5 Things…

Top five lessons i’ve taken away from Design Studio 1 this semester

1. Time management skills:  Using the bullet journal proved to be useful for organising my days, when trying to fit in both my work she dual and study for uni. I got lazy with it in the end but I do plan to bring it back into my life, with a few adjustments to the structure to fit myself.
2. Escaping resistance: The Steven Pressfield reading on resistance in week two was really insightful into my own practice as well as understanding others. When reading through the text I could easily find many points applicable to myself and useful ways to tackle them. I think i’ll keep that reading close by.
3. Steal like an artist: Being something I think we all do subconsciously, It was definitely and important lesson in knowing where your influences are coming from and how you can best engineer and utilise ‘stolen’ skills, ideas, ect and take them to another level.
4. Self promotion: Something I’ve been wanting to get ontop of, Learning how to promote not only myself but others. Looking at who your targeting, how to get their attention, owning your niche! As well as, Improvising and experimenting with online marketing.
5. Fans as workers: This idea that was presented in the Jeremy Wade Morris reading in week 8, of fans willing submitting some kind of work of their own to an artist that they are a fan of, was interesting to me. Something I didn’t think would work, however, Imogen heap clearly uses this marketing technique to her advantage. Not only that fans would submit their work, but that they do it in a complementary manner, just wanting to be apart of the process of the art/music that they love.

Creative plan pt2 – New Skills

In this weeks tutorial we looked at what particular tasks we will need to focus on throughout our creative project over the summer break. As part of wanting to record and produce works for a new creative set-up, I will need to further my skills on Ableton live. I have a rudimentary knowledge in the program, however, other projects and assignments this semester have not only given me a genuine interest in production but have showed me that my skills could use a great deal of improvement. I intend to regularly practice my skills at these programs as I go along recording and producing the works as well as properly researching techniques for mixing via online tutorials and ‘the mixing engineer’s handbook’.

Creative Plan

Introduction draft:

This year I have found it very hard to balance my creative practice with my paid work and study, having had hardly anytime to sit down and write and record – as well as the fact that basically live in a dorm room with paper thin walls – feeling restricted has limited me. Thus, over the three month summer break I plan to re-invent my creative process, organising set times and practices for writing and recording.  I want to document my progress as I go on my tumblr, which is already set up. I do not intend for the mixing period of the music to be finished by the end of summer but merely focus on the process of creation and recording and have a plan set up to carry on throughout the next year of study.

I plan to have set up 3 songs by the end of summer, ready for mixing/mastering. The purpose of the music will be to post on free music sites such as sound cloud for reception and feedback. I will also be expanding my knowledge of Ableton, putting it to use with the recording and production of my own music as some of the instrumentation for my music will be electronic.

EDITED BY GEORGIA FARRY

This year I have found it very hard to balance my creative practice with my paid work and study, having had limited time to process musical ideas – as well as the fact that basically live in a dorm room with paper thin walls being a large restriction. Thus, over the three month summer break I plan to re-invent my creative process, allocating times and practices for writing and recording. I aim to document my progress as I go on my tumblr, which is already set up. I do not intend for the mixing process to be complete by the end of summer as I wish to focus on the process of creation and recording and have a plan set up to carry on throughout the next year of study.

I plan to have set up 3 songs by the end of summer, ready for mixing/mastering. The purpose of the music will be to post on free music sites such as sound cloud for reception and feedback. I will also be expanding my knowledge of Ableton, utilising it with the recording and production of my own music as some of the instrumentation for my compositions will be electronic.

Democratisation in the Music Industry

David Hesmondhalgh described democratisation as three notions:

The democratic media system is characterised by participation and access

Today’s online culture has democratised the conventional media systems creating opportunity for all to access the absorption of media as well as participate in the creation of music. This allows for artists who may be less skilled, lacking in confidence and/or belonging to minorities to be accessible online to all. This has allowed for more music to infiltrate the industry, inspiring the rise of minorities as well as new genres, scenes and sound which can all be shared and accessed around the planet. In this way mainstream medias are not in control of the what we see and hear, but rather they are decentralised for anyone who is online can have an influence over their networks and therefore the power of influence has shifted and can lie with the artists them selves.

