It's a Matter of Making Music

Usually my work is somewhat cynical in nature and indeed I've been described as a "Grumpy young man".  However, this is a positive post.  Sort of.  In one of my recent articles -  Making Noise about Social Media - I discussed the world of P2P file sharing with regards to the music industry, I interviewed musical performer and all round good bloke, Akira The Don as well as a representative of a leading record label.  I like to think of that article as a debate, a discussion if you will.  However, this article is full of something very different.  Praise.

But before you think a leopard has changed its spots and because more than anything I like doing it, i'll start with a little moan.  Why is it that people who describe themselves as "massive music fans", never pay for it?  Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just me?  The dubstep heads, the D&B listeners, the electro kids, all of them, serial Limewire users.  I'm not going to lie, I used to download music, before I really thought about music as an industry, rather than just a song.  So I was delighted to learn about a new venture called Why Music Matters.

This 'movement' has been created by artists, retailers, songwriters, labels and managers and has the purpose of "reminding consumers of the significance and value of music".  Ironically, the medium in which they are raising awareness of this value is through the use of short films.  They concentrate on artists throughout history who have changed cultures or had particular impact through their music.  Including artists ranging from The Fron Choir to The Jam to Kate Bush, they overtly want to raise awareness of legitimate music services, how beautiful music is as art and in the end and stamp out the ever increasing illegal downloads.

For me, a particular pleasure of the campaign, is their direction.  They propel a knowledge of the industry, a deep rooted understanding of music and music production and are targeting the attitude rather than the action.  There have been various other movements against illegal downloads, but took the direction of criticism and anger towards the 'downloader'.  Why Music Matters seem to have understood that this is not the correct path.  They are merely trying to shed light on well, why music matters.  By reminding people of that, they hope the potential file sharers will become real music fans.  Their passion is infectious.  

They are raising awareness about their venture via the medium of social media.  It is clear that more than anything, they do not resent 'downloading' and are aware of the shift in the industries core marketplace, as long as it isn't illegal.  It is this peaceful not preachful attitude that I respect more than anything.  Their means of action is merely a trademark.  "The trust mark is a widespread certification scheme which identifies legitimate music services."

We live in an increasingly digital world.  19 out of every 20 tracks downloaded are done so illegally.  Why Music Matters work on the attitude that they, music fans, are legitimately supporting the artists, musicians, songwriters and everyone involved in creating the music when it is downloaded.

I am happy to announce this is my first excitable, positive (sort of) article about something I hope will truly take off.  As a music fan myself, not a pop-puppet, but a music fan, I live in hope.

Making noise about Social Media and Music

Since I started blogging in a personal capacity, I have written "abusive" takes on things that annoy me, or about aspects of social media that I have found interesting.  However, the following is a fairly interesting – if I do say so myself – look at what social media is doing to, and for, the music industry.  This is my least opinionative post yet (sort of) and I have thoroughly enjoyed the research I have put into it.  Hopefully, you will find it at least a little bit interesting.

The beauty of this article, if I can call it beautiful, is that all my research and interviews were done through the medium of social media and was therefore put together much faster than could otherwise have been possible.  The overall focus of this piece of work is drawing on a quote from Lily Allen of all people, who claimed that social media and file sharing is “cutting out vital funds for new artists before their careers have even properly begun”.  This got me thinking.  About Lily Allen ;).  But then I thought about what she had actually said and decided I didn’t know whether I agreed or not.  So, I got to work.  I started by posting Allen’s quote as a question to a friend of mine (who will remain anonymous) working for a major record label.  The reply I got was as follows;

“I would say that social media and file sharing have both positive and negative effects on the careers of new artists and the key to success is finding the right balance.  Social media allows artists to connect spontaneously, quickly and emotionally with their audience and helps build a stronger relationship with potential consumers.  Giving away music can be a beneficial tool in turning these potential consumers into actual ones but the problem arises when music fans start to get the impression that music is or should be free.  File sharing is no longer deemed to be immoral when in fact it is exactly that”.

As a starting point for me this interview served to enhance my desires to look at this topic in more detail.  I would certainly agree that people are mistaken with the idea that music should be free.  I think if you can, you should pay for it.  By rewarding your favourite artists, the likelihood is that they will make more music – which is ultimately what we want.  As a recent, although avid Twitterer, I began to assess my own uses of social media with regards to music and who I follow.  I then realized that this ranged from mega famous artists like 50 Cent, to known - and excellent I might add - bands such as Kid British (@kidbritishmusic) and finally to relatively unknown artists such as Kate McGill (@katem3).  I have absolutely no idea how I found the latter, but I did, and then I followed the links to her Youtube account where she releases her music.  She is, in short, a fantastic talent and has a very small following.  However I realized that other than through social media, how else would I have been aware of her content?

