based on a very fundamental rule: give customers what they really want. After reading about him and his business plan theory, I started to question how I could improve my own business plan. The act of giving the customer what they really want requires you to first know what the customer really wants. It is hard for me as a startup to accurately gauge what the customer really wants. I have found this to be one of the great risks of starting a business. I believe that you can have an idea about what you think your customers want but never really know with absolute certainty. Due to this reality, I have accepted Lavinsky’s theory partially. Most startups do not have the capital to conduct the market research or financial forecasting that may be required to more accurately determine what your customers want prior to launching your business. This may be the reason why many startups fail in the early stages of their life. However, I also am of the thought that customers do not always know exactly what they want prior to it being presented to them. It takes a balance of both what the customers want and what you envision that the customers will want. My argument is supported by the likes of Mark Cuban, Steve Jobs and Henry Ford. It was Ford who said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” The suggestions of Dave Lavinsky did not contribute to a particular part of my business plan but it impacted the plan in its entirety. Lavinsky indirectly led me to have more confidence in my business idea. As soon as my doors open, ensuring customer satisfaction will be a top priority of my business.

http://www.richardduffy.com/right-time-for-business-planning-guest-post-from-tim-berry

The second expert we profiled was Tim Berry. Berry is a CEO and another prominent expert in business planning and business plan development. My research on Tim Berry taught me the real reason for a business plan, as he sees it. Berry’s philosophy say that the role of business plan is not to sway investors but to actually plan in detail how your business will operate successfully. In practice, this may not change much of the content of your business plan, but it will help you focus on planning how you will operate after the business becomes a reality. This theory helps put in perspective why you are composing your business plan. Tim Berry’s business planning philosophy is something that I implemented in the way I completed my financial statements. It also enabled me to keep my operations section simple. Though it may be appealing to speak of elaborate operating systems and business methods in the operations section, for my personal benefit and business planning the simplicity of the operations section reflects the simplicity of how we plan to do business. By taking Tim Berry’s advice I was able to make composing my business plan personal, therefore making it make sense for me. By implementing Berry’s philosophy, my business plan will be able to act as a guideline for any employee of my business to be able to read and understand fully what we do and how we do it.

There are two sections of a business plan that I think investors are particular interested in. These sections are the financials and the management section. Every investor wants to know how the company is going to make money. From there they are interested in how much money the business is capable of generating and how much of that will be allocated to pay back investors. Investors want to know if they will receive a return on their investment, and if so, when and how much. The management section is important to investors because these are the individuals who will be steering the company either to success or to failure. These individuals need to display competence and have a vision for the direction of the company. Investors want to know that their investment is being managed by personnel capable of getting them their return.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Experts Views on the Value of Business Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:40:00 +0000

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Experts Views on the Value of Business Plans

Dave Lavinsky is the president and co-founder of Growthink. He is a businessman with immense entrepreneurial experience. His experience has made him an expert in composing business plans. Another business plan expert is Tim Berry. Berry is founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software and has other leadership roles in various companies. He is an author, a business plan consultant and is a well known resource in the field of business planning and business plan review. Both of these gentlemen have strong opinions and sound advice when it comes to constructing a good business plan. The Transcendent Music Movement is pleased to present Dave Lavinsky and Tim Berry in our analysis of expert views on the value of business plans.

Dave Lavinsky

http://www.growthink.com/team/dave-lavinsky

Dave Lavinsky attended the University of Virginia, where he earned his bachelors degree. He also received an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. In addition to founding Growthink, he started Emerge Juice & Nutrition Systems and Shoutmouth. After his personal entrepreneurial success, Lavinsky started Growthink to guide entrepreneurs through starting, growing and even closing businesses successfully. Through Growthink, he and his team have come up with what they call “The 5 Attribute of Successful Business Plans.” Of the five attributes, creating value is one of the most important. Lavinsky says that, successful companies offer customers products and services that they really want. This is the cornerstone for any successful business. In the embedded link above, Lavinsky goes over each of the five attributes in further detail.

http://www.richardduffy.com/right-time-for-business-planning-guest-post-from-tim-berry

Tim Berry

Tim Berry is a phenomenon in the field of business plans. He has received accolades and is looked to for business plan advice from some of the most prominent names in business. He has earned several degrees and is responsible for forming multiple companies. Palo Alto Software, bplans.com and Borland International are all companies that exist due to his entrepreneurial success. His knowledge and personal success have also earned him a key role in judging several high-stake business plan competitions. He has many products and tools to help support entrepreneurs with the critical action of planning and composing a proper business plan. Many of these products are expensive, but he has a great blog entitled Planning Startups Stories that offers valuable insight. The blog includes various testimonials and highlights different segments of entrepreneurship. In an article published on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website written by Berry, he talks about what he considers to be the importance of a business plan. In this, he makes the point that the real reason for a business plan is to guide a business to be successful and to operate better. This is the true purpose, as opposed to the school of thought that believes business plans are to convince investors and bankers to loan you money. Berry believes strongly that the focus should be on actually planning for the business so that it will fulfill its purpose. The business plan should be for the business itself, not for anyone else, according to his theory.

Dave Lavinsky and Tim Berry have a wealth of experience and knowledge as it pertains to business planning and entrepreneurship. They each have proven methods and approaches. In the entrepreneurial efforts of this company and other endeavors, we will take heed to their credible and sound advice.

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Esperanza Spalding

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:15:00 +0000

http://soulyotrosalimentosdelalma.blogspot.com/2010/11/entrevista-esperanza-spalding.html

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Esperanza Spalding

Unique, musically clever, inventive and other synonymous terms have been used throughout the existence of this blog. The terms have been used to describe the various artists that we have showcased. As we continue our search for transcendent musical artists we have discovered yet another spectacular talent. The Transcendent Music Movement is pleased to present musician, vocalist, composer and bandleader Esperanza Spalding.

Early Life

There is a lot to be said about Spalding’s life prior to her professional career. She was born in Portland, Oregon in a single-family home. She was raised by her mother and experienced many hardships that spawned from an economic deprived upbringing. Many lessons were learned from her humble beginning and much gratitude for her mother’s hard work was the result. Her childhood quite possibly contributed to her atypical education experience, which is something that solicits much surprise. Spalding left high school at the age of 16 with a GED. She attended college at Portland State University and then Berklee College of Music. At Berklee she had great success, graduated in three years and became a member of the faculty at the age of 20 as an instructor. Her musical talents began to pave a path for her that she probably never imagined.

The Music

After viewing an episode of Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood an interest in music was sparked in four-year-old Spalding. Spalding is quoted saying, “it was definitely the thing that hipped me to the whole idea of music as a creative pursuit.” As a young child she became a member of the Chamber Music Society of Organ. This was a community orchestra that she became a member of after teaching herself to play the violin. Later she was exposed to the bass, the instrument that she fell in love with and soon mastered. Esperanza Spalding found herself performing with various bands playing music from classical to hip-hop. She travelled and performed with well-established artists furthering her name on the professional circuit. In 2008 she released her first solo recorded album titled Esperanza. The album had tremendous success and from there she only moved on to higher heights.

