Jarome Matthew

Author: jarome

  • Help Me Help Your Music.

    Are you a musician / artist?

    I’m wondering if you can spend a minute to help me help artists like you.
    I am trying to gather some anonymous research data from artists on what is an affordable amount of money per month for them to spend to obtain assistance towards a successful music career.

    I have been in the process of trying to restructure my company, Pro Soul to be able to assist artists. We are exploring various monthly subscription based packages that will provide artists with consulting, services, and resources they need to develop a strong healthy career and fan base depending on what they need and can afford.

    All you have to do to assist and state your opinion is fill out 2 short polls:

    WWW.jarome.com/poll/

    Pro Soul’s new mission is twofold: To provide music fans with great music by diverse International artists and to affordably assist artists in developing their career in a changing music industry to build a strong, long lasting audience they have a close relationship with that will create financial rewards that far surpass those possible with simple CD sales.

    The new music industry is drastically changing, moving away from major record corporations and back to independent artists, moving away from physical product to digital media. Economics will bring in $4.8 billion in revenue from digital downloads in the US alone in 2012.
    I blogged about the changes in the music industry more here:
    the-end-of-the-music-industry-as-we-know-it

    In this receding tide, Pro Soul’s aim is to assist artists to clear the path of discovery and purchase of music by enabling artists to more easily connect with their fans, and enable fans to purchase and access music more easily than they ever have before.

    Pro Soul will consult artists with information provided by the worlds most knowledgeable experts in the future of the music industry, and provide virtually every aspect of what an artist will need in their career, performing those duties the artist does not want to take on themselves. We will provide the latest innovative techniques and services that have been proven to work to bring paying, dedicated fans to artists.

    Key individual behind Pro Soul will be myself founder, music producer, audio engineer, and composer for over 17 years, Jarome Matthew. I achieved early acclaim with gold dance tracks on top 40 radio and a number of major label compilations in the early 1990’s and now produce and consults artists internationally and teach these things at a local college.

    Although expenses and financial goals will be important in the first year, focus will be on assisting clients to become successful in generating enough new fans for them to see the signs of a successful long term career in the industry.

    Right now all of this is just an idea developing. Based on the results of the poll and other research and consulting I am doing, and financial analysis, hopefully this will all be a great asset to artists and help me finally achieve my dream of really being able to help them.

    Visit again to keep updated on how it’s going.

  • Feelings For A Machine

    I’ve always been intrigued with the concept of having personal feelings for a machine. I’m not sure what sci fi experience started it, probably Star Wars, back when my parents took me with them to see it in 1977 in the theatre (yeah, that’s right, I’m kinda old). Then again with Blade Runner. I became fully aware of my fascination with feelings for a machine with the Kubrick/Spielberg movie AI which despite much hatred amongst most who viewed it, I loved. I vowed to see everything that Haley Joel Osment acted in since that movie. I also studied the idea further in the book “The Age Of Spiritual Machines” by music technology genius and futurist, Ray Kurzweil, who’s philosophies I only partly agree with.

    It requires true talent for a director to make you have feelings for a machine, and they’ve done it again in Wall-E, the latest hit from Pixar. I was amazed at how the movie not only gives you empathy for a machine, but makes you forget your watching animation despite it being sci fi.

    So another brilliant hit for Pixar (Disney’s just along for the ride), so that makes, what NINE hits? Every single movie Pixar has made has been a huge success. How can they sustain that when all the major studios fail?  If you ask Bob Lefsetz, he’ll tell you it’s because of a dedication to, a focus on, only one thing, quality.  EXCELLENCE! They don’t copy others, they don’t use cliches, they want nothing but to be the very best at what they do, and so they are. One could say it’s easy in a world overrun with mediocrity and people who are satisfied with making a quick buck. But it also takes the will and creativity and desire to do something a little different from everyone else, to take risks, but put your all into it, your best.

    Will and Creativity are two things that have been sorely lacking in the music industry for some time. And that’s exactly what it desperately needs right now. But things are changing fast (unless you work for a large music corporation.)

  • The music has to be good…

    Bob Lefsetz has a lot of important truths to share about the future of music, and this sums it up in a nutshell:

    “This whole business is top-heavy. And these lumbering giants are trying to maintain their power, however ignorantly.

    The key today is leaving some money on the table. Be willing to give the audience something for free, you’ll get paid back in spades, if you’re good.

    That’s what it’s come down to again… Are you any good? Can you play your instruments? Can you write innovative material? Can you touch people’s souls? Can you change their lives? Can you infect them to the point where they’ll come to your show for years?

    That’s the future of this business. Not dominant superstars, but tons of journeymen, super-serving their fan base.

