NYS Music 202​0

Author: Nora Hones

  • Spotify and NIVA Announces Partnership for Annual Wrapped Campaign

    Spotify and NIVA (National Independent Venue Association) announced their partnership on Spotifiy’s annual Wrapped Campaign to help preserve independent stages across the United States on December 1, 2020. 

    Spotify NIVA Wrapped Campaign
    Photo Courtesy of NIVA/Spotify.

    The annual Spotify/NIVA Wrapped Campaign unveiled the top artists, albums, songs, playlists and podcasts that more than 320 million people around the world listened to and discovered audio this year. This year’s Wrapped Campaign will be a little different. Spotify will be in partnership with NIVA this year trying to bring light to the detrimental state live independent venues are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    Spotify NIVA Wrapped Campaign
    Photo Courtesy of NIVA/Spotify.

    Stephen Sternshein, co-founder / treasurer of NIVA, and managing partner of Heard Presents in Austin spoke on the partnership saying, “As 2020 draws to a close, the live music industry enters month nine of no shows, no income, no federal support, and ever-mounting debts. Music is what connects us all – as Spotify shows us, it’s what helped our friends, our families and our communities get through this tumultuous year.” 

    Spotify NIVA Wrapped Campaign
    Photo Courtesy of NIVA/Spotify.

    Spotify is attempting to help support these independent venues by trying to shine a light on their plight by taking over space on the marquees of more than 30 COVID-shuttered music venues and donating a total of $500,000 to those stages and the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund. So far the announced artist and venue and artist pairs include Alicia Keys at the Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lady Gaga at the The Ritz Ybor in Tampa Florida, Childish Gambino at the The Aladdin in Portland, Oregon, The Weeknd at the The Orange Peel, in Asheville, Tennessee, and Jessie Ware at the Center Stage, in Atlanta Georgia. The partnership will be rolled out across the next few weeks announcing more artists and venues.

    Spotify NIVA Wrapped Campaign
    Photo Courtesy of NIVA/Spotify.

    “In a year that has taken on so many twists and turns, a first reaction might be to look forward and forget the challenging times. However, that would discount all of the amazing work that creators, fans, venues and activists have poured their hearts into this year,” said Dan Brill, Global Group Creative Director at Spotify. “That’s why, instead of turning our backs on 2020, we wanted to give our appreciation for those who gave us hope — the people who, despite challenging circumstances, found ways to infuse magic into our world and give us hope for a better tomorrow.”

    Photo Courtesy of NIVA/Spotify.

    For more information on NIVA and their mission with Save Our Stages visit their website. 

  • The Doobie Brothers Release Video Stream of Beacon Theatre Performance

    The Doobie Brothers have announced their release of a video of their 2018 Beacon Theatre performance to stream via longform rental and download on major video streaming platforms. The performance included playing their albums, Toulouse Street and The Captain And Me in their entirety, for the first time in 25 years. 

    The Doobie Brothers

    The Doobie Brothers are a roots-based, harmony-laden, and guitar-driven rock and roll band that formed back in the 1970’s. The Doobie Brother’s  have three multi-platinum, seven platinum, and 14 Gold albums. Best of the Doobies album has sold more than 12 million copies and is considered a rare “diamond record.” They are four-time GRAMMY Award winners and 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. 

    The performance at the Beacon Theatre offered an opportunity for fans to hear entire albums and songs never-before performed live by the band, such as “Mamaloi,” “O’Connelly Corners,” “Ukiah,” and “The Captain And Me.” The show begins with the ten songs from the group’s second studio album, Toulouse Street. The album was released back in 1972 and is certified platinum. The performance also included  songs from the third studio release, The Captain And Me. Originally released in 1973, it reached number 7 on the Album Chart and certified double platinum. 

    Earlier this year, The Doobie Brothers rescheduled their 50th Anniversary Tour originally slated to begin this past summer to now begin July 17, 2021 in Palm Beach, FL. For more information and tour dates visit here.