Accolades

http://deepbrownkinks.blogspot.com/2011/08/frolove-esperanza-spalding.html

Spalding’s first album earned her “the best selling album by a new jazz artist internationally in 2008. Other accolades ensued. She also was invited, as a guess to perform on multiple well know television shows. This exposure and the success of her first album positioned her perfectly for the release of her second album. Spalding’s second album, Chamber Music Society, earned her a host of awards to include a Grammy. She earned the award for Best New Artist over artist including Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. Amidst touring all over the world she recently completed a new album. The album was released in March of 2012. This album is spectacular and it reveals her growth and musical progression. The TRANSCENDENT MUSIC MOVEMENT endorses this truly TRANSCENDENT artist and recommend her album Radio Music Society to all of our readers.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: The Digital Landscape in the Music Industry

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:55:00 +0000

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: The Digital Landscape in the Music Industry

Digital production, marketing and distribution all seem to be on their way to eclipsing traditional methods. New technology and new relatively inexpensive tools are making these efforts more prevalent and available for artists’ use. Artists are utilizing computer software with simplistic functionality to produce their own music. They are using marketing tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Youtube and other social and personal websites to market their creative content. Finally, digital distribution is impacting the music industry as a result of consumers increasingly choosing to purchase download their audio files digitally. All of these tools have been impacted by the digital landscape in the music industry and we will take a look at each of them.

http://www.homemusicproduction.com/home-studio-setup/bitten-by-the-apple/

Production

Digital production of music has led to an increase in the amount of new music being produced. Music has become so much easier and more inexpensive to create. This has become the case predominantly due to the increasing capacity of computers and their software. D.J., artist. and producer Moby said in an interview that, “Many artists choose to compose and record at home, opting to pay a few hundred dollars for solid recording software rather than employ the costly services of a professional studio.” This truth is exactly the trend that has shifted the music industry. It is because of the new technologically advanced digital production tools now available.

Marketing
Marketing music in today’s digital age is a new trend also. The Internet has become a new frontier for marketing efforts in virtually every industry. The music industry has not been exempted. Digitally marketing music allows promoters to use a new marketing channel to reach their customers. The company Digital Music Marketing works to market and promote music online and on mobile devices. They work to make music accessible online that leads to online music distribution.

Distribution

iTunes, Amazon, Myspace, , Rhapsody and many other online retailors of digital music have become house hold names for consumers to purchase music. These retailors have catered to the desires of consumers to access digital formats of music. IODA is the independent online distribution alliance. They provide independent artists the tools needed to distribute their digital music content through online and mobile retailors. Their service also acts as an analytics tool in that it gathers detailed information about those who purchase your work from the respective digital music retailors.

Digital production, marketing and distribution of music are all essential parts of the music industry. They represent an industry shift to the desires of clients. They also represent the music industry adapting to new technological advances. These things are great for the creative arts, both from a consumer perspective and an artist’s perspective. These digital and technological advances are sure to continue to transcend the music industry, as we know it today.

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: The Black Keys

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 06:40:00 +0000

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Black+Keys/+images/58154643

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: The Black Keys

One summer day as I was watching television, a commercial came on and completely grabbed my attention. It was not the car that being advertised, but it was the music on the commercial that really captivated me. The song was Tighten Up by The Black Keys. After further review, I realized that I had discovered a gem. The Transcendent Music Movement presents The Black Keys.

The Black Keys are one of the most electrifying musical groups gracing stages across the world and making records in today’s popular music culture. Their combination of blues, soul and psychedelic rock, as last.fm describes it, makes the group very attractive to a wide audience of listeners. Their pleasantly unique sound is very exciting and is mostly due to their pioneered instrumentation. I do not claim to be aware of every artist and band’s work but I am sure that most people would agree that there are very few bands that offer a sound even remotely similar to The Black Keys. Particularly in modern popular music, there are not many groups who can balance making music that appeals to a large audience and still remain true to the roots of classic blues and soul. They sufficiently and amazingly managed to incorporate a traditional blues and soul sound in to their progressive rock style.

The group consists of a Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Dan is the lead singer and guitar player. Patrick is the drummer and they have other varying contributing musicians. The duo hails from Akron, Ohio. These guys had really humble beginning launching their music career from Akron. The group has labored long and hard and has truly earned their respect in the music industry. They released their first album in 2002 and created great music that was used in movies, video games, TV shows and commercials. It was not until 2010 that the band recorded an album in a legitimate studio. The album was Brothers, which included Tighten Up. Tighten Up was the song that I heard on that Subaru commercial. The song was also used for the 2011 FIFA soundtrack. Apparently, it really because popular from a viral YouTube video called Dancing T-Rex. After increased popularity and their album’s incredible success, The Black Keys found themselves winning three Grammy’s.

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Black+Keys/+images/51463261

Recently they released their sixth album, El Camino. This album is sure to continue in the exponential success of the Akron, Ohio band. The steadfastness and perseverance of The Black Keys is extremely commendable and their story is an encouraging one. The Transcendent Music Movement will continue to support the unique work of this great band. We look forward to them continuing to create TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

http://www.theblackkeys.com/product/el-camino-cd

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Wale and his Self-Publishing and Distribution Efforts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 05:24:00 +0000

http://thisbeatgoes.com/tag/wale/

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Wale and his Self-Publishing and Distribution Efforts

Musicians increasingly are finding value in self-promotion and self-production. These activities have become prevalent particularly in the advent of home music production software and Internet publishing and distribution tools. Tools such as MySpace, iTunes, CD Baby, Reverbnation and others are some of those mostly used for self-promotion or publishing. One newly popular Hip Hop artist who earned a recording deal using these tools is Washington D.C. native Wale.

Wale was born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin. His parents are Nigerian immigrants who raised their son in Washington D.C. When Wale became of age he attended college. He transferred schools twice before dropping out and pursuing his career in music. Wale worked hard developing as a locally recognized artist. He first got commercial exposure with one of his tracks being played by a local DJ over the radio. This type of word-of-mouth promotion resulted in him earning national recognition from Hip-Hop magazines and others. With Wale realizing his potential to become a national recording artist, he began to consider other promotion artist. Wale did this by promoting mixtapes and by creating a commanding MySpace presence.

http://www.killerhiphop.com/wale-bait-remix-lyrics/

Wale’s MySpace presence could arguably have been the single most contributing factor that led to his popularity. In the spirit of self-publishing and distribution, Wale and his team used the methods as a means to another end. Even those who have great success self-promoting and distributing, a recording contract with a major recording label is usually still a sought after goal. Wale captured the attention of several major recording labels before Interscope Records signed him to a recording contract. He has obviously transferred the responsibility of publishing and distributing his intellectual property had been transferred over to his recording company. A major recording deal offers the artist leverage and greater distribution power. Now Wale is working with Maybach Music Group accomplishing the same.

The record labels use their resources to publish and distribute Wale’s work. This is incredible leverage for the artists. In Wale’s case, he does not have to worry about using his personal assets to record and promote himself. The major recording companies also have the capacity to have your music reach every corner of the planet using both conventional and online mediums. Wale has done a great job of first working hard for himself, particularly with his self-publishing and distribution efforts. From that hard work he gain the attention of recording companies to take on the burden of those efforts. Now he is an internationally known Hip-Hop artist creating TRANSCENDENT MUSIC thanks to his pioneered self-publishing and distribution efforts.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: David Ratner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:06:00 +0000

http://replinrhoades.com/attorneys/

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: David Ratner

Transcendent Music is seeking to launch a new company with a product line that will require patents, trademarks, and other types of intellectual property. We talked about a few potential intellectual property liabilities that this company might face in our last blog, The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Legal Liabilities that will Effect Transcendent Music’s New Product Line. Recently we identified potential legal counsel in order to better analyze those liabilities as well as other factors to enhance our business plan. The attorney we discovered is a leader in entertainment and intellectual property related law in the state of Colorado. The Transcendent Music Movement is pleased to present David Ratner.

http://replinrhoades.com/

Attorney Dave Ratner is licensed and practices law in the state of Colorado. Mr. Ratner is a partner of the entertainment and intellectual property law firm, Replin Ratner & Rhodes, LLC. Their office is in the mile high city of Denver, Colorado. Ratner began work there following a successful career as an artist manager and business consultant. Ratner graduated from the Ivy League school, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Upon graduation he worked as a tour manager and then started his own band management firm. This experience helped Mr. Ratner to realize the value of sound legal counsel, particularly in the entertainment industry. He found himself negotiating contracts on behalf of his bands and working extensively with attorneys during his time as a band manager. He learned from those experiences that there was a lot more he could offer to guide and protect the creative process by pursuing a legal degree. Dave Ratner decided to go to law school at the University of Denver following five years of priceless band management experience. Ratner did not consider his experience a prerequisite to success in his field of law, but he did agree that it gives him an extra level of credibility with many of his clients.