Technologies and organizations in the democratic media system are decentralised.

The advances in technology has decentralised the power major organisations hold due to the ability individual artists now have to create, distribute and promote their own works – an avenue of which once may have been out of the capacity of the artist or too expensive. The Internet gives artists new promotional and marketing abilities, and new technologies provide cheaper alternatives to the recording and production process. This decentralisation makes the path for musician potentially a lot easier, more flexible and more affordable. Also, artist’s are no longer geographically tied down essentially turning the world into a global market where no place is out of the artist’s reach further extenuating the democratisation of the music industry and its decentralisation of power.

Collectivism, collaboration and co–operation (amongst media workers)

With our ability to connect and communicate quickly and easily through online medias, collectivism and co-operation among creatives has become a part of the culture of a creative. Instead of looking at the music industry as one of hierarchy, the democratised media system allows for a more equal playing field. This ultimately leads to less of a division in the pattern of rewards and status for all artists. With the decentralisation of power within the media system there is also more of a fluid distribution of power and rolls. In essence allowing independent artists, those without major label representation, to get their foot in the door or to simply get there music out into the world where it can be viewed and responded to equally.

Imogen Heap and her online presence

Imogen Heap is quite dedicated to her online presence with constant up dates on the progress and the international releases of the album. Because of this, she has been able to have a large build up of fans of the past few years. She has a very active Facebook and twitter account, often replying to fans where she can, apologizing to fans, acknowledging their eagerness to hear the album, and asks for their patience. Though YouTube fans can watch as she produces her album – and generate feedback on the process. Heap certainly experiments with her presence on social media and her relationship to her fans. Fans take on duties that publicists, graphic designers, and producers are trained and paid to do but rather as an act of complementary work. Expanding on this point again with her album Sparks, she incorporated fan submitted recordings in her production process. Here, she is taking the effort to create a relationship with fans and followers that will serve as a starting point for further involvement in the production process or a deeper connection during consumption. Also, encouraging certain hashtags, fan photo submissions as well as contests. Heap’s social presence is of course savvy marketing, incorporating fans into the project for both her gain and theirs.

Getting in contact with music services

Whether you’re contacting magazines, music blogs, radio shows, record labels, music distributors, or promotional services, you have to check THEIR SPECIFIC submission guidelines before getting in touch. These will tell you exactly what they are looking for and what information they need from you to help them with their job; such as what style(s) of music the service is after, what formats they accept, and what information they need.

General Guidelines

• When sending a mail, include a link to a bio, contact info, release details, tour and member details. Make it easy for someone to get familiar with you and write about your music. Be concise and direct.
• Make sure contact details on your website – email and phone number. You want to be contacted right? This applies to all media.
• Double check for correct spelling in all correspondence. Especially the names of the people you are addressing. It looks unprofessional otherwise.
• Don’t send CDs to bloggers and online magazines. 99% of the time a digital link will do and you’re only wasting your own money sending a CD (unless requested).
• If sending your music digitally for review, have options – Host it as a stream on a private Soundcloud and Bandcamp and use a site like Dropbox or FTP on your website to send a download link of the zipped release. Try to reduce the number of clicks it takes for someone to download and listen to your music.
• Keep self-promotion light and regular. A band whose name keeps cropping up will be checked out on curiosity but a constant barrage will just put people off.
• Include links to your social media profiles: Breaking Tunes / Soundcloud / Facebook / Twitter / Myspace etc
• The tiniest bit of personalisation in your emails makes a HUGE difference. Do some research about who you’re sending your promo to. Be sincere.
• Get some good images. Bloggers don’t care about appearances but when there’s good music involved, they’ll want a picture to post on their site along with your track.

• If contacting a blogger or online music publication, send a link (don’t attach) to a press photo or album artwork JPG of about 800px wide, no larger than 1000px for use on the site. Online publications do not need massive 4MB hi-res images.
• If you don’t hear back from a blogger, politely follow up your initial enquiry. However, do not harass them. The worst thing you could do is repeatedly ask “did you get that email?” or “did you listen to that track yet?”

The submission guidelines not only tell you how to make FIRST CONTACT, but more often than not, they also tell you how to follow up (or not). The follow-up can often be as important as the first contact.

