Have you ever walked under the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn's DUMBO looking for other musicians, producers and other people in the music industry trying to learn as much about music making they can, in order to do as much of it as they can? Last night along with my partner Mikyoung I found myself searching for a door within the infamous Rebar (a local watering hole in DUMBO) that would lead us to the area where the meetup called Netmix was taking place. A lil after 7pm around 10 "music makers" where gathering to discuss what we were facing as obstacles in our quest to make music and sharing ideas for others who were there to share similar ups and downs. The space was set up in a round table sort of way with snacks and drinks in order to be helpful and spark insights and information so everyone could leave expressing what they were doing, what they loved and didn't love about the process for the benefit of the whole group. Netmix even had two guest speakers who have gained some momentum using the internet with their musical products.
The first speaker Joe from Dollar Van Demo's briefly showed a video of his work and casually explained how his small team of camera men, cab drivers, and immediate family helped him turn a dollar cab ride in brooklyn into a frequent showcase of un heard of talent. This interaction took place on camera and was edited to be a way for the thousands of youtubers who watch the videos and artist who perform in the videos (and perhaps the passengers who make cameos here and there) to interact using the social platform on Youtube. Joe was also kind enough to explain how simple it was for him to get an ad agent from McDonalds to pursue his idea and use one of his videos and artist for a McDonalds commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. So what was Joe's obstacle after all? Well he as every visionary and artist probably goes through at some point how to scale without spreading yourself too thin. Seemed like Joe was doing most of the marketing and going to meetings promoting his brand dollar van demos but between rendering the stock of footage that he already has and editing it and spending time on the computer engaging his fans via google alerts and twitter he was a bit curious to find ways of making this easier and worth his efforts. Then again that is what I derived from what he was saying because he hadn't quite met the measurements and status online as the next guess speaker who gains millions of new fans and connections from fans of the band OKGO.
The second guest speaker Mike from OKGO briefly explained in a similar fashion once again how youtube has allowed him to social network for the band OKGO and present their ideas to an audience that tripled and doubled with minimal effort on their part. (well other than they were human enough to respond back to questions and concerns and the excitement of those who commented on and engaged in their videos and art) Mike is also a huge part in the development of the Blip Music Festival. Blip Music Festival was created for 8 bit musicians who play full on musical scores using Nintendo Gameboys and other nostalgic gadgets from the early electronics and computer age. Mike was mostly concerned with how can he duplicate the successes he has had for a well known band like OKGO who already had a 10 year career with a major label but for others like the 8 bit musicians who don't have that huge financial backing and fan base already. Even for the festival to stay afloat takes some creative thinking and some sacrifices that just aren't guarantees that the music making and information and innovation sharing will continue for the next year and grow beyond what it already is. So Netmix was there to face these concerns and chew on these ideas a bit for solutions to follow and networking to commence.
I strongly believe that this was a meetup that was meant to be, and the timing is perfect. Its filling a void of gathering music makers who don't have any where to speak one on one with others who might be in the same place or have transended that place for another level of challenges one faces when spreading their music to the masses without a massive money machine behind you ie Corporation or Trust Fund etc. What if there were business techniques you could employ to your own way of being a music maker for instance becoming more of an identifiable brand, or just being consistant with your url address so people can google you better? and you didn't know it because there was no one to tell you this face to face. Well then you might want to go to Netmix and gain that information or share such information with others who haven't heard it. Eventually Netmix will go from small free gatherings to a low costing huge gathering similar to a conference in New York for like minded music makers. In the mean time there will be monthly meetups and instead of them being in the Dumbo around the Rebar they will be in Midtown Manhattan in an amazing top floor space where the view is good enough for Heraldo to have aired his shows from at one point in time. I can't wait to see the space. The goodness of this meetup come from Corey H Maass who founded the meetup in September 2009 who has been in the music making lifestyle since I have known him in the mid 90's but probably way before that and has the heart and spirit to really want to assist music makers similar to Derek Silvers the founder of CD Baby but with a hardcore anti-mainstream culture feel like a independent webdesigner and computer hacker/internet marketer. I kid I am not sure if he is interested in hacking computers but he has that indi-spirit of someone who with DIY it rather than go with the crowd. That could probably be why his alias is Secret Agent Gel.