I began therefore to form the argument of art versus business.  Music in an art form without question, and yet it seems more and more to be about business.  Unfortunately for many talented musicians such as Kate McGill it may be the case that the people in power, i.e. record labels are looking for artists that are more like puppets than performers.  In the words of Joe Budden;

“Got bigger issues, if you went to Def Jam would you notice, if they were out for my best interest, or do they just see a dollar in Joseph?”

So the assessment continues.  Does social media indeed cut these valuable funds, or does it allow them to generate a fan base they can then use in their arsenal at a later date?  To continue my investigation – and it bloody well is an investigation – I decided to attempt to contact an artist in the industry.  The person I got hold of, and am delighted to say so, is UK Rapper, Akira The Don.

According to BBC Wales, Akira The Don is “a politically-literate, mischievous blogger and rapper from North Wales, once signed to Interscope Records.”

What a beautifully brief introduction.  By the way, in case you didn’t know, Interscope records is a label famous for two of the biggest “recruits” in the music industry, 50 Cent and Eminem.  Yet here I am, an unknown ‘bloggernalist’ with a passion for music, talking to someone who has quite literally sat at the top and scrapped at the bottom of the music industry food chain.

I asked, in A-Level like English, “What are your views on the argument that social media and file sharing is cutting out vital funds for new artists before their careers have even begun?”

The response I received was;

“Well, in short, I think that is complete bollox!”

A fairly conclusive and certainly brief statement and perhaps the shortest interview ever was on the cards.  However, I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Akira then went on to say;

“I am the proof” and that he was “happy to elaborate if necessary.”

I was happy to prompt him to tell me more, and upon telling him that the question was lifted from a quote from Lily Allen as well as asking him “whether he thought social media can or has helped you personally as an artist?”  The reply was more than I could have bargained for, and the man who doesn’t know me from Adam – or Alphabet for that matter – said this;

“Well, for a start I'd say it's the internet that's helped me, rather than just social media - its been having my OWN website all these years that's been the most important thing.  Social media has helped make people aware of the stuff I've been doing on that website, since 2004, and continues to help keep people aware of its progress and development. Having my own website helped to get me an audience from the very start, which meant that when I signed to a major label, I already had an audience, who knew what I was about, so there was no chance of the company being able to change me at all, or dictate the direction of my music, or anything else I was doing.

And then, when the record company said they wouldn't release my album as it was, I didn't have to change it, and I wasn't ruined - I already had my audience, and I had my recording equipment, and I had my website.  I could carry on working, and building, regardless.  I could sell CDs, and T-Shirts, and shoes, and high quality MP3 bundles (like this one! http://bit.ly/7cyZwn!  Cop now and get an exclusive song!) to make money to support myself.  I could make my own cartoons and videos, albums, EPs and mixtapes, and I could release them and market them all myself, via the internets, and with the help of social media.

Without the internet, and without social media, I would have been at the mercy of the record companies.  Which means my first album would NEVER HAVE COME OUT.  I would most likely be a jobbing cartoonist now, or a music journalist still (although, saying that, it was online that gave me my first break writing, after I set up an online fanzine back in '97...) As it is, THANKS TO the internet, and social media, my friends, my peoples, and my refusal to quit, I have a full time career as a musician.  I make less money than a road-sweeper, or a librarian, or a supply teacher, but I am doing what I love every day, I'm getting better, and I'm building...  and one of these days, one of these songs is going to make me a ton of cash, and I am going to build a beautiful city in the sky and you can all come and live in it.

Now, did I mention that T-Shirt and MP3 bundle?! http://bit.ly/7cyZwn !”

And there you have it, an in depth opinion from someone who knows what they’re talking about.  This extrovert, media-savvy and hugely entertaining musician who is actually living the very situation that Allen said social media would kill.  Upon assessing both thought provoking interviews I have shown, I began to form my own opinion.  It comes down to what the reasons for making music may be, and also what kind of artist you are.  There is no denying that the charts are usually dominated by performing artists who other than occasionally having good singing voices, have absolutely no sense of artistry.  These people, owned by the glorified salesmen such as Simon Cowell are running the music industry.  From the utterly laughable canvases that are JLS, to the abundance of Indie Cindy bands that use generic chords and try and hide behind their overly straightened haircuts, one thing is obvious; their content is record label produced.  Their music is created to make sales not make art.  Essentially my point is that if you are in the music industry to make money then perhaps social media is not the ideal path to take.  However, if you’re in the industry to create music that not only entertains, but provokes thought and breaks down barriers like artists such as Akira The Don and Scroobius Pip amongst others, then social media may be the greatest tool for music lovers to find you, and in the end, follow you.

