“We are becoming more sophisticated about the role that music plays in the total development of someone.” – John Gilbert

The Future of a career in Music Therapy

I hope to go into Music Therapy after finishing my degree, but what i particularly want to focus on is the use of technology within music therapy. From the research i have done so far there is a definite lag of technology in the area, this is not me insulting the therapy at all, i believe it has done incredible things but i believe that music therapy needs to start moving with the times a bit more.

The benefits that this could have for music therapy itself could be phenomenal. I believe the use of technology could open many new ways in which music therapy could go, in practice and in science.

The possibilities that programs like Max MSP and Ableton have mean that the possibilities for music therapy could be endless. I am of course at the moment thinking mainly along the lines of the tech but once these programs are designed (and what better way to be designed then by the therapist who know exactly what is needed rather then by a techie who can follow instructions but would have little creative input and knowledge in the area.) they coud be used in a music therapy environment and may increase expression.

Technologies in music therapy are beginning to be explored but i feel that much more of a focus could be put upon them. The creators of The Alphasphere took the instrument to a music therapy centre which cares for severely disabled young children and they said the difference that the music therapist noticed in the child who tried the instrument was incredible. They were able to be more expressive then they had ever been before. However at the moment the Alphasphere is being developed primarily for musicians with hope of going on to develop it for schools and therapy so we may not be seeing these sorts of technologies in these environments for some time.

Another benefit of technology in music therapy is that it will get music therapy notice more by the public which from my research i understand to be a issue that is trying to be tackled. By using new technologies more people will start paying attention to what music therapy is doing.

My time studying Networking Music has made me come to realise that things are changing rapidly not only in the music industry but in the whole world. People are now looking for an experience from music not just some light listening. This is the same matter for Music Therapy, there is so much more that the therapy could do with the development of technologies that allow anyone and everyone to experience a new form of music therapy without concern of their disabilities, age, illness or musical abilities.

“Musicians made music long before the record industry & they will continue to do so after” – Gerd Leonhard

The Future of Music

Although many are scared because the music industry as we have known it for sometime is now in the process of change. The record industry as we knew it is now dead and we are currently in a time of unknown as to what exactly is next for the industry. However for me this is the most exciting time the music industry has seen since the 60’s because now musicians, artists and visionaries every where are putting out new ideas and creations left right and centre to try and determine what exactly the future of music is.

What this means is we are now seeing many new, exciting and interesting ideas for the future of music. Of course what it all boils down to for the men in suits is which one of these ideas will be the one to make the money and that has not as of yet been determined.

What makes these new ideas even greater is that the vast majority of them are being created by creative people! Not business men who are good at making the money but more often then not dont know what it is that will make them the money in the first place. And i think that this, even if only slightly, played a part in the failure of the record industry. The business men dont know how to make great, new and exciting music however the creators do!

 

For me one of the most influential, eye opening and important books i have read this year has been ‘The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution’ by Gerd Leonhard. The book in which he talks about how the record industry as we know it is dead, how the internet played a big part in this but how this could be the greatest thing that has happened to the music industry. He talks about how the record industry is actually still very new it has only been around for about 70 years and how it is natural for things that are still relatively new to change and evolve over time to fit what people need and want.

“The internet making music free means music has got more interesting in the last 5 years than ever before” – P.20 – Future Of Music

“Myth 1: Music is a product”

Music is made from passion, it is made for entertainment as well but its more then just that it is for many a burning need to make music, to express themselves, to listen to what they love. We are no longer concerning ourselves as much with owning the music physically we just need to listen to it.

“Access to music will replace ownership of it” – P.38

Musicians do not make music to make money, the money is of course a bonus to be able to do what you love and make a living from it, but even if we did not we would make the music anyway. Its not that we just want to, its that we NEED too.

