Kanye West Doesn’t Just Need Cosigns For His Genius. He Needs Money For DONDA!

Kanye West Doesn't Just Need Cosigns For His Genius. He Needs Money For DONDA!

Kanye West may actually be the hardest working ego in show business today. And he also may be building to a gigantic meltdown cause he's been giving off lots of business-related sparks of late and I'm seeing despair and depression ahead. Louis Vuitton still won't meet with him. Silicon Valley wants to meet but won't date. And everybody he attacks seems to slay him so easily with dumb humor you just have to wonder how much longer this can go on.

Kanye West has really tried for a long time to break into the fashion industry beyond the Kanye-branded products for popular brands which he's also approached seriously. But it just hasn't gone well as he's regularly reminded us.

Years of boiling rage and frustration finally caused him to lash out at Sway who started out the show laying on the superlatives so thick one wondered when Sway would start passing the plate for a We Worship Kanye Fund. Seriously, if Sway makes you angry, then you've got problems, Son.

Kanye West's Failed Search for DONDA Funding

But maybe Kanye's starting to melt cause Silicon Valley's also turned down his courtship, according to Valleywag.

Apparently Kanye West invited all these digital overlords to a proposal ceremony or something? You probably know more about it than I do.

And he's been meeting with them and asking for advice and investments related to DONDA which he hopes will "become a trillion-dollar company that completely disrupts the fashion industry."

His pitching style is getting poor reviews:

"If you see his behavior, it's so erratic, he's not focused and kind of all over the place."

Supposedly he's also telling people in the Valley:

"I'm the next Steve Jobs."

To cap things off, he didn't like Tony Hsieh's advice and started talking smack about Zappos selling "shit product." So Zappos served him with a toilet joke and a multilayered reference to "Paris" that even managed to skewer the avant garde pretentions of current pop stars (R.Mutt will tell you).

That little episode nicely connects his rejection in the high fashion world with what will turn out to be his rejection in the tech investor community. Those VCs and tech ceos love to give advice even when they don't know anything about what you do. Why would they want to meet with Kanye now?

So now his only friends in Silicon Valley are people like Ben Horowitz, who's still posting rap lyric intros on his VC blog like that was cool, and people that are out to take advantage of Kanye or seek easy publicity.

Looks like tough times for Kanye's dreams of DONDA.

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How Creating a Set List is Exactly Like Creating a Mix Tape for Your Girlfriend

Hot Topics in the Industry

How Creating a Set List is Hot Topics in the Industry

How Creating a Set List is Exactly Like Creating a Mix Tape for Your Girlfriend

How Creating a Set List is Exactly Like Creating a Mix Tape for Your Girlfriend

A Guest Post by Crowd Audio

There is this scene in “High Fidelity” with John Cusack where he obsesses over the perfect mixtape to give to a girl.

It might be in the book, but in my memory it’s still played by John Cusack because he’s just so good at being confused, flabbergasted and cool, all at the same time.

But you need to take care when you’re making a playlist for your girlfriend. You can’t just mess around with that without some serious brainstorming. And you definitely don’t want to accidentally put a song on there that’s a reminder of your last relationship.

Girls pick up on that because they know they’ve never heard the song and they’ll put two and two together. Because they’re smart like that.

And you need to put the same amount of care into structuring your set list for your next show. The DIY musician blog over at CD Baby has some good points on choosing the right songs in your setlist, but I’m looking at from a different standpoint. The set list has to convey a journey. It has to be a show. Therefore it has to have dynamics and contrast.

Let’s look at some examples.

Start Off Strong

If you’re an unknown band, then start off with a powerful and catchy tune that’ll catch the attention of the audience. Especially if you’re the opening act.

If you have a following and they all like that “one song” you wrote, don’t even think about opening with that. Make the audience wait. Otherwise they’ll just leave like if Journey played Don’t Stop Believin’ at the start of their show.

Keep the Momentum Going

Once you’ve nailed the audience in a trance of musical euphoria, keep going. I would say the first two songs should be interchangeable. They should be just as powerful and catchy to keep the audience glued to the stage.

Sidenote: I realize “catchy” doesn’t necessarily reflect what every musician is trying to evoke with his music. What I mean is “memorable,” “eye-opening,” or “exciting.” Basically pick the song that you think everyone will think is awesome.

Relax

Now it’s time to lay back and enjoy yourself. You’ve caught the audience in your musical web so you can afford to take a side-step into a slower song or a ballad. Think of it like a surfer: It’s the time you spend paddling back out after catching that big wave. You give yourself and the audience a welcome change of pace.

Depending on the length of your set, this might be more than one song. It might even be a separate subset of your concert. I remember this Smashing Pumpkins gig where Billy Corgan came out and played a whole acoustic set by himself in the middle of the show.

The band I am in use this technique as well to lengthen our set when we haven’t rehearsed every single song together. Instead of everybody playing all the time, the drummer and bass player take a break in the middle of the set and the two of us(guitar player and singer) sing a few of our quieter songs.