    The Doobie Brothers Live From The Beacon Theatre was initially released last year on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray. A video for “Toulouse Street,” featuring a live horns arrangement is available now and can be found here. 

    For more information onThe Doobie Brothers visit their website.

    Live from The Beacon Theatre Video Track Listing:

    Five Corners, Listen to the Music, Rockin’ Down the Highway, Mamaloi, Toulouse Street, Cotton Mouth, Don’t Start me to Talkin’, Jesus is Just Alright, White Sun, Disciple, Snake Man, Natural Thing, Long Train Runnin’, China Grove, Dark Eyed Cajun Woman, Clear as the Driven Snow, Without You, South City Midnight Lady, Evil Woman, Busted Down Around O’Connelly Corners, Ukiah, The Captain and Me, Take me in the Arms (Rock Me), Black Water, Listen to the Music (reprise)

  • Hannah Sumner Pays Homage to Brooklyn on “Only You”

    Hannah Sumner released her new track, “Only You” on Friday, November 20. The song features over 10 NYC artists and attempts to pay homage to Brooklyn and the feelings of isolation during COVID-19.

    Hannah Sumner is a Brooklyn based writer, producer and performer who is a mainly alternative artist. She has released two EP’s: To The Almost, containing five songs, and Guesthouse containing four songs. Sumner has been singing since she can remember, but came into producing after graduating from Berklee College of Music. She messed around with Logic, popular production software, and taught herself how to produce when she no longer had musicians to play with post college. This is when she found her voice.

    Hannah Sumner
    Hannah Sumner photo provided by press release.

    Every musician has a different writing process and for Sumner, she prefers to write songs by improvising over her own productions. Her single, “Only You,” came out of this process. The chorus of the song contains the original first improvised take. “I use my first take a lot, as the songs come out almost finished. They help me understand what I’m feeling, usually before I even understand myself,” she explained. 

    She uses her music as a way of journaling her feelings and experiences. “Only You” was written back in April of 2020 when she, like many people around the world, was missing connection. She poured these feelings into a creation that ended up featuring 10 New York City artists, that she considers to be her ‘music family.’ 

    The song features: Steve Bone of VICE audio who mixed the track and performs guitar on it; Adam Neely, Youtube star playing bass; Ella Joy Meir of Iris Lune on vocals; Curtis J and Jackee Frome on vocals; Jacqueline Kerrod playing harp; Joey D’Alessio on vocals; and  Markus Roessler on vocals.

    The music video was shot on an iPhone, creating beautiful transportations, It is something Sumner aims for in her music, propelled by an underlying interest in film. 

    The song is somber and eerily-beautiful, which is perfectly mirrored within the music video. It starts with a simple chord progression on guitar with lyrics floating in subtly. Then the song builds up until the full lineup comes together to create a haunting melody. The different musicians featured on the song show up within the video in their own little screens chiming in on the chorus. It’s a song that’s very fitting and universal during these COVID-19 times and definitely worth listening to if you are feeling isolated or alone.

    For more information on Hannah Sumner visit her Facebook.

  • Flushing Town Hall Jazz Programming Swings into December

    Flushing Town Hall announced a jazz lineup which started back on November 11 and will run through December 20. The program currently includes five different performances throughout both months. A sixth event will ‘spill over the bar-line’ into 2021. The first two programs have come and gone, but the jazzy fun is far from over. 

    The Town Hall is a Smithsonian affiliate and is located in Queens in New York City that presents multi-disciplinary global arts to engage and educate global communities. They are a member of the New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG). They have restored and managed the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. Specifically they try to embrace the history of Queens as the home of jazz, by presenting the finest in jazz performance. Although the historic venue’s doors have been temporarily closed due to COVID-19, Flushing Town Hall continues to pursue its mission of bringing people together by providing global arts for a global community through its online series, FTH at Home! Which will be presenting the November and December programming. 

    Town Hall. Picture from Wikimedia Commons.