“I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water. ” – Ray Charles

“New operating mantrass:

• Respect
• Sharing
• Portability
• Transparency
• Four Pricing
• Easy Access to music”

He predicts many different ways in which the industry could go however where exactly it will end up is still a unknown. It is possible that music will become a ‘monthly payment’ bill much like your phone or gas bill. We will start to pay monthly for unlimited access to the music we want and it will become an essential monthly payment like our water bill etc that we will eventually not even think about paying. He also predicts that music will become more about the experience what we get from the musical experience, how it makes us a better person etc.

What Leonhard concludes is that there will be more then just a change in the music industry but also a change in the way we live our lives. He predicts a surge in the arts and caring careers and that music and art will play a bigger part in our society then ever before. We will start to understand the importance of knowing truly what people want and when exactly they need it.

 “We are beginning to value the heart as well as the brain… music makes a miraculous connection to the heart. Music touches people.” – P.172

“We are moving towards a society in which the brain will certainly be quite busy but the body will constantly be cared for and nurtured and the heart will deliver the real value. And ubiquitous music will be our soundtrack.” – P.173

Industrial age – Information age – Experience age

“Anyone who is planning to listen to music from shiny pieces of plastic in the future will be in for a big shock.” – Dave Goldberg, SVP and GM, Music, Yahoo!

The Alphasphere

Change the way you play

The Alphasphere is a new musical instrument which is designed as a new way to play and experience electronic music, using open sound control. This instrument is a departure from linear instruments and entering into the new age of musical experience. The Alphasphere makes digital music more expressive, no longer will audience be watching a person on a laptop make sounds using a program they may not understand but they will be watching a person move around and play the Alphasphere or even play it themselves!

 

“The future of music is ‘paying for the experience'” – The Future of Music – Gerd Leonhard – P.146

I particularly liked the way the guys from Nu desine who have created the Alphasphere are still very open to new ideas and ways in which to use and play the Alphasphere, it is still in its testing stages and wont be on shelves for some time but the possibilities that this new instrument and many like it create for the music industry and the future of music is wonderful.

They also mentioned how they have tried out the Alphasphere in a music therapy environment and how they were pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. A severely disabled child played the instrument and according to the music therapist it was the most expressive they had ever seen them. So could this be the future for music therapy?

What i am particularly interested in, within music therapy is the possibilities that incorporating these new technologies could open up many new ways and scientific evidence of music therapy. What i would like to go on to specialise in is being a technical music therapist using Max MSP, Ableton, Logic etc as i feel that this is unexplored territory within music therapy and it is crucial that it is developed and explored to ensure the future and development of music therapy .

Other new and exciting instruments:

 

New instruments for therapy:

“To accomplish great things: You must not only ACT, But also DREAM, Not only PLAN, But also BELIEVE” – Anatole France

Hype On Entertainment & Urban Circle

Dennis Mckensie is the director of both Hype On Music and Urban Circle based here in Newport. Today we were lucky enough to have a very inspirational lecture with him in which he talked to us about how he started and runs his business’s.

He began by creating Urban Circle which is a group that any one can go along to who has a passion and inspiration or desire to do something creative. It has created and run great programs such as Newport City Radio, City Festival, Battleturf and Dance shows.

Specialises in :

• Marketing
• Graphics
• Multimedia: Hype on: Film, Hype on: TV
• Music : Music Management, Music Production
• Promotion

Business tips and advice:

• It is important to stay current and know whats going on in and around the area.
• Know your market and initiative.
• Build a status, an ability to influence and to trend set.
• Building from the ground up builds your respect and connections.
• Make yourself accessible – social media, blogging.

Its great to see what Dennis has done for Newport particularly with Urban Circle, he has given young people a place to go and use their passions and drive in an amazing creative way. And it was really inspirational to see his burning passion for everything that he does. I could really see something like Urban Circle working in Swindon, my home town, which is actually quite simular to Newport in the fact that it is often said to be a run down place which finds it hard to compete with close by citys. I would really love to run something like this in Swindon perhaps in the future. I will definitely be going into urban circle soon to get a feel for the place and pick Dennis’s brains!