Pick Up The Pace

Once you’ve nailed that big chorus in your ballad, it’s time to start winding up the dynamics of your set list again. Pick a song that’s a little different than a ballad but not super energetic. Think of it like the eye before the storm. Play a song that’s groovy but subdued.

Funny story, but I was at White Snake a few weeks back and they followed this sort of structure almost exactly. After they played their relaxing ballad “Is This Love?” they played “Here I go Again,” which is kind of a massive rock song.

However, it’s not as ferocious as “Still of the Night,” that they ended the show with. And that leads me to…

End With a Bang

Whatever your single is that everyone came to listen to, this is where you play it. If every band in the world only played their hits at the beginning nobody would stick around until the end.

And again, if nobody’s even seen you play and they’ve stuck around for the end, rewards with an ace of a song up your sleeve.

Alright, I’m clichéd out.

If you’re serious about taking your music to the next level but have no idea on what makes a professional mix, use Crowd Audio’s competition service to launch a contest around your music where you can pick the mix you like the most out of dozens of submissions.

Crowd Audio helps you take your music to the next level. They connect independent bands and musicians with excited audio engineers eager to help them with their music.

If you’re a musician, Crowd Audio gives you access to a community of audio engineers eager to mix and master your music, giving it that professional sound.

If you’re an audio engineer, Crowd Audio creates a community of like minded individuals looking to gain experience by doing the audio work they love.

Through community and crowdsourced competition, bands get a professionally produced sound while audio engineers get exposure and experience.

Crowd Audio helps you take your music to the next level. They connect independent bands and musicians with excited audio engineers eager to help them with their music.

If you’re a musician, Crowd Audio gives you access to a community of audio engineers eager to mix and master your music, giving it that professional sound.

If you’re an audio engineer, Crowd Audio creates a community of like minded individuals looking to gain experience by doing the audio work they love.

Through community and crowdsourced competition, bands get a professionally produced sound while audio engineers get exposure and experience.

FacebookMixxDeliciousTwitterGoogleDiggYahooRedditmyspaceFriend FeedStumble Upon
Like Creating a Mix Tape for Your Girlfriend

How Creating a Set List is Exactly Like Creating a Mix Tape for Your Girlfriend

A Guest Post by Crowd Audio

There is this scene in “High Fidelity” with John Cusack where he obsesses over the perfect mixtape to give to a girl.

It might be in the book, but in my memory it’s still played by John Cusack because he’s just so good at being confused, flabbergasted and cool, all at the same time.

But you need to take care when you’re making a playlist for your girlfriend. You can’t just mess around with that without some serious brainstorming. And you definitely don’t want to accidentally put a song on there that’s a reminder of your last relationship.

Girls pick up on that because they know they’ve never heard the song and they’ll put two and two together. Because they’re smart like that.

And you need to put the same amount of care into structuring your set list for your next show. The DIY musician blog over at CD Baby has some good points on choosing the right songs in your setlist, but I’m looking at from a different standpoint. The set list has to convey a journey. It has to be a show. Therefore it has to have dynamics and contrast.

Let’s look at some examples.

Start Off Strong

If you’re an unknown band, then start off with a powerful and catchy tune that’ll catch the attention of the audience. Especially if you’re the opening act.

If you have a following and they all like that “one song” you wrote, don’t even think about opening with that. Make the audience wait. Otherwise they’ll just leave like if Journey played Don’t Stop Believin’ at the start of their show.

Keep the Momentum Going

Once you’ve nailed the audience in a trance of musical euphoria, keep going. I would say the first two songs should be interchangeable. They should be just as powerful and catchy to keep the audience glued to the stage.

Sidenote: I realize “catchy” doesn’t necessarily reflect what every musician is trying to evoke with his music. What I mean is “memorable,” “eye-opening,” or “exciting.” Basically pick the song that you think everyone will think is awesome.

Relax

Now it’s time to lay back and enjoy yourself. You’ve caught the audience in your musical web so you can afford to take a side-step into a slower song or a ballad. Think of it like a surfer: It’s the time you spend paddling back out after catching that big wave. You give yourself and the audience a welcome change of pace.

Depending on the length of your set, this might be more than one song. It might even be a separate subset of your concert. I remember this Smashing Pumpkins gig where Billy Corgan came out and played a whole acoustic set by himself in the middle of the show.

The band I am in use this technique as well to lengthen our set when we haven’t rehearsed every single song together. Instead of everybody playing all the time, the drummer and bass player take a break in the middle of the set and the two of us(guitar player and singer) sing a few of our quieter songs.

Pick Up The Pace

Once you’ve nailed that big chorus in your ballad, it’s time to start winding up the dynamics of your set list again. Pick a song that’s a little different than a ballad but not super energetic. Think of it like the eye before the storm. Play a song that’s groovy but subdued.

Funny story, but I was at White Snake a few weeks back and they followed this sort of structure almost exactly. After they played their relaxing ballad “Is This Love?” they played “Here I go Again,” which is kind of a massive rock song.

However, it’s not as ferocious as “Still of the Night,” that they ended the show with. And that leads me to…

End With a Bang

Whatever your single is that everyone came to listen to, this is where you play it. If every band in the world only played their hits at the beginning nobody would stick around until the end.