As I said at the beginning of the article, all my interviews were obtained and carried out through the medium of social media and that in itself is proof to me that it can, and indeed has, helped me alone in many ways.

For more information and entertainment from any of the artists mentioned, please follow the following;

@akirathedon,  @katem3,  @scroobiuspipyo. @kidbritishmusic

Please do not follow JLS or anything of that ilk.

Follow me at your own risk!

As I looked at the clock reading 10.35am and took a sip of my 4th strong black cup of coffee and began feeling the twinges of restlessness and an overwhelming need to go to the bathroom again, I began questioning why I was looking at this post?

“Raining in La- this is not the deal. London has snow. SNOW! This better be Hollywood rain that tastes of lemonade and gives superpowers.”

This beautifully articulate and charmingly smug utterance is from none other than the delightfully articulate, intelligent and hilarious Russel Brand (@rustyrockets).  I’m not ashamed – though perhaps I should be – that he is one of many celebrities that I ‘follow’ on good old Twitter.  Yet I found myself becoming alarmingly jealous.  I have never necessarily felt jealous of celebrities before, admirable and appreciative of their work yes, but not jealous.  So as I sat there, blood boiling, eyes turning green I began to ask myself whether it is healthy for social networking to allow us constant updates on how exciting their lives might be when some of us are by the looks of things writing for our own eyes only.

Russel Brand and the others have at no point forced me to follow them, far from it in fact.  He has absolutely no idea who I am - he has over 719,000 followers to my 32 – some of which probably don’t even know who I am anyway.  I have replied to posts from Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton, Chris Moyles, Max Rushden, Jonathan Ross and good old RustyRockets, WHY?  Is it some sort of desperate attempt for one of them to just put “@clutterances haha” so I can go to the pub and say, “Jonathan Ross found me funny today, what did you get up to?” – Maybe.  Is it so that one of them might offer me a break into the entertainment industry by picking me out of the crowd and saying “You’ve got talent, have a job.” – Possibly.  Is it because I, like so many others have to justify to myself that they’re not so different from us - just harder working and more talented? Undoubtedly.  The press paints celebrities as aliens – although Lady Gaga might actually be one – yet in truth they’re definitely just people with jobs.  Sure their jobs pay millions, they live in luxury, travel the world and have enough casual sex they could raise an army from aborted babies (Brand) but they also deserve it.  I read Russel Brand’s Bookie Wook again this month and it is an excellent example of how focusing on what you want will result in your success, even if your focus is blurred from a concoction of heroin and hairspray.  I imagine most celebrities will admit that a lucky break was certainly needed, but the difference is that because they knew what they wanted, they deserved it.

Twitter is a constant reminder of how much more successful you could have been, how relatively disappointing your own life is in comparison.  This is an incredibly morbid realization of what Twitter can do - and I think myself an upbeat person, mind you Kerrie Katona thinks she’s thin – and therefore I question the healthiness of it.  We’re constantly surrounded with celebrity gossip, television and all sorts of stories, so why insist on letting them dominate our social life too.  Celebrities are not to blame in the slightest but why do I look? Why do I follow? Why do I care? WHY?! It seems that knowing what celebrities are doing is an addiction.  Twitter is the dope fiend jacking celebrity toxins straight into your veins through your eyeballs and fingertips.  Even the term ‘follow’ seems a bit filthy.  It makes me feel like I am hiding in a dark corner somewhere with my pants round my ankles smelling like a computer and Twittering my little tweeter until my hands are raw, my eyes hurt, I have a headache and I can only offer one last status update before I fall into a deep, dirty slumber.  

The fearful realization of this is when someone with bad intentions uses social networking to their advantage.  Take this post from naughty little Russel Brand again:

“I just read that my tweets are the 3rd most influential in Britain. I will only use this power for good. Now send photos of your sex organs. “

I bet they did too.

Imagine if someone with less frivolous intentions than Russel Brand began being more and more influential? It is quite an alarming thought that social networking can truly have such an influence.  I am willing to bet that it is only a matter of time before something bad is generated because of Twitter.   I’m not sure the screening process of Twitter could work quickly enough to cull a threat when just with a celebrity retweet can turn your followers from “15 to over 200 followers in 5 minutes @trevorwesley” because of an endorsement from @rustyrockets.

