The question I want us to take up in class: How can artists (musicians, writers, performers, painters, etc.) use Internet technology to connect with niche audiences without having to create "blockbusters" (as John Vivian defines the term) that appeal to broad-based audiences with bland, predictable product that offends no one but doesn't really appeal to anyone either?In picture at left, a statue of 13th-century Italian leader Farinata degli Uberti occupies its niche at the Uffizi Palace in Florence. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
For extra credit, please suggest an artist or group of artists you know of ... like the ones we mentioned toward the end of class today ... who are successfully using new media technology to communicate with their market niche. Post a comment below in which you: (1) briefly identify the group and how you know about them; (2) indicate how they use the Web; and (3) copy-and-paste the link in your browser to their website. I hope to base our class discussion Friday, Nov. 4, on the artists you tell us about.
Example: Pierre Bensusan, a French acoustic guitar player. I heard him performing years ago at a little theater in Knoxville, Tenn., and reconnected with his music on the Internet a couple of years ago. He uses his webpage to promote concerts and sell downloads, DVDs, sheet music and books. It also has a media kit for reporters to write advance when he's coming to their town for a concert.Schedule for this week's classes
http://www.pierrebensusan.com/index.php?newlang=english
Monday. In class we will examine how three artists use advanced technology, including marketing on the World Wide Web, to get worldwide audiences for genres of music that are specialized, sophisticated or both. They are:
- Classical composer Eric Whitacre, who has created a "virtual choir" through YouTube
- English folk singer Kate Rusby, whose record label is not a subsidiary of a global conglomorate but a thriving family business
- Boston-based world music/urban fusion band Soulfège fronted by Derrick N. Ashong, who is also a presenter for Al Jazeera.
Wednesday. Midterm due. You have the option of writing it in class, although I think it may take you longer than 50 minutes to write an A paper.
Friday. We'll look at the bands, performers, writers or other artists you suggest.
For next week: Read the chapters in Vivian on Public Relations and Advertising.
3 comments:
1) Nerdfighters/vlogbrothers John and Hank Green. I know about them from YouTube after having followed their friends Tom McClean (frezned), Alex Day (nerimon), and Charlie McDonnel (charlieissocoollike).
2)They began on YouTube with Brotherhood 2.0 in which they went a year without any "textual" communication because they live in different states. They shared a channel and "vlogged" back and forth every day, hence their YouTube title, vlogbrothers. They gained followers (~600,000) and now use tumblr and twitter and have created multiple websites around their followers, called Nerdfighteria (nerds that fight worldsuck, which is what it sounds like.) They have a record label, DFTBA (Don't Forget To Be Awesome) Records, multiple websites, and have founded other websites related to their program. John writes books and promotes his books in his videos. His latest book, The Fault in Our Stars, is an amazon best seller and it won't be sold until January of next year. Hank has invented a few things (2D glasses). They founded and organize VidCon, the YouTube convention. It's kind of hard to list everything they do on the internet because they do a lot.
3) http://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers
http://dftba.com/
http://nerdfighters.ning.com/
http://readit1st.com/
Although they were first discovered on SNL, their name shot through the roof through Youtube.
The Lonely Island has become immensely famous because of the internet.
Some of my favorite songs by them are "Like A Boss", "I'm on a Boat", and "Jack Sparrow".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6CfKcMhjY
Here's a link to The Lonely Island
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6CfKcMhjY
Post a Comment