IASPM: Ecology

Laura Glitsos from Curtain university gave a paper this afternoon on the ecology of sacred space in relation to indie music and web 2.0. Laura spoke of the Ayahausca Ritual which is an indigenous practice that involves the consumption of a psychotropic vine commonly referred to as the vine of death. Laura sees the adoption of indigenous spirituality by western artists such as Ben Lee, The Bees and The Claxtons as a need to embrace religious sanctity because of the profane and unnatural quality of the digital space. Noting the improper and perhaps disrespectful appropriation of traditional cultural practices she stated that the deep sense of loss of history and tradition has led in these cases to a desire to elevate non materialistic lifestyles and thus sounds beyond the cold interface of cyberspace. Laura suggests that the nostalgic return to community is further driven by a sense of exploitation by firms such as Google and Facebook. She suggests the homogenisation of space itself disrespects musicians, particularly independent artists. Discourse by these artists seeks to priviledge traditional approaches to appease the artist's loss of creative input in the digital communication modes as well as introduce spirituality to the youth. The reaction is against the cultual imperialism and profanity of neocapitalism as reflected by digital architectures.  

IASPM: Fandom, Celebrity and Industry

Victor Vicente gave a great paper this morning on viral phenomenons on youtube. He discussed the early days of youtube going back to its original instability when launched as a dating site in 2005 and how after its purchase by Google in November 2006 it became very popular as an educational tool, was used as an archive or repository, offered an ethnographic field to study and became a primary source for music. Victor noted that it is now available in 54 languages with 43 localised versions. In his recent study he concluded that music remains its predominate use with the top 5 videos being commercially produced music videos, indeed 29 of the top 30 videos featured music. Of these, 2 (6%) were user generated with the remaining 28 (94%) being commercially produced). Twenty videos in the top 30 were distributed by VEVO. 

Victor's study concerned hybrid stars - user generated songs/clips that became famous. In particular he looked at 3 case studies - Muhammed Shahid Nazir "One Pound Fish", Psy "Gangnam Style" and Rebecca Black "Friday". After playing the clips he went on to note that common elements in user generated success appear to be: the juxtapositioning of the narrative of an ordinary person with qualities such as irony, kitschiness, flawed masculinity, humour, simplicity, repretitiveness and a whimisical air. A great paper! He's a picture of Victor (and another groovy musicologist, Julie) from last nights conference dinner. 

IASPM: Popular Music and Collective Experience

The papers presented in this session were fantastic. Kath Nelligan presented on Seeker Lover Keeper and feminism in popular music. Kath noted in particular the denial of feminism as an approach by this band but nonetheless its ability to embrace solidarity and reciprocity. Kath noted post feminist tendancies of femininity as opposed to feminism. She spoke of how music has become less overt since Helen Reddy and how feminism has become a dirty word - with women these days less likely to identify themselves in that way as a move away from collective identites to individualism.

David Hesmondhaigh presented a paper on collective experience and sociability. He spoke of the ecstacy of collectives, the envy of missing out, how music and dance establish new friendships and revive old ones as well as emotional intelligence and the dynamics of self realisation. He went on to discuss pub singing, sport singing and karaoke. David noted the psychosocial need for collective identity and participation, and how this can become a site for struggle in the formation of modern personhood. 

IASPM ANZ 2013: Communities, Places, Ecologies

Just arrived at the IASPM ANZ Conference. I will be here for the next 3 days and will be blogging about the fantastic papers being presented. The conference program looks fantastic. If you are near Southbank in Brissy drop in to the Queensland Conservatorium of Music if you would like to hear more yourself!! 

Conference Conference Conference

There are three oustanding conferences coming up later this year - so far I am only able to go to one of them but I would desperately love to go to all of them. Here they are:

IASPM ANZ
The Conference of the International Assocation for the Study of Popular Music is being held at the Queensland Conservatorium with Griffith University being the host. This is the annual conference for the association and is being held from 24 to 26 November 2013. I have registered to attend - not as a presenter this year, just as an audience member. You can find out all about it here.

5th IMC WORLD FORUM ON MUSIC
This conference looks amazing too! It is being held from 21 November to 26 November 2013, again in Brisbane. It is being held concurrently with IASPM NZ and it is possible to register for both conferences for a reduced fee. The key speakers and musicians look very informative and entertaining. Said to be the most comprehensive and unconventional music conference in the world, other activities on the program include performances and picnic under the stars, an electronic underwater music performance and the 1001 voices YouTube project for those that cant attend but are wishing to express what they see as the future for music, as well as many other events. Please head to their website to find out more information. 