    Upcoming:

    On Thursday, November 19, 7:30 p.m. EDT Flushing Town Hall will present “Lioness: Women in Jazz Concert Series Featuring Lauren Sevian’s LSQ” The series featured Lauren Sevian’s LSQ with Lauren Sevian (baritone saxophone), Helen Sung (piano), Christian McBride (bass) and E.J. Strickland (drums). Tune in to YouTube for a free pre-recorded streaming performance, taped just for this event, followed by a LIVE Q&A with the musicians. 

    On Wednesday, December 9 at 7 p.m. EDT the Virtual Jazz Jam “Holiday Party” will be taking the stage. This is the Flushing Town Hall’s free Virtual Jazz Jam: Celebrating the Legacy of Louis Armstrong. Open to amateur and professional musicians, including high school students, jammers are invited to perform their favorite holiday song, and recall any memory around their tune. Participants can also show-off their family’s traditional holiday treats and drinks, and toast the season.

    The programming will wrap up on Sunday, December 20 at 5:30 PM EDT with “New Music Horizons – Collaborative Artists in Concert.” This will be part 2 of the Bruce Arnold & The Mark Wade Trio New Music Horizons Part II presents two more dynamic jazz composers Bruce Arnold and Mark Wade. Bruce Arnold will present a set of solo acoustic guitar featuring his style of lyrical melodies and raw dissonances. The Mark Wade Trio will follow with their brand of group interplay and expressive improvisation that has brought them an international following.

    To participate, musicians should email education@flushingtownhall.org and identify a three- to four-minute tune they intend to play (live or pre-recorded). Only 15 musicians will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Anyone is invited to tune in to the LIVE VIRTUAL jam and listen on Facebook or Zoom.   

    The Lioness: Women in Jazz Concert Series Featuring the Lioness Ensemble was scheduled for Sunday, December 13 at 2:30 p.m. EDT but has been postponed until 2021. This women in Jazz Concert Series will feature the  Lioness Ensemble with Alexa Tarantino (alto saxophone), Jenny Hill (tenor saxophone, flute), Lauren Sevian (baritone saxophone), Amanda Monaco (guitar), Akiko Tsuruga (organ) and Sylvia Cuenca (drums). Tune in to YouTube for a free pre-recorded streaming performance, taped just for this event, followed by a LIVE Q&A with the musicians.

    Catch Up on Past Events:

    On November 11, the Jazz Jam celebrated “November Gratitude.” This event celebrated the Legacy of Louis Armstrong invited musicians and jazz aficionados to participate or simply listen during its monthly jam session. In November, musicians will choose songs that fit into the theme “November Gratitude.”

    The “New Music Horizons – Collaborative Artists in Concert” took place on Saturday, November 14, 7:00 p.m. EDT. It featured part-I of the David Shenton & The Mark Wade Trio who are two dynamic jazz composers.  David Shenton is a classical composer and Mark Wade is a jazz composer. 

    To attend the programming or get more information on it visit Flushing Town Hall’s website.

  • Ticketmaster Proposes Option For Venues to Check Attendees’ COVID-19 Status

    Ticketmaster has proposed a plan that would give venues and event organizers the ability to ask fans for COVID-19 vaccine status or test results before attending live events in 2021 on November 11, 2020. The Ticketmaster COVID-19 testing verification process would include three separate components making it a finicky hypothetical process. 

    Like all other safety/entry protocols, this potential screening process would be up to the discretion of the event organizer to determine if they would like to ask attendees to provide a test result or vaccine status. It will not be Ticketmaster’s requirement but the event organizer or venue’s requirement. This screening process for COVID-19 safety measures will be up to each event organizer. They will decide the future requirements, based on their preferences and local health guidelines. The proposed three part verification process would use the Ticketmaster digital ticket app, a third party health information companies like CLEAR Health Pass or IBM’s Digital Health Pass, and testing and vaccine distribution providers like Labcorp and the CVS Minute Clinic.

