[FA Worldmusic] a post from anonymous on entrypoints, tokenism, and art

[Bill Bragin]

Due to the fact that they are monster guitarists who connect to
musicians across genre, and play instrumentals (including covers of well
known rock songs) so have no language barrier, and I'd give some credit
to hundreds of thousands of views on youtube.  As well as the
endorsement of a Western pop star (Damien Rice) and a kick-ass booking
agent up to this point.  And maybe an influential first NY gig at Joe's
Pub ;)

-----Original Message-----
From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+bbragin=publictheater.org at folk.org
[mailto:fa-worldmusic-bounces+bbragin=publictheater.org at folk.org] On
Behalf Of Dmitri Vietze
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 11:28 AM
To: fa-worldmusic at folk.org
Subject: Re: [FA Worldmusic] a post from anonymous on entrypoints,
tokenism,and art

Uhhh, Todd... you forgot to tell us the formula? So BVSC is due to PBS,
and 
Ceu and Angelique thanks to Starbucks. What about R&G?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Todd Walker" <todd at imnworld.com>
To: "Dmitri Vietze" <music at rockpaperscissors.biz>;
<fa-worldmusic at folk.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 9:00 AM
Subject: RE: [FA Worldmusic] a post from anonymous on entrypoints, 
tokenism,and art


>
> Ah yes - just the sort of this we shoudl be getting into.
>
> First off, I like the term "world music" and much as I like the terms
> "Rock", "folk" "electronic" "metal" and the rest of it.  I will
refrain 
> from
> citing the infinite specific examples, but really who cares?
>
> Also, do remember how uneducated we are as Americans - "world music" 
> offers
> a bit of clarity for most.
>
> I want to start hearing some thoughts like homeboy (or girl) below.
>
> How do we cross WORLD MUSIC into the main stream?  I have had a few
> successes but really isolated and many can't seem to put a finger on
it.
> Rodrigo y Gabriela is the best example, whom many of you may know the
> recently ran for the CAA border to become movie stars.  Regardless,
you 
> have
> a Mexican guitar duo who basically folded directly into a mainstream
plan.
>
> Why?
>
> Why did AAA radio get so crazy on it, why did comm. radio go nuts, TV
came
> along and all of a sudden you have a MEXICAN guitar duo who will
probably
> sell over 250K records on their first release.  INSANE!  I personally 
> think
> they are an incredible show, but more importantly this experience 
> reinforced
> my faith that music from across the world can cross over into the 
> mainstream
> and contend with commercial rock bands.
>
> CeU and Angelique are crushing it right now thanks to Starbucks.
>
> Buena Vista thanks to PBS.
>
> There are many more examples, but this is an essential focus for us.
Of
> course I want all you ethnomusicology nerds (myself included without 
> degree)
> to know about these artists, but above and beyond I want to bring my 
> artists
> from the corners of the earth into the living rooms of people outside
of 
> the
> major markets.  Not only is there brilliant music being made, but 
> culturally
> this education is imperative.
>
> What are your successes?
>
> The ideas that flow, the closer we get to a system when tours/records 
> don't
> happen once.  We can start building a foundation and structure to make

