DubMC

What’s Your Story?: Forging Your Own Context in the Blurry New World of Music Media

NPR recently explored exuberant rock critic Chuck Klosterman’s side-splitting, stream-of-consciousness faux press release for an instrumental rock band. The seemingly silly exercise in pseudo-pr has something to say to global musicians.

Not only is the release a great compendium of nearly every irritating cliché known to rock/pop journalism, but it shows why stories—even if wildly improbable and patently false—are so important to understanding music, and not just for journalists being pitched by publicists, but for listeners in general.

NPR reporter Frannie Kelly pointed to research by NYU’s Michael Beckerman, a music historian and Dvorak biographer who discovered significant differences in the way listeners thought and felt about music once they heard the compelling story behind it.

As an example, he played a simple boogie-woogie piano riff. Sure, it was nice, but whatever.

Then Beckerman asked, "What role would it play if I told you the title was called 'Dark Blue World'? And what if I further told you that it was written by a Czech jazz pianist around 1929? And what if I told you that the jazz pianist himself was nearly blind? Could see only shadows, and that 'Dark Blue World' became his kind of personal anthem?" he asks. "You might listen to it differently, knowing that this was again a fraught story of a dark blue world all put together in this world of Czech jazz.

A whole new world opens up to the imagination.

Beckerman’s point is convincing. However, other researchers working in music psychology have found that reading descriptions of pieces—especially “dramatic descriptions” that wax poetic—appears to hamper music enjoyment, at least in a classical music context. Describing a Beethoven string quartet as an emotional hymn or referencing its musical structure, even in very clear lay terms, seemed to get in the way.

So which is it? Do stories help or hinder?

It depends. Does the story create context, putting the music in a bigger picture about the past, say? That seems to help people respond. However, fancy adjectives, technical terms, or even general emotive language? Not so much.

This holds for press releases, even for Klosterman’s work of fantastic realism. Journalists were intrigued by the stories Klosterman told. Some guy named Steve plays 40 instruments. He got signed to a label after a quirky chat at a strip mall.

Though odd, if these stories were true, they’d be really fun to write about. The truly laugh-provoking part of the release is the descriptions of the music. It’s the adjectives, not the fabrications, that make the release ridiculous.

Here’s the crucial point for global musicians trying to raise their profiles and get media attention. True, intriguing stories work in your favor. They are more important than fancy verbiage. They make people more receptive to your music, which means they’ll want to cover you. And your stories are likely just as unexpected as the ones Klosterman made up, if not more so.

Getting them down and into the best possible form—with appropriate, evocative language and careful attention to cultural details—is more important now than ever before. Stories, thanks to online and social media, have serious legs. They can walk out of press releases and onto the web, across boundaries that once seemed impermeable between fan and pro writing, or between advertising and editorial content (“advertorials” have long existed, but were once prohibitively expensive, not to mention reviled as shady, in the U.S.).

Now professional music critics and feature writers share an increasingly blurry frontier with cheerleading bloggers, eloquent fans spreading the word virally, and, yes, professional promoters who also write. Some press releases get posted verbatim online. Some writers and editors at time- and cash-strapped traditional media outlets sometimes chose copy and paste over original journalism.

This is not the way things should be, but it’s the way things are. It puts the responsibility and opportunity for crafting your own amazing story in your hands. Do it right: tell the truth, and tell it well.

The Gift of Focused Gab: Seven Ideas for Getting Your Music Across in Interviews

1.     Know your audience: Guess what? If a journalist is covering you, most likely she or he likes what you do. Or at least thinks it’s interesting enough to bother writing about. That means you have a pretty sympathetic ear. Relax into that.

But do your homework: find out what you can about your interviewers, their interests, and their outlets, with a quick online search, if nothing else. That way you can feel more at ease, knowing who you’re dealing with and what intrigues them.

2.     Perform: You wouldn’t give a concert while cooking a batch of rice, doing some laundry, and playing online chess. So don’t give an interview that way. It’s a performance of sorts; approach it like you would a concert. Give it your entire focus, to the best of your ability.

3.     Take the time: Ask the journalist how long she or he plans to speak with you. Then budget for at least 50% more time. So if a writer says the interview will take 30 minutes, make sure your schedule is clear for at least 45.

Block off some of that time before the interview is due to start, just in case your day gets nuts. And expect things to start late and take more time than anticipated. (This is, of course, in an ideal world, one that many touring artists don’t get to inhabit. But knowing you need some transition time may help things go more smoothly.)

4.     Get a clear connection: Again, ideally, you want to get to place that’s relatively quiet and distraction-free, where you can get decent (if not excellent) cell phone reception, or where internet speed and reliability actually allow online calls. This may be especially important if your verbal English has its rough moments, if your interview involves audio recording, or if you’re talking to a crucial media outlet.

If possible, test your connection by calling a friend beforehand. Have a back-up plan, including a way you can reach the journalist in a pinch and an alternate number or method he or she can reach you.