Online Task

 

 

 

 

 

Some Gooooood Social media, guys!

 

 

 

Little Dragon – staying personal with their fans letting them know where that have been and what they have been doing keeping up anticipation for possible future collaborations and tracks. They then include a link to show they’re fans around the world what they’re show was like in Japan.

Young Turks for SBTRKT – Promoting one of their artists with both their upcoming events – live radio set and weekend gig. Large notable visual aid were you can clearly see the post is about SBTRKT along with a link to where fans can listen to the live radio set.

SBTRKT – promotion of their live album gives all the details; including video, vinyl + dvd. Good visual aid of  the album art, along with where to purchase the album from.

The 7 components of the Consumer Decision Process

Week 1 Welcome

A list of artist’s who’s work inspire me,

Lets Begin with one of my favourites…

Karen O – I’ve been a fan of the band she fronts for, the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s for a while now, but I fell for her musical talent the moment I heard her soundtrack for Spike Jonze’s Film, Where The Wild Things Are. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s are typically  a 00’s rock band with underlying subgroups of punk and indi, yet Karen created this folk-y fantastical, childhood realm for this soundtrack. I guess I love the fact that she can be so versatile in her art form. Again last year the went from the psychedelic punk screams of Mosquito to creating a beautifully spacious ballad for Spike Jonze’s new film, Her, titled the Moon Song. I admire how she isn’t afraid to stretch and create something new and out of the ordinary; this and the fact that she is a ruthlessly inventful fashionista.

Imogen Heap – a musician, composer, producer, mixer – believes that a change is coming forth in the way we make music. Working with a team of developers and musicians, mapped movements on a pair of gloves to musical functions such as drum sounds or bass notes, changes of pitch, arpeggios and filters. “What this glove enables me to do is access mappings inside my computer so that I don’t have to go to a keyboard or a fader or a button,” she says. She uses the gloves to both compose music and perform it.  It’s a crazy Idea that even I could possibly imagine up on a day when Ableton persists to be the anti-christ of my university education, but very few would be so bold as to make such a thought become reality. A very interesting technological, and musical achievement of which Imogen is the face for and is very excited to see how people further the idea. As am I.

Seeker Lover Keeper – Sally Seltmann , Holly Throsby and Sarah Blasko are three of Australia’s most innovative female songwriters who came together for a collaborative super-group and produced album in 2010. They wanted to create something as friends and then as colleges combining there talents and learning off of one another. It was a collaboration that my friends and myself  were very fond of, being fans of all three artists, and the home baked feeling of the music.

The jezabels –Achieved large fandom with no commercial radio support or major labels; purely just playing live shows and banking on the power of Triple j radio. After playing to a huge crowed at 2011 Splendor in the Grass, Samuel Lockwood commented; “We came down to Melbourne once and did a show and sold 75 tickets. That showed us that you can keep playing live and build an audience.” Without a major label and commercial radio they continue to do thrive off of the support of their fans. It was very inspiring to me and I’m sure to many other musicians to find out that bands we keep in such high regard – such as the jezabels for myself – are able to make a living purely on their talent and being supported by their fans. Which I do realize it isn’t really a new thing, bands have been able to rely on their fandom to break into the big music game, however, it is of this age to no longer need or want a major label to be assigned with your band or artistry.

Courtney Barnett – Its her authenticity and laid back attitude I think that truly draws me to Courtney’s music, her genuine and maybe overthought view of her experiences. Her songs make me think of nights at the local bar ranting about your day to someone who nods along to your over exaggerated story. Maybe that’s just how I relate. Never the less she’s a talent and definitely a new voice of Australian music that is now touring the states influencing many with her one of kind style.

 

HOW MIGHT I REMIX THESE

To sum it up briefly, each of the projects by these artists can teach me a great deal on the creation of my work …
To be versatile in my work through different projects, collaborating, growing and learning with new people on new ventures. Be inspired to keep exploring the new, the unfound in my work and being bold enough to at least try more than a few insane ideas. To be authentic in my work sticking to my brand and believe that as an artist I have something to contribute to the ongoing development of our industry.