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That Eric Alper

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Video: This microtonal guitar could change music forever

Jun 29, 2015

The Adjustable Microtonal Guitar was designed by Tolgahan Çoğulu in 2008. It was accepted and funded as a scientific research project at Istanbul Technical University Dr. Erol Uçer Center for Advanced Studies in Music under the supervision of Prof. Şehvar Beşiroğlu. The first prototype was made by Ekrem Özkarpat. The new versions have been made by Briken Aliu since 2014.

In designing Adjustable Microtonal Guitar, Tolgahan Çoğulu was inspired by René Lacote’s and Walter Vogt’s guitars. In the Adjustable Microtonal Guitar, all the frets on the fretboard are movable in the channels under each string. Besides, any number of frets can be inserted into or removed from the fretboard.

In the equal temperament system used in Western classical music, the octave is divided into 12 half tones. On conventional guitar fretboards, the frets are half tone apart. Similarly, piano keys are also a half step apart. In Western classical music theory, the term microtone is used for an interval less than a half tone. Microtonal Music refers to pieces that use microtones in contemporary Western classical music repertoire. For example, Mexican composer Julian Carrillo divided the octave into 96 tones orAlois Haba into 24 pieces.

In addition to this, the term Microtonal Music also encompasses music that use intervals other than the equally-tempered 12 notes of an octave. For example, pieces written in Pythagorean, just intonation ormeantone temperament are also categorized under microtonal music.

In Ottoman/Turkish music theory, which is based on maqams, microtones are referred to as koma. In this system, a whole-tone is divided into 9 equal parts, and each part is called a koma according to Arel-Ezgi theory. For an alternative theory, you can read Ozan Yarman’s PhD.

Mind-Blowing Video: DJ Jazzy Jeff Mixes Run DMC’s “Peter Piper”

Jun 29, 2015

DJ Jazzy Jeff made his way to Serato’s home town Auckland, New Zealand recently where he showed off a special Run DMC – Peter Piper Routine that he put together with Serato DJ, the Rane Sixty-Two mixer, the new Pioneer PLX-1000 turntables, and DDJ-SP1 controller.

Watch as he goes to work on the track, cutting with razor sharp precision – trademark DJ Jazzy Jeff, stuff filmed in front of the iconic Rangitoto Island.

Chart: The average age of headline acts at Music Festival has gradually risen

Jun 29, 2015

As the demand for festivals becomes ever greater, a potential supply-side problem has started to become apparent. It hints at how the music industry has changed rapidly over the past ten years, and how it may need to adapt.

Over the past decade sales of recorded music fell sharply. According to the BPI, an industry body, income from recorded music fell from £1.2 billion in 2004 to just under £700m in 2014. The fall has slowed in recent years, partly because of the increase in online streaming, which accounted for £115m in 2014. But other revenue streams have become far more important—particularly the live music industry. In 2011 it was worth £1.6 billion, according to PRS for Music, which collects royalties on behalf of writers and publishers.

Artists bag only 10% of the net profit from recorded music, but can command up to 90% of gross ticket receipts. And promoters can make money from large, captive audiences by charging eye-watering prices for food, merchandise and parking.

However, the popularity of festivals poses a problem. As they have grown in Britain so too have they blossomed in America, Asia and Europe. But the pool of artists who appeal to large, diverse crowds and have enough music to play for an hour or more has not increased at the same rate. This means that there are not enough big headliners to go around. Analysis by Will Page, the director of economics at Spotify, a streaming service, shows that the average age of headline acts at nine festivals in Britain has gradually risen (see chart). In the 1990s, bands in their mid-twenties, such as Radiohead, headlined at Glastonbury, points out Mr Page. Although exceptions exist—this year, the 28-year-old Florence Welch was drafted in at the last minute to headline the Friday slot—it appears to be getting rarer, he says.

Part of the reason for this may be that punters themselves are ageing: according to Festival Insights, an industry publication, in 2014 the average age of a festival-goer was 33. Promoters may be reacting to this by putting on older acts. But it also reflects a supply-side constraint in the market, says Chris Carey, a music consultant. Fewer small clubs and pubs exist for new young bands to start out, he says, and older bands are still keen to perform live in order to boost their coffers. This means that fledgling artists find it both harder to start a career and to muscle in to a headline slot once they have gained momentum.