5.    Sum it up: Can you say what you do in ten words? Okay, how about twenty? While no one wants to hear an artist rattle off a prepared statement, you can think about ways to express what you’re up to succinctly.

If you’re working with a publicist, you should already have some clear angles and catch phrases in mind. If not, you can look at past press, talk to your agent or label, or even bounce ideas off a supportive, well-spoken fan. You’re looking for context, for useful comparisons, for brief but compelling stories, for appropriate descriptions you can use to bring the journalist into your life and work. Just make sure they’re to the point and that you avoid hype.

6.    Spell it out: Spell proper nouns, unfamiliar musical concepts, foreign language words, and other perplexing terms for your interviewer. Don’t assume the journalist knows exactly what you’re referring to. Though spelling things can break up the flow of conversation a bit, it saves everyone headaches in the long run.

7.    Answer the question: Don’t know how to respond to something? Is the question cryptic? Do what politicians do, and turn it around so that you can talk about what you think is important.

A blithe “I’m glad you asked that question” may not work for the music media, but you can ask for your interviewer to rephrase things. Or you can ask your own (polite) question back. Or you can rephrase the question yourself, and go on to answer it.

Whatever you do, say no to any variation on “I don’t know.” Respond. Open the dialogue. See if you can engage and take the conversation to another level.

Paste Magazine Asks for Help in Recession

Paste Magazine -- a well-written and well-designed national monthly publication that has very eclectic coverage and includes a bit of global music alongside all sorts of other thoughtful styles -- needs your help (they also produce an annual international issue). If you don't know the magazine, check it out. Let's show them that the global music community appreciates what they do. More info here.

 

World Music for Newcomers, One Web Writer Casts a Broad Net, by Megan Romer

Megan Romer wears two hats. In part one of this two-part installment, she wrote about the "tribe" that has formed around the GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance. In this, part two, she talks about a totally different approach to developing audiences for global music.

About.com, the outlet for whom I write and am solely in charge of world music content, is a New York Times company and consistently ranked in the Top 15 (not percent - the actual number) of most-visited websites in the US. "Guides," as we writers are known, are highly trained in Search Engine Optimization, web-friendly writing, e-commerce, metrics tracking, and so on.

So what does this mean for the world music community? Nothing at all. I don't write for the world music community. Die-hards have wonderful, dynamic websites that they can visit to learn more and dig deeper into obscure genres and old favorites, analyze industry news, keep track of various goings-on... there are several, all of which are great, all of which I spend a lot of time at: World Music Central, National Geographic World Music, Soundroots.org, DubMC, and so on. Those are the websites that are written for and by people like you and me.

My website is different.  I see it as my job to harvest the ripe, low-hanging fruits, those that are ready and waiting to be picked: people who saw Celtic Woman on TV and kind of liked the pure Irish stuff, but aren't quite sure where to start if they want something that isn't too rough, etc. People who like Bob Marley, but are completely baffled by the huge variety of reggae (and offshoots) on the market and definitely know that they don't like Beenie Man but aren't quite sure who they might like. People who saw the Edith Piaf movie and want to buy a CD but aren't really sure which one. I see it as my mission to turn these people into fans, however briefly. And it works. I have the metrics to prove it. I know that people have purchased lots of Karan Casey CDs because I told them that they'd like her if they liked Celtic Woman. I know that people are buying the wonderful Afroandina Christmas CD because they, like me, are dead tired of Jingle Bell Rock, and want a little something different. I know that people are more interested in the World Music Grammy Nominees than, in my opinion, they should be.

And that's okay! So what if 95% of them buy a single Ladysmith Black Mambazo CD (because they like Christian music and want to hear more of it from around the globe) and never buy another world music CD again? Even if 1% of them go on to see Soweto Gospel Choir live, and then perhaps attend a festival where LBM are playing, and hear Toumani Diabate for the first time, really enjoy it, move on to Toumani + Ali Farka, and from there move on to Vieux Farka, and so on, we're doing great. Every one of us discovered world music somehow -- very few of us (especially those of us who are of the Caucasian Persuasion) were raised on anything much world-ier than Harry Belafonte and Pete Seeger's version of Wimoweh. Perhaps Paul Simon or Peter Gabriel got us hooked. Maybe we heard Cesaria Evora on NPR, or picked up a Putumayo CD at the gift store.

My website doesn't necessarily create demand -- often it is more of a service. You, new world music listener, might like this CD. It's not too out-there, you'll relate, you'll dig it. Hard-core fans might not say it's the best, but I've been where you are, and I know that you'll find it accessible. But I do try to write with an emphasis on the importance of expanding your horizons, learning about other cultures, etc., which hopefully translates occasionally into a slight sense of obligation and need. I try very hard not to be pedantic or know-it-all-ish... I spend a good portion of my blogging time trying to make myself seem human and even sort of "normal," so as to try to get newbies to relate to me in a way that they wouldn't be able to if they actually knew what a blowhard I am in real life. And it works. My traffic continues to grow, and I continually see metrics that show me that certain types of sales are on the up-and-up. I feel good about what I do, even though I've gotten a fair bit of flak for it from my snobbier friends, and even from certain managers, bands, and publicists who can't understand why I won't spend my time reviewing their super-obscure CD when instead I could be devising new ways to push people into the Ladysmith-Soweto-Toumani chain that I described earlier.

