Support Sound It Out

Sound It Out, the community music charity based in Birmingham (whom I do a great deal of work for), had it’s core funding cut by 100% in last weeks Arts Council budget announcement.

The total funding lost is only around 12% of SIO’s current income, it is core funding that pays for the core staff that help to raise funds for projects all over the West Midlands. Having worked for SIO over the past 3 years, I can wholeheartedly vouch for the life changing projects they facilitate. The difference made to adults and young people across the West Midlands is huge. Countless communities have benefitted from SIO’s vision to empower individuals with rich and diverse experiences. Generations, cultures, races and even rivalling gangs have been brought together through projects co-ordinated through SIO. The loss to communities and individuals will be immeasurable as the potential positive difference SIO makes is left reeling after the announced cuts.

Show your support for this amazing charity by signing a petition against the proposed cuts here.

There is also a “Sing for Sound It Out”, campaign. Details are available at Clare Edwards’ blog here.

Get on board everyone!!

 

For anyone who hasn’t yet adopted the greatest thing to happen to the music industry in the last 5 years…

…then sort yourselves out yeah?

Firm favourite of mine, Spotify, has now been released in a variety of flavours-gone are the days of invite only music (limited play time), now everyone can see what the fuss is about. I personally am a massive advocate of this program and am more than happy to fork out the £9.99 p/mth for the privilege.

Give it a whirl if you’re yet to jump on board.

A Mandolin and a din later…

…I think I’ve cracked it.

The dream to be able to play every musical instrument ever made may have to be resigned to the “never to be achieved pile”, but playing mandolin just got a little bit easier with the discovery of this little cracker. If only it knew why my mandolin feels like it can’t be tuned to anything other than DGBA…

For anyone that’s not adept at music/harmonic theory, enjoy!

Free music…

…and it’s by one of my favourites;

The mp3 pricechecker Tunechecker has been doing a bang up job of giving you the cheapest place to buy your mp3 tracks from for a few months now. This month sees the introduction of their “free mp3’s” tag and to start you off, here’s (and here) some stormers brought to you by Sharon Jones and the mighty Dap Kings.

Don’t say I never give you anything…

It’s a bit late in the day…

…but I’ve just been sent this link. Hopefully it will go some way in explaining the 3 main political parties views on the arts.

I hope by this late time you have used your voice…

I don’t normally promote new albums…

…but when said new album comes with interactive artwork, I feel I’ve got no choice.

Point your mouses over to Flying Lotus’ website where you will find Fieldlines-an augmented reality synth that uses input from either a webcam or mouse to create an ambient soundscape.

I can’t stop waving my arms around-be warned though, it may make you look a little weird to spectators.

Yet another excellent internet campaign…

Music Matters is a  campaign to hopefully educate and change peoples attitudes towards music piracy. The heart of proceedings revolves around a rather delightful website informing the Great British public of ways they can legitimately buy music whilst also giving details on how artists are losing out.

High fives all round for this issue getting big press lately.

And if the campaign doesn’t grab you, just enjoy the beautifully animations giving potted histories of various music types!

Another excellent cause…

Music Supported Here is a Musicians Union campaign to try and curb illegal file sharing. It’s a difficult concept for some to grasp but imagine someone else deciding if and when you get paid for working in any other trade. A footballer will still earn a greatly inflated wage even if their performance is far from their best, so why is it that musicians spend days/months/years creating music for it only to be taken for free?

I’ve always been a strong advocate of supporting the artists you love and this campaign will help this view spread.

Charting The Beatles…

Enjoy…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44927243@N05/

I’m not normally much of a social rebel…

…but the campaign to get Rage Against The Machine’s-Killing In The Name Of, to xmas no.1 is a moment of  “power to the people”-esque genius!

The group, that started it’s life on Facebook has so far been joined by a pretty sizeable chunk of the British single buying public. And I hear Simon Cowell is a bit flustered by it all…