> some
> noise in this country.
>
> violins (fade in)...cello....and now the woodwinds
>
> with respect.
>
> Todd Walker
> International Music Network
> 278 Main Street - Gloucester, MA 01930
> 978.283.2883 // 978.283.2330 fax
> www.imnworld.com <http://www.imnworld.com>
>
> Check out www.imnworld.com <http://www.imnworld.com/>  for info on all
our
> artists, tour updates, news, tech riders, image downloads and more.
>
> ********************************************
>
> This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the
> addressee and may contain information that is privileged and
confidential.
> If the reader of the message is not the intended recipient or an 
> authorized
> representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that
any
> dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you
have
> received this communication in error, notify the sender immediately by
> return email and delete the message and any attachments from your
system.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+todd=imnworld.com at folk.org
> [mailto:fa-worldmusic-bounces+todd=imnworld.com at folk.org]On Behalf Of
> Dmitri Vietze
> Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:01 PM
> To: fa-worldmusic at folk.org
> Subject: [FA Worldmusic] a post from anonymous on entrypoints,
> tokenism,and art
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> So much to say and so little timeb&
>
> Dmitri has encouraged me to post my comments to this list.  My
response to
> him
> was that the usual suspects intimidate me.  My own paranoia, but
simply 
> put,
> my label would be layperson by comparison to you all who seem much
more
> knowledgeable in this arena. So, Ibm comfy w/remaining under the
radar.
> Ibm guessing though, if you donbt stand up, you donbt stand a
chance.
> b Genesis
>
> Many years ago, while having a discussion with a colleague about the
title
> of
> an under attended art exhibition, she pointed out that the chosen name
was
> an
> obvious title for those intimate with the history of art; however, the
> obscure
> title for the general populous might not motivate them to visit w/out
some
> sort of hook, or rather, context.
>
> Butb&did you know the bicycle was invented then?  Wow, that gave this 
> period
> some everyday relevance.  And, perhaps this new reference point would
even
> arouse enough curiosity to inspire a visit.  A little oversimplified,
but
> just
> trying to make a point.
>
> While attending a programming meeting prior to the opening of an 
> exhibition
> of
> the work of Barnett Newman, a now deceased artist that formerly
created
> larger
> than life, more or less, mono-chromatic canvasses w/a stripe or so
down 
> the
> middle, or positioned on some other location on the painting.  You
know, 
> one
> of those artists that elicit reactions such as, bMy Kindergartner
could 
> do
> that!b orb& bI just donbt get it!b Curators and educators were
> debating about what type of tours and gallery talks to present.  Some
> historian suggested, bWouldnbt it be fun to just send people into
the
> exhibition and then gather together after seeing the show for a
> discussion?b
> Maybe fun for them, even if modern art wasnbt their area of
expertise,
> because they had the knowledge base to bhave funb w/reactions,
> understanding the history of art in general.  When one is intimidated,

> such
> as
> myself, Ibm embarrassed to explore my reactions b/c what if theybre 
> wrong.
> Poor assumption on my part, Ibm aware, but as a stereotype, thatbs
just
> the nature of the beast, Ibm afraid.  Coincidentally, during that
show, I
> took a musician into see it.  The curator happened to be standing in
the
> middle of one of the main display galleries, where every work of art
was
> enormous, brightly colored, and the gestalt was magnificent and
powerful.
> The
> focus for me, as well as the musician, was on the room, the
installation,
> not
> just the individual works of art. Following our emotional
introduction, 
> the
> curator joined us and waxed eloquently about all of it.  It was an eye
> opening
> and exciting experience for all that gravitated towards her.
>
> So, labels, hmmmm.  When convenient, they are great.  When
problematic, we
> tend to reject them and bwish they would go away.b
>
> I for one enjoy a love hate relationship with them.  When hired to 
> program,
> I
> didnbt have a clue as to what I was doing.  Oy, yet another
uninformed
> producer! But, I had strong feelings about other conundrums, and they
> evolved,
> just as I did, in this baptism by fire sort of situation.  The first
issue
> was
> what do I do on a bBlack Historyb night.  That made me cringe. There

> were
> a series of problems with this label.  First, I hate token, thematic
> evenings
> such as that, or Womenbs History night in March, or, you get the
picture.
> They donbt bother me as much if throughout the remainder of the year,
a
> broad spectrum of events is presented without an air of tokenism.
Also, I
> was
> told that during my predecessorsb bBlack History Nightsb that 
> Caucasians
> didnbt attend and neither did African Americans b/c the overall
museum
> attendance reported a 1% diversity statistic. That made me angry
enough to
> attempt to change that.  Long story short again, Black History night,
my
> first
> one, drew the usual 1,000 visitors, rather than the previous scaled
down
> 300.
> An African American friend and colleague offered, bDonbt be smug,
let me
> see you do it again, and not just once a year.b
>
> This led to questioning other types of programming.  The origins of
the
> above
> mentioned, weekly series were to take a thematic approach. The themes
were
> to
> highlight the museumbs exhibitions and permanent collection.  We all
know
> there are an infinite number of themes in art; therefore, the
programming
> had
> no boundaries.  Wouldnbt it be fun to opt for some general theme,
Hearts
> and
> Flowers, if you will?  What ethnic group fits there?  Can Abba satisfy

> that
> theme? Can the Carolina Chocolate Drops? You betcha.  But, that
doesnbt
> mean
> you canbt turn around and have an American Roots night, or celebrate 
> Malian
> culture on another.
>
> I lost myself here with my own free associations, but perhaps, in
> conclusion,
> labels arenbt so much the issue, but what, when and how one uses
them.
>
> Enjoy the music and the art...
> _______________________________________________
> FA-Worldmusic mailing list
> FA-Worldmusic at folk.org
> http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic
_______________________________________________
FA-Worldmusic mailing list
FA-Worldmusic at folk.org
http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic