My last name and then the word marketing...

I was reading a post by Seth Godin today that discussed unethical dealings of companies online. According to Seth, “There’s something about the mechanics and arms-length nature of the web that just begs companies that know better to treat people in a way that they’d be humiliated to try face to face.”

In much the same way, perfectly decent humans who would never walk into a convenience store, slip something into their pocket and walk out, have no problem downloading “cracked” versions of software or sharing thousands of songs for free with perfect strangers across file-sharing sites.

As this thing we call the internet grows and we learn to adapt to less and less human interaction in our transactions, let us all not forget that anonymity and distance are never an excuse to dismiss morality.

Music represents a very small percentage of artistic expression yet holds a huge portion of the industry in terms of gross revenue. I have been in and out of the music industry most of my life and have always been uncomfortable with the model of music expression the industry has created. They have been creating, bottling and shipping art in cute marketable packages since the first musician put a  tip jar on his piano.

What we’re talking about now is value. Labels, radio stations, publishers all created value because they collected music and sold them as commodities. The consumer had no choice but to buy into the business model in order to gain access. Well, all that is changing. As the industry adapts to combat file sharing, a large question looms in my mind. How are artists going to stay profitable as they lose their ability to control access?

The short answer is the live show. File sharing, Pandora, and other free outlets are sucking the sustainability out of selling audio. Fortunately, nothing can replace live music. Festivals are thriving, bands are still touring and if anything, the proliferation of file sharing is only benefiting show promotion. I think it’s an extraordinary time for live musicians.

The deeper issue is the problem with profiting from art in the first place. Whether there is label or management pressure, most contemporary musicians are creating in a marketable box created by the industry years ago. There’s hooks to worry about. There’s song length. There’s the overwhelming urgency to be able to “do this for a living.” All of those factors weigh heavily on the creative heart of most music writers.

All of which begs the question. What if all musicians wrote music purely for the art? How would the industry look then?

I heard a sermon yesterday that spoke about being called into ministry. During the sermon, the pastor used the example of women who choose to become stay-at-home moms. He said that many times, they feel frustrated by the “ordinary” role of parenting when they are pulled by the idea of doing other, more “extraordinary” things in life. His point was that the role of parenting, raising young children and instilling in them education, wisdom and love was an extraordinary and vitally important calling. While it may not gain the prestige and attention of other endeavors, the decision to be a be full-time parent can produce a bounty of goodness.

I immediately realized the significance of that point! We aren’t always given the sexiest tasks to handle in life. However, it’s the way we handle the “ordinary” things that truly make us extraordinary.

Our world moves at a blinding speed. Most people I know have the attention span of schizophrenic chipmunks. At work, we’re constantly moving to the next thing, putting out fires, solving problems. I work at an architecture firm where creativity is supposed to coarse through the very veins of the office. Sometimes I feel as though we’re moving so fast, creativity becomes an afterthought. 

All this rushing around got me thinking. How do we encourage creativity from those around us in a world of tight schedules and endless distractions?

I think in a broader sense, we have to slow down. We have to build each other up. Learn to recognize when someone is excited about a project. Heap coals onto that fire. Compliment them in front of others and applaud their passion. By slowing down and taking notice, we’ll discover other people’s creative abilities and our own creative fire will be fueled in the process.

In a much simpler sense, its a small pile of magnets on Jason’s cubicle wall that changes a little everyday as passerbys add their creative touch. Everchanging, never perfect, always inspiring. It may be a small pile of metal, but at least once a day, it causes someone to STOP and create.

So, I’ve been told by friends and family that I can sometimes be a little over passionate about things, especially politics, music and food. Maybe that’s the reason that this talk blew my mind. One, it opened my eyes to classical music in a way never described to me, and two, it pushed me to become a better, more passionate individual towards those around me. I hope that I always ask myself the question, Who am I being that those around me’s eyes are not shining?

According to Ted.com,

“Since 1979, Benjamin Zander has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. He is known around the world as both a guest conductor and a speaker on leadership — and he’s been known to do both in a single performance. He uses music to help people open their minds and create joyful harmonies that bring out the best in themselves and their colleagues.”

http://benjaminzander.com/

Mens Health published this article on the 20 worst drinks in America. What most people got out of it is that we drink WAY too many calories. What I got out of it is that there are quite a few despicable advertisers out there. Read your labels people…please.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/20-worst-drinks-america-2010

Yesterday, I hosted a short seminar on how our office can become media efficient. After sending around a short survey, I discovered that many of my coworkers did not use RSS feeds, Google Alerts, or other technologies to organize their media intake. The survey also questioned smart phone usage and whether people were utilizing RSS apps, news apps, etc. Using the survey results, I put together a presentation showing people how stacks of publications could be perused in a matter of minutes with just a few mouse clicks. After some snacks, a little beer and wine, we dove into a Media Scavenger Hunt where I asked people to team up and gave 10 minutes to find a series of topics in the scattered publications on the table. The competition was a blast and the result was people received an easy introduction into the inefficiencies of our growing information market.

My goal is that as our office gets more media efficient, we can all become more educated, more current and in turn, bring in more work by always staying on top of our game. Plus, we all need happy hour every now and then.

Upon hearing that Apple just unveiled the new iPhone 4, I took to the internet to find out more. Half a dozen internet videos later, and I’m more focused on the amount of ads I had to sit through than the iPhone’s new sleak design. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the internet supposed to streamline information gathering? Aren’t we designing systems for faster uploading, downloading and streaming?

One of the greatest advantages to the World Wide Web is that we can now access information instantaneously.  The word instanteous typically means “without waiting.” I’d like to meet the advertiser who thinks that modern advertising is best served through a 15 or 30 second commercial shown before a video. They tell you that “your video will begin shortly” and then proceed to force feed you a product that many times has little or nothing to do with what you are watching in the first place. It is exactly like watching the spinning hourglass. You click on a link and then wait for the page or video to load while they give you a spinning hourglass as if it is there to soothe your impatience. Now, you get a countdown as their short commercial precedes the video.

If we are striving for speed and efficiency in our ability to gather information, shouldn’t be trying to defeat the spinning hourglass, not replace it with uninvited advertising fodder?

TRO Jung|Brannen entered their regenerative community concept into the first annual Raise The Roof Design Competition. Every “Like” vote gets another score for the people’s choice award. See the video below and follow the link to more info on the competition! Jason Jackson from my office was part of the original concept team and put together the animated scheme you see below.

Raise the Roof

It isn’t very often I come across music that I immediately fall in love with. Thank you Brandon Kinder for showing me this.

Villagers Website