And again, if nobody’s even seen you play and they’ve stuck around for the end, rewards with an ace of a song up your sleeve.

Alright, I’m clichéd out.

If you’re serious about taking your music to the next level but have no idea on what makes a professional mix, use Crowd Audio’s competition service to launch a contest around your music where you can pick the mix you like the most out of dozens of submissions.

Crowd Audio helps you take your music to the next level. They connect independent bands and musicians with excited audio engineers eager to help them with their music.

If you’re a musician, Crowd Audio gives you access to a community of audio engineers eager to mix and master your music, giving it that professional sound.

If you’re an audio engineer, Crowd Audio creates a community of like minded individuals looking to gain experience by doing the audio work they love.

Through community and crowdsourced competition, bands get a professionally produced sound while audio engineers get exposure and experience.

Crowd Audio helps you take your music to the next level. They connect independent bands and musicians with excited audio engineers eager to help them with their music.

If you’re a musician, Crowd Audio gives you access to a community of audio engineers eager to mix and master your music, giving it that professional sound.

If you’re an audio engineer, Crowd Audio creates a community of like minded individuals looking to gain experience by doing the audio work they love.

Through community and crowdsourced competition, bands get a professionally produced sound while audio engineers get exposure and experience.

FacebookMixxDeliciousTwitterGoogleDiggYahooRedditmyspaceFriend FeedStumble Upon

@MusicDealers: 49 Female Music Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Advice

It’s been a minute since the first batch of fierce, fabulous, female music business entrepreneurs showed up on my blog, and as you can see it was worth the wait. I’m thrilled to be showcasing now over 100 women. Please share this, retweet this and feel free to repost on your own blogs. With Love, Ariel

Artists/Producers/Composers

The Three Ps

Christine Ben Ameh “The 3 PS- 1. Patience. 2. Perseverance. 3.Practice (Makes perfect).” Recording Artist/Songwriter @CHRISTINE_AMEH

Be Bold

Carsie Blanton “Be excellent, be committed, be bold.” Indie Singer/ Songwriter @carsieblanton

Don’t Fear Failure

Roswitha Bartussek “Envision your destiny and take small daily steps towards it. Don’t be afraid to fail, the more often you fail the more likely you will succeed. Be your authentic self, don’t try to fit in, carve out your niche.”

Artist, CEO of Queen Rose, Inc. @queenrose

Be Present

Ann Klein “Make the very best of where you are; it’ll take you where you want to go.” Artist (singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist) @redcharvel1

The Truth Will Set You Free
Erin Dickins “ Tell the truth - in music and life - never sing a lyric that you wouldn’t have as an epithet. Never do anything artistically to please anyone else. It’s all you - be authentically you - in your passion, your joy and your dreams. Shine your light big and bright no matter how big the challenges. Love every minute of the journey.” (not just a) Jazz VOCALIST - Recording artist on Dot Time Records @erindickins

Dream Bigger
Aoede “Dream BIG and often! Never let a little thing called life get in the way of your grandest dreams! If you dream it, put it out into the Universe, truly believe and work crazy hard to make it happen, your dreams can come true. Listen to your muse, believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to be a pioneer; if it hasn’t been done before, pave your own path!” Award-Winning Pop and Children’s Musical Stories, Singer-Songwriter, Recording Artist @aoedemuse

Find Your Tribe
Barb Morrison “Work with people (whether it be a manager, a producer, an agent, a publicist or a record label) who GET you. Having someone fully understand what you’re trying to say with your music is crucial. It’s much more important than how connected they are in the industry.” Record producer & film score composer @barbmorrison

It’s Not All About You

Cheryl Engelhardt “Your results are not about you- they show up when you create an opportunity of value for someone else. I use this nugget when pitching music-to-music supervisors, getting a film-scoring gig, when talking with a potential coaching client, or even when inviting a friend to a movie. “What’s in it for them?” is the phrase I have running through my head before making a request of anyone.” Songwriter / Composer / Creative Career Coach @CBE

Don’t Let Your Ego Control You
Trudee Lunden “ Don’t let your own ego supersede your humanity while building relationships or promoting your business. Although music is global, people in this industry travel in a small circular world. Music and creativity in general holds a valuable place in society, however, we’re not saving lives, feeding the poor or sheltering the homeless (unless donating our time, resources or earnings for these purposes).” Singer/Songwriter/Music Publisher @GreenMusicLady

DO Your Dream

Bettie Ross “Do your dream: Know what your dream is, and work hard at achieving it. DO it, don’t just dream it. Get really good at your craft, whether it’s playing an instrument or songwriting or singing, being a manager or an attorney, whatever it is. And I mean, get REALLY good at it. Learn from each opportunity, even if it is not exactly what your dream is.” Composer, Keyboardist, Songwriter, and Music Engraver Bettie [AT] BettieRoss [DOT] com

Anything Could Happen
Sarah Petrella “If it can happen to someone, it can happen to you. We are all talented beings, and the winners win because they don’t give up.” Singer/Songwriter @smpetrella