FWD
This conference is dedicated to digital activism. It is being held in Melbourne on 6 November 2013. The list of speakers looks fantastic with representatives from many non profits coming together to discuss strategies and the impact of online campaigning. There is a limit to the number of people they will allow in attendance - participants need to complete an application form and have their registration approved prior to paying the conference fee. This looks fabulous - I hope I can make it. More information is available here.

Web Weavers of the Future

I attended the lecture given by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, developer of the World Wide Web held at Melbourne University on 4^th February 2013.

The lecture was titled ‘Web Weavers of the Future’ and was sponsored by, amongst others, iiNet and the Australian Computer Society.

To begin with Sir Berners-Lee spoke about the impact of existing systems on social structures and industries. In particular he spoke about journalism and how it is designed to provide filtered and yet accurate information about events and issues and that it is like a valve between society and events as it both effects and affects how we live. He sought to consider its core functions (sifting data and communicating information) and noted that in conceptualising core functions in any area one is well placed to then consider how structures and systems shape or direct the achievement of those functions. He noted that a present, with respect to journalism, the internet has undermined the ability of newspapers to sustain themselves and yet he stated that he is repeatedly told by people that the cacophony of information on the internet is too difficult to manage. So essentially there appears some work yet to be done to change the way newspapers are offered to consumers on the web.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee then went on to consider the decentralised nature of the internet and the impact of centralised systems such as Facebook. He suggested that the popularity of Facebook, and indeed other social networking software in other countries, was in effect a bottling up of the internet that taken to its extreme could impact on the availability or appreciation of the wider internet. He commented on the false positives that are emphasised by having a ‘like’ button but not a ‘dislike’ button and how the architecture itself did not facilitate true or all communication equally. Sir Tim Berners-Lee further noted the high quality content that users give to social networking sites in terms of their personal details, their day to day activities, their personal connections, photographs etc. and sought to acknowledge how these networks were placed in terms of their control over our lives and with respect to the level of detailed information they retain about us. What to us is a simple social connection, to them is a wealth of information that can be exploited in ways that we may not yet understand.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee then went on to speak about open education and in particular open access to academic journals. He suggested that the university systems was wrong in the way it ranked or rewarded publications, expressing a need and desire for universities to reward academics for publishing in journals that had open access. He characterised academic articles as in effect being Government data and as such should be as widely available as possible. Sir Tim Berners-Lee expects that the majority of journals will be open access soon and the bulk of new articles will be made available for free with back catalogues being released in due course. 

As an aside to the discussion about open access to journals Sir Tim Berners-Lee spoke in detail about Aaron Shwartz, a young ICT student in America that sought to access JSTOR and download as many of their journals as he could. He noted that as a student Aaron was legally able to access the articles, that he had only liberated or republished the articles that were already in the public domain and how the nature of the research that he was seeking to do, on metatags, genuinely required access to a large database of articles. Aaron was charged with a felony offence based on the law in the United States that specifies that any breach of the terms of service with an internet provider, in this case his university, was to be classified as cybercrime. Sir Tim Berners-Lee noted that there is a clear distinction between cybercrime and activism and that in this case the law was clearly wrong for not setting a clear enough distinction between the two. Aaron committed suicide rather than face the some 20-30 year jail term that would have resulted from a trial. He stated that this was a tragic loss and a sad reflection on the law and the politicians that passed it and the impetus for a new momentum for open access to journals.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee then went on to speak more generally about how it was unacceptable for Governments of today not to understand or to act as though they do not understand the internet. He noted that there are many well qualified people that can be consulted in the drafting of laws, that the social interest is paramount and that politicians themselves need to be using this technology as part of their own function in society.

Indeed society as a whole is yet to experience the true potential of the internet in many ways. One in particular that Sir Tim Berners-Lee referred to is the real time sharing of scientific data and the running of complex and large experiments.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee spoke empathically about the broader political effect that can and will take place using the internet. He said we can change the world with software.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee Australian Lectures

Wow! It appears I have a ticket and funding to attend a lecture to be given by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in February. iiNet and others are sponsoring a three city tour that includes free public talks. If you are interested in attending you can read more about it here.

Further Information
Australian Computer Society, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the Web first visit in 15 years to Australia (January 2013) < http://www.acs.org.au/news-and-media/news-and-media-releases/2012/sir-tim-berners-lee,-inventor-of-the-web-first-visit-in-15-years-to-australia > at 8 January 2013

IASPM ANZ: Photos

What a great conference! Thanks Hobart!

IASPM: Music Festivals and the State of our Planet: An Eco-Musicological Perspective

Donna Weston gave a fantastic paper this afternoon. She talked about ecomusicology and in particular WOMADelaide and Woodford Folk Festival and the connection between music and the environment. Donna stated that at music festivals there is commonly a sense of community, a common purpose and often a degree of environmental awareness.

