There are those souls that make music because its simply who they are, but have no means of showcasing it to the rest of the world. Then there are those who fly in to the rescue some individuals, some movements, some underground, some not quite so all with the same purpose: giving talent its due.
Society for the Promotion of New Music
A conductor and composer of film scores and popular orchestral music was once the victim of unsupportive musical ambitions. He was born Alexander Paucker, but soon came to be known as Francis Chagrin, a stage name that is much revered even to this day in the United Kingdom. The boy, forced to first flee to France and later to England, played at nightclubs and cafes to support himself. As an offshoot to this struggle, he began what was called the Society for the Promotion of New Music; a membership organization that sought to discover new composers and support their careers. Drawing the support of the wartime Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts and some private donors, SPNM soon brought a multitude of talent to the fore, even garnering the attention of the BBC (quite a feat in 1943!)
The SPNM, at the urging of the Arts Council, has today merged with the British Music Information Centre, the Contemporary Music Network, and the Sonic Arts Network and is called, quite aptly, Sound and Music.
Songs From a Room
This is as underground as underground can get. Really. Their website is something Sherlock Holmes would love to run through. Founded in London in 2010, Sofar, as the network is more popularly known, is based all over the place. Their objective is simple, and direct create a better way to discover live music. This discovery almost always takes place in intimate and unusual spaces or venues, most often in a living room. Youll find (if you can get in on a gig that is) that the invitees are always a mixed crowd dedicated music lovers, aspiring or professional musicians, and industry veterans. The crux of the evening is a set of performances of short, unplugged, or stripped down sets by three to five artists. If Sofars feeling kind, some events are live-streamed to viewers around the world. These gigs arent a party with live music, but an interactive listening experience for people who want to discover new music and meet like-minded people with maybe some beer if you bring your own!
NPR Music
Musics got to keep up with the times too, said National Public Radio. So in 2007 they started a privately and publicly funded non-profit media organization. NPR Musics objective is pretty straightforward to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for discovery. Theyve got a slightly modern take on presentation. Current and archival podcasts, live concert webcasts, reviews, music lists, news, studio sessions, and interviews is how they bring their material to the table. If youre left wanting for more, theyve also got an index of public radio music stations streaming live on the internet. NPR is at its meatiest however, with its two blogs: Monitor by Mixcurated by Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney fame, and All Songs Considered by Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton. Add to that what is called Tiny Desk Concerts intimate video performances recorded live @ Bob Boilens desk and youll be glued to your computer for hours discovering music. Played right into their hands, havent we?
There are those souls that make music because its simply who they are, but have no means of showcasing it to the rest of the world. Then there are those who fly in to the rescue some individuals, some movements,