    This is the more difficult road. But since the usual suspects, attorneys and major labels, are not interested in this road, they’re leaving the journey open to entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs will inherit the landscape. A truly savvy one will roll up some acts to reach critical mass. The new entrepreneurs will not be chomping on cigars, going to lunch, but tapping their iPhones as they Skype contacts around the world, monitoring their business, giving those with the power to spread the word the tools they need to do so.

    It’s not about less, but more. It’s not about drenching the public but starting with the trickle of one drop. It’s not about banging the audience over the head, but the sense of discovery and wonderment. It’s not about feeding the mainstream media, but the bloggers. It’s not about the deal, it’s about the music.”

  • Great quote about creators and performers

    “Some people who create great things, even some performers have additional energy flowing in when they perform; there’s enormous enthusiasm which everybody can feel and they almost want to soak it up. ”

    – Eckhart Tolle

  • A pro stops by the studio…

    Yesterday, I got a long overdue visit from a friend and professional musician Darryl Kromm from 80’s band Strange Advance who I worked with on Past Becomes Future and many other brilliant songs he has written that have not been released (yet). He came in to discuss future projects and Heather Dore’s current songs that I am working on. I wanted some background vocals for one of her songs, and despite not hearing the song much or knowing the words, he threw down an almost flawless recording in 15 minutes, as he has always done. When I asked him about it, he said “when your singing professionally for paid gigs, you can’t fool around, and that’s where I started”. Early in his career he performed/recorded with Bryan Adams, Bob Rock and Paul Dean of Loverboy, and released a number of hit recordings.

    It was a great experience to work with such a pro in the studio and get such strong results so quickly. Looking forward to more of that Darryl!

    [audio:http://www.prosoul.com/tracks/pbf/fame.mp3]
    Darryl sings his rework of Bowie’s ‘Fame’ from the Past Becomes Future CD.

  • The Future Of Copyright

    Today in Vancouver, the front page of the newspapers was a proposed copyright bill in Canada.
    ‘Is your iPod breaking the law?”

    Once again, the government in it’s ignorance has caved to corporate industry, having no real idea what is going on with the future of copyright or music. The paper article quotes: “Rather than building a made-in-Canada proposal to help musicians get paid, the government has chosen to import American-style legislation that says the solution to the music industry’s problems is suing our fans”
    Once again, Canada seeks to copy America’s ways with it’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act even though their efforts have failed miserably.

    When are individuals, corporate America, religion, and government going to start independently investigating truth before making rash decisions that hurt the most vulnerable?
    I talked about some of these decisions in this post that hurt content creators…
    Backlash against the bill was swift and strong as this article details.

    This bill does little to support the content creators and mainly seeks to continue compensating corporations who have become too lazy to market and promote using innovative techniques required in the digital internet age. Luckily it is still on the table and can be challenged.

    What is really required is a complete shift in our direction about copyright based on our changing culture and society away from corporate interests, focused more on the content creator as Entertainment Lawyer and Stanford professor Larry Lessig details in his excellent speech, “How creativity is being strangled by the law” here. (also available at the end of this post)

    Ultimately, change in copyright will come from the content creators (Most corporations own copyrights to works they themselves did not create!). So if you create content, lead the way by copyrighting using Creative Commons licenses.

    Fear is the mindkiller! The resources and TRUTH are available to you dear readers! Please research things for yourself before believing the media, your friends, politicians, or religious clergy!
    Let’s get back to instinct, and common sense, reality.

    Entertainment Lawyer and Stanford professor Larry Lessig’s speech: “How creativity is being strangled by the law”

  • Asia: 60 percent of global music market

    Read that headline and ponder, if your serious about music, how can you ignore Asia?

    That’s what most labels and artists have done. “Bootlegging”, or “They don’t speak english” might be one of the excuses, but not anymore, and even if they don’t, that doesn’t mean they can’t memorize words to your song and sing along, it happens all the time.

    When I went to Asia, I got bitten by some kind of bug. I didn’t get sick, I just got the fever – for Asia.
    You could argue this is attributable to many things, and you would be right, but I think my instincts were sensing what this article is eluding to: That you can’t ignore Asia if your serious about music.

    Asia Pacific Market Grows – radioandmusic.com

    Oh, and if that article isn’t enough to boggle your mind, this WILL.
    From my sources in China working in the industry: the Chinese internet base is the largest in the world with 221 million users. At 16% penetration, this still leaves huge room for growth. That’s right, that stat represents 16% of China. You do the math.

    Keep your eye here for more about my plans for music in Asia through Pro Soul.

    Jarome in Beijing, China 2008

  • My visit to Hong Kong

    As I blogged earlier, I recently got back from my first trip to China.