The aim of her study was to consider ways in which festivals could be forums where environmental responsibility is raised with a particular view to inspiring people to take action to help the environment after the festival is over.

By way of an introduction to the ideas of ecomusicolgy, Donna explained that the field concerns itself with the relationship between society and the natural environment. It questions the role that musicology plays in the welfare and survival of humanity. Furthermore it asks whether the environmental crisis is relevant to music and whether musicology is relevant to solving it.

Donna was particularly interested in finding out how festivals incorporate environmental issues into their programs and reduce their environmental impact. Solidarity concerts, calls to action, raising awareness both from artists speaking out and displays, stalls and speakers, making financial donations to NGOs, merchandising, and showing audiences proof of environmentally friendly technology in action were all ways that these festivals had sought to promote environmental awareness.

Donna suggested that it would be best to adopt a deep ecology approach to the organisation of music festivals in the future to produce deep thinking and wisdom from audience members to ensure that individual responsibility and action emerges.

Donna mentioned a book I am hoping to get my hands on soon - Juke Box In The Garden - sounds like a fabulous read.

IASPM ANZ: Flows of Relevance: still fighting the power 23 years on?

I saw a very interesting paper at IASPM this morning by Sarah Attfield. Sarah spoke about Public Enemy and The Specials and the relevance of their music more than two decades after its release. Sarah noted that while Billy Bragg says that music cannot change the world, it can bring people together. Sarah suggested that listening to Public Enemy's Fight the Power and going to their concert could be a catalyst for a listeners entry into activism. She noted John Street's view that music has been the site of political expression for centuries with some songs explicitly referring to political issues and events, some reflecting on society and other songs being adopted for occasions or causes. Sarah suggested that while political music is often grounded in the lyrical content and the music can be from any genre, the sound of the music is still a very important component to the potential impact of the song and its reception. She also suggests that who performs it is very important with Taylor Swift, for example, being unable to carry a song such as Fight the Power. Sarah reflected on her experience of going to a Public Enemy concert in recent years and suggested that they now attract a very broad audience of both young and old people. Sarah also noted the sadness in the continued relevance of their music to the socio economic circumstances and incarceration rates of African Americans. A very interesting paper, I really enjoyed it.

IASPM ANZ: The #RockStar in Social Media

I am at the conference for the International Association for the Study of Popular Music in Hobart, Tasmania. I just saw a fantastic paper by Penny Spirou on the functions of social media for rock stars. Penny spent a lot of time talking about NikkiSixx and his use of facebook and twitter. Penny identified the three central functions of social media for rock stars as being; 1. Autobiography 2. Intimacy and 3. Self branding and promotion. It was a very interesting paper and these three qualities are easily identifiable in the posts made by the artists that I myself follow. Most of the artists I follow (being more of the political musician type) also post a lot about causes they are interested in. Perhaps for those artists there is a fourth function of social activism.

International Association of Popular Music Au/NZ

Just a quick note to let you know I am presenting a paper at the International Association of Popular Music Conference (Australia New Zealand) in Hobart soon. The conference is being held in Hobart Tasmania from 5 December 2012 to 7 December 2012. I am presenting a paper on the flow of political music on the Internet and will be comparing the regulatory states (commerce, law, architecture, and social norms) that were in place for the release of two songs -The GetUp Mob version of From Little Things Big Things Grow and the song George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People by The Legendary K.O. I am presenting on Thursday 6 December 2012. If you happen to be in the area perhaps have a look at the conference program and details on the IASPM A/NZ website. I have presented at this associations conference 3 times before and I am really looking forward to it. I plan to blog a little bit about it while I am there. Some of the papers look really interesting.

Freemuse: World Conference on Artistic Freedom of Expression

Freemuse write on their blog that they are hosting a conference coming up later in the year called ‘All That is Banned is Desired’ – the World Conference on Artistic Freedom of Expression at the Oslo Opera House on 25-26 October 2012. The conference is also being organised by the Fritt Ord Foundation. It concerns creative people who have faced censorship, imprisonment or even abduction. Artists including Burmese comedian and film maker, Zarganar, visual artist Larissa Sansour and playwright Gurpreet Kaur and others that will talk about their experiences and struggle for freedom of artistic expression.

You can find out more about the conference on the Freemuse website.