Do What You Love
Jeanna Isham “The thing that filters out the good from the great is stamina, persistence, and an undying faith in yourself that this will happen for you. If this is what you’ve been put on this earth to do then do it and never stop. After all, if you truly love it then it shouldn’t be about money or fame. If you love it then you’re successful just by being one of the few that is living their love every single day.” Dreamr Productions

Keep Growing
Chaise Candie “Never Stop Growing - Developing your skills and talents should be an ongoing process. Immerse yourself in the industry and gain as much knowledge as possible. Be confident and proud of what you’ve accomplished yet avoid becoming complacent.” Singer, Songwriter & Performer @chaisecandie

Hard Work Pays Off

Anna Laverty “Work hard and ALWAYS be the last one standing.” Producer/Sound Engineer @annalaverty

Never Give Up
Tania Stavreva “Never give up. In the music industry I find that there is always a path toward success that is not always easy. Facing difficulties and barriers is often disappointing but they make you stronger. Being able to remain motivated, inspired, passionate, creative and stubborn about your art and about your goal, that is what I consider the right path to victory and success.” Concert Pianist @taniastavreva

Give & Take

Holly Brewer “There is a difference between giving and being taken advantage of. Find and define the line between both and keep it balanced.” Composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and I co-own the record label Nervous Relatives Records (since 2002) @TheFolksBelow

Be Patient

Leanne Regalle “There’s no such thing as overnight success. Slow, steady progress over time adds up. Craft your vision and keep working towards it every single day. You will make mistakes. Leave your ego at the door, be flexible, and keep moving forward. Your contribution matters.” Songwriter and Owner at Livin’ Out Loud Music, Blogger at Make Creativity Pay @leregalla

Be Your Own Friend

Marcomé “Your best investment is in a solid self-esteem and a goal that evolves you and others.
You’re the first person you get up with and the last you go to bed with for the rest of your life so better learn to become your own best friend. Without inner peace, money does not bring true lasting happiness.” Canadian new age music vocalist, songwriter, music producer @Marcome

Hit a Wall? Wait.

Dee Handyside “It’s damn tough. But when I hit a wall, I no longer continue to bash it. I take a step back and wait. A person, opportunity or event will come along and open a door so that I go through the wall unscathed. I call them my ‘wall-angels’.” Owner, Performer @DeeHandyside

Create A New Way
Zoe Boekbinder “Sure, sure, heed good advice… but also find a way of doing it that is different than the way its been done before.” Artist @zoeboekbinder

Cultivate the Powerful Women in your Life

Normandie Wilson “Make sure to surround yourself with other women! Seek out women’s groups and the advice of women who are kicking ass and taking names. Remember that you are a reflection of the 5 people that you spend the most time around. Make sure those people are the top of the top.” Entertainer @normandiewilson

Listen

Madalyn Sklar “Passion and persistence will get you far. Don’t be afraid to go big. Surround yourself with smart, motivated, like-minded people (join or start a mastermind group). Listen. Listening will get you further than anything else.” Founder, GoGirlsMusic @madalynsklar

Artist Management/Agents/Publicists

Trust Your Instincts
Carla Sacks “Don’t look sideways. Summon your gut and trust your instincts. Try to always do right, it will make you happy and happiness is contagious.” Founder, Sacks & Co. media relations @sacksco

Fame Isn’t Everything
Hilde Spille “In the rock-music business, every artist wants to become famous, it seems. I
can assure you that success is not dependent on fame. Every step counts. Too
many people in the business still believe the myth that fame will solve all
your problems. Don’t believe that, it adds more problems than you can
imagine.” European booking agent, entrepreneur, personal e-coach for artists, and
 blogger @HildeSpille

Stay Focused

Susan Fontaine Godwin “Nurture your vision. Know that it will take longer to realize your vision than you expect, and it will look different than you thought. Know that you will encounter criticism, naysayers, roadblocks and delays, but it’s part of the process that will help form and fashion your vision into reality.” Founder/President of CCS @copyright_queen and @doingmusicright

Respect Everyone

Lauren McKinley “Realize that this industry is ever changing and relatively small. Not only should you respect everyone you meet and/or work with, but also you should always offer help where you can. The people you help today will be the ones helping you tomorrow.” Owner, Clover Marketing & Management @CloverMktg or @LFMcKinley

It’s Ok to Say No

Leanne de Souza “Never feel the need to apologize for life balance choices. If you can’t take that Skype call at particular time because you are doing the school run, that’s okay! Just reschedule, don’t feel the need to justify and explain every reason and decision. Be vigilant.” Artist Manager @rebelbuzz

Be True To Yourself

Lori Bumgarner “Never try to do things exactly the way others tell you to do it or exactly the same way they did it. Promotion of your brand has to be done in a way that is true to you. Not every species of flower blooms at the same rate or under the same conditions!” Image Consultant/owner of paNASH Style LLC @panashstyle

Kindness is Strength

Natasha Bent “Stay positive, work hard, don’t expect it to be easy, and always treat everyone with respect, fairness and kindness, even those that may not show it in return; that shows true strength.” Booking Agent at The Agency Group London office ( VP) @Agent_Tasha

