Category Archives: Music Musings

I know this is mainly a political blog, but I love to write about music too. This wouldn’t be my blog if I didn’t.

Houston, Houston Politics, Music Musings

Houston Mayor Nationally Recognized For Arts Leadership

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Behind every successful artist, there is a network of people, and places that have paved the way for their success.  Those who champion great art don’t often get the recognition they deserve, and all too often, their role is much more important than people may ever realize.  In recent years, Houston has seen unprecedented growth and prestige in the city arts scene, due in no small part to a municipal government which has worked to foster that growth.  At the helm of that government, Houston Mayor Annise Parker received a special accolade for innovative approach to the city’s arts scene.  Here’s more from a City of Houston Press release…

For 17 years as a council member, controller and now Mayor of Houston, Mayor Parker has been an avid supporter of the arts. As a council member she shepherded a civic art ordinance that sets aside 1.75% of qualifying capital improvement projects.   She introduced and passed an ordinance to use the Hotel Occupancy Tax to provide an unprecedented amount of funding—up to $86 million over 5 years —for arts and cultural organizations and programming. Working with her Office of Cultural Affairs, Mayor Parker has launched a large public engagement and planning process to develop a vision, goals and objectives for the future of arts and culture in Houston. Additionally, Mayor Parker nominated “Cultural Districts,” representing Houston’s Museum District, Theater District, Midtown Arts District and others, which have successfully been designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts. Through the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, the Mayor has introduced economic tools to help further the enhancement of cultural institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.  In partnership with the Houston Arts Alliance, new civic artworks have been commissioned, purchased or are underway. And Mayor Parker is a poet and writer herself; in 2013, she named Houston’s first poet laureate.

“Arts and culture contribute to our quality of life and are an expression of the soul of a city,” remarked Mayor Parker.  “Houston prides itself on being the most diverse city in the nation.  Our cultural communities are a big part of that. Through public policy and funding opportunities, we are working hard to grow and expand arts and culture projects in our City.  I want to thank you for this award.  It is truly humbling to have our efforts recognized.”

“During her tenure, Mayor Parker has put the arts front and center in her agenda,” stated Jonathon Glus, president and CEO of the Houston Arts Alliance. “Mayor Parker has worked tirelessly to integrate the arts into the fabric of City Hall—from shepherding greater investment in cultural facilities to launching the city’s first cultural plan in more than 20 years. She continually makes the case for continued corporate leadership in the arts, culture, and creative economies and works to extend the impact of the arts throughout our expansive city.”

“Every year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors recognizes the exemplary efforts of local leaders who believe as much as we do that the arts are the heart of our society,” remarked Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Arts and culture help shape a city’s quality of life, but mayors also understand the connection between the arts and business and the arts’ impact on the local economy.”

Ask any of the over 220 artists, cultural groups and organizations that receive annual grants from the Houston Arts Alliance, and they will let you know how vital a supportive municipal government has been to their success.

In her short remarks receiving the award, Parker said that she views arts and culture as “part of the infrastructure of a city”.  Much the same way that our communities must have roads to transport people from point A to point B, and we must have clean water to drink, the arts provide an invaluable outlet for creativity and expression.  The arts can be the tie that binds otherwise disparate populations, but can also lay the groundwork for commonality and compromise when we are faced with substantive problems to solve.  If there is one portion of her legacy that Annise Parker can be proud of, it will surely be that she was a champion of Houston art and culture.  Her fellow Mayors across the country have taken notice too.

Music Musings

Music Musings: Sia Pushes Boundaries With ‘Elastic Heart’ Video

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In the modern-day pop music industry, it’s really tough to find someone that is a true risk-taker.  Record companies survive on the slimmest of profit and debt margins, and as a result they seek desperately to contain creativity.  Artists, on the other hand, are always searching for a way to both break the mold and be rewarded for their efforts.  Few are able to push the boundaries while achieving measurable success.

But few have the gifts, talent and dedication of Australian singer-songwriter Sia Furler.  For one thing, her trajectory into music super-stardom has been much longer than most artists, as she seems to be reaching the peak her success now in her late 30s.  Her very long list of collaborators… from Rhianna to Beyonce to David Guetta… is a testament to how much influence she has throughout the industry.  But as a solo artist, it took the work of her and Guetta to launch Sia straight into the stratosphere with the 2012 smash hit Titanium, regularly cited as one of the best pop songs of the decade.

After Titanium, Sia released what some think is her greatest album yet, 1000 Forms of Fear. Just as the new year starts, Sia releases the epic song Elastic Heart for the album’s second single, with a controversial video that nearly broke the internet hours after it was posted.  Hunger Games fans may already know the song from the Catching Fire soundtrack.