    The first part of this verification process all starts with a fast acting accurate testing and eventually vaccination against the virus. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced results on a new COVID-19 vaccine showed a 90% efficacy rate on an initial clinical trial on November 9, 2020. The hope is with these accurate and timely tests the live entertainment industry could mount a return in 2021. Once a vaccination becomes available, and after purchasing a ticket for an event, the attendee would need to verify that, “they have already been vaccinated (which would provide approximately one year of COVID-19 protection) or test negative for coronavirus approximately 24 to 72 hours prior to the show. The length of coverage a test would provide would be governed by regional health authorities — if attendees of a Friday night concert had to be tested 48 hours in advance, most could start the testing process the day before the event. If it was a 24-hour window,  most people would likely be tested the same day of the event at a lab or a health clinic,” according to Billboard’s article on the hypothetical testing process. 

    The next step in this verification process would be the attendee delivering their test to a secure and approved lab like CLEAR Health Pass or IBM’s Digital Health Pass. Once they were found to have no traces of the virus or have an up to date vaccination the lab would have to get those test results to Ticketmaster and that’s where things get a little tricky. Generally people’s medical finals are confidential and aren’t sent out to a giant mega corporation, so that’s when the last part of this verification process would come in. 

    A third party would be needed to act as the in between with the attendees and Ticketmaster to ensure Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are being properly followed. Companies like Labcorp and the CVS Minute Clinic already exist for this exact purpose. These companies main role is to collect data from testing of all kinds and information from medical providers and deliver status updates to partner companies like Ticketmaster in this instance. Having these companies act as the in between creates a secure and encrypted way to deliver medical information in a way that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

    The idea of a safe way to attend live events is very enticing but this proposed way of doing it leaves a lot of questions.

    • How and when will attendees be made aware if the show they are interested in is requiring testing?
    • Who will be in charge of paying for the testing?
    • What happens if there is a breach in the system, people’s medical information gets leaked?
    • What if someone’s religious practices prevent them from being vaccinated or tested?
    • What if the lab makes a mistake or doesn’t get the results back in time. Will the ticket be refunded?
    • How will this work with minors wanting to attend events?
    For more information on the the Ticketmaster COVID-19 testing verification process read the full Billboard article here.

    Updated with current Ticketmaster information on the potential COVID-19 testing verification process on November 16, 2020.

  • Celebrated Cuban Percussionist Cándido Camero Dies at 99

    Cuban percussionist Cándido Camero passed away on Nov. 7, 2020. Camero was 99 years old and was a well known, and loved, pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz genre. He was an innovator in conga drumming. 

    Cándido Camero died peacefully at his home in New York on Saturday morning according to Camero’s grandson, Julian, told NPR member station WBGO of the sad news. Despite his age Cándido Camero played music up until the very end. 

    Cándido Camero
    Cándido Camero performs with Paquito D’Rivera at Flushing Town Hall (November 2019)

    He was born in San Antonio de los Baños, near Havana, in Cuba on April, 22 1921. His parents were Caridad Guerra and Cándido Camero. He moved to New York in 1946 and was “already a well-known musician in Havana as a percussionist and also for playing the Cuban tres, a folkloric guitar. He spent eight years playing at the famed Tropicana nightclub, backing the biggest Cuban stars of the day and counted the young Mongo Santamaría among his bandmates” according to NPR’s article. 

    Throughout the years Cándido Camero became a well known and extraordinary pioneer of the Latin Jazz genre and played with the best of the best throughout the years. Some of the big names he performed with include Charlie Parker, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, and Machito. He is known for being one of the first percussionists to play multiple congas at the same time, with each conga tuned to a different pitch, enabling him to play not only rhythm but melodies. 

    His biggest mainstream track came in 1979 with his disco recordings for Salsoul. He recorded several albums for the audiophile label Chesky Records. One of these records included Inolvidable, with Graciela, which earned him a nomination at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. He was still playing and performing live up until the end. Back in Sept. of 2019 he joined Flushing Town Hall to celebrate their season’s launch with a performance from Canadian Afro-Cuban artists Jane Bunnett & Maqueque. He then returned in November to perform with the Gathering of the Masters alongside fellow greats Paquito D’Rivera, Joanne Brackeen, Jimmy Owens, Jimmy Cobb, and Reggie Workman. 