Via The Economist

Infographic: Apple Aims to Shake Up the Crowded Streaming Market

Jun 29, 2015

Tomorrow at 11 AM ET, Apple will begin its quest to shake up the music industry with the launch of its highly-anticipated streaming service Apple Music. The service will complement features similar to those of competing services such as Spotify and Tidal with elements of human curation and a 24/7 global radio station named Beats 1.
Apple enters a market that is already highly competitive and where there is little room for differentiation. However, it is also a market in which no player has managed to build a subscriber base that is too large for Apple to challenge. If Apple manages to convince only a fraction of the hundreds of millions of Apple device users to give its new service a try, Apple Music will be in contention for the market lead.

Today’s chart shows which music streaming services people in the United States currently use. It is based on a survey conducted by Edison Research earlier in 2015 (before the launch of Tidal).

This chart illustrates the adoption of music streaming services in the United States.

You will find more statistics at Statista

Reason #54,653 Why Taylor Swift Is Awesome. She Responds With This Heart-Felt Note To A Fan

Jun 29, 2015

Taylor Swift wrote another open letter this week on Tumblr, and no it wasn’t to Apple, but it was a heart-felt response to a fan having some trouble through a series of medical problems stemming from a congenital heart defect.

shakesitsoff:

hey tay! i’m not usually one for posts like this, but i have something i need to share with you.

you’ve seen a few of my posts before, but this is something that i’ve never shared with you… or anybody for the most part. i want to let you know that i was born with a congenital heart defect, and as a result i’ve had holes and leaks in two of the valves in my heart. i’ve had surgery twice and because of this my heart is mainly ((hence the word “mainly”)) hole free! however, ever since i actually could comprehend that there was something wrong with me, i never truly understood why i deserved to have a severe and life threatening condition anyway

in light of all my confusion, i’ve found someone whose made all of these blurry lines become clear and i want to thank you for that.. taylor, you’ve made each and every long hospital visit, echo, ekg, iv, etc., easier, and i am so so incredibly grateful for that. you allowed me to be accepting towards the condition that i have and i’m so unbelievably thankful for that… love you always, emily.

and Taylor Swift responded.

Hey Emily,
This was beautiful. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have to undergo huge surgeries like that, and the fear and stress that came along with them. Then you heal and have to live in constant fear that something might happen or you might work your heart too hard… I think it’s amazing that you’re so honest about how it’s affected you. It’s impossible to be positive all the time about something that completely terrifies and confuses you, and I’m glad you’re not putting that kind of weird pressure on yourself. Thanks for listening to my music to escape from your fears and to confront them. I really appreciate you writing this. Sending you the biggest hug from my hotel room, where I’ve just raided the snack bar and eaten everything in the style of a raccoon rummaging through a trash can.

SXSW Now Accepting Speaking Proposals through July 24

Jun 29, 2015

South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences and Festivals are now accepting programming proposals for the 2016 event with the launch of the popular PanelPicker. The PanelPicker interface is an online tool that allows the SXSW community to have a significant voice in programming Music, Film and Interactive conference activities through an open proposal and voting process. SXSW 2016 takes place March 11 – 20, 2016 in Austin, Texas.

PanelPicker is a two-step online system. Step One encourages the community to submit proposals for daytime conference programming at SXSW at http://panelpicker.sxsw.com beginning Monday, June 29, 2015 through Friday, July 24, 2015. Each individual account holder is permitted to submit one idea per Conference. Step Two allows the community to browse all of these ideas and rate which of these proposals they think are the best fit for the March events. Community voting begins Monday, August 10, 2015 and will continue through Friday, September 4, 2015. Votes from the community, along with feedback from SXSW Advisory Boards and the SXSW staff, will help determine programming for the 2016 event. Additional information including themes, presentation formats, and the user-generated tags feature built in to PanelPicker can be found at http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/faq. The first round of confirmed programming for all three conferences will be released in October 2015.

