From MakeZine:
What can you make with two cake pans, 20 toothpicks, some lumber, and a handful of screws? A Panjolele! Whitehall, Michigan-based maker Chester Winowiecki loves to make his own musical instruments. A few years back, Chester wanted to make a cigar box ukulele and had the box and wood, but needed to order the frets and a slotted fretboard. Itching to make, he thought about how to substitute those parts:
“Sweet Georgia Brown” on the Panjolele from MAKE magazine on Vimeo.
The European Union has announced that it will be moving towards integrating its 28 countries into adigital single market, with hopes that this process will be completed before the end of 2016.
Right now, all 28 European Union countries have their own set of e-commerce laws, copyright laws and digital media regulations that are applicable to digital content within their borders. With 315 million Europeans using the Internet daily, the European Union believes that the fragmentation and barriers that have emerged through 28 individual national markets are an impediment to growth.
Their policy solution is a digital single market. The European Commission defines a DSM as a market “in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured and where individuals and businesses can seamlessly access and exercise online activities under conditions of fair competition, and a high level of consumer and personal data protection, irrespective of their nationality or place of residence.”
In practical terms, the European Commission believes that taking down national barriers, and creating a DSM, will bring about tangible economic benefits to the European Union as a whole. Their data shows that a fully functional DSM will generate an additional €415 billion for the economy, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and further cement Europe as a vibrant, knowledge-based society.
The strategy to implement the DSM is based on 3 pillars. These 3 pillars collectively include 16 recommendations or next steps that the EC plans to undertake:
Via CIMA
Spotify claims to have represented one out of every ten dollars record labels earned in the first quarter. This bombshell statistic came from Will Page, Spotify’s director of economics, during his Music Biz presentation during the Music Biz Conference in Nashville on Tuesday (May 12).
Page’s claim shows the speed at which subscription services are gaining share of the U.S. market. According to IFPI data, all subscription services accounted for 10.2 percent of U.S. recorded music revenue in 2014. If Spotify had a 10-percent share in the first quarter, it’s safe to say the overall subscription share is well above the 10.2 percent registered last year.
Much of Page’s presentation seemed aimed at Spotify skeptics in the audience. While explaining how streaming “is no longer an outlier in the business,” Page noted Spotify has launched in 32 of the 37 countries where streaming is the primary digital source of revenue. Page also pointed out that Spotify is half of the $1.5 billion global subscription streaming market. In the U.S. market, Spotify made up approximately 90 percent of last year’s growth in subscription revenue, according to Page.
Via Billboard
Apple has seeded the third beta version of its upcoming iOS 8.4 update, with most of the new tweaks centered around the music app as the company gears up to launch its Beats-driven streaming service next month.
The current update includes a streamlined look for the Music app, with a new mini-player, a new-look, easier-to-get-to iTunes Radio section and a wider range of results in Music Search. In addition, the Now Playing screen opens as a full screen when you hit play as opposed to just appearing as a bar at the bottom. There’s also a more prominent toggle switch to let you turn off the Cloud and just show the music on your phone.
Via Billboard
Leonard Bernstein brings us to the core of jazz while he comments on live performances and teaches us the principal features of this classic American music.
https://youtu.be/V3DnZ6rG3vI
tlantic recording artist Ed Sheeran has announced a major flurry of spring activity, highlighted by “5,” the first-ever North American release of five legendary EPs originally self-released by the GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer/songwriter himself, available both individually and collectively, as a special bundle here.
“5” – released via Atlantic & Gingerbread Man Records, Sheeran’s own recently launched label imprint – includes 2009’s “YOU NEED ME,” 2010’s “LOOSE CHANGE,” “SONGS I WROTE WITH AMY” (featuring collaborations with Welsh songstress Amy Wadge, co-writer with Sheeran of the worldwide smash single, “Thinking Out Loud”), and “LIVE AT THE BEDFORD,” as well as 2011’s breakthrough “NO. 5 COLLABORATION PROJECT.” Among the five EPs are classic songs later re-recorded for Sheeran’s history-making debut album, 2011’s RIAA platinum certified “+,” including “Wake Me Up,” “The City,” and “You Need Me, I Need You”.