Dave Ratner is now having great success as an attorney serving the needs of many clients in the Denver area. His clients include authors, designers, artists, small business owners, entertainers and many more. Ratner acknowledged the fact that Denver was not the most amicable place for the typical entertainment industry clients, such as those related associated with music and film. However, he said that it is still a place with a large number of entrepreneurs across the spectrum of creative arts that require similar representation. Many of his clients are entrepreneurs so he does a great deal of work related to asset protection, employee agreements, intellectual property valuations, and other work related to properly forming and operating a small business.

Attorney Ratner encouraged me to really take a meticulous look at every relationship that the business enters in. This includes business-to-business relationships, employee relationships and even client relationships. To further his point, he expressed the importance of proper documentation that clearly states the expectations of all parties involved. In a manufacturing company he advised drafting employee manuals that included nondisclosure agreements and the like. He also strongly advised framing my budget to include legal costs. This would help any small business to avoid pitfalls and get started on the right path, exclaimed Ratner. Transcendent Music’s new company will consider and apply the nuggets of knowledge that Mr. Ratner graciously provided. We are thankful to him and on behalf of the TRANSCENDENT MUSIC MOVEMENT; we wish him continued success in his quest to provide expert legal guidance and representation to all involved in the creative arts.

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Legal Liabilities that will Effect Transcendent Music’s New Product Line

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:19:00 +0000

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Legal Liabilities that will Effect Transcendent Music’s New Product Line

This year, Transcendent Music has begun work on its first product line. Launching this product is going to be a huge step for the startup. The business plan surrounding the product has elements of several industries. The two primary industries are entertainment and manufacturing. The business plan is to develop both a line of percussion instruments and smart technology that enhances previously existing percussion instruments. Three legal liabilities that will impact the business plan are compliance with manufacturing and trade regulations, the products trademark, and its patented technology. The guitar manufacturer Gibson, the band the Velvet Underground and technology company Apple, all recently dealt with those liabilities respectively, in one way or another.

http://www.libertarianrepublican.net/2011/08/feds-raid-non-union-gibson-guitar-again.html

Gibson Guitar Corporation has been a prominent name in guitar manufacturing for years. Countless well-known guitar players have played their guitars as well. Much of what makes Gibson guitars so popular is derived from the high quality components used in manufacturing their guitars. However, The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Justice Department has authorized several raids of the Gibson factories, “seizing guitars, wood and electronic records.” The Justice Department is citing The Lacey Act of 1900 to justify their raids and their investigation of criminal activity. The Lacey Act, as amended in 2008, was enacted to regulate the trade of wildlife, fish, wood and other plant products. Gibson allegedly imports wood that violates the export laws of the countries from which their fine woods are supplied. The Lacey Act also covers the violation of any laws in another country with regard to wood or other plants. I do not have a strong opinion on the matter considering I do not have all of the facts. I believe however that it is extremely important to be well informed on the laws that govern other countries that you do business with. In particular, it is important to know those that deal with the product or service you are dealing with. Leonard Krause a consultant is reference in the article suggesting that businesses hire legal professionals in the countries they do business. He goes on to explain that there are not many U.S. attorneys who know the laws in other countries, to further his point.

http://www.collegedj.net/2012/01/11/music/velvet-underground-files-suit-over-rights-to-iconic-banana-image/

The Velvet Underground filed suit against The Andy Warhol Foundation. In the 60s Andy Warhol designed an album cover for the band the Velvet Underground. The band claims that the album cover design became synonymous to the band. Andy Warhol has since sought to license the design. Eriq Gardner reported in his Billboard article “After reading reports that the Warhol Foundation planned to license the design for ancillary products associated with Apple's iPod and iPad, the band made moves to put a stop to such activity.” Apparently neither party registered the design. The Velvet underground is arguing that many consumers will associate the album design with the band and the band does not want to be associated with such products. This is very much so understandable and it shows the importance of registering trademarks. Once the product line’s logo is designed we will seek to register it. We will do this prior to it becoming representative of the product. This way the logo will be privy to the protection of the law. It will have legal standing to discourage issues like the ones between the Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol.

http://www.maclife.com/article/columns/law_apple_secret_deals_dismissed_patents_and_appeals_denied

Apple for sometime now has found itself in a battle over patented technology. Apple has accused other companies of infringing on their patents and vice versa. Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. filed suit recently resulting in an injunction on Apple. Reuters reported Motorola as saying that they were, “suing Apple for infringing six of its patents involving technologies related to wireless antennae, software, data filtering and messaging.” Though the injunction has since been lifted, infringements of this sort can lead to legal ramifications that can destroy the accused company. The lesson learned is to avoid violating the registered patents of other companies. Secondly, it is important to properly register any patent worthy technology or device invited as a part of or therefore an invented product.

TRANSCENDENT MUSIC is extremely excited about developing its new product line. The lessons learned from the above companies as cited in these articles are sobering though. There are a lot of details involved in any business adventure. You have to be conscious of the laws and regulations that govern every aspect of your business. It is more important that you adhere to them though.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Mitch Wetheringthon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:15:00 +0000

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Mitch Wetheringthon

It is not very often that musicians from South Carolina make a name for themselves on a national stage in the entertainment industry. Frankly it is not often that anyone from the Palmetto State does anything substantial in this particular industry. This is not to say that there is no talent in the state, because that is certainly not the case. It is just not a state that receives that much exposure in the area of entertainment. There have been a few athletes, Vanna White from Wheel of Fortune, some others and let us not forget Stephen Colbert. These people have represented South Carolina extremely well in the entertainment industry. Now though, thanks to national talent contests such as America’s Next Top Model, American Idol and others, individuals from every nook and cranny of the country get their shot at making it. The Transcendent Music Movement is pleased to present one of the most recent recipients of this incredible opportunity, acoustic singer/songwriter Mitchel Wetherington.

Twenty Four year old Mitch Wetherington was born in Lexington South Carolina. He progressed through the public school system in the central region of the state before moving to the Low Country to attend College in Charleston, SC. Mitch attended the Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel and graduated in May of 2010. Mitch participated in many activities growing up. He played soccer and was a hang gliding instructor among other things. Out of all of his activities, his most notable was and is his talent as a musician. While in Charleston, Mitch began taking his passion for music more seriously. He began writing his own songs and performing them on YouTube, right from his barracks at The Citadel. Mitch’s talent was self-realized and validated by his friends and family. He then participated in an acoustic open-mic contest where his live performing career began. At that event, the owner of Other Brother Entertainment, Bryan Mahanes, took notice of his talent. Bryan helped propel Mitch’s career by landing him gigs all over Charleston.

After Mitch’s rapid success as a solo artist, he wanted to have a more dynamic presence on stage, particularly as his crowds grew bigger and bigger. Mitch began The Mitch Wetherington Project, which included Brayan Mahanes playing lead guitar and later Trey Swinton on drums. The Mitch Wetherington Project was an exciting band that excited crowds with enthusiastic performances. Following the Mitch Wetherington Project, Mitch moved on to form an even more electrifying band called Southwood. As Southwood, Mitch began to take his performances out of the local bars and in to local music venues doing shows that drew even larger crowds.