The new video stars Maddie Ziegler (who previously starred in the video for Chandelier) and veteran movie and television actor Shia Labeouf.  The whole video is shot with Lebeouf chasing Ziegler in a large metal cage.  Though one can easily misinterpret singular images as disturbing or predatory, one thorough view of the entire video reveals that it’s less about the characters, but more about a depiction of inner struggle.  Perhaps it represents someone who cannot defeat a problem like drug addiction, illness or a difficult relationship.

In one scene, Ziegler quickly and easily escapes from the cage, while Labeouf is trapped behind the bars reaching for her.  Amazingly, he pulls his whole upper body out of the cage, yet still cannot figure how to actually get out of it.  It’s a metaphor many of us have dealt with time and again, where the solution to a seemingly complicated problem is well within our grasp… we just cannot see it.

Elastic Heart also challenges many societal stereotypes.  We see a true redefinition of bravery, courage and strength, as the young girl proves to have much more of each quality than the seemingly stronger adult man.  Is this video meant to be a feminist statement?  Not sure, but it’s certainly possible to read that way as well.

Lacking huge special effects, shocking costumes or expansive effects, the video is quite simplistic on first observation.  But the message, and how it connects with the contents of Elastic Heart, are profound.

Whatever your reaction, Elastic Heart is sure to get people talking, and once again cast the spotlight on this trailblazing artist.  Both the song and video are some of Sia’s best work yet.  Watch for yourself here…

Music Musings

Music Musings: Taylor Swift Gets Real About the Music Business

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Check out Taylor Swift’s incredible speech at the Billboard Women in Music Awards.

The music superstar made the state while accepting the award for Billboard’s Woman of the Year.  Swift, a seven-time Grammy Award winner and twelve-time Billboard Music Award winner, had the year’s highest selling album by a single artist with 1989 (only Disney’s smash hit Frozen has sold more as of now).  Swift is one of the most powerful voices in all of the music industry right now.

So her choice to get right to the problem at hand was heard loud and clear by fellow artists, writers and producers in the room.  For music to continue to truly be an industry, some serious changes need to take place.

Here’s what she had to say…

…I am very well aware that the music industry is changing, and it will continue to change.  I am open to that change.  I’m open to progress.  I am not open to the financial model that is currently in place.  I really believe that we in the music industry can work together to find a way to bond technology with integrity.  And I just really hope we can teach a younger generation the value of investment in music rather than just the ephemeral consumption of it.

There has to be a way for streaming, or any future ways that we access music to fairly compensate the writers, musicians and producers of that music.

If any of this sounds familiar, then you probably caught my earlier post taking a look at the issues surrounding dismal album sales.

When people say that the music business is in crisis over sales, it’s not joke either. Just how much does a hit song actually make from streaming services?  Fusion online has the answer…

Through the first three months of 2014, “Happy” was streamed 43 million times on Pandora, while “All Of Me” was played 55 million times on the service.

But how much money did all those streams make for the artists involved in creating the tracks?

According to an email from Sony/ATV head Martin Bandier obtained by Digital Music News’ Paul Resnikoff, “Happy” brought in just $2,700 in publisher and songwriter royalties in the first quarter of this year, while “All Of Me” yielded just $3,400.

At current rates, Bandier said, one million plays of a song on Pandora typically translates to only approximately $60 in royalties, which then gets shared between the songwriters and publishers.

“This is a totally unacceptable situation and one that cannot be allowed to continue,” he wrote.

When contrasted to the early 2000s (when most people It’s one thing for industry professionals to share their private fears and frustrations over the future of music sales.  But when icons like Taylor Swift speak up, the greater community is sure to listen as well.

Cheers to Taylor for her commitment and bravery.  This speech itself is yet another indicator for why she is indeed Artist of the Year.

Music Musings

Music Musings: #RealFansBuyMusic

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When we’re living in real-time, it’s tough to spend much of that time in reflection mode. We get up and go on to the next big project or new gadget. We keep moving forward. Because of this forward motion, it’s also tough to tell sometimes just how drastic some of the changes around us really are.

But ask anyone who works in the music industry, and they can tell you without fail that in the last decade-plus, everything about the way consumers interact with music has changed. Once a world of several huge, competing record labels flush with profit from impressive album sales is now an industry reeling from debt at virtually every corner. 2014 has now seen the lowest year for platinum-certified album sales ever recorded.

Lowered… some might say tragic music sales are now being accepted as the new normal in music. Even the official Billboard charts in the US acknowledges as much in a recent retooling of how it determines chart placement. Here’s more on the new chart formula directly from Billboard.com…

The Billboard 200 albums chart will premiere its biggest upgrade in more than 23 years, transforming from a pure sales-based ranking to one measuring multi-metric consumption.