    Cándido Camero will be greatly missed from the music community. We mourn his loss and send our condolences to his family and friends.

  • New Scientific Study Explains Why Music Can Give People the Chills

    A new scientific study was released on Nov. 3, 2020 that explains why music can quite literally give people chills while listening to it. The study explains how and why people experience these chills while listening to certain music. 

    The Frontiers in Neuroscience journal released an article titled, “Cortical Patterns of Pleasurable Musical Chills Revealed by High-Density EEG” that goes into depth on this topic. Researchers are trying to understand this by studying brain activity behind these chills people experience. They believe they are getting closer to understanding why music makes us feel pleasure.

    The study focused on 18 people comprising 11 women and 7 men, 10 of which were amateur musicians themselves. The study originally had 23 participants but three participants reported one or zero instances of chills during the experiment, and for two participants not enough EEG epochs free from artifacts were recorded so they were ultimately left out of the study. 

    The study was conducted with participants each picking five songs ahead of time that they knew often gave them the sense of chills. The scientists provided the participants with three neutral songs to listen to as a control group to compare the reactions the participants gave to the songs they brought in. The participants were told to sit back and close their eyes, and listened to the music through wireless headphones while scientists monitored their brain activity using an EEG. As the participants listened and got chills an average of 16.9 times each. Each chilling moment lasted for 8.75 seconds.

    Music Chills
    Regions of the brain activated when music gave participants experience chills. Graph provided by Frontiers in Neuroscience article.

    So why does this matter? What is the big deal about these chills? The big deal is when these participants listened to songs they brought that gave them the chills they had an increase in theta waves (a wave of brain activity that follows regular oscillations) in the orbitofrontal cortex. This area of the brain is associated with emotional processing. The scientists performing the study also found patterns of activity in two other brain regions: the supplementary motor area, a region of the brain involved in motor control, and the right temporal lobe, which is involved in interpreting non-verbal communication, like music.

    The scientists and authors of the study believe that the increase in theta wave power participants experienced on the surface-level which then signals a two-pronged reward response which happened deep in the brain. This buildup of theta wave power eventually releases dopamine in the participants systems and gives them those happy chills. 

    This proves that listening to music can scientifically give you chills. For more information on the study read the full article here.

  • Spotify Announces Discovery Mode Update, But There’s a Catch for Artists

    Spotify announced its plans to try to prioritize artists and labels in return for lower royalty payouts on Monday, November 2, 2020. The platform is introducing a new feature called, “Discovery Mode,” which will be appearing in Spotify’s Radio and Autoplay features upon launch. 

    Discovery Mode has become controversial across the community though because it will allow artists and record labels to influence the songs that are selected by its algorithm for personalized recommendations. How this will work is artists and labels won’t be required to pay anything up front, but by opting in to the Discovery Mode, they will agree to get paid a lower recording royalty rate for streams in those personalized sessions both in playlist radio stations and autoplayed songs after listeners songs, albums, and playlists end. 

    Spotify Discovery Mode

    Artists and labels who opt out of the Discovery Mode will continue to have their tracks play in radio and autoplay, but their tracks will no longer be prioritized in radio and autoplay. They will continue to get the standard recording royalty rate for those streams. This is why Discovery Mode is controversial. Artists and labels will no longer be on the same playing field. Inorder to get a better chance of being heard by new audiences they are forced to accept less pay from Spotify. 

    According to an article written about Spotify and their profit margins earlier this year by NYS Music, “Spotify has a market value of about $21 billion in 2019 and Daniel Ek himself has an estimated net worth of nearly $2 billion. According to a Business of Apps article, “Estimates vary on how much a Spotify stream is worth to artist: from $0.006-0.0084 to as low as $0.00318/stream. At a pay rate of $0.006-0.0084 a stream it would take a million streams for an artist to make $7,000.”