“It’s the process, not the product” – Brian Eno

Retail & Distribution

Traditional Model

Artisit ->Record Company -> Distribution Company -> Retail

Major labels owned the distribution companies, this USED to work well when music was a physical product.

Current Model

Distribution Company <- Artist ->Record Label

Selling Directly

However this worked so well for them as Radiohead were already a big name because of their previous record label.

Currently the benefit with record labels is that they deal directly with Itunes and have built relationships with them. However is Itunes really the future of the Music Industry? When our class of around 25 student were asked ‘who has brought anything from Itunes recently’ no one raised their hand. 

Digital

When music moved to be primarily digital many distribution companys went bankcrupt.

Distribution

Editorial – Sells on a basis of potential. If the artist may not make them any money they arn’t interested. Its all about the money!

– Marketing relationships with retail

– Generally take 5%

Non – Editorial – Will take anything regardless of weather or not it will sell.

(Aggregator)          – Charge flat rate rather than a %

– No relationships in retail

  

Download Vs. Streaming

Streaming

• Doesn’t pay anything.
• Can the masses be converted to streaming?
• Could this be the way to make money again for the Music Buisness?
• Can it establish itself as the next Itunes

Spotify –

• Major labels have a stake of 18% in Spotify
• Facebook connection
• Adverts make no money they are just there to make you buy premium.

                                                                                        

Are Downloads Dead?

Facebook does not integrate with downloads only with streaming.

The question is…. will there be a dominant streaming model?

If there is then it is very possible that streaming could overtake downloads however if there is not it is unlikely we will see streaming take the lead.

Streaming is currently devaluing recorded music. However in order to get exsposure musicians will have to let their recorded content be devalued. So how do we generate revenue instead?

Bundle Services – Pay a premium take what you want.

– There is already talk of Facebook becoming a paid service and once it becomes so crucial to our lives that we feel we                                  cannot live without it we will. Most people already say that music is essential to their lives so surely they will pay?

Can we convert people back to paying for music?

I  have become part of the download generation and have now for many years known how to get free music, films, games etc. However back in the day of the CD i remember paying for music and not being able to wait to get my new CD home and play it. However the next generation which we are seeing now does not even remember that, music has always been free to them they have never known any different. So can we change this now or are they too set in their ways?

People will no longer pay for a download if they can get it for free so we must now find new and innovative ways for people to experience music.

• Virtual Music
• Realtime interaction
• Music Gaming
• Apps
• Personalised gigs
• Live streaming gigs

We are already beginning to see these new ways of thinking with games such as Guitar Hero and Rock band however they are very much monkey see monkey do kind of games and they really lack true musicianship.

If we are to create these new ways of experiencing music it is essential that musicians are closely involved in the making. To make sure that these new creations embody why we make music. Because we love it and we could not live with out, this burning passion must come across in these new creations to make them exciting, realistic and cutting edge!

Linear music is not the future of making money from music. The music business as we knew it is dead. Its time to make way for the new whatever that may be.

“The point is technology moves forward anyway, if & when it is meaningful to people, easy to use, respectful of human nature, readily avaliable & easily & widely affordable” – David Kusek & Gerd Leonhard

New Models

How can we use new models and tools? Can they be used to go beyond just marketing?

There are many new tools out there for creative people to use in getting themselves out there for the world to see and hear from Live Streaming of gigs to fan funded music projects, advertising sponsorships to Crowd sourcing and remixing websites, the possibilities are endless. However what we now need to find is a new model that could lead the way. At the moment most of these model are in the making so whilst their cutting edge new ideas and very exciting they are also glitchy and sometimes quite complicated for the average Joe. At the moment it seems that different models work for different people, some people dont mind entering a contract with an advertisement firm whilst others would prefer a more DIY approach, as it stand there is not 1 model that can offer what everyone wants and there may never be.