[…]

The revamped chart will premiere with data from Thanksgiving week (ending Nov. 30), one of the most active music release periods of the year. The new methodology aims to provide a better sense of an album’s popularity by reflecting not just sales, but consumption activity.

The updated Billboard 200 will utilize accepted industry benchmarks for digital and streaming data, equating 10 digital track sales from an album to one equivalent album sale, and 1,500 song streams from an album to one equivalent album sale. All of the major on-demand audio subscription services are considered, including Spotify, Beats Music, Google Play and Xbox Music. Current artists likely to benefit from this change in methodology include Ariana Grande,Hozier and Maroon 5, among others, as their streaming and digital song sales have been outperforming their album sales in recent weeks.

Yes it’s true that YouTube views, Soundcloud plays and subscription services are important ways of connecting with music today.  But let’s be honest for a minute about what they also do. Online sources make it really easy for consumers to just not buy music, and that’s exactly what they are doing.

Contrast this reality with the growing online fandom of contemporary music stars and it’s even more shocking.

The biggest-selling solo artist of 2014, Taylor Swift, boasts an astounding 48 million Twitter followers, and a loyal legion of fans– #Swifties– that profess their unyielding devotion to her at every turn.  Many in the fandom world proclaim to know all of her songs, have tons of Taylor merch, and have been to every single concert. it’s no doubt that upon the release of Swift’s 5th album 1989, her most loyal fans were a huge part of earning her the best album sales week in more than a decade. Weeks later, 1989 has cleared the 2 million mark and continues to top the recently revamped Billboard charts.

But the question remains– if Swift presumably has so a huge legion of fans, why have so few chosen to actually purchase the smash hit album? 48 million Twitter followers, yet only 2 million in sales?  This is not to sound diminutive, as almost any other artist would give the first available limb to have anything close to the sales power of mighty Taylor Swift.  Still there seems to be a huge disconnect between those that proclaim fandom, yet aren’t buying the album.

The answer can be found promptly on YouTube.  One look at the 339 million view count of the album’s lead single Shake it Off and 144 million view count of second single Blank Space gives a proper indication of how some fans are learning the artist’s material.  For all the so-called fans out there that are actually making an investment in Taylor Swift, and everyone that worked so hard to make her smash hit album what it is, there’s still a lot more that are enjoying the music free of charge.

Investment is the key word here.  It takes a lot of talented people to make a commercial album– writers, producers, mixers, singers, musicians and a gaggle of development experts.  If fans choose to skip out on buying the album, they are not only robbing the artist that is behind the album, but endangering the entire music business itself.

This culture of reward without purchase needs to change.  Whoever your favorite artist happens to be, don’t just stream their music or pirate it for free by racking up YouTube hits.  Take a chance on these people and actually BUY their album.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll quickly find that the holistic journey of an artist is much more important than their promo singles sailing through the radio.

Had I never chosen to invest in the full album Days and Nights by British singer Daley, I would have never discovered one of R&B’s most incredible songs of 2014– the hauntingly beautiful She Fades.  It’s now one of my favorite songs to listen to.  Likewise with fellow Brit Jessie J, her musical talent extends far beyond the girl power single Bang Bang, but also is embodied through awesome Sweet Talker tracks like Get Away, Seal Me With a Kiss and Masterpiece.

So whoever it is that you enjoy, be a real fan in 2014 and 2015.  Take a chance on them, and actually BUY their music.

 

Buy Music

 

 

Music Musings

Music Musings: Calling All Choirs!! It’s A Great Time for Choral Music

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To many reading the title of this article, you’re probably thinking the following… “What are you talking about?  It’s always been a great time for choral music!!”  And of course, you would be right.  For people that are choral musicians and enthusiasts, we already know the tremendous attributes of voices combined in song.  It’s a regular part of our lives.

But from the standpoint of the musical world– especially that vast and arduous expanse which is pop music– the choral arts are getting high praise and lots of new exposure.  Take this recent article from Ashley Lee of Billboard.com highlighting the successes of Texas pop phenom group Pentatonix…

Alongside needle-moving, genre-defying priority releases on the RCA Records slate — Sia‘s 1000 Forms of Fear and “Weird Al” Yankovic‘s Mandatory Fun among them — is the new album by Pentatonix, highlighting one of the oldest musical forms: a cappella vocals.

But before you cry “Gregorian chant,” don’t call it a fad: Pentatonix — an electro-infused five-piece that formed for NBC’s The Sing-Off in 2011 (and won) and cut its teeth on cover songs before graduating to instrument-less videos of Lorde and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis hits, original songs and brand alignments with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Oreo — has collected more than 520 million cumulative YouTube views and boasts more subscribers than Avicii and Beyoncé. So for the group’s major-label debut, PTX Vol. 3, on Sept. 23, “we expect it to be a pull, not a push,” says RCA president/COO Tom Corson. Industry sources predict an opening week of 50,000-plus units (the act has sold 475,000 albums and 1.5 million downloads to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan), which should be good for a top 10 debut on the Billboard 200.