Mitch has always kept a catalog of original music that he performed along with music covers. After the passing of his mother shortly before he graduated college, Mitch’s song writing became his refuge. Mitch found a deeper motivation to truly impact others through his lyrics and music. His mother, in her absence, has further motivated Mitch to continue his pursuit of exceptional musicianship and a songwriting. This has been exemplified in his recent decision to audition for American Idol. Mitch repeatedly declined to audition despite encouragement from friends, family and even his mother. However when American Idol hosted an audition in the area he finally felt he would be remiss not to audition. He was even more so compelled because it was a desire of his mother for her son to try out. Mitch auditioned and unsurprisingly was presented with a golden ticket to compete in Hollywood, California to become the next American Idol.

Mitch Wetherington, in is humility, has impacted the lives of many through his music. He continues to focus his work on positively affecting others. Mitch’s spectacular personality and incredible talent are sure to carry him far. His journey has already begun, as he has now been presented with an opportunity to display his craft to a national audience. He is going to need the support and encouragement of his friends, family, Citadel family, state, and others as he labors in pursuit of national recognition as a musical artist. Join the TRANSCENDENT MUSIC MOVEMENT as we lobby our support for Mitch Wetherington as he seeks to expand his audience, all the while continuing to create and perform TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Lyrical Profet

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:39:00 +0000

The Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Lyrical Profet

Lord knows making it in the music industry is no easy task. We all know those who have come and gone. There are those hometown heroes who seem destined to be recognized by the major record labels. We also know those who captivate local audiences and work day in and day out to earn and preserve their unwavering support. Some artist are infatuated with the celebrity aspects of music, I do not blame them. However, there are some artists with a message. These artists are not motivated by money or fame. They explicitly and solely seek to speak to the masses using the beloved medium called music. So here we are in the age of Youtube, Myspace, iTunes and the like. What an opportunity for an aspiring musician or artist to become known or better yet, disseminate their message to the world through music. With that said it gives The Transcendent Music Movement great pleasure to present someone who is doing just that, the lyrical and poetic maven, Kyrah A Ayers, better known as Lyrical Profet.

Poetry by the Bay

Born in the Bay Area of California, Lyrical Profet realized his adoration and innate gift for writing. More specifically he found himself writing poetry. This Fresno State Mass Communication major graduated, and supplemental to his career began writing and performing his poetry publicly. It all began as an innocent hobby. He wrote inspiring words and strung intricate combinations of words and other literary devices together over beats that he created. Lyrical Profet began performing his spoken word in local venues in the bay area. He later began a local event called Poetry by the Bay to showcase local talent. He is the host of this event and it has been growing in popularity since its conception in 2008.

Product of Environment (P.O.E.)

From Lyrical Profet’s Poetry by the Bay event and others he began to be more comfortable on stage in front of a live audience. He has always felt comfortable as a writer but performing on stage was a new challenge. His ultimate goal is and was to merely be a songwriter for other artists to perform but Lyrical Profet could not deny his calling to the stage. From Poetry by the Bay and other local events Profet formed his own band. This band along with a vocalist made up P.O.E. P.O.E. stands for Product of Environment. Profet began to market his music empire as Profetic Lyrics, which became the name of his business. Profet’s spoken word performances as P.O.E. stimulated him to tap in to his love for Hip Hop and begin writing more Hip Hop songs. These songs included R&B vocals and the eclectic instrumentation from his live band. Profet graced every track with the same intelligent and thought provoking songwriting. His performance as a Hip Hop vocalist and the energy derived from the live band provoked excitement from crowds wherever they performed. Lately though, Profet has been working on solo productions.

This is my Prayer

Lyrical Profet has been releasing individual tracks periodically while he has been working on his latest major production; a mix-tape entitled This is my Prayer. He recently released the video for the title track This is my Prayer and has set a release date for the mix-tape of January 7, 2012. The music of Lyrical Profet is sure to possess profound songwriting and lively instrumentation. Lyrical Profet is one hard working artist with incredible talent and tremendous potential yet. Profet is doing great work to promote his music and his message. The Transcendent music movement encourages you to further explore his work on the various social and media mediums highlighted throughout this blog. Also continue to support the movement to support artist such as Lyrical Profet as they continue to create TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Negotiation and Deal-Making with Bryan Mahanes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:34:00 +0000

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Negotiation and Deal-Making with Bryan Mahanes

Negotiation and deal-making is an integral part of the entertainment industry. It often takes place in the relationships between artists, managers, venue owners, record labels and other entities in the music industry. In this blog we will look in to the subject of negotiation and deal making as it pertains to the owner of OtherBrother Entertainment, Bryan Mahanes.

OtherBrother entertainment is an artist management and entertainment service provider in Charleston, South Carolina. They have been providing these services to both local and national artists and clients for about seven years. As the owner of this company, Bryan Mahanes core responsibility is negotiating and making deals on behalf of the artists he represents or the clients who seek their services.

This seems like a simple business model and I would argue that it is. However, there are varying interests, personalities, emotions, and other things that make his job a balancing act each and every day. Bryan is responsible for satisfying the interest of three parties in any given deal. He has to consider the interests of the artists, his company, and the venue in which they will be performing. Bryan provided me with an example of how a typical negotiation would flow.

Initially, Bryan would ask the artist their rate. This commences the first negotiation. Bryan’s responsibility at this point is to accept this price or negotiate an alternate price that the artist is willing to agree to and that satisfies the interest of OtherBrother Entertainment. As you can imagine, this is the point at which he is most likely disposed to deal with negotiating concepts such as status (respective level of achievement), mutual benefit (satisfying all parties involved), and leveraging power (exploiting his credentials). The personalities, emotions, and interest of the respective artists have to be considered during this negotiating process with extreme delicacy. Bryan made it clear to me that he values the artists they represent. He realizes that they are his company’s product. Therefore, it is imperative for him to clearly identify the respective interests of every artist he works with. After learning about that artist’s personality, interest and emotional need, he can tailor a proposal that accommodates them. Most artists elicit an acknowledgement of their respective status and musical talent. This is the biggest emotional concern of a lot of the artists Bryan deals with, which he says, makes dealing with personalities very challenging. However, he is successful because his approach is one that is humble and accommodating to his artists.

He also has to negotiate when dealing with clients or venues that request their entertainment service. Much of the negotiations are the same. Primarily, he negotiates the price point. At this juncture in Bryan’s job he has to negotiate a price that is affordable to his client, satisfies the price agreed upon with the artist and generates revenue for OtherBrother Entertainment. This requires a little more savvy as a salesperson. These negotiations require extensive research in valuing the worth of the event. Bryan is able to leverage his experience in the industry as objective criteria, proving his ability to provide the best match of entertainment for the event. He also can propose a cheaper artist as BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), in the event that the price point he proposes is too high for his suggested artist. Emotionally, these clients are seeking autonomy. They want to be in control of their event, whether it is a wedding planner or a venue owner. Though Bryan may offer his suggestion he has to resist forcing an artist on a client. In negotiating this, he has to yield to their role in planning or organizing the event. All of these negotiating obstacles are a part of what Bryan confronts on a daily basis.

Negotiation and deal-making make up a tight rope that personnel in the entertainment industry, and Bryan Mahanes, as owner of OtherBrother Entertainment, have to walk everyday. Bryan attributes his negotiating success to his humility, tremendous interpersonal skills, his calm demeanor, and working tirelessly to make his artists and clients happy. These two components comprise the company’s essential products and customers, and without them, his company would not survive. As OtherBrother Entertainment continues to promote incredible artists and provide impeccable service to its clients, the Transcendent Music Movement offers its support and a tip of the hat to Bryan Mahanes for his successful business practices and negotiating acumen.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Goat Rodeo Sessions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:20:00 +0000

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Goat Rodeo Sessions

Once again, we have discovered musical genius. Before I proceed, allow me to briefly reintroduce this blog to ensure that this album review is put in perspective. The Transcendent Music Movement has set out to preserve and promote music that is transcendent through this blog and other means. The music we promote transcends any status quo, resists any sense of mediocrity, and challenges your musical understanding. With that said, the Transcendent Music Movement is pleased to present Goat Rodeo Sessions.