Take Care of Yourself
Jessica De Wal “Work hard to build your business but always make time to work on your personal growth and well-being. When I just started my own company I felt I had to put in many hours and had to be available at all times because my dream of running my own PR company was finally coming true. I never made time to take good care of myself and eventually became ill. Over recent times I have cut back my working hours drastically and am planning ‘me time’ again. When you’re feeling well, you’re company will do a lot better too.” Music publicist and owner at It’s All Happening @ItsAllHappening

Pay Attention

Blair Clark “Pay attention ALL the time. The next big thing in social media, distribution, touring, etc could be right in front of you. Take time to keep up with what’s going on.” Artist Manager & Owner, Dance Panda Entertainment @dancepanda

Break The Stereotype

Cameo Carlson “Don’t allow yourself to fall into stereotypes. The music business tends to sideline women that are too aggressive in the “bitch” category and women that are too passive in the “doormat” category. Break the glass ceiling by being the most prepared in the room. Speak up and defend your positions passionately.” Head of Digital Business Development, Borman Entertainment (artist management company) @DigiMusicBitch

Find Another Door

Laurence Muller “When a door closes, never stand there like a dummy, find another door!” Label Manager / Manager

Educators

Set Goals

Kristin Yost “Someone once told me that goals without deadlines are only dreams…dreams are important, but goals are what propel us to dream even bigger.” Author of “How I Made a $100,000 My First Year as a Piano Teacher” @musicalminds

Be Grateful

Ajda Snyder “ Be true to your vision. Have gratitude for all your blessings and let your defeats humble you and help you grow.” Voice Teacher @ajdatq

Embrace Uncertainty

Dr. Jill Timmons “Enjoy the process and remember, sometimes you build the road as you go!” PRINCIPAL: ARTSMENTOR, LLC (www.artsmentor.com) @artsmentor

Don’t Take It Personal
Celia Slattery “Don’t take rejection personally. Keep working on improving your craft and persevere. Sooner or later the doors that are closed to you now will begin to open — or you’ll find other doors, or maybe crawl in through a window. Persist because you love music and you have a mission; not for any imagined pot of gold you think you’ll find at the end of the rainbow.” Voice and Performance Studio @celiaslattery

Music Biz Professionals

Fans First
Louise Dodgson “Always put your fans first. Too many bands & artists are concerned with attracting the interest of the music industry. But the best way to do so is usually to forget all about it! Concentrate on your fans. Communicating with them and working hard to expand your fan base. Making the music and sharing it with people who really appreciate what you do is the enjoyable part. Your fans will help create the buzz for you and if you’re doing your own thing with a keen and constantly growing following, the music industry will no doubt catch up to you in due course.” Editor, The Unsigned Guide @editorunsigned

Slow Down
Isabella Acker “We live in an era where everyone’s constantly bombarded with the invasive nature of technology and its demand for us to always stay up to speed. This constant connectivity can affect your ability to nurture your creativity. We must allocate time, even if it’s 15 minutes a day to stop, slow down, and get inspired.” The Black Key Group @BlackKeyGroup

Make It a Win-Win

Kerry Fiero “Strive to create win-win situations. That means every relationship is about finding a happy medium so everyone involved had something to gain. It is not about today…. but about tomorrow and the years to come when building a career. The win-win builds lasting relationships. Interns become bosses. Colleagues become friends. Strangers become allies. Every door that opens to your next great opportunity will be from someone you know.” Event Planner, Music Business Professional @KalwaysSTRIVING

Be Positive

Lynn Spin “Never get sucked into negativity. Even though the music industry is predominately men, never believe yourself unworthy to be on the same level.” Vice President of JaHMa Music @jahmarecords

Female Power

Kim Cameron “Never underestimate the power of female colleagues. They can be your most valuable allies.” Label Owner @Sidefxband

Know Your Data

Velda Garcia Fayz “Come armed with a strategy based on data. Know how to collect it, how to analyze it and how to use it so you can make informed decisions about what fans want and how they discover/buy new music.” President & Artist Manager Battlecross @GoVelda

Have Faith

Jennifer Allison “With faith passion & action, all things are possible. Love changes things.” Founder & CEO of EXE Media Group Co-Founder of Love The Little Ones PR for Transcendental Music @exemediagroup

Believe

Melani Ismail “Remember, it’s not about how you feel, it’s about how you believe. Keep going.” President of MAI Productions @melaniismail

Creative Entrepreneurs

Listen to that Gut Feeling

Farideh “Your business decisions need to feed your passion. Everyone has ideas about what you “HAVE” to do to make it. If you do everything they tell you to do, you’ll end up hating what you used to love. Take their advice but listen to your own gut feelings.” Founder & CEO, Sceneplay Business Strategist for Creative Entrepreneurs @faridehceaser

Persevere

Glory Reinstein “While you’re building relationships with industry folks, remember they are normal people with families and lives just like you and I. Get educated, treat them with kindness and respect, don’t take “no thank you” personally, and above all, persevere!” Creative Liaison Bluebird (Music) Promotions @BluebirdGlory