Meanwhile, Sheeran is among the superstars set to appear live on the 2015 Billboard Music Awards, performing his hit single, “Bloodstream,” for the first time on North American television. The singer/songwriter is also among the event’s top nominees, with nods for “Top Male Artist,” “Top Billboard 200 Artist,” “Top Radio Songs Artist,” “Top Digital Songs Artist,” and “Top Billboard 200 Album” (for 2014’s chart-topping, RIAA platinum certified “x”). The 2015 Billboard Music Awards air live from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena on ABC, this Sunday, May 17th, at 8 PM (ET/PT) (check local listings).
On June 21, Ed will co-host and perform at the 2015 Much Music Video Awards – his fourth year in a row appearing on the award show.
“Bloodstream” – originally found on the blockbuster “x” – has proven an international sensation, with its retooled version featuring Rudimental marking Sheeran’s eighth UK top 10 hit. The track’s companion video – directed by Emil Nava (Calvin Harris, Jessie J) and initially created for the 2015 YouTube Music Awards – is also a popular favorite, with total views now in excess of 12 million.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Orq_75kFi8I.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, this past Saturday night saw Sheeran release the stunning Emil Nava-directed companion video for “Photograph,” the latest single from the globally successful “x”. The captivating clip – which features never-before-seen childhood footage of Sheeran himself – has already amassed nearly 3 million views in the first 48 hours and is streaming at Sheeran’s YouTube page at https://youtu.be/nSDgHBxUbVQ. What’s more, Ed recently performed acoustic versions of “Photograph” and “Thinking Out Loud” on a special live episode of NBC’s hit comedy series Undateable, with different versions presented on the East and West Coasts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6odNU26fD4
One of the planet’s most popular and electrifying live performers, Sheeran will spend his summer on tour, with the current sold out North American leg, which kicked off last week with a sold out show at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. The dates are highlighted by a blockbuster four sold out New York area shows; two nights at the famed Forest Hills Stadium (May 28th and 29th) followed by one night each, at the Prudential Center (May 30th) and the Barclays Center (May 31st). In addition to this, the trek includes a pair of sold out shows at both Los Angeles’ iconic Hollywood Bowl (June 24th and 25th), and Denver’s iconic Red Rock Amphitheatre (June 29th and 30th). Other highlights include top-billed performances at Las Vegas’ Rock In Rio USA on May 15th and Milwaukee’s Summerfest on July 3rd.
From there Sheeran returns home for five colossal stadium dates, all completely sold out, including three nights at London’s Wembley Stadium (July 10th, 11th, and 12th) and two at Dublin, Ireland’s Croke Park (July 24th and 25th). In September, he returns to North America for a second leg of shows, beginning with two of his biggest-ever US performances at Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium on September 3rd and Dallas’s Toyota Stadium on September 5th and then closing September 25th at Foxboro, MA’s Gillette Stadium. An additional series of stadium concerts are slated for Australia and New Zealand in late November. For a complete tour itinerary, remaining ticket information, and regular updates, check out his website.
ED SHEERAN
“5”
(Gingerbread Man/Atlantic Records)
TRACKLISTINGS
“YOU NEED ME” EP
Original Release: November 2, 2009
1. You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
2. So
3. Be Like You
4. The City
5. Sunburn
“LOOSE CHANGE” EP
Original Release: February 7, 2010
1. Let It Out
2. Homeless
3. Little Bird
4. Sofa
5. One Night
6. Firefly
7. The City (Live At Sticky Studios)
8. Firefly (Bravado Dubstep Remix)
“SONGS I WROTE WITH AMY” EP
Original Release: April 4, 2010
1. Fall
2. Fire Alarms
3. Where We Land
4. Cold Coffee
5. She
“LIVE AT THE BEDFORD”
Original Release: September 7, 2010
1. The A Team
2. Homeless
3. The City
4. Fall
5. Wake Me Up
6. You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
“NO. 5 COLLABORATIONS PROJECT” (Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records)
Original Release: January 7, 2011
1. Lately (Devlin)
2. You (+ Wiley)
3. Family (+ P Money)
4. Radio (Feat. JME)
5. Little Lady (+ Mikill Pane)
6. Drown Me Out (+ Ghetts)
7. Nightmares (+ Random Impulse + Sway + Wretch 32)
8. Goodbye To You (+ Dot Rotten)
“You know at just about all of our shows, and wherever we go, we usually do an impersonation… and we had a request here tonight to do an impersonation of a rock and roll singer…”
The Kidz Field at Glastonbury is always a place of magic and wonder, but this year – the field’s 21st anniversary – they’ve really outdone themselves. Renowned physicist and mathematician Professor Stephen Hawking is coming to the Kidz Field for a special guest appearance. This looks to be the perfect opportunity to start the rumour that he will be appearing with Pink Floyd and perform the song Talkin’ Hawkin’, found on their The Endless River album.