It is quite clear that the music industry as we knew it is now dead and a change is happening. The new industry is obviously online however where exactly the main profit is is still unclear. Part of the problem with the new models that we are currently seeing is that they are made and designed by tech companies and the presence of a musician’s influence is not seen making the products often hard to use and not what musicians actually want. A crucial part that i think is currently missing in a lot of new models is the acknowledgement of why we play music, we play is because it is a passion, because we want too, we need to because we love it. I think it is important that these new models can communicate this understanding for our passion.

“Perhaps as in the past we can once again become part of the experience of music rather than the static purchasers of it”

– The Future Of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution

A huge part of why most people connect so strongly with music is because of the experience it offers weather playing or listening we are offered different things. People pay a lot of money to see a performer they love at a live show because they want the experience of being there among a crowd of similarly minded people and to feel the connection not only with the crowd but with the performer.

Live streaming is becoming increasingly popular for bands and fan as it means that even more people can connect to a live show and have their own experience, granted it wont be the same as being there but could it be the next best thing? Coldplay are so far the biggest name to try out live streaming which got good reviews and seemed to work almost glitch free, which for a relatively new piece of technology to be used on that scale is pretty good! And of course by getting sponsored by American Express and connecting with Youtube the revenues were flowing. So could this be a new way for musicians to make money? Does this have the potential to take over where record sales have left off?

So now we know what some of these new models are the question still stands can they go beyond marketing? The answer is that we still do not know the answer to this however each day we are seeing progress, these models are starting to build more hype. However now is the waiting game to see exactly which or if any will take off the ground and become a new income revenue for musicians. We are still in the very early stages of this development so whilst we havent seen an answer yet we will surely know within the next few years.

”The whole would is a keyboard” – Matthew Herbert

Matthew Herbert

Today we were blessed with the presence of Matthew Herbert for a few hours, heres what he had to say.

”I didn’t enjoy music until i started playing with other musicians.”

”When you play in an orchestra if you play 1 wrong note its seen as bad and i never understood that.”

”Things sound amazing when you process them and listen to them differently.”

”Everything bad makes a sound too.”

“I was bored of recording nice things so i related my politics to my music.”

Something he is against is Corporate Globalisation so he made a series of songs destroying the things he did not like for example, starbucks, mcdonalds and gap products.

Another endeavor of his was playing on the media making us health crazy with things such as ‘eat an apple a day’ so he got 365 people in one room to eat an apple and record it. It was not as impressive as he had first imagined as it was not as loud as it was for those eating the apple so every show he played he would record people eating apples so that he ended up with a track featuring 10,000 people eating a apple.

‘We don’t normally step back and listen to sounds from a distance.’

Life in a Day

Life in a Day is a film made up of youtube submissions. The soundtrack which was composed by Matthew Herbert was also made up of sounds submitted by people. He asked people to record their favourite sounds, singing 1 note and a clap. He then put those sounds together. He found that the sounds that make people happy were actually quite full on to listen to all together.

He has just released his latest album ‘One Pig’ which was seen as very controversial. People were even disgusted just by the idea of the album and some said he was ‘turning pigs dying into entertainment.’ However this is not what Herbert was trying to do he was merely documenting this pigs life he did not interfere in the pigs life in anyway or change it from how it would have been had he not been there.

He was not allowed to record the death of the pig however as the law in the UK states that the public are not aloud to witness the slaughtering of an animal in a government run environment. This however still produced an outcome for Herbert as it helped to highlight his political views, that it seems perverse that we are not aloud to see the meat we eat be killed.

”Dont dilute what you believe in for money”

He was offered a 2 million pound contract with a Shampoo company to use one of his songs on their advert however this would have taken away from the meaning of the song itself and not have agreed with Herberts views. And may have meant that in the future his work may not gain the same respect as it does now, or at least not in the same way. Sometimes no matter how much money it is, its just isn’t worth it.

”We need to evolve the way we listen”

I was particularly interested in how Matthew Herbert uses his music as a way to get across his political views. As a rather opinionated person myself i think that this is a great idea. Music can definitely be used as a way to communicate these views and get people to sit up and pay attention.