Keep It Real

Jennifer Sellers “Be sincere. Man or woman, your integrity in this business makes you stand out. Your enthusiasm mixed with a determined sensibility helps you tread through all kinds of obstacles and allows room for great success.
” Talent Buyer, Booker, Marketing Director, Social Media Director, Street Team Organizer, Personal Shopper, Office Manager, Event Staff Coordinator @rocnopal

Be Fair

Laurie Jakobsen ““Fight fair” – today’s seeming adversary could be your colleague tomorrow; you never know who you will encounter again in your life’s journey.” President, Jaybird Communications @jaybirdcom

Optical Music Recognition Technology Will Be the Google Books of Music Scores…

Optical Music Recognition Technology Will Be the Google Books of Music Scores…
Monday, March 3, 2014
by Nina Ulloa


How can older music scores become relevant again?

According to Phys.org, Lancaster University is leading a project that could solve that problem. They are developing technology that will be able to read content from images of thousands of musical scores stored online.

These scores are stored as static images, so it’s not very easy to search through them. Furthermore, if a musician needs to alter a piece for their instrument they have to copy the entire score to make changes.

The project in question is called “Optical Music Recognition from Multiple Sources“. It is led by Dr. Alan Marsden.

The optical music recognition technology will operate similarly to Google Books, allowing people to search scores by phrase or note combinations.
Dr. Marsden says:

“Within a year we hope to bring about significant improvements in Optical Music Recognition technology, bringing new life to old scores and giving people with an interest in music new opportunities to interact with these large online music libraries.”
This project is one of 21 “Digital Transformations in the Arts and Humanities” projects being funded by a £4.6 million fund set aside by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Location:Sycamore Dr,Lancaster,United States

Baltimore startup uses video game technology to improve physical therapy experience

Wednesday, March 5, 2014, 1:16pm EST

Baltimore startup uses video game technology to improve physical therapy experience
Sarah Gantz
Baltimore Business Journal

Kate Sterf, art director for Rehabtics, demos the startup's program.
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Xiaoxu Kang is shooting high. The Johns Hopkins Ph.D. student turned entrepreneur wants to make exercise fun.

Kang’s company Rehabtics is developing a software program called ArmSPOT that would allow patients to complete physical rehabilitation workouts in the comfort of their own living room. The system aims to make patients more engaged in their rehab and improve their outcomes by turning workouts into a game. The system’s capability to send data about patients’ workouts to their doctors allows doctors to better track progress. It also gives patients the extra push to follow through on their doctors’ orders.

The company, started in October 2012, recently received a $158,000 grant from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships program to work with University of Maryland, Baltimore physical therapy and rehabilitation professor Jill Whithall. The company has received a total of $250,000 in funding so far. Rehabtics is looking to raise additional money by June or July but Kang declined to say how much. The seven-person company is based at the ETC at Johns Hopkins Eastern.

The startup’s software program uses motion cameras to translate patients’ movement to avatars on their computer screens. The program allows users to choose exotic destinations for their workout, like the beach, and awards prizes and badges for reaching goals.

Meanwhile the system sends real-time data about patients’ workouts to their doctors whenever they complete an exercise or task. It is intended to be a more affordable and portable alternative to robotic exercise devices that must be used at a hospital or clinic and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.


The system is designed to appeal to patients so they can complete rehabilitation work at home rather than making multiple trips to hospitals and clinics. But it could also be valuable to hospitals.

Under Maryland’s new hospital payment system, medical centers will be looking for ways to make sure patients are following through with their doctors’ orders so that they don’t wind up back in the hospital. A system that sends doctors real-time updates on patients progress can help them be sure patients are doing their homework and track their improvement.

Rehabtics is in advanced discussions with local hospitals and clinics to use the system, Kang said. She hopes to have the program in hospitals and clinics this spring.

A version for at-home use should be available this fall. The kit includes the software as well as a mini computer and the motion sensor camera. Kang declined to say how much the kit costs.

Eventually, Kang hopes to be able to allow customers to simply download the software onto their own computers, but there are a few bugs to work out first.

Location:Lincoln Hwy E,Lancaster,United States

Interview: Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas on SXSW, the Music Industry Today and Going Solo

Interview: Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas on SXSW, the Music Industry Today and Going Solo
 Liz Moy
We’ve got a feeling that you may recognize hip-hop artist Taboo as one of the 4 members of pop supergroup, The Black Eyed Peas. What you might not know, is that the LA-native is stepping out on his own, with a solo EP titled ZUMBAO set to release mid-April, and will be headlining the High School Nation Tour presented by Aquafina FlavorSplash at their first non-official SXSW event. Taboo joins Drake Bell, Trevor Jackson and a ReverbNation artist onstage, all to support keeping music and arts programs in local public schools in Austin.

We sat down with Taboo to learn more about what lead him to start a solo career, how he reinvented himself and how promoting music has changed since the last time he performed at SXSW.


Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas

Hey Taboo, it’s great to talk to you today.

Thanks so much for this opportunity!

