Monday 7 September 2009

Do-it-together media

I've been harping on on my website*  about the cultural worth of DIY media, and about innovative independent music business models. But as we move beyond basic 2.0, I correct myself: do-it-yourself media eventually should give way to do-it-together media. 

That was no brain-wave. I stole that thought from a website of Unconvention, an initiative that claims to do exactly that for the "grassroot music scene."

I had nothing to do with Unconvention, besides an interest in the music and ideas of some of the independent artists involved.

I still have nothing to do with Unconvention. But it just happens that I found my way to the website, heard clips of some new acts, heard them recommended by artists I already like and hence trust, witnessed an online initiation for an interesting new band, ("four musical savants generating controlled chaos") and found more music and ideas that I intend to be interested in and freely recommend.

But what just happened here? In just a few days, a community working together, energised by the digital tools available, effectively decided that some young people with a couple of guitars, a drum and a tune were worthy of being Music, and for a wider audience.

Collaboration was always an important aspect of the free culture movement. The ability to build upon another's work was a desirable consequence of free creation. But now, it seems to be becoming a part of effective creation itself. And I'm not talking the collaboration on Wikis, but on creating mainstream multimedia. 

So now who's scorning "the Cult of the Amateur"?


* One ought to be allowed to use one's blog for shameless self promotion.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow...the Do-it-together concept can take music to a whole new level.That's just great.I am glad you brought it up.

 
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