Hope to see you at the net mix. In the meantime check out these videos that relate to this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0BREgLkf6g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Nnog890wM
The first speaker Joe from Dollar Van Demo's briefly showed a video of his work and casually explained how his small team of camera men, cab drivers, and immediate family helped him turn a dollar cab ride in brooklyn into a frequent showcase of un heard of talent. This interaction took place on camera and was edited to be a way for the thousands of youtubers who watch the videos and artist who perform in the videos (and perhaps the passengers who make cameos here and there) to interact using the social platform on Youtube. Joe was also kind enough to explain how simple it was for him to get an ad agent from McDonalds to pursue his idea and use one of his videos and artist for a McDonalds commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. So what was Joe's obstacle after all? Well he as every visionary and artist probably goes through at some point how to scale without spreading yourself too thin. Seemed like Joe was doing most of the marketing and going to meetings promoting his brand dollar van demos but between rendering the stock of footage that he already has and editing it and spending time on the computer engaging his fans via google alerts and twitter he was a bit curious to find ways of making this easier and worth his efforts. Then again that is what I derived from what he was saying because he hadn't quite met the measurements and status online as the next guess speaker who gains millions of new fans and connections from fans of the band OKGO.
The second guest speaker Mike from OKGO briefly explained in a similar fashion once again how youtube has allowed him to social network for the band OKGO and present their ideas to an audience that tripled and doubled with minimal effort on their part. (well other than they were human enough to respond back to questions and concerns and the excitement of those who commented on and engaged in their videos and art) Mike is also a huge part in the development of the Blip Music Festival. Blip Music Festival was created for 8 bit musicians who play full on musical scores using Nintendo Gameboys and other nostalgic gadgets from the early electronics and computer age. Mike was mostly concerned with how can he duplicate the successes he has had for a well known band like OKGO who already had a 10 year career with a major label but for others like the 8 bit musicians who don't have that huge financial backing and fan base already. Even for the festival to stay afloat takes some creative thinking and some sacrifices that just aren't guarantees that the music making and information and innovation sharing will continue for the next year and grow beyond what it already is. So Netmix was there to face these concerns and chew on these ideas a bit for solutions to follow and networking to commence.
I strongly believe that this was a meetup that was meant to be, and the timing is perfect. Its filling a void of gathering music makers who don't have any where to speak one on one with others who might be in the same place or have transended that place for another level of challenges one faces when spreading their music to the masses without a massive money machine behind you ie Corporation or Trust Fund etc. What if there were business techniques you could employ to your own way of being a music maker for instance becoming more of an identifiable brand, or just being consistant with your url address so people can google you better? and you didn't know it because there was no one to tell you this face to face. Well then you might want to go to Netmix and gain that information or share such information with others who haven't heard it. Eventually Netmix will go from small free gatherings to a low costing huge gathering similar to a conference in New York for like minded music makers. In the mean time there will be monthly meetups and instead of them being in the Dumbo around the Rebar they will be in Midtown Manhattan in an amazing top floor space where the view is good enough for Heraldo to have aired his shows from at one point in time. I can't wait to see the space. The goodness of this meetup come from Corey H Maass who founded the meetup in September 2009 who has been in the music making lifestyle since I have known him in the mid 90's but probably way before that and has the heart and spirit to really want to assist music makers similar to Derek Silvers the founder of CD Baby but with a hardcore anti-mainstream culture feel like a independent webdesigner and computer hacker/internet marketer. I kid I am not sure if he is interested in hacking computers but he has that indi-spirit of someone who with DIY it rather than go with the crowd. That could probably be why his alias is Secret Agent Gel.
Hope to see you at the net mix. In the meantime check out these videos that relate to this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0BREgLkf6g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Nnog890wM
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