Tag Archives: technology

Books-Resources, Products

Make Your Own Music: A Creative Curriculum Using Music Technology

Make Your Own Music is a complete classroom curriculum for learning and teaching music technology, incorporating composition ideas, notation, and digital audio workstation (DAW) proficiencies. Though the fundamental principles can apply to any DAW, each chapter highlights three demonstrable skills to create projects using Notation and/or Studio One. The curriculum includes supporting online media.

Make Your Own Music: A Creative Curriculum Using Music Technology,
by Richard McCready, Hal Leonard Corporation, www.halleonard.com.

International Musician

Countering the Shrinking Pit with Education

Countering the Shrinking Pitby Tony D’Amico, Theatre Musicians Association President and Member of Locals 9-535 (Boston, MA) and 198-457 (Providence,RI)

 

Summer is AFM conference season, and the Theatre Musicians Association kicked that season off with our 22nd annual set of meetings held in Phoenix, Arizona, July 31 and August 1. It proved to be a pair of jam-packed days featuring presentations, reports, and discussions on many subjects of interest to theatre musicians. Attendees were treated to a pension presentation, facilitated by AFM President Ray Hair and a panel of AFM-EPF trustees, lawyers, and actuaries. A representative from the Actors Fund spoke about health care, and what we might expect from proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act. Chicago TMA Chapter Director Heather Boehm offered some useful member recruitment ideas that have proved successful in her city.

I’d like to extend a huge “thank you” to Local 586 (Phoenix, AZ) President Jerry Donato, Secretary-Treasurer Doug Robinson, as well as TMA Phoenix Chapter Director Jeff Martin for their help organizing the conference and welcoming us to their city.

I am happy to report that Heather Boehm was elected by acclimation to serve as TMA’s national vice president. I look forward to working with Boehm as we continue to build upon the past successes of our organization. My thanks to outgoing Vice President Paul Castillo for all the dedicated work and invaluable assistance he gave me during my first year as president. Castillo will continue to work for TMA as the Southern California chapter director.

During my opening remarks to the conference, I spoke a bit about what I see as perhaps the major issue for theatre players across the US and Canada—the continual downsizing of pit orchestras as technology advances. One player now does the job of what once took an entire section of musicians to perform. Imagine my surprise when, during a trip to a Boston theatre a few years back to see a performance of The Book of Mormon—the epitome of a blockbuster show—I looked into the pit to discover that the percussion-heavy score required not one single piece of percussion, never mind a percussionist to play those sounds.

Of course, this is not a new issue for us. Technology has inevitably improved over the decades, and the practice of acoustic instruments being convincingly mimicked by other means has been going on for decades. While, to me, the computerized or sampled sound of an oboe played on a keyboard cannot compare to the artistry a real oboist brings to the part, in the grand scheme of the modern musical, the nuance is lost in the greater spectacle. In other words, by and large the public doesn’t notice. This is where we can make progress in our fight to keep our pits filled with professional musicians.

The key (as with most things) is education. We must continue to educate the public. They need to know that often they are not getting their money’s worth. A show that used 15 musicians on Broadway will use six on the road, but continue to charge theatregoers the same Broadway ticket prices. Only with an informed public can we ensure the continued integrity of our art form. Only the audiences can demand quality.

The public does notice. During a recent Boston run of a touring show I played, the pit consisted of one trumpet, one trombone, one violin, a bunch of keyboards, and a rock rhythm section. More than one acquaintance of mine commented to me that things sounded quite thin, with one friend even saying the violinist should have just stayed home, since she was contributing so little to the overall sound of the show. An audience would not stand for paying full ticket price for a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with a choir of 10 people along with some sound “enhancement,” or even worse, with the low brass parts played on a keyboard. Of course, that’s ridiculous.

I believe one of TMA’s main missions is to shed light on this subject and let the public reach the natural conclusion: a show utilizing more highly skilled musicians results in a better theatre experience.

Of course, the question is how to go about getting this message out. Some ideas that have been recently tossed around include educational leafleting in front of theatres before performances, letters to the editors responding to reviews (criticizing a show for a small pit or praising it for healthy numbers), as well as social media campaigns. I’d welcome your comments and suggestions. I can be reached at: president.tma@afm-tma.org

Recent News

Iran Raps Its Propaganda Message to Young People

Recently, Iran’s state controlled media has begun launching videos that feature rappers delivering their propaganda messages. In one such video, a well-known Iranian rapper sings on the deck of a navy frigate. Another raps about Iranian power; flags are waving in the background while soldiers sing along and stomp their feet. A sign of the times, Iran’s propaganda machine realizes that it must embrace the latest trends and technologies in order to reach the new generation of young adults.