After the lecture i went up to Herbert and asked him his views on the whole ‘Occupy’ as it is something i am quite interested in myself. He said that he finds it interesting however it needs a way to go which as the moment it doesn’t seem to have. We both agreed that perhaps music and in fact the Arts could be that way forward.

Maybe this is how we can evolve our listening by using music to propel social movements? Rather then viewing music as merely entertainment or pretty wallpaper we could view it as a means of helping a revolution?

“To accomplish great things: You must not only ACT, But also DREAM, Not only PLAN, But also BELIEVE” – Anatole France

Hype On Entertainment & Urban Circle

Dennis Mckensie is the director of both Hype On Music and Urban Circle based here in Newport. Today we were lucky enough to have a very inspirational lecture with him in which he talked to us about how he started and runs his business’s.

He began by creating Urban Circle which is a group that any one can go along to who has a passion and inspiration or desire to do something creative. It has created and run great programs such as Newport City Radio, City Festival, Battleturf and Dance shows.

Specialises in :

• Marketing
• Graphics
• Multimedia: Hype on: Film, Hype on: TV
• Music : Music Management, Music Production
• Promotion

Business tips and advice:

• It is important to stay current and know whats going on in and around the area.
• Know your market and initiative.
• Build a status, an ability to influence and to trend set.
• Building from the ground up builds your respect and connections.
• Make yourself accessible – social media, blogging.

Its great to see what Dennis has done for Newport particularly with Urban Circle, he has given young people a place to go and use their passions and drive in an amazing creative way. And it was really inspirational to see his burning passion for everything that he does. I could really see something like Urban Circle working in Swindon, my home town, which is actually quite simular to Newport in the fact that it is often said to be a run down place which finds it hard to compete with close by citys. I would really love to run something like this in Swindon perhaps in the future. I will definitely be going into urban circle soon to get a feel for the place and pick Dennis’s brains!

“It’s the process, not the product” – Brian Eno

Retail & Distribution

Traditional Model

Artisit ->Record Company -> Distribution Company -> Retail

Major labels owned the distribution companies, this USED to work well when music was a physical product.

Current Model

Distribution Company <- Artist ->Record Label

Selling Directly

However this worked so well for them as Radiohead were already a big name because of their previous record label.

Currently the benefit with record labels is that they deal directly with Itunes and have built relationships with them. However is Itunes really the future of the Music Industry? When our class of around 25 student were asked ‘who has brought anything from Itunes recently’ no one raised their hand. 

Digital

When music moved to be primarily digital many distribution companys went bankcrupt.

Distribution

Editorial – Sells on a basis of potential. If the artist may not make them any money they arn’t interested. Its all about the money!

– Marketing relationships with retail

– Generally take 5%

 

Non – Editorial – Will take anything regardless of weather or not it will sell.

(Aggregator)          – Charge flat rate rather than a %

– No relationships in retail

  

Download Vs. Streaming

 

 

Streaming

• Doesn’t pay anything.
• Can the masses be converted to streaming?
• Could this be the way to make money again for the Music Buisness?
• Can it establish itself as the next Itunes

Spotify –

• Major labels have a stake of 18% in Spotify
• Facebook connection
• Adverts make no money they are just there to make you buy premium.

                                                                                        

Are Downloads Dead?

Facebook does not integrate with downloads only with streaming.

The question is…. will there be a dominant streaming model?

If there is then it is very possible that streaming could overtake downloads however if there is not it is unlikely we will see streaming take the lead.

 

Streaming is currently devaluing recorded music. However in order to get exsposure musicians will have to let their recorded content be devalued. So how do we generate revenue instead?

 

Bundle Services – Pay a premium take what you want.

– There is already talk of Facebook becoming a paid service and once it becomes so crucial to our lives that we feel we                                  cannot live without it we will. Most people already say that music is essential to their lives so surely they will pay?

Can we convert people back to paying for music?

