Philosophically, what would you say is the funk tradition?
George Clinton: Funk is gonna always survive. It’s about doing the best you can, and if you do the best that you can do, you just leave it alone and let the funk take over. It usually leads you to where you need to go. Right now, I’m having pretty good luck working with Louie Vega, Kendrick Lamar, and now, Ice Cube. We did the single for the video “Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You,” which will be out in a couple of weeks. And the version with Kendrick and Ice Cube will be out soon. So, just do the best you can and funk leads you to where you’re supposed to go. And I think I’m in the right place right now between the new hip-hop, the old hip-hop, and the electronic dance music. Still doing the funk the way I’d like to.
(The idea of expanding one’s consciousness) That plays a role in everything making music in ‘67, 8, and 9. That became the reality even if you were playing classical. The trending chemical substance of the day was provoking all the thoughts in music. You had Frank Zappa, who was weird. But all of those mind-expansion drugs played with the territory you were allowed to think in. The Beatles covered so much ground in the stuff they sang and wrote about that, you know… that was the consciousness of the youth of that day. You learned a lot about the world.
Once your mind starts expanding, you start appreciating all types of music: Classical, jazz, classical rock.
In almost every scene, in almost every city, becoming a musician or working in the music industry still seems to come part and parcel with heavy drug use. It’s a cliche – yet one that continues to ring true in 2015. What is the continued allure of cocaine, for people starting out in bands?
Elton John: “Well there’s certain people I’ve known, young musicians who are beginning to make it and they’ve disappeared into the bathroom come and I’ve gone, ‘Are you doing coke?’ and they’re going, ‘Yeah!’ I said, ‘Well that’s not a very good idea’ and they say, ‘Well it’s what I’m supposed to do, isn’t it?’ No, you’re not supposed to do it, it’s a fucking horrible drug. It brings out the worst side of your soul, you don’t need it, you’ve got so much talent. Stop it. It’s alright to have a drink but as soon as you go down that path it’s a path to…eugh.” He trails off for a moment.
“It’s crazy but it’s a cliché and a fucking horror story! You’re supposed to be making music. Just because Amy Winehouse died at 27 and Jim Morrison died at 27 and Jimi Hendrix died at 27 it doesn’t mean you have to as well. It’s bullshit and it’s so sad when you see that happen to someone. When you’re a drug addict and an alcoholic, you’re a completely lying, devious rat. It makes you so deceitful. It’s all about deceit, lies. ‘No I didn’t do that, no I didn’t do a line of coke, no I didn’t do this, I’m quite healthy, I’m very good, I’ve been out for a walk’. Bullshit. When you’re an addict, it’s all about bullshit.”
If music can motivate people to pick up a gun, can it inspire them to put the guns down?
With this simple question, Music Vs. Gun Violence was born—a social movement spearheaded by Chicago Ideas, Leo Burnett Chicago and Grammy-nominated Anthony “The Twilite Tone” Khan that aims to prevent gun violence through music.
The campaign features “Put The Guns Down,” an interactive music video that includes a string of performances from some of Chicago’s best-known hip-hop and rap artists such as Oscar and Grammy award–winner Common, Lil Herb and King Louie and allows you to download the beat and upload your own anti-gun violence lyrics. With each new submission, the video and support for the initiative grows.
Life can be tough for us adults! There are bills to pay, decisions to make, and jobs to do. While raising a family is a wonderful blessing, it can be a never-ending source of stress! That is why we need to take a moment to breathe. Play. Marvel at life. No matter your age or responsibility, you can experience the wonder of childhood again! So take these quotes to heart; they may seem simple, but deep wisdom often lies in whimsy and fun.
Suddenly, I believe in Santa. The spirit of Christmas and everything good can be found at The Cleveland Centre shopping mall in Middlesbrough, England, where Santa began to sign with a small child when he realized she was unable to hear him.
When you hear what Arrested Development lead singer Speech is up to these days, it will bring you right back to the period in time when his band sold four million copies of their debut album, won two Grammys, and was named “Band Of The Year” by Rolling Stone. Just as he brought conscious thinking to the public airwaves, giving voice to a Southern African-American experience in a way that was inspirational to people regardless of skin tone, Speech is offering up a vision for how to untangle our troubled world, in a positive way. Speech gave a TEDx Talk that will help transform how we think and treat each other. He enlightened the audience by challenging everyone to tap into a boundless, immeasurable resource.
