a quiet revolution: listen carefully

Calling all Musicians… can you sing a VIRTUAL Serenade?

Rob MacArthur — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:49:02 +0000

Note speaks for itself:

Hello musical friends! This is just a quick call-out to see if some of you may be able to do a virtual serenade for my good friend Sandra Winter. This is as simple as recording yourself at an upcoming gig or in your living room on your phone, with a camera….whatever. Music is the best medicine afterall.

Who is Sandra Winter? She used to be heavily involved with the artistic community and music community in the Kempt Shore area more recently. The last two years she has been forced to live in Toronto, while she waits patiently for double lung transplant. The wait has been long and emotionally and financially draining to say the least, yet her strength and sense of humour remain. She continues to love living life despite the future that may lay ahead.

So…. I got to thinking… maybe some of you can sing a song to brighten up the days ahead. It’s pretty simple. Once you have a video or snippet of a song, simply email Adriana Afford at Argyle Fine Art at gallery@argylefa.com and I will give you our Youtube channel info and you can upload it or I can do that for you! THANKS! You could start tonight ….at Music Nova Scotia OPEN MIC! Make someone happy with your music. You’ve got the power.

- Adriana Afford

What my nights sound like [@ the Rock Garden]

Rob MacArthur — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:20:06 +0000

Here are two recordings taken with my MP3 player. I start in my office, walk into the lobby, down the hall and back into my office.

The first one was from tonight, the second from a month ago. I like how everything stops right at the end of the second one. Well played.

Sounds Tonight
Sounds Last Month

Help me pick a logo for a new project?

Rob MacArthur — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:22:10 +0000

So I have been busy working on a new project, my first attempt at doing something online.

I am also working on a series related to outsourcing everything you can. Over the past few months I have tried outsourcing programming and design work.
Still not ready to try outsourcing personal business such as email etc. yet but considering it. Some of the experiences have been great, some well experiences.

So for this project, IOUmusic, I tried CrowdSpring.com to come up with a logo. This is one experience I think that will fall in to the great category.With no real set idea on what I wanted, I have received a number of sharp looking submissions.

I was going to wait until submissions were closed but maybe you will see something in one of these logos that with a small tweak would make it perfect.

So if you have a few minutes, visit the gallery and let me know what you think. Anything I rated 4-stars is one I am shortlisting, but I am open to thoughts on all of them. There may be some now that I have not yet seen or rated, so zero stars means that.

If you are interested in updates I am going to start posting on Twitter once the logo has been selected @ioumusic

Vintage Gear for Sale

Rob MacArthur — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:11:57 +0000

Helping someone sell some gear – if interested drop me a line and I will put you in touch with him. PA is at the Rock Garden if anyone wants to see or try it.

Yamaha PA Speakers $600
1980 vintage – loud powerful brutes!! Little used and not too dinged, ideal for small band or DJ system. High: 4′/Wide: 3′/Deep: 2′

2 x yamaha 4115-H, self ppowered PA speakers, 70 Hz – 15Hz frequency range, HF horns with seperate HF, 15″ woofers, 100 watts continuous power, heavy slip covers, detachable wheels.

Tapco 6 Channel Mixer – $175
Model 6000R, preamp, reverb, EFX send, rack mount, very durable and road worthy, ideal for small band or DJ system, works well with Yamaha PA system.

Korg Drum Machine – $425
Model Rhythm 55 [1979], non-programmable, 48 preset rhythms, foot switch for start/stop/fills, adjustable bass drum, snare, hi-hat volumne, analogue retro beats – e.g. Hall & Oates, Depeche Mode

Microphones
Aucdio Technica 814 $60
Shure Unisphere PE 56D $30

The Pirates are Winning: Updates from Sweden

Rob MacArthur — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:44:04 +0000

Image Source

Two headlines greeted me this morning that made me laugh, both related to the against piracy in Sweden.

Pirate Bay lawyer calls for retrial after judge confirms ties to copyright groups via CBC

Peter Althin, who represented Pirate Bay spokesman Peter Sunde in the case, said Thursday he would request a retrial after Judge Tomas Norstrom confirmed Swedish Radio reports that he was a member of two copyright-protection organizations.

Norstrom acknowledged to Swedish Radio that he was a member of the Swedish Association for Copyright and sat on the board of the Swedish Association for the Protection of Industrial Property.

However, he rejected the notion that there was any conflict of interest.

“I don’t think there are any circumstances that have made me biased in this case,” Judge Norstom said.

While in related news, for the past few weeks there has been widespread coverage of the drop of internet traffic/illegal downloading following the passage of anti-piracy law IPRED in Sweden.