Goat Rodeo

I am sure you are asking what in the world is Goat Rodeo Sessions? It is the title of the album that was collectively composed, performed and recorded by four legendary musicians. This enigma of an album title actually has a relevant and applicable meaning. First, session most likely describes their meetings for composing and recording; but of more interest, what is a goat rodeo? A goat rodeo basically describes a situation that is so chaotic that it would require some sort of miracle or unlikely coincidence to restore order. I formulated that definition from listening to their description during their interview on their iTunes deluxe album. In that interview the musicians, who I will introduce later, explain why they consider their collaborative album to be a goat rodeo. Mandolin player Chris Thile is quoted in the interview reading an Urban Dictionary definition, which says “a goat rodeo is about the most polite term used by aviation people and others in higher risk situations to describe a scenario that requires about 100 things to go right at once if you intend to walk away from it”. Let’s meet the band.

The Band

Yo-Yo Ma is a classically trained cellist who is famous for being one of the best selling classical artists in the world. He has performed for eight U.S. presidents to include the 56^th Presidential Inauguration, invited by Barrack Obama. I could tell you more, but I think you get it. He is an incredible musician.

Stuart Duncan is a Country, American, and Bluegrass fiddle player. Duncan is known to be America’s favorite fiddler player as described on the Nashville bluegrass Band’s website. Even if he is not recognized by name his superior fiddle skills are gaining him increasing personal notoriety. He also plays the mandolin and banjo on a few tracks on the album.

Edger Myer is a recording artist for the Sony Classical recording label along with Yo-Yo Ma. He performs music of the classical, pop, country and folk persuasion. Myer’s website outlines a recent claim by San Diego Magazine that recognizes him as, “the best bassist alive”.

Chris Thile is a spectacular mandolin player who has been raved about since he was 12 when he released his first solo album and was called a child prodigy. Just like the rest of his band mates on Goat Rodeo Sessions, Thile has been the recipient of many awards. Thile performs mostly country and bluegrass with two award winning bands, Nickel Creek and the Punch Brothers.

Aoife O'Donovan also joins the band to record vocals on two selections. O'Donovan is a folk and bluegrass vocalist who is an up and coming star. She sings with a band she started called Crooked Still. They plan to release their first full length album in 2012. She also performs with other artists and has a solo career as well.

Goat Rodeo Sessions

These unique musical backgrounds alone, alludes to why they consider their work to be a goat rodeo. This is a group of artists, who were highly unlikely to share a stage and perform together as a band. In almost any interview the members of this unprecedented quartet rave on and on about the magical experience they had creating music together. They always seem to acknowledge their unorthodox mix of styles and instruments, which explains clearly why they named their album Goat Rodeo Sessions. Mandolinist Chris Thile is quoted saying, “I think it's the kind of thing that maybe classical music listeners will think is bluegrass and bluegrass listeners will think it's classical. Hopefully it lands in the nebulous zone where it can't really be named," in a 2011 Billboardbiz.com interview with Gary Graff. These individuals, who are each spectacular in their own right, took the goat rodeo that was them creating an album and ingeniously merged their unique individual talents to form a marvelous creation.

The masterpiece that they created is packed with scores of incredible complexities with melodies stemming from bluegrass to classical - all the while avoiding any definitive classification. There are even dollops of folk, funk and pop interwoven meticulously throughout the album. This unimaginable fusion of musicians and instruments produced one of the most unique and clever albums that I have ever heard. These artists who are incredible as individual musicians managed to successfully collaborate to create an entire album that oozes excitement and epitomizes TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: J. Wils

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:50:00 +0000

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: J. Wils

Ok Hip-Hop heads, I got something for you all. It's no secret that Drake, J. Cole, Kid Cudi, Wale, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and some others have really been representing lately for Rap music. This group of artists has been dubbed as Backpack Rappers or New Era Rappers by me and some other Hip-Hop heads. These artists brought intellect to rap during a time when rap music was considered, by most, to be on the verge of death. Let us be honest! Over the past few years it was beginning to seem like anyone could make it as a rapper with any ignorant message and lyrics that corresponded to some stupid dance.

Backpack Rappers

Thank the Hip-Hop gods for these New Era Rappers! The lyrics of these artists have had much appeal to students pursuing higher education. Most of the artists themselves have spent at least some time in college hence their nickname, Backpack Rappers. Obviously, a college education does not make you a great lyricist or even a smart person for that matter, but it has evoked an intelligent style of Rap music that has become quite popular. So regardless of education or the lack thereof, the complexities of this group’s lyrics, clever punch lines and tremendous use of literary figures of speech, has appealed to a more scholastic listener.

The New New-Era

These artists have paved the way for the effective deviation from the traditional gangster rapper and the dance rapper or as I call them, the mickey mouse rapper. It is true though; there is truly a new era of rap led by these New Era Rappers. So it gives Transcendent Music great pleasure to introduce and promote a new artist who embodies the essence of this new era of rap, J. Wils.

J. Wils, born Justin Wilson, was born in Charleston South Carolina. To be frank, the kid is without a doubt a diamond in the rough. We all are aware of the unique, catchy yet largely silly music that has come out of The South. Well, he does not fit that traditional mold. J. Wils represents for the new era of rap music and is personally seeking to portray the South in a new light.

I discovered J. Wils’ profound lyrical style on YouTube. The content of his raps reflected his atypical colligate experience. He attended and graduated from The Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel which explained much of the military jargon used in his raps that probably could only be appreciated by those who attended that elite institution. He was also involved in a series of dorm room rap battles that became viral across his campus. From this innocent display of lyrical talent, J. Wils’ passion for Hip-Hop, production, and representing The South intelligently, was ignited. He began making beats and rapping on other popular artists’ beats. He began to write relentlessly. Before long he and his college roommate, Justin Ramie, recorded their first music video for their song, ChuckTown Anthem. This was their first and rather deliberate attempt to present The South positively and intelligently, with regards to Rap music.

Fashionably Late Mix tape

Later, after graduating from college, J. Wils launched his solo career and has grown tremendously as an artist. Just as many of those new era artists who I described earlier did when they broke in to mainstream Hip-Hop, he released a mix tape. J.Wils recognizes exactly where he fits in and he respects his fans enough to know that he has to earn their continued support. He makes that clear by launching a free mix tape to help boost his popularity and earn the support of listeners. The name of his mix tape, Fashionably Late, has meaning that exemplifies J. Wils’ confidence and his desire to be regarded as one of Hip-Hop’s New Era artists.

I recall a conversation I had with him a couple of years ago when his mix tape was being conceptualized. He was expressing to me the fact that there were all of these new Hip-Hop artists who had become rather popular, and how he felt he was on par with most of them from a lyrical standpoint. I agreed with him whole-heartedly. Then he explained his reasoning behind the name of his mix tape. Those other rappers, most of which were listed above, had for all intents and purposes arrived as prominent rappers. Hence, he considered himself fashionably late to what we are calling New Era Hip-Hop. There birthed the title of his first mix tape, Fashionably Late.

Let it be known that I have absolutely no reserve in comparing J. Wils to Hip-Hop artists of the likes of Drake, J.Cole, Kid Cudi, Wale, Kanye West, and Lupe Fiasco. The kid is that good. The thing that he is missing is some sort of corporate backing to really propel his career and introduce his music to the world. Artists like J. Wils are the precise reason for Transcendent Music's mere existence. So as we continue in our movement to preserve and promote TRANSCENDENT MUSIC, we offer our full support and highly recommend that you listen to and support this transcendent artist, J. Wils.