Speech was the featured “closer” at this year’s TEDxPortland and got a rousing standing ovation in front of a packed house of 3100+ (and thousands more viewing online) to finish the day. Speech danced lyrically, bouncing back and forth from speaking to rapping, while filling in biographical holes few in his fan base ever knew. Just as his band’s debut album came out of nowhere, his TEDxPortland Talk got a broad universal reaction, resonating deeply in the moment that is now.
In his appearance, Speech unwinds the tale of his childhood and his favorite grandmother, with whom he spent every summer in rural Tennessee, in a house with no running water and only electricity borrowed from a neighbor’s extension cord. However, this scene, which became vivid in Arrested Development’s lyrics and music videos, was the birth of more than music. From these childhood origins, Speech picked up the seed, the core idea of his TED Talk.
“We all come to this earth with a certain gift, a certain talent, that we may or may not know is there,” says Speech. “It doesn’t matter whether you believe it is from God. But part of our journey is to find out what that gift is and then maximize that. It’s a Sacred Serial Number.”
Though Speech is a Christian preacher, he is taking messages that are universal and translating them into something appealing and useful regardless of one’s spiritual beliefs.
Before stardom, Speech cut his teeth with the standard posturing and brashness of hip-hop. When Chuck D and Public Enemy came along, Speech connected with the idea that you could transform the muscle-tensed art into something transformative. While having his eyes opened up to a renewed movement of self-determination, Speech realized icons of that movement already saturated the home of his mother, who runs Milwaukee’s longest-running newspaper published for African Americans.
The musical inspirations, his family heritage, and his grandmother’s Tennessee rural life came together in a playful way. Speech and his band mates put their own Southern spin and lore on it and Arrested Development was born. It’s this same ability to unite old and new ideas, taking concepts from one world and making them accessible to everyone, which Speech draws on in the speeches he is making today.
“When I speak to people, I know my audience is of all types of backgrounds,” says Speech. “I want to connect with people on our commonalities, with less emphasis on the things that divide. Whether I am rapping or speaking, I want to tie in our humanity, which coincides with spirituality, as opposed to just talking about problems. I also want to try to present solutions.”
So what is Speech’s Sacred Serial Number? “I describe mine as a unifier,” says Speech, “…as someone who is striving to unite people. I am here to help people to walk a mile in another person’s shoes, if that is possible to do; to help people have more compassion and empathy. That’s what I’m supposed to bring to the world.”
As promised by Eddy Cue earlier in the year, Apple has now raised the limits on iTunes Match and Apple Music library for matched songs from 25,000 to 100,000 songs.
Cue had previously announced on Twitter that Apple was aiming for 100k for iOS 9 and just in time for the holidays, that promise has been fulfilled. This means users with larger music libraries can now enjoy the benefits of matching songs in the iTunes Cloud to make them available on all their devices. Matching songs gives another option for people who cannot afford the more expensive 64 GB and 128 GB iPhone models by offloading local music storage to the cloud.
‘MasterClass’ announced that legendary performer Usher’s MasterClass course is now available online. Usher teaches the art of performance, diving into how to captivate an audience, prepare for live performance and create a personal brand. He breaks down his performances dissecting what he’s doing. You can enroll in Usher’s MasterClass here.
Usher joins Serena Williams (tennis), James Patterson (writing) and Dustin Hoffman (acting) whose classes are currently available online. Upcoming classes include CHRISTINA AGUILERA (singing), Kevin Spacey (acting) and Annie Leibovitz (photography).
MasterClass, a San Francisco-based tech company which launched May 12, 2015, is an online education platform making it possible for everyone to learn directly from the world’s best. Each master teaches a class which is available online for purchase at www.masterclass.com for $90 each and includes video lessons, interactive exercises, learning materials, and workbooks. MasterClass was co-founded by David Rogier and Aaron Rasmussen.
Usher has been ranked by the RIAA as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold over 65 million albums worldwide. He’s won numerous awards including 8 Grammy’s and was named the #1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s. Billboard named him the 2nd most successful artist of the 2000s and his album “Confessions” as the top solo album of the decade. Usher also served as a coach for 2 seasons on NBC’s Emmy award winning show “The Voice” where he mentored season 6 champion Josh Kaufman. Usher also founded his New Look Foundation in 1999 which empowers youth from impoverished communities to become leaders.
“Performing is part of my soul, my being, my everyday life. Teaching is my legacy. MasterClass enabled me to combine both of my passions and now I get to share it with the world.” – Usher
“When it comes to the art of performance, Usher is purely genius. Every detail about his presence, how he moves, breathes is mastery. We couldn’t be more excited for this class,” said Co-Founder and CEO David Rogier.