Further Reading
Freemuse, Adam Fischer joins the World Conference in Oslo (29 August 2012) < http://artsfreedom.org/?p=2598 >  at 4 September 2012

IASPM - ANZ 2012 Conference

I was pretty happy to find out yesterday that my abstract has been accepted for the 2012 International Association for the Study of Popular Music (Australia and New Zealand) conference, to be held in Tasmania in December this year (5th to 7th). The theme of the conference is Shifting Sounds: Musical Flow and my abstract is titled: “The Flow of Political Music on the Internet: The Get Up Mob’s ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ and the Legendary K.O.’s ‘George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People’ as case examples of political music on the internet”. The paper I am going to present examines these two songs and the role the internet played in their dissemination and reception. I am particularly keen to discuss the regulatory factors that enabled/hampered their reception and how changes could be made in the future to better ensure the flow of political music on the internet. If you are interested in finding out more about the conference, check out the IASPM ANZ website here.

Further Information
IASPM ANZ, IASPM-ANZ 2012 Conference (11 May 2012) < http://iaspm.org.au/iaspm-anz-2012-conference/#more-396 > at 23 June 2012
 

Music Freedom Day March 3

This Saturday March 3rd is Music Freedom Day - coordinated by FreeMuse. Events have been organised in 22 countries around the world with events such as open discussions, workshops, exhibitions, film shows and concerts. Freemuse invites musicians, music promoters as well as musicians’ unions and music journalists to join in.

Music Freedom Day 2012 calendar event page on Facebook:
facebook.com/freemusesec#!/events/213220972066127/

Freemuse’s page on Facebook:
facebook.com/freemusesec

You can read more about it here.

Rethink Music 2012

The ReThink Music Conference is making its second appearance - this year it is due to be held in Boston from 23 - 24th April 2012. Registration is now open with early bird rates disappearing on 17th February 2012.

"Rethink Music is a solutions-focused event, with workshops, presentations, and panels designed to foster solutions for tomorrow's music industry. Our goal is to give a voice to industry executives, musicians, and academics and create a real debate about how to move the industry forward."

You can find out more about the conference from the website here and keep up to date with the announcement of new speakers. Confirmed speakers so far include Chris Kaskie - President, Pitchfork, Jim Griffin - Managing Director, OneHouse LLC and Cecily Mak - Vice President and General Counsel, Rhapsody International Inc.

Also, be sure to check out their Genesis Project where you can submit ideas for new business models and win some fantastic prizes - here.

Future of Music Coalition Summit 2011

The fabulous Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit is back for 2011 being held at Georgetown University from October 3 - 4, 2011. They write:

The music industry sometimes seems to be stuck on pause. But musicians aren’t waiting around for the future to come to them; they’re actively constructing it. To make the most of opportunities and avoid obstacles, musicians require the right tools and the right partners. The 2011 Future of Music Policy Summit will examine the issues that matter most to today musicians, songwriters and composers — from the hyper-local to the truly global. What do artists require to make an impact in a content-rich, capital-challenged environment? How does policy impact musicians’ ability to thrive, not just today, but tomorrow? Is the industry finally ready to play nice with technology? Would bold changes to traditional music business models be the rising tide to lift all boats? Can all stakeholders work constructively towards a music marketplace that rewards both artists and fans? The 2011 Future of Music Policy Summit puts the focus squarely on musicians and their real-world perspectives to address these questions and more. Check your assumptions at the door, and join us in fast-forwarding to the future of music.

Further Information
Future of Music Coalition, Policy Summit 2011 (July 2011) < http://futureofmusic.org/events/future-music-policy-summit-2011 > at 25 July 2011

World Copyright Summit

The World Copyright Summit is being held in Belgium on the 7th and 8th of June 2011. You can find a list of speakers here. The conference theme is Create-Connect-Respect with a particular concern for creating value in the digital economy - from their website:

The World Copyright Summit is a truly international and cross-industry event addressing the future of the creative community and the entertainment business in the digital economy.

All stakeholders involved in creative industries – creation, licensing, usage, collective management, legislation and dissemination of intellectual property and creative content – now have a unique forum to exchange views on the value of creative works, the future of authors’ rights, the role of creators and their collective management organisations.

The theme of the conference will focus on the following:

• Create: The global eco-system for creators and creative industries
• Connect: The digital economy and new business models
• Respect: Authors’ rights and the legislative & social environment

This will include, among other things, issues such as Europe as a driving force in the digital economy, the role of creators in the digital environment, creating value in the digital economy, ISPs in the digital eco-system, the future of books, resale rights for visual artists, building bridges between creators and the digital generation, cultural diversity, and licensing.

I must admit I don't recognise a lot of the speakers and it does looked stacked with those preferring a protectionist approach to copyright.

Australian Brett Cottle, CEO, APRA / AMCOS (Australia) is hosting a keynote session from US author and business journalist Robert Levine. "In his forthcoming book Free Ride – How the Digital Parasites Are Destroying the Culture Business, and How the Culture Business Can Fight Back (Random House) Levine provides an alternative view to the „internet-is-free‟ discourse and delivers a call-to-action to content owners."