Streaming
Recent News

Streaming Predominates, Do We Get Our Fair Share?

by Deborah Newmark, AFM Symphonic Services Division Director of Symphonic Electronic Media

Streaming is everywhere. It is on your smartphone, Apple watch, laptop, and any other device that connects to the Internet—including Wi-Fi in your car. Never has our recorded music been so readily available worldwide. While technologies continue to advance, making it easier to bring our music to the listener, artist compensation is not yet equitable to the billions being generated by the relevant industries. Advances have been made, both on the negotiated front as well as in Congress through the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recording (DPRA), but there is still a long way to go to ensure musicians get their fair share.

What has already been accomplished?

Congress enacted the DPRA in 1995. Under DPRA, there are three categories of digital transmission: nonsubscription broadcast transmissions, which were exempted from any performance right; noninteractive Internet and satellite transmissions, which are subject to a statutory license; and on-demand interactive Internet transmissions, which are subject to the full exclusive right.

This amendment to the Copyright Act established a long-sought public performance right in sound recordings applicable to digital transmissions. The passage of the DPRA enabled US performers and owners of the copyright of recordings (usually record companies)—for the first time in the decades-long struggle between the broadcasting and recording industries—to collect a royalty when a recording that they owned, or on which they played or sang, “aired” in a digital format. 

Noninteractive streaming services must pay a compulsory, statutory license for the right to use our product. These include companies like Pandora, Sirius XM satellite radio, terrestrial radio stations that stream broadcasts, and others where the end user does not get to choose what they listen to (i.e., noninteractive). They pay royalties based on rates set by a copyright arbitration panel, which vary and are not always favorable to us. Royalties are paid into SoundExchange, which is a US collective for copyright holders (typically record labels and in the symphonic world, most often orchestra employers), as well as featured artists.

The orchestra employer has taken on the role as copyright holder for many of the recordings created in the past 10 years, at a time when our media agreements shifted to a model where the orchestra has to retain ownership and copyright. For the purpose of featured versus nonfeatured shares, the musicians of the orchestra are deemed the featured artists, along with any soloists and/or conductors. Symphonic featured artists and nonsymphonic, nonfeatured artist royalties are distributed through the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund.

How do we fare with interactive streaming services?

Apple Music, Pandora Premium, Amazon Music, Spotify, and Tidal are examples of interactive streaming services. These services provide choices for the listener through subscription-based systems. Featured artists are paid in accordance with royalty agreements made with the record labels. In addition, payments are made to AFM-EP Fund, the Sound Recording Special Payments Fund, and the Music Performance Trust Fund, based on existing terms in the AFM’s Sound Recording Labor Agreement.

What are the roadblocks to achieving fair compensation?

In the symphonic community, while we do receive upfront payments for the creation of the recorded product, the back end suffers. This is an integral part of the financial structure of our agreement. Primarily it suffers due to the fact that the symphonic employers, as owners of the copyright, often fail to enter into robust licensing agreements that will benefit both the musicians and the institution. The Integrated Media Agreement (IMA) provides for a 60/40 split of back-end revenue (60% to the musicians) derived from the exploitation of product on the Internet (and in other formats). If the employer doesn’t succeed in making the best deal possible, musicians suffer the loss of potential revenue.

A prime example of this, as a great, untapped resource, are fees paid to copyright holders from Internet videos where ad-supported streaming proliferates—like on YouTube. According to Robert Kyncl, the company’s chief business officer, YouTube paid $1 billion in revenue to the recording industry in 2016. Where is our share?

How is this revenue calculated?

CPM, RPM, and eCPM determine revenue. CPM is the cost per 1,000 ad impressions for the advertiser to pay when their ad is showcased. RPM is the revenue per 1,000 views. YouTube takes a 45% cut of ad revenue generated by a channel from total RPMs. eCPM is a formula for earnings/monetized playbacks x 1,000. YouTube analytics help explain how YouTube pays the copyright holder on advertisements once they reach 10,000 lifetime views. The IMA considers this back-end revenue, which is shared with the musicians and the employer.

In what other areas is the AFM at the forefront of seeking fair compensation?

The AFM is a member of the MusicFIRST Coalition that is working on getting legislation passed in Congress that will ultimately improve the working lives of musicians. Two pieces of legislation have recently been introduced.

The Fair Play Fair Pay Act (H.R 1836). The bill introduced March 30, 2017 by Jerrold Nadler, (D-NY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Conyers (D-MI), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), and Tom Rooney (R-FL) aims to ensure that all forms of radio, regardless of technology or platform used, would pay a fair market rate for music performances. The legislation also aims to restore fairness for artists whose songs were written before 1972 and end satellite radio’s special “grandfathered” below-market rate.