The market needs expanding, and is totally expandable, but I think that universal expansion strategies simply won't work. A multi-pronged strategy is the only way to go.

The one thing I know for sure, though, is that the snobbiness has GOT to go, at least publicly. We (as a world music community) should be encouraging our tribe to spread the word in positive ways, instead of making blanket statements like, "anyone who thinks that Ravi Shankar is the best sitar player in the world is obviously too stupid to get past the Beatles and do some exploration on their own." Let's think of ways to do better, to foment positive-diacritical messages, instead of negative-critical ones. We bear a huge responsibility as an industry, and hold enormous power in our ability to truly change the face of culture as we know it by introducing and creating positive inter-cultural dialogue and cross-pollination, and we need to do it. In-fighting doesn't seem to be working, nor do the "I know more than you" pissing contests that seem all-too-regular... I think if we all took the other approach (in a rational, businesslike way, not in the hippy-dippy way that we sometimes lean towards), we'd be doing ourselves, our artists, and the world a huge favor.

NY Times on the New World Music

I hesitated to post this (the vanity factor), but it is relevant to the recent fan/border-crossing of global music. I got quoted in the New York Times on January 20, in an article about the band Dengue Fever (not a rock paper scissors, inc. client, by the way, but a cool band that did play at globalFEST previously, which rps publicizes):

"Dmitri Vietze, a publicist and marketer for many global music acts, sees the band as 'part of a larger developmental pattern' in world music. 'Can you stick them in the world-music bin at brick and mortar retail stores?' Mr. Vietze asked. 'I don’t know. But as far as how they fit into world music in a larger philosophical context, they are a part of a huge and promising future.' He noted that the American market had been introduced to world sounds most often by American artists who love and emulate them, like Paul Simon. Now, he said, he sees a movement toward music made and influenced by émigrés: 'We’re seeing more and more bands like Dengue Fever.'" Full article here.

I said some other things that didn't make it into the article. I mentioned David Byrne, Peter Gabriel, and Ry Cooder in addition to Paul Simon. I mentioned bands like Chicha Libre (pictured left), Antibalas, and Bole 2 Harlem which also fit into this diverse category of hip, edgy, USA-based globally minded bands that would not have been found in a world music bin back in the day when there was brick and mortar retail. I mentioned the shifting demographics of America which will continue to feed the fire of global music in America, where immigrant-made music will not be viewed in the mainstream as just be a nostalgic, quaint thing, but it will BE the mainstream. And as a result it will be very modern and have the much-desired "youth demographic."

DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., global music publicity firm.

Rumors of New Non-Profit Radio Licenses from FCC

DubMC has been informed of rumors circulating that, for the first time in a decade, the Federal Communications Commission is going to open an application window for FM broadcast licenses for nonprofit organizations. The available bandwidth would be geared towards new local, community-based stations. There is grassroots movement to start to organize consortia of performing arts communities and organizations to apply for the licenses. Many broadcast spectrums in densely populated markets are too full for new licenses, but up to two thirds of zip codes are thought to be eligible for new licenses. Wouldn't it be amazing if a local "world music" market teamed with other arts organizations to create globally-minded local radio station on par with Berlin's Radio Multikulti. Expect more details of this opportunity to be announced during the Arts Presenters world music preconference session on Digital Explosion.

DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., world music publicity firm.

Village Voice Dismisses World Music Beacon and Veteran Pop Music Critic Robert Christgau

DubMC was informed yesterday that the Village Voice dismissed "world music" beacon and veteran music critic Robert Christgau (who has been writing for the paper since 1969) along with seven other editorial staff. Today The New York Times reports that 20 people have been laid off since October when the Voice merged with New Times Media. Voice reporter and union steward Tom Robbins told the New York Times:  "We’ve been looking forward to this new editor coming on and then all of a sudden we get hit with these very deep cuts and firings, including people like Bob Christgau, who helped put The Voice on the map. It cuts the heart right out of the paper."

We reached Christgau by email this morning who wrote, "I don't have any idea what will become of 'world music' coverage at the Voice, except in the sense that an autonomous voice with a taste for such things will be absent, which can't be a plus. On the other hand, music editor Rob Harvilla was certainly in favor of my doing it, and was not in favor of my dismissal. He's the only one who can provide an answer."

DubMC has made an inquiry to Harvilla about Voice coverage of "world music" in this new era and we will post his response here if and when it arrives.

DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., world music publicity firm.