[…]

Indeed, the seriousness with which Pentatonix hones its craft has made a cappella an attractive booking for promoters, too. “It was challenging at first,” says manager Jonathan Kalter of handpicking seated and standing-room venues that could be calibrated to the act’s sound needs. “Once promoters understood that anywhere Pentatonix went, they’d sell tickets — which is all promoters care about — it was a matter of finding the room.”

The group just wrapped an international tour — including a North American leg that grossed $1.1 million (its top stop: New York’s seated Beacon Theatre, with more than $186,000 in ticket sales) — with a 90-minute set that included choreography, storytelling and solo moments for the singers. But can that live showmanship translate into a hit? Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying says it’s a matter of making “an a cappella sound that’s unique” without trying to emulate instruments. “It’s just five people singing, and it works.”

The above article was from the September issue of Billboard Magazine.  Just this week, Pentatonix’s newest release That’s Christmas to Me debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, above all but two “standard” pop music acts.   This marks their highest ever debut on the chart, and their highest ever 1 week sales figures.   Check out this track from the new album… a cover of Mary Did You Know?…

 

Groups like Pentatonix are showing that there is growing interest in choral music.  But for the classical realm, some may be left to wonder why this interest isn’t necessarily showing  in ticket sales or record purchases.  While it is true that overall sales of classical sub-genres are down when compared to the greater market, this may be more of a format problem (classical music simply isn’t as widely available on streaming services or in digital formats) than an indicator of waning interest among the general public.   For younger listeners, the discovery process is vastly different.  Social media, especially YouTube, has become a critical force in the way that the Millennial generation encounters new forms of music.  So it’s now more important than ever for good choirs of all genres to have a solid social media presence.  Pentatonix wouldn’t be where they are today without their loyal online fans.

Other choirs are catching up, to their great benefit.  One Texas choral group, the Houston Chamber Choir, has worked in recent years to build its social media following with positive results. Though they operate in a different genre than Pentatonix, their increased YouTube presence has served well to bring attention for the group outside of the Houston area, and even spread the word about upcoming concerts.   Here is a video one of the group’s recent concerts…

Whether classical standard, primal folk tune or pop rock, choral groups have always a great vehicle for great music.  Pentatonix may be the first choral group in a long time to achieve wide-ranging, national success in the charts, but it’s safe to assume to that will not be the last.  Everyone in the music industry struggles with the nebulous new reality that is social media and streaming, but fear of the unknown is no reason to hold back or sit out.  Indeed, it is a great time for choral music.  As we find more ways to connect to our audience, the times will get even better.

 

 

Music Musings

Music Musings: OK Go- I Won’t Let You Down

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The Disco craze of 2014 continues.  In this latest video from the always innovative OK GO, we find the foursome staging a a one-shot choreography sequence unlike anything we’ve seen in the 21st century.

Filmed with the use of drones, the group had to rehearse multiple times to get all of the intricate dance sequences filmed.

Just as impressive as the video is the song by OK Go, using a bevy of orchestration, and exploring very authentic sounds from the Disco era.  From the album Hungry Ghosts, it’s a fun tune that makes sense in anyone’s party collection.

 

Music Musings

Music Musings: Luis Fonsi

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There are lots of good singers in the music industry today, and indeed many singers that are very good, if underrated.

But then, once in while, you hear a singer so good that they literally stop you in your tracks.  Right then and there, you hear a voice that you’ll literally never forget.  For me, one of those voices belongs to singer, songwriter and international superstar Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero, better known as Luis Fonsi.

The above is how I first encountered Fonsi, appearing on this stunning duet with Christina Aguilera from her 2000 album Mi Reflejo.  As you can hear, it takes a voice of significance to match Aguilera in a duet without getting overshadowed, and Fonsi proves to be every bit her equal.  In fact the sheer power and unbeatable dynamic range of Fonsi nearly steals the show on this song.

Right after this epic feature with the predominantly English-language diva, Fonsi himself tried to cross over with an English-language album, 2002’s Fight the Feeling.  Though he wasn’t a big success there, Fonsi has continued to be a major force in music world, winning both a Latin Grammy award and topping the Billboard Latin charts.  From his latest album 8, Fonsi recorded a song with the legendary Juan Luis Guerra which has already garnered the singer another Latin Grammy nomination.

Fonsi’s incredible pipes are just the beginning of the story.  He’s also a songwriter, guitarist and dancer.  With such talents in his possession, it’s no wonder that he has reached great success.

Here’s a video of his 2014 single Corazón En La Maleta…