So have you ever performed during SXSW music week before?

Yes, I did in 1999 with the Black Eyed Peas when we first came out. We played Stubbs Barbeque, and that was our first official introduction to SXSW. We performed with The Roots back then, and it was exciting because it was the first time that we had been at any type of music conference. It was kind of like going to college and seeing all these different musical artists and bands that you were inspired by coming up.

When we were there, we were playing in-store performances at Sam Goody and Virgin Megastore, record stores that don’t even exist anymore. We would meet fans and they would buy our physical tapes, and we would sign autographs and posters. Back then, there was no Twitter, no YouTube, none of that. We would hand out cassettes and VHS videos of our first single, Joints and Jams, and it was more about spreading things by word of mouth. Now people go on Twitter and Instagram to find out about what bands are performing, how they’re doing, where they’re going to be.


“Back then, there was no Twitter, no YouTube, none of that. We would hand out cassettes and VHS videos of our first single, Joints and Jams, and it was more about spreading things by word of mouth. Now people go on Twitter and Instagram to find out about what bands are performing, how they’re doing, where they’re going to be.”

Things have definitely changed since then, but it seems like one thing that’s remained the same is the variety of performers who come to SXSW. On the High School Nation tour, it seems like your style of music is much different than co-performers Drake Bell and Trevor Jackson. Would you say that’s true?

Trevor Jackson is R&B and he’s a soul singer and I think our music, when it first came out had influences like soul, hip-hop and R&B. So we’re not too far away from one another. The last two Black Eyed Peas albums were very Dance and Electro-styled, but in our early days we were an underground hip-hop group.

I believe my individual project caters a little bit more to the essence of hip-hop, but I appreciate everyone’s take on music and how they want to express themselves. I’m here to support all of the artists, you could say I’m the ambassador of the tour. I’m here to help inspire the youth and to activate the youth to understand how important it is to give back and how important music and the arts are.

That makes sense. What excites you about being a part of the High School Nation tour this year?

I’m most excited about being able to give back. With the Peas I was able to accomplish so much but now as an individual I get to be a part of something that is very important to the youth, and I can be active in different communities around the United States. I’m active in LA with programs like Little Kids Rock East Los Angeles where we donate musical instruments to inner city schools. I’ve always identified and been involved with these types of philanthropies within my own community.

It means so much to me to be able to take that on the road and make a difference in the lives of children through a great organization like High School Nation.


“I’m most excited about being able to give back. With the Peas I was able to accomplish so much but now as an individual I get to be a part of something that is very important to the youth, and I can be active in different communities around the United States.”

That’s great that you’re so involved in your local community, and it seems like they’ve shown you some love back – your featured piece in LA weekly was really moving. Did your own life experiences have an impact on your decision to become involved with High School Nation and support arts programs in schools?

Thank you, that was a very personal look into my life outside of the Black Eyed Peas. It’s one thing to be a part of such a big group, but then to really understand me outside of the group, it was kind of like my rebirth as an individual. For that piece, I was promoting my movie that came out, Jamesy Boy, but it was also letting people know about my personality and my approach to creating music. It showed people who I was as Jimmy Gomez, not just Taboo.

Not just “The long haired guy from the Black Eyed Peas,” right?

Right, not just that guy. If you’re in the music business and you’re able to reinvent yourself — your image, your packaging, your music — it goes a long way and it has a lot of longevity. I was inspired by people like Prince and Madonna, and people who were always able to reinvent themselves and come up with something new that made people say “Wow, what will they come up with next?”

When I heard about the tour and ReverbNation and what the whole thing meant, I thought “This is a great opportunity for me to activate the youth and go back and make a difference.”

Even if just one person is inspired by this that’s worth it. My job is to be that ambassador of inspiration.

It’s good timing too, since your new EP ZUMBAO is about to release! Congrats on that. When is the release date?

YES! FINALLY! WOOHOO!

I’ve been working my butt off for this one. It’s been years of trying to fine-tune the sound and make sure everything is properly aligned. Finally my dream is coming true. I’ve got the right team to help me out with that and I’m on cloud nine right now. Everything is going according to plan. I’m in a great place in my personal life and in my business life and I’m very excited. As of now the EP is set to release mid-April.

I appreciate life and everything that’s come my way. I have a beautiful wife and family of three boys, and I couldn’t be happier. That’s something people didn’t know about the guy with the long hair. He never smiled. But this guy will always smile and let out a big “WOOHOO!”

What has the whole process of creating and producing the EP been like?

It was a lot of fine-tuning and trying to find my voice. With the Peas you have four different voices and everybody kind of feeds off of each other. But now it’s just me and my writing partner Joshua, and I’m so used to writing with Fergie, Will.I.Am and Ap that it was new to take a different approach and I used a lot of my personal feelings about things I was going through, like being a father, being a husband, traveling the world by myself as an individual and just all these inspirational elements. I’ve been working on it for about three years.

It’s given me a lot of peace of mind to be able to create this album, this form of self-expression, and telling a lot of my own personal stories within the music.