Expectations

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:24:00 +0000

Incorporating Expectations to Create Meaning and Purpose

Expectations! This is what came to mind after viewing Viktor Frankl’s address entitled, Why to Believe in Others. In this address he spoke adamantly about how we should be idealist towards men by over estimating them. This is to say that we should have high expectations of man. He says that the realistic view of man is that they predominantly want to find meaning and purpose in life. This is as opposed to the surprising minority who prefer to just make a lot of money.

His presentation was for the sole purpose of enlightening his audience. Frankl’s speech helped me understand the behavioral psychological method of motivating people. This method of over estimating them or as it resonates with me, having high expectations, is something that can be useful in motivating future employees. Whether or not the majority of people still seek to find meaning and purpose in life as opposed to just making a lot of money, I am not sure. After all Frankl’s speech took place in the 70’s. Nonetheless, the importance of expectations and faith in mankind are absolutely still necessary components in effectively leading others. This is how I can apply the contents of his speech to better effect individual’s behavior, individuals being my future employees who will represent my brand.

His speech helped me further my understanding of the need to form expectations for your company but also of your company. As a business owner you conceptualize how you want your business to be perceived by potential or existing customers. As a result of your branding, advertising and marketing efforts, the consumers adopt expectations or attempt to make meaning of your business.

In the words of our beloved Republican presidential candidate, Willard Mitt Romney, “corporations are people my friend.” With this in mind, my corporation will seek to create meaning and purpose for its employees and for its customers. This is where it gets tricky, I will have high expectations for my corporation (employees) to satisfy and modestly surpass the expectations of its customers.

Once you have written the story you have set the bar for what your customers should expect. To stray from that would be inevitably detrimental to maintaining the trust and ultimately the support of your customers.

My fundamental understanding of Business Story telling and Brand Development was realized from this speech. This subject is about formulating expectations, brand development; promoting those expectations, business storytelling; and living up to those expectations, operating a successful business.

SPARS: A Trade Association for Recording Professionals

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:43:00 +0000

The industry niche trade association that I discovered and am interested in is SPARS. SPARS is The Society of Professional Audio Recording Services. According to their website SPARS provides access to knowledge, latest trends, and other professionals. They are an association that includes audio recording and mastering facilities, manufacturers, engineers, producers and multimedia specialists. They support businesses in the recording industry and the individual professionals who work in the audio recording industry.

SPARS writes on their website that they do not exist to make money but they exist to serve the industry. SPARS is a trade association that connects personnel in the audio recording industry and serves them as a resource. They offer countless educational opportunities for its members in the form of seminars, publications, business resources and other support programs for its members.

Their current programs and services seem extensive and beneficial to its members. They host BizTech and eStudio conferences, which address current business and operational issues. Their multiple publications include SPARS Time Code Primer, which is a hands-on guide for synchronization. They also have their Occupational Handbook, Business Policy Pamphletes and their electronic newsletter, SPARS eTracks. They have many resources for business owners such as the SPARS Test that can be used to assess the job knowledge of current and potential employees. I think that one of the most valuable assets of being a SPARS member is the experience and resource you have in the other members. According to their website, “Each SPARS board member has pledged to be available to answer questions, offer advice, or help steer you to the right resource.” That alone is worth the membership, particularly for someone new to the industry. Another excellent service they offer is their University Lecture Series. This program offers expert seminars for students of various business or technical sophistication, as published in their brochure. They also offer a grant for students pursuing industry related education.

The impact of SPARS on the industry is priceless. Their programs result in efficient and proficient business and operating practices. As a future business owner in the audio recording industry, it would be reckless for me not to utilize the resources that this trade association offers. The members are all industry professionals with a wealth of knowledge and most have many years of experience.

Much of what this trade association does is provide endless resources for its members to be successful in the audio recording industry. They do not seem to involve in any type of legislative or industry policy matters, however. They are extremely malleable in the way that they adapt to changes in the industry though. For example in 1979, when SPARS began they were made up of the small group of recording professionals who dominated the industry. Now that recording facilities have extended throughout the country and technology has provoked drastic changes in the recording process, SPARS stays true to its roots. They adapt and continue to serve each other. The founders began the organization because they realized that they all had similar issues that they faced owning and operating recording facilities. They used this organization to consult each other to solve problems collectively and to share valuable information. SPARS perpetuates the spirit of its founders by continuing to focus on learning from and supporting its members.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Ryan Leslie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 01:03:00 +0000

Photo from http://grandgroovedjs.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/ryan-leslie-youre-not-my-girl-big-jacks-call-me-mix/

Ryan Leslie

A few years ago I was perusing through a magazine whose name I do not recall. I began reading an article about this up in coming singer, rapper, producer, songwriter, musician and pretty much everything else you can think of in music. The description of this guy made had me thinking I was reading an article about the Ben Franklin of music. He does everything, literally. I became increasingly curious about who this guy was; but more importantly to me, how his music sounded. At the time I had never heard of this artists. As it turns out, I had unknowingly heard music produced by him. In that article, there was something else that stood out and made him more of a wonder. This respectfully shocking truth was that he is a graduate of Harvard University. What, really? This was my reaction after thinking to myself; this guy graduated from Harvard and is a rapper? If you have heard any of the rap music that has come out in the last five years, you would agree that a degree of any kind is hardly a prerequisite for a successful career as rapper. This superman of music is Ryan Leslie or R-Les as he is sometimes called.

Early Life

That article, that I have been unable to reproduce or locate, introduced me to who is now one of my favorite musical artist and most admired entrepreneurs. Ryan Leslie was born in Washington D.C. in 1978. Leslie moved around lot as a child because of his parents’ employment with the Salvation Army. After his sophomore year in high school he basically got tired of moving and began to set his sights on college, more specifically Ivy league institutions. This 14-year-old kid first, scored a 1600, a perfect score on his SATs. Then, he wrote letters to the like of schools such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford and others; soliciting entry in to their institutions. At the age of 15, Ryan Leslie is a freshman at Harvard University. How many fourteen year old kids do you know who would effectively just be quite simply tired of changing high schools so they decide to just go to Harvard instead? … My point exactly! Ryan Leslie, even at an early age was that type of visionary.

Early Career

So, if his background is not amazing enough, his path to musical notoriety is even more spectacular. In short, as a musician and producer he launched the career of unknown artist Cassie. It is reported that Leslie, in the living room of his apartment in Harlem, recorded and produced Cassie’s first album. Single “Me & You” reached as high as No. 3 on Billboard’s singles chart. The success of that song was virtually unprecedented and certainly unexpected. The success shocked the music industry and Ryan Leslie began to catch the eye of big names in the industry. His ability to do it all with little to no corporate backing; with the exception of a distribution deal that came later, is incredible. This type of self-production and promotion is what in my opinion truly makes Ryan Leslie unique and a TRANSCENDENT artist.

Self-Promotion

Immediately after I read that article about Ryan Leslie, I went to the Internet and discovered a plethora of YouTube videos of Mr. Leslie. There was something different about these videos though. They were not just audio recording of his music or highly produced music videos. These videos were what looked like home produced visual depictions of Ryan Leslie composing, writing, and recording his music. These videos feature him playing the piano, synthesizers, drums, singing and doing other things to contribute to the production his music. Earlier I talked about how Ryan Leslie did it all. After watching a few of those videos, that belief was solidified. Ryan Leslie has mastered self-promotion by using platforms such as MySpace, Twitter, and my personal favorite his YouTube Channel. There are countless videos of Ryan Leslie exercising his creative process in creating songs. Anyone who watches these videos will feel compelled to respect the genus, that is Ryan Leslie.

Image from http://www.ryanleslie.com/

Discography

After entering the music industry as a producer and songwriter, in 2003 he recorded his first solo album, Just Right. That album was not released because of issues with him and his record label. Despite that setback in 2009 he recorded Ryan Leslie, his self titled debut nationally distributed album. Then, about two years or so ago, he released his second album, Transition. This fall Leslie plans to roll out with his third album, Les is More. The YouTube videos promoting singles for this album have been generating a lot of views for a while now.

