OPINION
In the Summertime & In the Classroom
Audio Media consulting editor Jim Evans rounds up the events that have caught his eye this month
Stevie Wonder will head to Montreux for the 48th annual Jazz Festival later this year
the response”. T e Before the Dawn concerts, which take place this August and September, mark the singer’s fi rst return to the stage since T e Tour Of Life in 1979. Demand was so high that the singer’s own website, as well as some ticket-selling sites, crashed as people tried to log on.
LIVE ON THE LAKE – AT A PRICE
T e live sound sector is gearing up for a full programme of summer festivals. Among the longer established is the Montreux Jazz Festival, which has reinvented itself a number of times since its inception in 1967 and now features a diversifi ed programme covering a broad spectrum of musical genres.
Stevie Wonder will be joined by Pharrell Williams and Damon Albarn when he headlines the 48th Montreux Jazz Festival later this year. T e full line-up for the 4-19 July festival includes Van Morrison, Massive Attack, Outkast, and Jamie Cullum. Wonder’s appearance fulfi ls a long- held wish of the festival’s late founder Claude Nobs, who died in 2013. “We tried to get Stevie many times,” said festival director Mathieu Jaton. T e veteran star will play at the Swiss resort’s Stravinsky Auditorium on 16 July, with seats priced at 450 Swiss francs (£304). Plus one on the door?
LIVE AND KICKING
Tickets for Kate Bush’s fi rst live shows in 35 years sold out in less than 15 minutes. T e singer said she was “completely overwhelmed by
www.audiomedia.com TRAINING AND EDUCATION
As the number of university/college courses covering recording and associated technologies continues to proliferate, the debate as to their true worth and validity in the real world remains very much alive. It’s always going to be a thorny topic. T ose looking to sign up for a course should check out T e 2013-14 Music Education Directory which tracks over 1,200 courses throughout the UK and Ireland. T e data is divided by geographical region and then by level of qualifi cation to make course hunting more straightforward. T e compilers recommend that once you have identifi ed possible courses you contact the establishments directly to ask the most relevant questions. Training ‘on the job’ is held by many – both from the old guard and the new – to be the best way to learn in this business. Sadly, there aren’t that many openings for the would-be George Martins and Bob Clearmountains of tomorrow. Warmly welcomed therefore is London’s Strongroom Studios’ inaugural intake of the new Sound Recording, Engineering, and Studio
Facilities Apprenticeship. Launched at Metropolis last summer by JAMES and in collaboration with Creative & Cultural Skills and City & Guilds, the apprenticeship scheme has been set up to off er young people wishing to enter the UK recording sector a viable alternative to expensive degree courses and private colleges, with a greater focus on industry connections, and consequently improved chances of gaining relevant employment. Strongroom commented: “Our fi rst apprentice is 17-year-old David Jones; he has some experience within other reputable London studios under his belt, as well as a stint with songwriter Steve Robson. David is a dedicated and passionate music fan with a great attitude, and we’re delighted to welcome him to the team!” And as an increasing number of facilities host ‘masterclasses’, a mention for T e Premises in east London which next month (June) hosts its four-day Songwriting and Recording Workshop which promises ‘a packed timetable of workshops, recording sessions with a pro band, and masterclasses from some of the most experienced people in the music industry. Whether you need advice on shaping your lyrics, structuring your songs, enhancing your melodies, are excited by the prospect of making a recording with a professional band, or simply want to join a group of songwriters focused on creating a strong personal songwriting identity, this course off ers a variety of
techniques to enable you to achieve your personal best as a songwriter.”
DIGITAL MEDIA INITIATIVE
T e BBC was ‘far too complacent’ in its handling of a failed IT project that cost licence fee payers £98.4 million. T e Digital Media Initiative (DMI) was intended to move the BBC away from using and storing videotape, but it was scrapped, with almost no results, after fi ve years of development. After investigating the demise of the project, the Public Accounts Committee has branded the programme ‘a complete failure’. T e BBC originally approved DMI in 2006. It was supposed to produce new editing tools, an online archive of the BBC’s programmes, and a new database. Siemens was hired to develop the project in February 2008, and it was expected to be completed the following year. However, after a series of delays, the project was brought in-house. T ere it fl oundered until last May when the BBC’s incoming director general, Tony Hall, admitted it had “wasted a huge amount of licence fee payers’ money”. T e BBC’s technology chief, John Linwood, was sacked in July 2013 over the project’s demise. Meanwhile, the Gravy Train is stocking up the buff et car and is about to leave for Rio and the FIFA World Cup. Taking their seats on the trip are no fewer than 280 BBC operatives, commentators and pundits. All aboard!
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