NYS Music 202​0

Category: News

  • 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.

  • Upstate Home of Aaron Copland to Host NPR Tiny Desk Concert

    National Public Radio has announced a very special program featuring instrumental works by Oscar-winning composer Aaron Copland. Streaming from inside Aaron Copland’s home studio in Upstate New York on November 13 at 5 a.m, like all Tiny Desk Concerts, the performance will be available to stream on the NPR Tiny Desk page indefinitely.

    In fact, the concert takes place a day before what would have been Aaron Copland’s 120th birthday.

    Aaron Copland
    Top: Composer Aaron Copland
    Bottom Left to Right: Carol Wincenc (flutist), Curtis Macomber (violinist), Michael Boriskin (Copland House Artistic and Executive Director)

    Artists from the internationally-acclaimed Music from Copland House (MCH) ensemble will perform a variety of selections from Copland’s library. Duo for Flute and Piano, composed in that very room; Sonata for Violin and Piano and Three Moods for Piano are all part of the set list.

    Born in Brooklyn, his peers and critics referred to Copland as “the Dean of American Composers.” Making a home in New York’s lower Hudson Valley for 30 years, Copland passed in 1990. After the composer’s death, the estate was marked a National Historic Landmark. Revered as a first-of-its kind creative center for American music, the estate is the composer’s only U.S. home. Devoted to championing America’s rich musical heritage through a broad range of public, educational, and informational programs, its activities uniquely embrace the entire artistic process, from creation and development to study, presentation, and preservation. The Music from Copland House ensemble is the entity’s touring residence which journeys across 150 years of the American musical landscape in concerts, recordings, and other programs.

    Tiny Desk Concerts are a video series of live concerts hosted at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. Currently, the acclaimed series is hosted in the home of artists across the globe due to COVID-19. In October, NYC’s pop duo Gracie and Rachel joined the growing list of at home Tiny Desk Concerts.

  • 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

  • The Park Theater Announces First Event Since March Shutdown

    After eight long months of being shut down, The Park Theater in Glens Falls is proud to announce they will open their doors. On Nov. 18 the venue with host an event; ‘Dinner & A Movie: A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood.’

    Cover art for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

    The screening of the movie will be accompanied with a three-course meal by Chef Matthew J. Delos. The guests will have their choice between three entrees and two different dessert. The 2019 film is about the late Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers, played by Tom Hanks and his friendship with investigative journalist, Lloyd Vogel, played by Matthew Rhys. According to a press release by the theater, the movie “tells a story of kindness, empathy, acceptance and transformation.”

    The Park Theater has been an entertainment staple in Glens Falls since 1911, where the town would watch silent films and vaudeville shows. In 1935, they closed their doors until The Post-Star bought and transformed the building into a printing plant. Over the years, numerous organizations tried to maintain the building’s reputation as a performing arts center, only to really make a change in 2018 by returning to its original name, The Park Theater and Doc’s Restaurant downstairs.

    For the event, doors open at 5 PM, dinner starts at 5:30 PM and the movie will begin an hour after dinner service starts. The tickets are $60 (+tax) per person and can be purchased online or call the box office at 518-792-1150. The theater recommends buying tickets sooner rather than later because seats are bound to go quickly after not having an event for so long.

    Mr. Rogers inspired children and adults throughout his career. This film demonstrates the impact he had on not only viewers of his show, but also his personal relationships.

    I think the best thing we can do is to let people know that each one of them is precious.

    Mr. Rogers
    Event Poster for The Park Theater

    For more information visit The Park Theater’s website.

  • 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.

  • AZ Teases ‘Doe or Die 2’

    Of the many fabled rappers that have hailed from Brooklyn, AZ might be the most overlooked. When great Brooklyn emcees are the topic, the usual suspects are The Notorious B.I.G., Jay- Z, Big daddy Kane, amongst others. Rarely is AZ ever brought up and that is seemingly how he prefers it, having given himself the moniker “AZ Quiet Money.” 

    AZ — whose rise to notoriety came from his classic guest-verse on Nas’ magnum opus debut-LP, Illmatic — has mastered a rare skill in a profession that is filled with ubiquity and hubris. The art of playing the background and biting your time. It also helps that as a famed lyricist, AZ has laurels to rest on. 

    Which is why it comes as no surprise to see the “Sugar Hill” rapper tease the sequel to his platinum-selling debut, Doe or Die,on his own accord. In an Instagram post which features a teenage picture of AZ and Nas, the caption reads “We been cooking up since 94 & We still cooking.,, Doe or Die 2 Coming soon!”

    Although talks of a sequel to his debut can be traced as far back as 2015 (the album’s twentieth anniversary), there seems to be a re-invigoration from the “Mo Money, Mo Murder” rapper, having released a new record — “Found My Niche” —  and an accompanying music video earlier this year. 

    A return album would be AZ’s first since 2009’s, Legendary. The “Firm” rapper (along with close associate, Nas) has gained a reputation for a specific style of rap. While gangster and mafioso Hip Hop ruled the mid-1990’s, AZ’s claim to fame was that while he was from the areas where great dangers lied, his records weren’t always in first person and oftentimes portrayed stories from the neighborhood. In addition, AZ’s knowledge of self and higher learning has always made him a favorite among hip hop connoisseurs, making a possible release to Doe or Die 2,much anticipated. 

  • Buffalo Welcomes New Event Company Twenty6 Productions

    Owners and operators of the annual Cobblestone Live Music Festival and Buffalo Iron Works, Josh Holtzman and Grace Vesneske, announced the launch of their “full-scope’ production company, Twenty6 Productions.

    Twenty6 Productions
    Cobblestone Live pre-pandemic.

    Holtzman and Vesneske developed the company after two decades of working in the music and hospitality idustry all over Western New York. Their experience has lead them to create Twenty6 and operate any venue, however big or small.

    According to a press release, Twenty6 Production’s resume possesses a myriad of events, from pandemic- inspired, drive-in concerts at two locations to private parties and small weddings. Before the pandemic, they held many music events, nonprofit gatherings and more.

    There’s no event we can’t take on. From private parties to nonprofit gatherings to large-scale music festivals, we’ve done it all and know how to navigate any situation. Surrounded by some of the industry’s best, both Vesneske and I feel incredibly optimistic about what the future holds for Twenty6 Productions

    Co-founder Josh Holtzman

    Twenty6 Productions will run numerous services for clients, including event management and logistics, event budget development, food and beverage management, venue event management, event staffing, marketing, branding , and talent buying.

    Twenty6 Productions
    Twenty6 Productions Founders Josh Holtzman and Grace Vesneske

    The company will work with anyone, including purveyors ranging from festivals, restaurants, concerts, non-profits, corporations, and the privately-owned sector.

    In a Facebook post, the company states that they will provide “every event with the highest standard of professionalism.”

    About a year ago, we started throwing around the idea of starting our very own event production company. If you know us, you know our passion lies in creating memorable experiences for those around us. Global pandemic? No problem, we’ll bring our community drive-in concerts! And just like that, Twenty6 Productions was born, right before our eyes.

    Twenty6 Production’s Facebook page

    For more information, follow Twenty6 Production’s social media pages.

  • 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.

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