One-Man Band

It is so amazing for any fan or lover of musicianship to have the access that Ryan Leslie provides to his fans. The way that he creates and produces his music is unlike anyone else, to my knowledge at least. Leslie’s rare ability to be the one-man band behind virtually all of his music is his niche. The way that he exploits and promotes those skills is what is so fascinating to me. This is what makes it so exciting to watch his YouTube videos. You can see him playing the keyboards, you can watch him pick up a horn and record it, you can see him recording the vocals and making other contributions to the productions.

Next Selection

In addition to being an incredible singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, musician etc., he is also an entrepreneur. Ryan Leslie is the founder and CEO of a company called Next Selection. “We envision, develop & execute the experiences, products, platforms, and content that help brands build engaged conversations with consumers.” That quote is what they have posted on their website to describe what they do. Even though they have clients that expand across all industries, Ryan Leslie’s self-promoting ways on YouTube and other mediums is the best example of the type of marketing that Next Selection provides. Next Selection Music Group is also Ryan Leslie’s recording label.

Photo from http://mproco.com/blog/2009/08/youre-not-my-girl-ryan-leslie/

Unfortunately, I did not speak too much of the exceptional music that Ryan Leslie creates. My reasoning is that I really wanted to highlight his background and approach to personal branding. Take a few minutes to view a few of his videos on his YouTube channel called RyanLeslieTV. You’ll be amazed at what see and realize why the Transcendent Music Movement acknowledges Ryan Leslie as a Transcendent artist whose creations epitomize TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: The Motet

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 05:02:00 +0000

Here lies the commencement of our Transcendent Artists series. This and the blogs to follow will highlight independent artists who are making significant contributions in producing TRANSCENDENT MUSIC. We begin our series with a Jazz, Afro-beat, and Electronica fusion band from Boulder, Colorado, The Motet.

The Motet, in my opinion, is resurrecting Jazz and FUNK music in popular culture. The urban community of the Colorado area really stands behind this band. In recent history it seems as if popular music has shifted away from live instrumentation and has transitioned to predominantly computerized music. Artists rely on voice enhancements, catchy choruses, and clever lyrics to move their audiences. The Motet is one of the few bands that I have seen in a while who could rock a teenage and young adult crowd without a single lyric. These master musicians perform soulful FUNK rhythms fused with intricate jazz melodies virtually forcing crowds to groove to their hypnotizing sound. Their unique sound embodies complex Jazz and funky grooves reminiscent of artists such as Herbie Hancock, James Brown and The Meters.

I discovered this band at a Herbie Hancock Tribute show in which a few of their members participated along with saxophonist, Dominic Lali of Big Gigantic. This show was the best concert I had ever been to and I only paid $5 to see it. I left that concert feeling inspired as a musician and optimistic for the future of live music performance. Obviously music performance is still prominent but music rooted in FUNK, jazz, and soul are often lost or averted in popular music. The author of their biography on Facebook writes the following:

The Motet is a world-class ensemble that whips audiences into a whirlwind using sheer impromptu force. The rhythms are spontaneous and textured and the beats are hard driving. The band uses this energy to create a rapport between the audience and themselves that is rarely seen in today's world of manufactured rock. The Motet consecrates the ground on which dance music meets free-form improvisation.

Lead drummer, Dave Watts, founded the Motet 10 years ago. Watts is also responsible for composing much of the intricate music played by this incredible band. The members include drummer and producer, Dave Watts; keyboardist, Joey Porter; Garrett Sayers, bassist; Ryan Jalbert, guitarist; Gabe Mervine, trumpet; Matt Pitts, tenor saxophone; Scott Messersmith, percussion; Pete Wall, baritone saxophone; Dan Schwindt, guitar; Jans Ingber, vocals; and Paul McDaniel, bass and others for special projects. Though I have attempted to characterize this band they pride themselves in not conforming to a defined genre. The biography on The Motet’s Facebook page says, “With roots in Jazz, Afrobeat, funk, Salsa and Samba, The Motet keeps their audiences in a dancing frenzy by layering House and Techno rhythms into a style that is uniquely their own.”

The Motet has released several albums, their sixth album being Dig Deep. This album can be downloaded for free on their website. The Motet can be found performing at music festivals and venues all over Colorado and the surrounding area. Their next show is tonight September 3, 2011 at Agave in Avon, CO. This phenomenal group of musicians has a bright future. They are definitely putting in the groundwork, by growing a strong base of supporters. This band is worth listening to but even more so, worth listening to live. Their live performance is one that will captivate anyone under the sound of their instruments. The Motet is certainly a band that produces TRANSCENDENT MUSIC and has the support of the Transcendent Music Movement.

Jay-Z and Kanye West’s, Watch the Throne Album

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:33:00 +0000

Watch the Throne

Transcendent Music is not going to focus on pop music and on artists who already receive an abundance of recognition; however, we would be remiss not to pay our respect and acknowledge that which is great. This week one of Hip-Hop’s most anticipated collaborative albums was released. The figurative big brother; Jay-Z and baby brother; Kanye West, released their duo album, Watch the Throne. Both Jay-Z and Kanye West are iconic figures in popular music and have made countless contributions to Hip-Hop music.

Leak Free Release

On August 08 the album was released exclusively on iTunes. From Aug 12-22 the hardcopy of the album will exclusively be sold in Best Buy stores. It is also noteworthy that according to Rolling Stone, the album avoided being leaked. Rolling Stone credits the album not being leaked to the exclusive contracts with Best Buy and iTunes. These exclusive contracts allowed Def Jam to keep a closer eye on the distribution chains. Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone says, “Many leaks happen because CDs are lifted from the manufacturing plant, or during shipping.” The album’s avoidance of being leaked was a rare occurrence considering the recent trends for such high-profile albums.

Jay-Z and Kanye West perform at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Kevin Mazur / Wireimage / Getty Images

Watch the Throne Tour

On August 8^th, the same date that the record was released on iTunes; Jay-Z and Kanye West announced their North American Watch the Throne Tour. The tour will celebrate and promote their album’s release. LiveNation.com published 25 tour dates with stops in the United States and in Canada. To date, the tour appears to be kicking off on October 29 at Phillips arena in Atlanta, GA and closing in Vancouver, on the 18^th of December. Concert dates and locations have already changed from what was originally scheduled so it is hard to be sure if all the scheduled dates will remain. This concert is certain to be an epic performance and one of historical significance. Demand for tickets, despite the upwards of $100 price, are destined to be high. Seeing Jay-Z and Kanye West together on tour is probably comparable to seeing The Beetles perform live. All due respect to The Beetles but for Pop Culture, Hip-Hop, and music in general, these two artists are two of this generations greats.

Album Reviews

First, let’s talk numbers. A day after Watch the Throne’s release it was projected to sell between 400,000 and 500,000 copies in its first week of sales. Keith Caulfield from billboard.biz reported that, “The album is on track to become the second-largest sales week of the year, behind Lady Gaga’s 1.1 million opener for Born This Way”. Jay-Z and Kanye West’s duo album is on track to earn the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart which will be released on August 17. Enough about what the media has been saying, what do consumers think?