SXSW Music (March 15-20, 2016) is interested in the future of the music industry: insight on innovations, trends, well-researched predictions, and thoughtful advice and guidance to further careers. Attendees want to know about expanding the market for musical performance and recordings on an individual and collective level. The best ideas are based on speakers’ direct experience, and showcase their specialties. Proposals for specifically-focused panels or solo/dual presentations are welcome.

SXSW Film (March 11-19, 2016) is interested in focused case studies as well as developments in distribution, production, and audience building. Nuts and bolts educational workshops along with engaging Meet Ups for networking are also welcome. Entries for the Digital Domain program which addresses advancements in storytelling via multiple platforms, and creativity in digital environments are also encouraged. Like SXSW Interactive and Music Festivals, SXSW Film champions diversity and welcomes both specifically-focused panels or solo/dual presentations.

SXSW Interactive (March 11-15, 2016) is seeking advanced-level, thought provoking and creative ideas that will help push industries to innovate for the future.We will also continue our trend of increasing the number of solo, dual and instructional workshop programming that we accept, in lieu of panel sessions. We are excited to expand our programming to include more topics on health, government and policy, privacy and security, as well as specialty tracks including fashion, food and sports. SXSW Interactive is positioned at the forefront of creativity, so the more inventive the idea, the better. SXSW Interactive celebrates diversity in all its forms, which means diversity of opinions, genders, ethnicities, etc.

Some of the most unique elements of SXSW lie within the Convergent areas of our events, where programming topics organically envelop more than one featured industry. Convergence programming is accessible to more than one type of badge, as a bonus learning and networking opportunity. To submit proposals for convergence programming, ideas should be entered into the Film PanelPicker, Interactive PanelPicker, or Music PanelPicker.

In addition to submitting proposals for SXSW Conferences via PanelPicker, there are many ways to participate in SXSW 2016.

SXSW Music Festival will accept Artist Applications through Sonicbids starting June 29 thru October 24, 2015. Apply early for a discounted rate. For more information visit sxsw.com/music/festival/apply.

SXSW Film Festival will accept Feature Film, Short Film & Music Video Submissions from June 29 – November 3, 2015. Submit early for the early bird rate, and for more information visit sxsw.com/film/festival/submit.

Also starting August 3, SXSW Interactive will accept entries for the best digital creative work for the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, video game projects for the SXSW Gaming Awards and innovative startups for the SXSW Accelerator competition. The final deadline for all is November 6, 2015. Details can be found at sxsw.com/interactive/awards.

The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique industry convergence of music, film, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery. The event is a launch pad for innovative content with new media presentations, music showcases and film screenings providing exposure for creators and compelling entertainment for attendees. Registration and hotel reservations for the 2016 event will open on August 3, 2016. For more information, please visit http://sxsw.com.

Video: Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver On Transgender Rights

Jun 29, 2015

This week’s gay rights victory was historic, but the transgender community still faces staggering challenges. Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver focuses on the “T” in “LGBT.”

“Transgender people have a gender identity that differs from the one they were assigned at birth. Gender identity is who you are; sexual orientation is who you love. Some transgender people do undergo hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery as part of their transition; some do not. And interestingly, their decision on this matter is, medically speaking, none of your fucking business.”

Jimi Hendrix Experience in London concert poster. In no way were drugs involved.

Jun 29, 2015

Watch A Musician Write A Song One Syllable At A Time

Jun 28, 2015

Mike Love in a live setting elicits common reactions that typically revolve around terms like “powerful” & “goosebumps.” Combining elements of traditional Hawaiian music, the message, Mike’s masterful guitar playing and looping & the low end organic push of Sam Ites’ percussion, the group has made instant and life long fans out of anyone who has been fortunate enough to catch them live off of the islands.

https://youtu.be/1fSXxdn0RzI

Dodger fan’s top 50 catches in one video

Jun 28, 2015

This Dodger fan has caught hundreds of home runs with one hand while filming it with the other. Here are his top fifty catches. Note he gives his souviers to younger fans afterwards. I’d like to say, I’ve NEVER EVER caught a ball.

https://youtu.be/7jBfl1_zgTE