So lets see whether following celebrities will help us, hinder us or hurt us in the future.  2010 could be an interesting year for social networking, it could reach new heights or could cause chaos.  I guess we’ll have to sit back, watch and when it happens see whether in 140 characters we can generate a response from one of our favourite celebrities.

“The Mannerless” VS ‘The Forgotten Generation’ – Can Social Networking save the day?

At university, Facebook was used to laugh at friends photos, organize drinking sessions and compete in those addictive little games they offer.  Since graduating I have found myself so overtly effected by the economic crisis and the knock on effect it has had on the employment market that I find myself labeled under the umbrella of ‘The forgotten generation.’  However, those tools we used solely to socialize could now offer our salvation from the mire we find ourselves living in.

The old enjoy criticizing the young but this time they’ve gone too far.  It is clear to me that the generation spanning 30-50 now have essentially shat all over those to come - and I’m not just talking about the bankers.  Generally speaking, the generation who came before mine have no concept of manners, etiquette or respect, yet love to look down on us from their X5 driving, huge loan owing, DKNY be-speckled pedestal that they find themselves sitting on - selfishly cocking everything up and waiting for someone else to sort it out.  It is they who have made appalling financial decisions on our behalf and have ruined the economy to such a degree that jobs are in short supply and unemployment is spiraling higher and higher out of control.  What annoys me most is that the people we’ve set the task of saving the day are the very same who got us in this position to start with.  I read recently that there is a strong campaign to make the retirement age older than 65, which will once again reduce the opportunities for the young.  Ultimately I agree with the idea, it is true that we are a healthier and fitter society than before and that most of us have a perfect sense of mind at that age - so it is simple logic that the retirement age is pushed back.  However, it is who is campaigning for this that annoys me.  It is the very same snob filled generation that has already done enough damage and they’re doing this is to protect their own interests.  Yet where roles the roles for the present are being protected, nothing seems to be being done to create new positions.  This generation - who I would like to call “The Mannerless” - have created a world where opportunities are at an all-time low, yet I constantly see articles about how misguided and ill equipped my generation is for the world we graduate into.  

A while back I saw a BBC interview with Sir Stuart Rose where he said that recent graduates don’t have the necessary skills for the working world.  The way he said this rubbish it looked like he thought we were to blame, if it was true that is.  Are we really to blame? That’s rhetorical by the way - no, we’re not.  Our syllabuses are decided by “The Mannerless,” we are taught by “The Mannerless” awarded our grades by “The Mannerless” and then criticized and denied jobs by….”The Mannerless.” 

All the time I have been driving, which I appreciate isn’t a massive amount of time – 5 years – 99% of people who pull out in front of me, don’t offer a thank you wave, never let me out, drive up my arse, overtake at ridiculous points of the road and just generally behave like utter prats are one of (you guessed it) “The Mannerless.”  Ever held open a door only then to be ignored by the people passing through? “The Mannerless.”  Ever worked in a shop and helped a customer only to be offered absolutely no appreciation for your help? “The Mannerless.” Ever applied for a job only to never receive any form of response? “The Mannerless.”

My point is this, if we live in a world where opportunities are limited and often decided by muppets, what chance do we have? My answer - Facebook.

Well actually, social networking in general is where we can find success.  I don’t know a single person around my age not on Facebook, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t use Youtube at some point and more and more people are starting to realize the powers of Twitter.  Our ability to network effectively online is what sets us apart from the average member of “The Mannerless.” Social media offers us a platform to make a name for ourselves.  Industries are beginning to realize how massively important social networking could be to them and are actively seeking people who ‘know about it.’  Essentially our text-talk, picture sharing, status updating, socializing obsessed members of society, most of whom part of “The Forgotten Generation” are beginning to be required.  Often criticized and accused as pointless by the small minded idiots out there who can’t get their sweaty little palms or bigoted naïve minds around social networking, we’re starting to bite back, one well worded status update at a time.  With effective advertising being more and more needed, companies whose eyes are open wide enough to see past their current blinkered “mannerless” employees are starting to reap the rewards.

Ultimately it seems that we, “The Forgotten Generation” may be able to get past the prejudice thrown our way consistently by the utter clowns who came before us by merely being ourselves and doing what we do best – networking.   It is apparent that as a consumer demographic, we are still targeted by advertisers and that slowly but surely people are beginning to realize that we are more useful to today’s business world than people like that Rose prick (sorry for the pun) would suggest.  So people, keep adding those photos, updating your statuses, poking each other and soon we’ll be in a position to treat those around us a hell of a lot better than we have been.