I  have become part of the download generation and have now for many years known how to get free music, films, games etc. However back in the day of the CD i remember paying for music and not being able to wait to get my new CD home and play it. However the next generation which we are seeing now does not even remember that, music has always been free to them they have never known any different. So can we change this now or are they too set in their ways?

People will no longer pay for a download if they can get it for free so we must now find new and innovative ways for people to experience music.

• Virtual Music
• Realtime interaction
• Music Gaming
• Apps
• Personalised gigs
• Live streaming gigs

We are already beginning to see these new ways of thinking with games such as Guitar Hero and Rock band however they are very much monkey see monkey do kind of games and they really lack true musicianship.

If we are to create these new ways of experiencing music it is essential that musicians are closely involved in the making. To make sure that these new creations embody why we make music. Because we love it and we could not live with out, this burning passion must come across in these new creations to make them exciting, realistic and cutting edge!

Linear music is not the future of making money from music. The music business as we knew it is dead. Its time to make way for the new whatever that may be.

‘Fetishized as a commodity, music is illustrative of the evolution of our entire society: devitalize a social form, repress an activity of the body, specialize its practice, sell it as a spectacle, generalize its consumption, then see that it is stockpiled until it loses its meaning.’ – Attali

Copyright VS Participation Culture

The Digital Economy Act 2010

1988 – UK Copyright design and Patents Act

2010 – The Digital Economy Act

The way i see it is that the Digital Economy Act was not designed to benefit creative people but rather to make the goverment and record labels some extra pocket money.

Pushed through at the end of the labour government, in association with BPI one of the biggest money making music business in the UK who pay money to get through certain laws which will benefit them.

Copyright is meant to be about the greater good of the ‘people’, to make music accessible to everyone whilst protecting the rights of the artists. However is it really protecting our rights or taking away our freedom?

Creative Commons

Created by creative people for creative people.

Accepts and encourages sharing as a part of the creative process whilst still enforcing the suitable rights.

Allows the creator to choose a license suitable for them.

Makes alot more sense. I appreciate as a creative person that it important for people’s work to be protect and for them to be able to make a living from it where possible however i also appreciate that sharing and copying (to an extent) is crucial to the creative process. And this is something that DEA does not allow.

CRM – Customer Relationship Management – Companies documenting what you like to buy to market to you. Eg. Amazon recommends, Facebook, Genius. The internet is now showing us what it thinks we want to see NOT what we NEED to see!

DRM – Digital Rights Management

Commodity Fetishism is still problematizing the idea of the value of music. What exactly is it that we are enjoying? The music? Or thinking we own the music?

Money changes our relationship with everything. Putting a price on music changes the listeners relationship with that piece of music, it also changes the artists relationship with it.

Participation Culture

Open Sourcing
Crowd Sourcing
Sharing
Gift Economy

We Think

When we freely share things it allows our creative juices to flow much more, it allows room for collaboration, remixes and new takes on old ideas. Copying is a natural part of being a human being, it is how we learn.

‘Creation requires influence. Everything we make is a remix of existing creations, our lives and the lives of others.’

Whilst i appreciate that it is important that artists get the recognition and rights that they deserve with regards to their work, it is equally important that we keep in mind the real reason’s we need these rights.

It is important that we remember that as creative people one of the ways in which we make our work is to copy, remix, and collaborate. So whilst it is important that people get the right recognition for their work it is also crucial that we do not shut off that means of creativity completely as it is crucial to the creative world.

In my view the DEA is completely the wrong way to go. It is just another way of the government and huge corporations to make money from something that isn’t theirs. It is just another form of control. It is made by politicians who have no clue what musicians/artists need but rather what their pockets need, some good old moohla!

However the Creative Commons is a non- profit organisation made by creative people FOR creative people. They know what we need and that we dont need the government or any other greedy bugger dipping in to what is ours.

In my opinion is is extremely important that we dont loose sight of the fact that music is meant to bring us together!

Not tear us apart.

In the oh so hypocritical words of Jessie J:

‘It’s not about the money money money, forget about the price tag, just wanna make the world dance’