The PROMOTE Act: The Performance Royalty Owners of Music Opportunity to Earn Act of 2017 (PROMOTE Act) was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) to attempt to right a decades-old wrong. This effort was spearheaded by the AFM as part of the MusicFIRST coalition. Coalition Executive Director Chris Israel says, “The US is the only developed country where music creators have no say when it comes to traditional AM/FM radio stations playing and profiting from their hard work, but without receiving a dime. Congressman Issa’s PROMOTE Act addresses this glaring inequity by empowering music creators to seek fair compensation when their works are played on terrestrial radio.”

As you can see, these are complex issues in an ever-changing marketplace. The AFM has been and will continue to be at the forefront of finding ways to ensure fair compensation for our members. Successes thus far achieved show that when we stay vigilant in fighting for the rights of musicians and we remain united and support one another we can accomplish a great deal.

ransomware
Resources

Malware and Ransomware Protection Tips

by Walter Lopez, AFM Information Systems Manager

It is becoming more common for businesses to be affected by malware and ransomware, and musicians are not immune. Recently, several orchestras have experienced data breaches of employee databases. Malware is any software intended to damage or disable a computer or other software programs. Ransomware is a type of malware that stops you from using your PC by holding your PC or files for “ransom.” Following are a few tips from Microsoft to help you avoid becoming a ransomware or malware victim.

What does ransomware do?

There are different types of ransomware. However, all of them will prevent you from using your computer normally, and they will all ask you to do something (pay a “ransom”) to remedy the situation. They can target any user—home computers, endpoints to enterprise networks, or servers used by anyone from a small company to a government agency. Well-known cases include: Los Angeles Valley College, which paid $28,000 in bitcoin ransom; Carleton University in Ontario, which paid about $39,000 in bitcoin ransom, and San Francisco’s light rail transit system, which was able to restore its system without paying.

Specifically, ransomware can prevent you from accessing Windows, encrypt your files so that you cannot use them, and can stop certain applications (like web browsers) from running on your system. The hackers behind the ransomware may demand you pay money or complete a survey. However, there is no guarantee that after you’ve paid your ransom you will regain full access. 

How does ransomware get on a PC?

Ransomware and other malware can arrive through your email. Malware authors often use tricks to try to convince you to download malicious files. This can be an email with a file attached that tells you it is a receipt, refund, or an invoice. When you open the attachment, you install malware on your PC.

Sometimes a malicious email is easy to spot—it may have bad spelling and grammar, or come from an email address you’ve never seen before. However, these emails can also look like they came from someone you know. Some malware hacks into email accounts and sends malicious spam to the contacts it finds.

To help avoid becoming a victim of email fraud and malware, follow these tips:

  • If you aren’t sure who sent you the email or something doesn’t look quite right, don’t open it.
  • If an email says you have to update your details, don’t click on the link in the email.
  • Don’t open an attachment to an email that you aren’t expecting, or that was sent by someone you don’t know.
  • Never give out personal information in an email, no matter how legitimate the source may seem.

Malware worms can spread by infecting removable drives such as USB flash drives or external hard drives. The malware may be automatically installed when you connect the infected drive to your PC. Some worms can also spread by infecting computers that are connected on a network.

To avoid this type of infection:

  • Run a security scan of your removable devices.
  • Disable the autorun function.

Some malware is installed along with programs that you download. This includes software from third-party websites or files shared through peer-to-peer networks. Some programs will also install other unwanted software such as tool bars or programs that display extra ads as you browse the web. Usually you can opt-out and not install these extra applications by unticking a box during the installation.

Programs used to generate software keys (keygens) often install malware at the same time. Microsoft security software finds malware on more than half of PCs with keygens installed.

  • To avoid installing malware or unwanted software:
  • Always download software from the official vendor’s website.
  • Make sure you read exactly what you are installing—don’t just click OK.
  • In many cases, Malware uses known software vulnerabilities to infect your PC through hacked or compromised webpages. A vulnerability is like a hole in your software that can allow malware to access your PC. These vulnerabilities are fixed by the company that created the software and are sent as updates to be installed. This is why it’s extremely important to keep all your software up-to-date, and remove software you don’t use.

For more information visit the website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/portal/mmpc/default.aspx.

The iPad in the Music Studio: Connecting Your iPad to Mics, Mixers, Instruments, Computers, and More
Books-Resources, Products

The iPad in the Music Studio: Connecting Your iPad to Mics, Mixers, Instruments, Computers, and More

The iPad in the Music Studio: Connecting Your iPad to Mics, Mixers, Instruments, Computers, and MoreiPads can bump up spontaneity and creativity in music production. The iPad in the Music Studio takes readers on a tour of the latest iPad-related music hardware and software. It includes information on technological innovations like hardware to link mics and instruments for live multi-track recording, controlling desktop software with an iPad, using iPads and iPhones with mixers, iPad and Guitar EFX software and hardware, DJ equipment and apps, and using the iPad to publish and distribute music through social media.

The iPad in the Music Studio, by Thomas Rudolph and Vincent Leonard,
Hal Leonard Corporation, www.halleonard.com.