I’m a new artist with a lot of experience, coming from playing with a group like the Black Eyed Peas. With my solo career, I’m starting from ground zero like most new artists do. It’s really interesting because I have both worlds colliding into one. Even as my team and I promote the album, we want people to know that you can be that big, but also still find your identity as an individual and create your own voice. That’s part of what I want the kids to know. Kids can get so lost in finding themselves and their own identity, I want to inspire them to keep striving to be true to themselves. This has been such a humbling experience for me as an individual. Coming from a world of private jets and selling out arenas and stadiums, playing Super Bowl games and attending awards shows, I look at that as a previous chapter of my life.

Now I have to reboot, go through a rebirth and start all over from the ground up. I have to reintroduce myself with this whole new project.

There are going to be some people who don’t know the Black Eyed Peas in this day and age. The Peas came out with our last release in 2011, and there are kids in High School that didn’t understand the music at that time. Reinventing myself has allowed me to utilize my humor, my enthusiasm and my passion.


“With my solo career, I’m starting from ground zero like most new artists do. It’s really interesting because I have both worlds colliding into one.”

Past and present, name one artist who has inspired and influenced you and why?

Past, it would be Michael Jackson for his showmanship and the hard work that he put in over the years to create the ultimate entertainer — singing, dancing, the wardrobe, the music. He was all-around one of the greatest, if not the greatest.

Present, I would have to say Pharrell. I like what Pharrell’s doing right now. I like that he was gone for a while and then he came back with “Get Lucky” and “Blurred Lines” and now with “Happy.” I really appreciate that about Pharrell. I remember touring with N.E.R.D. and they really blew up. Then Pharrell came out with “Frontin’” and then he kind of branched out and had his own niche going. Then he came out with “Happy” and the whole Despicable Me movement, it put him in a different stratosphere. Now he’s like performing at the Oscars, has a #1 Hit in 60 countries.

If you could give any advice to aspiring musicians, what would it be?

Don’t allow anyone to stand in your way of your dream. The person who inspired me to create music and pursue it was my grandmother. She was the person that set the tone for going after my dreams and aspirations and not letting anybody interfere with that. She was very supportive and was very understanding of the trials and tribulations that would come. When you have someone in your corner like that — it could be a family member, a best friend, a teacher — it goes a long way.

Fine-tune your chops. There are so many artists who go out there and think, “I’m going to make it” but their skills aren’t strong. If you’re am emcee, make sure you’re able to rap and stay on beat. Practice creating songs, not just creating raps. If you’re a singer, get a vocal coach or find a way to work on your voice. If you’re a producer, get the equipment and programs that you need and get the proper training.

Believe in yourself. I often get discouraged and beat myself up, because I’m a perfectionist when I’m onstage or in the studio. If you don’t believe in yourself nobody else is going to believe in you or your music either. You need confidence. Not ego, not arrogance, but confidence within yourself.


“Don’t allow anyone to stand in your way of your dream.”

Follow Taboo on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. Catch the unofficial SXSW High School Nation Tour event on Friday, March 14, 12pm – 4pm at 7th St & Medina Parking Lot, 1121 E 7th St. See website for more details.

Location:Sycamore Dr,Lancaster,United States

5 ways to make a good track great

5 ways to make a good track great

Have you ever been in the position where you’ve got a good tune and you’re happy with it, but think it needs that extra something to make it stand out?

Well here are 5 tips for turning that good tune into a great one.
1. Add in FX
Make sure you’ve got enough distance from the track (I like to leave it a day or so before adding the FX on) so you’re not already exhausted from creating the track, then get to work adding in some reverses, sweeps, hits and other one-shots.
They can make dull phrases more interesting, builds more powerful and fans think you’re more awesome. FX are vital for a full, professional sound.
2. Go through inserting fills

When you need something more interesting to make a repetitive section maintain the listener’s attention, fills are the way to go! Drum fills, little melody quirks and the ever-useful “throw a random sample in there and hope for the best” technique all apply; just be sure to make your track fun to listen to!

Don’t be inappropriate though – this goes for public nudity as well as maintaining musical integrity, but if you have a trance song, sometimes it’s good to have a lot of repetition, for example, in order to entrance your listener. Find that balance that suits the style of music you want to make!

3. Remove unnecessary layers

Have you ever found your tracks swimming in pads, arps and keys? I know I’ve been guilty of it in the past – sometimes you need to remove a few layers, no matter how attached you are to them, in order for the remaining layers to shine.
This can result in the wonderful side effect of having a starting point for another song; if a part you really like is removed, take it into a new project and push it in its own direction!

4. Add extra layers of vocals

For those of you playing with words as well as sounds, it’s always adviseable to back up your vocals with double tracks and, more importantly, harmonies. Software like Melodyne Editor is great for this if you’re using vocal samples, since then you don’t need to get the vocalist in to record again!
5. Get some more opinions
There’s nothing like communal music making! Show your tune to a mate, musically inclined or not, and ask them if they thought anything might be an interesting change, or if any sections should be more prominent!
Just make sure they don’t ask for co-writing credits!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Sycamore Dr,Lancaster,United States