    It is still unsure what the new royalty payouts will be for artists and labels who opt into Discovery Mode. With already shallow payouts to artists and labels it won’t help anyone. Unless, that artist ends up blowing up from the prioritized radio and autoplay functions. Basically artists and labels will have to decide if they are willing to sacrifice their hard efforts for a chance of higher fame.

    Read more about Spotify Discovery Mode

  • System Of A Down Releases New Music For the First Time in 15 Years

    System Of A Down released new music on November 6, 2020 for the first time in 15 years. The band dropped two songs, “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” both speak of the dire and serious war happening in their cultural homelands of Artsakh and Armenia. 

    The heavy metal band, System Of A Down, formed in Glendale, California back in 1994. They are an Armenian-American band who have released five studio albums throughout the years. Three of those albums debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and were even nominated for four Grammy Awards. Their most well known song is “B.Y.O.B.” which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance back in 2006. The band is made up of  founding members Serj Tankian who does lead vocals/ keyboards, Daron Malakian who does vocals/ guitar and Shavo Odadjian who plays bass/ backing vocals as well as John Dolmayan who plays drums. John Dolmayan replaced original drummer Andy Khachaturian back in 1997.

    The new songs “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” are the bands way of trying to inspired people to speak out about the horrific injustices and human rights violations occurring by the hands of the Azerbaijan and Turkey (along with Isis terrorists from Syria). They have attacked the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh which we as Armenians call Artsakh. Civilians young and old have been awakened day and night by the frightful sights and sounds of rocket attacks, falling bombs, missiles, drones and terrorist attacks. People have had to find sanctuary in makeshift shelters while trying to avoid the fallout of outlawed cluster bombs. Their attackers have set their forests and endangered wildlife ablaze using white phosphorus, another banned weapon.

    The band asks people to donate and help those who have been affected by the ever growing accounts of crimes against humanity currently happening to the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. In return the band offer downloads of the two new songs for just $2. These funds will be used to provide crucial and desperately needed aid and basic supplies for those affected by these hideous acts.

    For more information on the release and reasonings behind “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” visit System Of A Down’s website.

  • Lift Every Vote Campaign Asks Musicians to Join Together in Encouraging Voter Turnout

    Lift Every Vote Campaign encourages musicians to join together for one last push in voter turn out before election day on November 3, 2020. Musicians that have already joined include Lizzo, Tank and the Bangas, Robert Glasper, and many more.

    The Lift Every Vote’s mission is to expand the electorate and work to ensure that every U.S. citizen has both the right and ability to vote.  They try to accomplish this in three  different ways.  Firstly, they support local, 501(c)3 voting organizations with labor, consulting, and donations.  Secondly, they use non-partisan framing teaching voters, legislators, and activists how voting is currently regulated and administered in the U.S.  Thirdly, they find high-quality, accurate, peer-reviewed voting studies and research. Overall they hope to propose solutions-based, non-partisan activities to move our country towards our goal of universal suffrage.

    Lift Every Vote’s 2020 campaign was inspired by the summer-long grassroots efforts led by The Blacksmiths and the Wide Awakes, which organized peaceful rallies infused with music and art around New York City fighting for social justice after the murder of George Floyd. Jazz musician and double bassist Russell Hall led a ‘second line’ marching band at marches, rallies, and peaceful protests with the direct intention to bring joy and music to the movement.

    As the campaign reaches an end with the election rapidly approaching the Lift Every Vote Campaign is making a final call to all creators and performers—musicians, dancers, poets, visual artists, and others—to harness their talents, organize, and present pop-up performances that inspire the country’s greatest ever voter turnout. 

    In the course of just over 3 weeks, the campaign has seen over 3 million impressions on Instagram and over 1,000 submissions, with the momentum continuing to ramp up exponentially as the election countdown reaches its conclusion. The Lift Every Vote Campaign encourages people to participants by streaming and sharing their performances and events on social media using the hashtag #lifteveryvote and to nominate peers to take part in the challenge. 

    For more information on the Campaign visit Lift Every Vote’ website.