“Usher teaches tricks that only someone who has performed for decades would know. You not only learn about performance, but also the mindset that goes with it. It’s fascinating,” said Co-Founder, Creative Director, and CTO Aaron Rasmussen of MasterClass.
This winter, Family Channel raises its voice with the premiere of Lost & Found Music Studios, an all-new original series from Temple Street Productions and creator Frank van Keeken, the forces behind The Next Step.Debuting Friday, January 8 at 6 p.m. ET/PT, the pitch perfect dramafollows a group of aspiring musicians who are part of a unique music program, run by a musician-turned-producer. From pop to rock and hip-hop to R&B, the series showcases some of the best young voices Canada has to offer with original songs and stellar performances featured in each episode. For music aficionados who want to get in the studio earlier, Family’s got a special presentation of the series this Friday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following the epic season three finale ofThe Next Stepbeginning at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
A live music venue, recording studio and jam space, Lost & Foundis an amazing place where young musicians go to become great. Members immerse themselves in music, write songs record tracks and form bands in hopes of turning their passion into a profession. But, if making it in the music industry wasn’t hard enough, these aspiring artists also have to deal with the many issues teens face including first crushes, peer pressure, difficult home lives and trying to fit in. Following the series premiere, new episodes of Lost & Found Music Studios will air regularly Fridays at 6 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes will also be offered on Family OnDemandas they become available weekly beginning January 9.
On Friday, December 11, Family gets into the holiday spirit, gifting viewers with a special presentation of Lost & Found Music Studios at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. In the series preview, titled “Lost and Found,” the musicians prepare a goodbye party for graduates of the studio. Audiences are introduced to overachiever Leia, who hopes to write and perform a song with her crush, Luke; band member John, who’s having a hard time expressing his feelings for dancer, Michelle; and talented but shy singer-songwriter Eva, who is eager to break out of her shell. The exciting episode is ushered in by the season three finale of The Next Step at 7 p.m. ET/PT which sees the A-Troupe dancers lay it all on the line as they compete for the title of “International Champions.”
Lost & Found Music Studios stars include Shane Harte as Luke; Keara Graves as Leia; Alex Zaichkowski as John; Sarah Carmosino as Rachel; Deshaun Clarke as Jude; Ella Jonas Farlinger as Eva; Levi Randall as Theo; Maranda Thomas as Mary; Alyssa Baker as Maggie; Rakim Kelly as Isaac; Olivia Solo as Annabelle; Jeni Ross as Clara; Katrina Hachey as Hannah; and Matthew Bacik as Nate. Michael Torontow and Ali Milner play Mr. T and Parker who oversee the music program. A companion to The Next Step, the series also features familiar faces from the popular dance drama including Trevor Tordjman as James; Victoria Baldesarra as Michelle; Jordan Clark as Giselle; and Brittany Raymond as Riley. Fans of both series can see select cast members perform live in venues across the country this winter, as they embark on the internationalThe Next Step Wild RhythmTour. Tickets are currently available at Family.ca.
The beat goes on at Family.ca where fans can find out more about the show and its characters and watch the brand new web series “Jam Sessions.” Each webisode will feature a full performance from the series, a studio cover and a music lesson given by a cast member. Beginning in January, kids can play the cool new games that simulate the experience of playing a song on a real musical instrument. Plus, music-lovers will be able to stream the series’ songs as they become available.
Lost & Found Music Studiosis produced by Temple Street Productions in association with Family Channel and is executive produced by creator Frank van Keeken (The Next Step, Wingin’ It), Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (The Next Step, Orphan Black) and Laura Harbin (The Next Step, Wingin’ It). Temple Street controls the distribution rights internationally, and has secured deals with CBBC and Netflix. Lost & Found Music Studios is also produced with the financial assistance from The Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund.
The company just announced that it is debuting a new “Buy Tickets” button on its event pages, allowing users to quickly snag tickets to events, which can be claimed at Will Call windows. Facebook launched the service today, but it is still in pilot mode. The social media giant is working with a small group of artists, promoters, and venues in the Bay Area in this early phase, but it has plans to expand.
According to BuzzFeed, Facebook will not be taking a slice of the ticket prices. In fact, the entire fulfillment process will be handed off to third parties. Facebook has simply created an interface for selling the tickets and will send a confirmation email to the address the user has registered with Facebook.
