MUSIC UTOPIA: AMERICA’S DIY RENAISSANCE Panel 1. Establishing shot. I’ve decided that the time has come to write an open letter to the bands, musicians, and artists in, around, and connected to the Hamilton music scene. Many of you are my friends, some are collaborators and others I know of only by reputation. It is an exciting time to be a musician these days, and I am never ceased to be amazed at the talented group of music makers that share common roots in our community and region. CHARACTER: I returned back to the area in my mid-twenties after playing in a college band called the Dharma Bums. I did so under the reasoning of finding my own voice in music. I expected that a small hometown was the perfect place to learn my guitar without undue influence and additionally would help foster a healthy disregard for what was hip. It didn’t take long to realize that the area offered great possibility. Early on, my thoughts turned to the idea of building a table that could seat and serve the wealth of talent in the area. OTHER CHARACTER: This past year has been one of tossing around ideas on how to go about building just such a table. From listening to musicians in the studio, to discussing music matters about town, and through a desire to help others through music, I have concluded that now may be the opportune time to take the initiative. Panel 2. There is no set limit for how much or how little we could accomplish as a united artist front. The most important thing to remember: if it isn’t in the music, don’t expect to see it in the art, or in the scene for that matter. Working together, as an open source, free initiative music and arts community would, in my opinion, safeguard and expand upon the music utopia that currently exists at this moment in the area. This music utopia is due in large part to the individual efforts of the artists and community partners that the area is blessed with. With this open letter, I am proposing the idea of forming a Fellowship of the Art, if you will. A free member guild, and an idea summit where we can collectively innovate to find ways to support our own art and craft and that of our fellow artists. SFX: To launch this idea, what I am proposing is to follow the Motown and Sub Pop model of success: 1) Have an image; 2) Have a sound; and 3) Promote the daylights out of both of them to successfully showcase the local scene not only as a musical movement but as a lifestyle. Fortunately, I believe that these elements are actually already in place here in our little music utopia. Our collective sound can be summed up as genuine, musical, and artistic. Our image is ready made, as well: Savvy Town/Gown Chic made safe for the masses. Lastly, this area is already being promoted as a destination point for a growing list of the global movers and shakers. The ground work is already done and in place. We may just need to seize the day. 1 CAP: What I am proposing as a United Artist Front is to launch an artist driven project .To my mind, a pre-recorded half hour genre-bending music program distributed by podcast and made available to local, regional and national college and radio program directors for airplay is a great starting point for building the table and filling the seats around it. I envision a weekly distribution of what I am going to call the IndieCulture Vibe Radio Program to consist of three collective artist episodes a month, plus one episode at the end of each month that showcases a single artist or band’s work along with a Stud’s Terkle Interview style where bands and artists can talk about the songs and what they do. PAGE ONE, CONTINUED CHARACTER: (THOUGHT) This approach affords a great way to build the Fellowship of the Art. - a United Artist Front. The hub, the guild and the fellowship that I envision as a wheel, can be used to build a table of mutually helpful relationships between participating artists to not only bring together but also expand our individual spheres of influence. Panel 3. Currently, the first podcast distribution outlet is in place and will potentially provide a worldwide audience. The IndieCulture Vibe Radio Program is templated and is complete with opener and close portions and professional modern radio production elements inserted. Two playlist sets of just under twenty-eight minutes total are in place for showcasing the music in addition to slots for artists and bands to promote themselves. There will be no charge for this as it is my intention to launch the thirty minute program initially to promote and foster the local scene. There are two 30 second slots in the template set aside for future use as an ad based revenue supply for non internet based distribution expenses. Any future expansion to college or other radio outlets will bring about a campaign to help artists on the program to collect royalties, but in the initial rollout of the podcast I am asking to license the music on a promotional basis while we build up street cred and the promotional foundation . I foresee that the bulk of initial expenses will be in the form of sweat equity and all other expenses as such may be I will bear myself. As in the past, I believe that music has value and shall endeavor to compensate artists with compulsory royalties. At this point, I am asking if there is any interest in the idea. CHARACTER: (OP) I envision the program to be thirty minutes of a new golden indie era of renegade music mavens; a United Artist Front committing their tracks for like minded souls to catch on to the rumbling underground sounds of the IndieCulture Vibe. In addition to the radio program itself, a monthly IndieCulture Vibe newsletter will be available without charge online for artists to post news and press releases. In addition an IndieCulture Vibe social site page set up on Facebook will be made available to participating artists to interact with one another and their fans. If the initial interest is great enough to put together a years worth of programming to be able to drop a release at midnight on Friday every week, I believe that we should see some traction from our combined efforts. OTHER CHARACTER: (WHISPER) The tagline for the radio program is as follows: The IndieCulture Vibe. Music. Matters. More. Panel 4. The overall aim is to help each other on this musical journey we have embarked upon. I see it as an opportunity to build community, relationships, fans and potential revenue streams in an expanded sphere of influence, and to protect and safeguard the wonderful musical foundation that already exists here. I have endeavored to make the project as simple and as non-time consuming a process as possible. It is conceived and designed in such a manner that artists can plug - in their time and talents as they see fit without cost or obligation. CHARACTER: (COMMENT) I welcome your involvement and participation and invite you to share this open letter with those in your individual sphere of influence to build a like-minded United Artist Front - a fellowship to give and receive a helping hand to ourselves and each other. I invite you to contact me at orbitalsound@msn to share your thoughts and comments and to find out more. OTHER CHARACTER: (RESPONSE) -- a. As this portion of my letter has outlined a summery of the nuts and bolts of the idea, I have decided to reserve the second half of Music Utopia: America’s DIY Renaissance which sets forth a factual and passionate essay on why I believe that this is an endeavor worth undertaking. I will post and forward that portion shortly . CHARACTER: (COUNTER-REPSONSE) Take care, James Wunderlich orbitalsound.biz
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 21:16:31 +0000
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