As always, all children aged 12 or under are admitted free to Glastonbury Festival 2015, and all activities within the Kidz Field will be without charge. Glastonbury Fest 2015 runs June 24-28. Tickets are sold-out — bad news for all those Hawking superfans who waited too late to buy passes.
SiriusXM today announced the launch of “Career Playbook Radio,” an all-new career advice show hosted by Jim Citrin, partner at executive search firm Spencer Stuart and best-selling author on leadership and career success. “Career Playbook Radio” is focused on giving millennials, young professionals, and parents of recent college grads expert insight into getting a great job and laying the foundation for a successful career.
“Career Playbook Radio” will be a weekly conversation with top executives, industry veterans, and thought leaders sharing their personal experience and knowledge with aspiring young professionals who are seeking to carve out a distinctive place with their careers in the first decade after graduation.
Each week, “Career Playbook Radio” will feature a wide slate of leaders from top companies and institutions, including: Gail McGovern, CEO and President, American Red Cross; Justin Smith, CEO, Bloomberg Media Group; J. Patrick Doyle, CEO and President of Domino’s Pizza Inc.; Laszlo Bock, Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google Inc.; Lori Goler, Vice President of Human Resources and Recruiting at Facebook, Inc.; Kristen Fitzpatrick, Managing Director, Alumni & MBA Career and Professional Development, Harvard Business School; Admiral Eric Olson, retired Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM); and Soo Hong, Chief Human Resource Officer, WeWork.
“‘Career Playbook Radio’ is a truly unique opportunity to use the reach and impact of SiriusXM to help graduating college students, aspiring young professionals, and their families get a great job and build a successful career,” says Jim Citrin, author of “The Career Playbook, Essential Advice for Today’s Aspiring Young Professional.” “This is a topic I’m absolutely passionate about – helping young people in their 20s succeed in their careers.”
“Jim Citrin has provided wise and experienced counsel to a generation of business leaders; now he will provide that valuable counsel to the next generation of young adults looking for career guidance in one of the most competitive marketplaces ever,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. “With jobs in some sectors drawing hundreds or thousands of candidates, and hiring standards and protocol in flux, people are looking for help. On each show, Jim and an array of executives and educators will guide listeners with practical, real-world advice on launching and advancing their careers.”
The 6-week series, “Career Playbook Radio,” will launch on May 16, and air Saturdays at 5:00 pm, and rebroadcast on Sundays at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm (all times Eastern) on SiriusXM Insight, channel 121. Subscribers will also be able to listen to the show via SiriusXM On Demand on smartphones and other connected devices as well as online at siriusxm.com.
Jim Citrin is a noted expert on leadership, executive success, and CEO succession. He is the author of six books, including the critically acclaimed “You Need a Leader, Now What? How to Choose the Best Person for Your Organization,” and international bestsellers, “You’re in Charge, Now What?” and “The Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers.”
Jim is one of the world’s leading executive recruiters and heads Spencer Stuart’s North American CEO Practice. Throughout his 21 years at Spencer Stuart, Jim has worked with clients on more than 600 CEO, board director, and top management searches for leading media, technology, communications and consumer companies, as well as private-equity firms and major not-for-profit institutions.