Virtually immediately after the albums release, trending topic #WatchTheThrone exploded all over twitter. Fans were expressing their excitement about the albums release. Later, they began to tweet their reviews. There seemed to be resounding approval. Fans were raving about the album. @BenjiSchwimmer tweeted, “I'm gagging at how amazing #watchthethrone is.” Of course there were few who expressed their disapproval, such as @LuxuriousPink who tweeted, “I'm Sorry But I'm Just Not Feelin' #WatchTheThrone As Much As Everyone Else Is. =/” @RIDDIMONYACASE tweeted that, “Genius is never understood right away, it takes TIME. #watchthethrone.” There is something to be said about his tweet because as imagined, the album is rather unconventional. What else would be expected though, from two creative artists who have perpetually brought original ideas and produced groundbreaking music their entire careers? Their proclaimed genius album may in fact be that. Despite the lack of humility and overwhelming display of materialism, as is prevalent in Hip-Hop music, there are also some interesting nuances to the album. There is an abundance of religious references and a seemingly black empowerment overtone that is frequent throughout the album as well. The album is largely greater than merely music for the sake of entertainment. It seems to be making a statement in an almost genius approach.

The two artists compliment each other, lending thought provoking verses and hooks to contribute to each and every song. Kanye West produced most of the album by himself. West continued his practice of sampling soulful vintage medleys and enhancing them with various instruments, electronic sounds, 808 bass sounds etc. to producing clever musical productions like only he can. Jay-Z and Kanye West also reached out to producer legends, Q-Tip and RZA to make contributions to the album. Erika Ramirez in her article, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne: Track-by-Track Review on Billboard.com provided a few details about each and every track on the album. Her review highlighted contributors to each track along with other comments. It’s worth taking a look at. This album is to be heard so, enough of reading about it. Listen to it and formulate an opinion. After all, this is Jay-Z and Kanye West, Hip-Hop greats! Expect nothing less than TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

The Future of the Music Industry: How Technology Affected Consumer Trends

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:44:00 +0000

How Technology Affected Consumer Trends

There has been no doubt that the functionality of the music industry over the past 10-20 years has transformed and has transitioned. Changes in the way artists record, produce, market and distribute recorded music has transpired, due to advances in technology. These technological advances affected functions of major recording companies to include recording, marketing, the availability of recorded music and other functions. The resources that major recording labels and other traditionally necessary entities exclusively provided to recording artists, has become less than necessary and hardly exclusive. Artists are purchasing computer software like ProTools, home recording equipment and producing their own quality sounding musical productions. With the help of tools such as CD Baby, iTunes, Myspace, Youtube, TuneCore and others, they were able to distribute their work to a mass audience as well (McCready, 2009). The power to record, produce, market and distribute has transitioned increasingly in to the hands of artists, independent recording labels and undoubtedly fans. The monopoly that record labels had in the process of discovering, developing, recording and promoting artists has been disrupted.

A&R Executives

Artist-and repertoire executives (A&R), during the 1980s and 1990s, had the most powerful and necessary job in the music industry. They were responsible for discovering the most talented artist, worthy of a recording deal. They were also responsible for developing those artists’ careers. These were the people who went in to venues all across the country, tasked with discovering music’s next big thing. They, along with their respective record companies, dictated to the market, which artists were going to be heard. Something drastically changed in recent history. “127 A&R executives were let go or chose to leave their jobs during 2007 alone, according to business-contract source The A&R Registry.” The catalyst for such a dynamic change in this career was the drastic drop in CD sales, due to digital downloads and file sharing. Digital downloads, file sharing and the many online sources that provided streaming music gave consumers access to more music than ever before. With this newfound access consumers were empowered to vet what music they deemed worthy of their attention as opposed to A&R executives making that decision for them (Rogers, 2010).

Today’s Talent Scouts

A&R executives and the major record labels prior to these advances in technology were completely responsible for discovering artists. Now, an executive can go on YouTube or MySpace and recognize that an artists captured the attention and is being viewed by millions of people, essentially from the comfort of their home. This and other online means is how musical artists are being discovered and stratified in this digital era (Rogers, 2010). Due to the surge in consumers’ access to recorded music, consumers are now able to dictate to the industry which artists deserve corporate backing. There has been a change of the guard. The fans of artists and the consumers of recorded music have effectively replaced A&R executives. Thanks to the limitless, cheap and often free access to music, made possible by the Internet, the customer is in control (McCready, 2009).

Access vs. Ownership

Consumers have more access to music than ever before. Websites like Imeem and Pandora provide a streaming option for listening to music. This incorporation of the Internet to access and listen to music initially was thought to be a viable and profitable option for the music industry. The record companies bet on these Internet sources, hoping that by exposing consumers to new music it would subsequently result in them purchasing more music. The music industry’s plan to license music out to websites that stream music backfired. Consumers were satisfied with just access and cared less about ownership. Access was made so available through the Internet that consumers felt no need to buy music. This contributed to total industry sales dropping from $14 billion in 2000 to $10 billion in 2008, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. These numbers are projected to continue to drop by 4% as reported by Forrester Research (MacMillan, 2009). In addition to the online streaming option, file sharing and digital downloads affected the way consumers acquired music as well.

Single Songs vs. Full-Albums

The peak of the music industry was when CD sales were at an all time high. Since that peak, revenues have been down 64%. According to DeGusta, “10 years ago the average American spent almost 3 times as much on recorded music products as they do today.” Digital sales of music to include downloads, mobile sales and online subscriptions have increased. These increases have not; however, been nearly significant enough to make up for loses from decreased CD sales. One would think that digital consumption of music would merely replace CD sales as CDs did for cassettes and cassettes did for vinyl records. Unfortunately for the music industry, this has not been the case. This increase in digital sales allowed for sales of individual songs to spike and for full album sales to plummet. Per person, consumers purchased just over one physical album a year and only a quarter of a digital album per year. The music industry missed the opportunity to capitalize after the advent of the Internet. With the Internet and the increasing prevalence of digital downloads etc., no one buys whole albums anymore and as it turns out, “the recording industry makes almost all their money from full-length albums” (DeGusta, 2011). The record companies have to find other ways of generating revenues with regards to the recorded music they produce.

Revenue opportunities

The music industry is still one of the most profitable industries in the world. Despite an 11% decrease in shipments of recorded music, the 2010 Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Shipment Data reports that $6.9 billion was generated overall from recorded music (Friedlander, 2010). Money is not being generated from album sales, which record companies, had become so dependent on. Money will be made in merchandising and live performances as opposed to recorded music sales, as bizarre as that sounds. Now that recorded music sales have dropped; artists, managers, and record labels are figuring out new ways to generate revenue. The future looks like this; recorded music is going to be the attention grabber not the revenue generator. It is what is going to lead to other revenue opportunities. Artists are not necessarily working to sell their music directly, after all consumers are not buying it as they once did. As stated previously, consumers are satisfied with access to the superfluous amounts of music, made available to them by online sources. Labels and artists are realizing the greater value in earning the attention of their fans, rather than the money of their fans for their recorded music respectively. McCready said, “Most agree that the currency of exchange for recorded music will be the attention of the fans instead of their money.” Once artists get the attention of their fans they, in turn, will be able to sell tickets to their shows, sell merchandise, sign advertisement and movie deals, and generate revenue from other unorthodox means (McCready 2009). Fans and music consumers should continue to enjoy the unprecedented access and availability of recorded music. Record companies and other industry professionals better start getting creative if they intend to survive because recorded music is out of the box.

References

DeGusta, M. (2011). The real death of the music industry. Retrieved July 30, 2011, from

http://www.businessinsider.com/these-charts-explain-the-real-death-of-the-music-industry-2011-2

Friedlander, J. (2010). 2010 year-end shipment statistics. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://www.riaa.com/keystatistics.php?content_selector=2008-2009-U.S-Shipment-Numbers

MacMillan, D. (2009). The music industry’s new internet problem. July 30, 2011, from

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2009/tc2009035_000194.htm

McCready, M. March 11,2009. The future of the music industry. July 30, 2011, from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-mccready/the-future-of-the-music-i_b_173481.html

Rogers, P. Feb 11,2010. A&R star makers: the vanishing gatekeepers. July 29, 2011, from http://www.laweekly.com/2010-02-11/music/a-r-star-makers-the-vanishing-gatekeepers/1/