    I also went to Hong Kong for 4 days and stayed with long time friend Ron who was nice enough to let me crash at his place. I didn’t say much about Hong Kong because I didn’t know how to do justice in describing it. Bob Lefsetz, an veteran and expert in the new music industry and accomplished writer, has described his first trip there exactly as I would, If I could write as well as he does here and here, and as I experienced it, feeling what I felt…

    Warning: If you happen to peruse Bob’s other posts: He is extremely blunt and uses very colorful language. But one thing is for sure, you will be educated.

  • The emotional impact of music

    I’ve been going to a lot of fantastic concerts lately, Nightwish, Ladytron, and yesterday Rush. They were all great shows, unique and exciting to me in their own ways, and I’m not going to get into details because then I’d have to write a novel here, but yesterday I came to a realization at the Rush concert.
    Nightwish put on an almost flawless show of intelligent, well written progressive rock, and although I am much newer to the band’s music, I knew many of their songs well. But the Rush show had far more emotional impact and was a far better to me for that reason. Why? Because I am emotionally invested in their music, I grew up with them, they influenced me in a big way both personally and musically as a producer with their technically challenging, jazz influenced, progressive style rock. Rush drummer Neil Peart‘s impersonal approach to lyrics and his propensity for addressing diverse subject matter including science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy, as well as secular, humanitarian and libertarian themes always seem to leave me wanting more with the lyrics to most songs I hear and work with.

    The show reminded me that this emotional investment that comes from the fact that music affects you at specific times in your life based on what is happening and what your going through and gives the music and the artist even more impact to you personally.
    That personal connection and relationship is what the new music industry is based on; It’s not about a physical product any more, it is ALL about that relationship between the artist and those they affect, their audience.

    I’ve added a Rush song below for you ‘Subdivisions’, which according to Neil, is “an exploration of the background from which all of us (and probably most of our audience) have sprung.” I highly doubt the music will have the emotional impact for you that it does for me, but that’s what makes my relationship with the artist special. Now if only Rush had a blog!

    [audio:Subdivisions.mp3]

  • Let me tell you about China…

    I got back from Beijing China and Hong Kong recently, and I’ve been putting off this post for some time because honestly, I don’t know where to start. It’s an incredible place. Combine that with an unforgettable experience working with the talented Elika Mahony and some other Chinese musicians, and it gets more challenging to summarize, but here is my attempt.

    I was working most of the time I was in Beijing, so I only saw so much. It was cool to work with some local chinese musicians, composers, singers for one project. At one point, none of them could understand what I was saying when Elika was out of the room and unable to translate, so I just hit the record button and things worked out! It was really great to work with Elika in person on some exciting new music and help with her studio setup.

    I realised China is quite different than what I expected and the ideas about it many have. Sure, some things are more difficult, but otherwise, in many ways, people there can actually have it better than we do. It rained for a couple days and was windy so I got to see the clear sky, otherwise it is a haze. But the pollution isn’t as big a deal as some make it out to be depending on where you are. There are rows and rows of trees in the suburbs as far as the eye can see, just to help with the pollution though. And there are dogs and cats running around everywhere, and people have dogs as pets. Another thing I found unexpected here: Unlike India, There are not only a lot of Caucasians, but people of all races and backgrounds that speak english and a number of other languages. I’ve went to Italian, Indian, and middle eastern resteraunts that are actually better than Canada.

    Another thing that is superior China is the service. For every one person serving you in retail or food industry, there are 4 in China waiting on you, and they do it with pride and sincerity unlike ‘the great west’, and the selection is massive and cheap. Quality, well that is another matter, but that is getting better as well… China is the land of the seemingly perfect knockoff. I was fooled. And yes, the great wall is incredible, photos can’t describe how massive it is. You basically have to climb a mountain to get to it as it is at the tops of the mountains, and when you are on it, it is wide enough for a car to drive on it. When you look out from it, it stretches across the mountain tops as far as the eye can see like a dragon across the mountains. China is beautiful in many ways. You can very likely have a higher quality of life there than in North America or even Europe. Yes, that’s right, in a communist country. Another sign of the collapse of the supposed ‘developed world’

    Jarome on the Great Wall

    And then there’s Hong Kong, the massive mecca, New York of Asia, of excess and the ultimate in selection and diversity from around the world. The buildings are 4 times the size of any you have seen. It is intense, and exhausting, but cool as well. over 7 million people and the streets are spotless. Thanks Ron for giving me a good taste of the ultimate modern city.

    Hong Kong Night

    So I would go back again, and my view of the world is now forever changed. I have learned some valuable lessons, some that will undoubtedly affect the future of my career as a producer. But I wouldn’t change the experience as I have grown as a person because I no longer have to rely on certain misconceptions.
    Now it’s back to my regular life, at least for the moment.