The reports sited a company in Sweden called Netnod that supposedly provided the stats widely shared by anti-priacy groups such as Antipiratbyran. Problem there is that Netnod is now denying they ever made such comments, or COULD even provide such stats regardless:

“We do not have any data on ‘web traffic in Sweden’ and have not made any such statements,” Netnod executive Nurani Nimpuno told Digital Music News on Wednesday.

Instead, Netnod operates six internet exchange points (IXPs) in five
cities in Sweden. An IXP is a physical hub that allows various ISPs to exchange traffic easily between their networks. In the case of Netnod, a large number of non-Swedish ISPs participate, throwing the entire analysis into disarray. “There is no way of knowing [what percentage of] Swedish internet traffic is present at the Netnod IX,” Nimpuno continued.

via Digital Music News: Netnod Responds: No Data on ‘Web Traffic in Sweden’…

NSCC Brings Music Business to The Hub

Rob MacArthur — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:53:41 +0000

[I ramble, details below].

Ambitious, creative folks looking to get into the music biz should sign up for this course so I can pick your brains on breaks during class, steal all your good ideas, make you famous by doing so and then other people will hire you! Instant music business career!

In only slightly more serious terms though – I will be at the Hub during the nights this course is held and would love to talk to folks about their ideas on music/business.

I have a bunch of changes coming at the Rock Garden, new music/changes with the label and two related new music businesses in start up now. I am always looking for feedback and I have made so so so many mistakes I can guarantee saving you time/money if you are going to do anything I can speak to.

If anyone is considering this course and starting their own business I will talk your ear off to the point you may hate me. Could also help set you up at the Hub post course and on your way working for yourself [Hub members include graphic designers, programmers, my lawyer (he quit his firm to start his own practice there!) - so it is close to being a one stop shop for any services you'd need to get up and running]. I was pretty excited when Waye suggested this, and think anyone taking the course would get their money’s worth from Waye alone – but thought I would add my excitement at the potential for having the course at the Hub
/end ramble
__________________________________________________________________________________________
From Waye Mason:
I am really happy to be able to take the wraps off of this after working on it for awhile. This is the actual intro credit course from the music business program. In time, we plan on offering everything part time, but this is the pilot class. Best part, it takes place every Thursday at the Hub in downtown Halifax!

Please feel free to PM me or post questions here. Registration is limited to 25 students. It is an actual class, with assignments, tests, reading, learning, and a total dose of awesome.

BART1000 – Intro to the Music Industry

Description:
Through a combination of lectures, research, group projects and industry speakers, this course will introduce participants to the current landscape of the Canadian music industry. It will convey a broad understanding of various non-music functions that exist within the industry, and how they interact with the artist and each other. Participants will be introduced to the core activity areas of the music industry, including the business of publishing, recording, live performance, artist development and management. They will gain a basic knowledge of the mandate and scope of the organizations that support the music industry with a focus on how those organizations relate to revenue generation and collection.

Details:
Topics cover will include grant writing (focusing on the Nova Scotia Emerging Music program), introduction to the business of songwriting & publishing, live performance and touring, recording, artist development and marketing.
This is a full credit course toward the completion of the NSCC Music Business Certificate.
The course information will also be listed at http://www.coned.nscc.ca

Location:
Every Thursday, April 23 through until June 25, 6:30 to 9:30
The Hub Halifax, 1673 Barrington Street, 2nd Floor

Registration:
Registration is open to any high school graduate. Registration is NOW OPEN call NSCC Admissions at 491-4911 or drop in to any campus. Price is $260 + purchase of a textbook.

MMGPT: Recalling primal scream of hardcore

Rob MacArthur — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:17:12 +0000

Anthony Pappalardo and co-author and art director Nathan Nedorostek have compiled the book “Radio Silence/A Selected Visual History of American Hardcore Music.” An accompanying photo exhibit, “Radio Silence/Selected Photography,” comes to the Fourth Wall Project in Boston on Feb. 7, and the black-and-white images suit hardcore’s gritty aesthetic well.

Found this last month, some good pics for hardcore fans http://www.boston.com/ae/music/gallery/radiosilence?pg=11

Pay What You Want Candence Weapon Mixtape

Rob MacArthur — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:08:01 +0000

http://www.cadenceweaponmusic.com/
I love the opening track
Pay what you want

MMGPT: Girl Talk – Ride the Wave

Rob MacArthur — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:07:44 +0000

From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/caural/2733689746/

New Pink Mountaintops!! Soon! But not soon enough!

Rob MacArthur — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:04:06 +0000

Outside Love will be available 05/05/09

More details at Jagjaguwar