CC Global Summit Launches Rebirth of the FMA

I attended the Creative Commons Global Summit this year in my PJ's from the comfort of my Southern California living room and enjoyed every minute. Granted, I had to wake up at 6 in the morning since the Summit was held half way across the globe, but I'm not complaining. With a warm cup of coffee, I took the opportunity to check the pulse #ccmusic, which was especially interesting since the Tribe of Noise relaunched parts of the new Free Music Archive during the summit.  

Yes, the Free Music Archive is back and it's being funded in part by a grant from Grant for the Web, an organization that is interested in funding projects working in the open web space. Quick reminder here, the FMA was acquired by Tribe of Noise last year and they basically put it on ice while they worked on a plan to keep it alive. Until now, we've all been sort of holding our breath to see what would happen to one of #ccmusic's strongest outposts. So, I poured myself another cup of strong coffee, sat back, and watched Hessel Von Gorshot, Meghan Lacle, and Christopher Lawrence guide us into the future of the FMA, the future of music, and how it's tied to fluid data/cash flow.

I'm not going to go too deep into the details here, because you can find out more on the FMA's twitter page. I will say, however, that I was excited by the news and what it might mean for Creative Commons music in the near future. Most of us in this space are familiar with The Long Tail by Chris Anderson and what his work predicted. Well, it seems like we're are fast approaching "music like water" where transactions are fluid and ubiquitous.

In a glass is half full world, this means we'll able to keep the data servers running, offering free music in the #ccmusic cultural domain without ads, without gatekeepers, and without selling out.  

Imaging a world where this is possible is exciting and I loved every minute of it. ccMixter is the place where we not only imagine it, we remix it!    

Thanks CC and everyone who made the summit possible. I think I can speak for all on our team and say, we look forward to participating in the rebirth of the FMA.

Stay Inspired and Keep Creating!

Jason Brock

aka Spinningmerkaba

@jlbrock44

Time of Terror Remix Event

 

“I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”

― Bram Stoker, Dracula

The Time of Terror Remix Event is here, a haunted place where we create terrifying music to share the dark side of our collaborations.  We're drawn to the music that pulls at our curiosity for what hides in the shadows, and lurking in this playlist will be songs that chill you to the bone.

To find out more, knock three times on the castle door.

Or, now that the Time of Terror remix event has ended, you can listen explore all 57 submissions here.   

Looking for more terrifying music to use in your haunting productions?  Start by searching "halloween" at dig.ccmixter.org 

Letterz: Michael Burnz Single Uplifts with J Ross Parrelli and Mila Akilah

 

We’re proud to release Michael Burnz’s latest single “Letterz,” a hip-hop mix that is about the power of words and the messages they convey. Featuring J Ross Parrelli, Mila Akilah and beats from ccMixter producer The Concept Of Energy, this worldwide collaboration carries the message of love and empowerment. Though the track is not an upload to ccMixter, it carries the spirit of community, one that is at the core of Michael’s career.

Michael’s contributions to ccMixter show his love for music and collaboration, and “Letterz” is no exception. His consistent push to make music that connects artists and listeners across all platforms is inspiring. When we asked him about his new release this is what he shared with us.

“At its core “Letterz” is about the words we speak & their power to build or destroy. Words are made up of letters hence the title “Letterz.” Michael continued, “When we allow love and light to penetrate our innermost...then our souls, our cells and our words will be full of light down the very letters of those words.”

Born out of a sample pack Michael received from The Concept of Energy, “Letterz” quickly became a collaborative effort. Burnz connected with J Ross Parrelli, who has an extensive career of combining her music with uplifting community projects, and her contribution became the chorus line. After working on demos for the track, the two felt like it needed a shot of reggae, so they contacted Mila Akilah, a independent artist from Kingston Jamaica. She recorded her parts from her home in Jamaica and the track was complete. “Letterz” is truly a worldwide effort.

The message is one for the world as well. Love yourself and free yourself. We can all use as much of that as we can get these days.  

Letterz Links

Website .. www.MichaelBurnz.com

Youtube … Youtube.com/GetAtMic

Apple Music / Spotify/ Others Searchable by “ Michael Burnz”  

https://ccmixter.bandcamp.com/track/letterz-feat-j-ross-parrelli-mila-akilah

Instagram Links

Michael Burnz  https://www.instagram.com/faithmassive/

J Ross Parrelli https://www.instagram.com/jrossparrelli/

Mila Akilah https://www.instagram.com/mila.akilah/

Firefly Secret Mixter Lights Up ccMixter

 

With 35 mixes and 12 Editorial Picks uploaded, the Firefly Secret Mixter lit up our remix community with the sparkle and warmth of creativity and connection.  It continues to light up our social media with activity as more and more listeners discover the beauty of new music.

Like fireflies dancing in the sky, each upload flickered and glowed across the globe through the internet and into our speakers and headphones, sending signals that creative commons music is a magical experience for all.  Whatever the true nature of our connection, however diverse, it’s truly amazing to witness music that is alive lighting up the dark.

Listen to the mixes and find out for yourself.  Discover the wonder that we know as the Secret Mixter.

Playlist Here

New Pells by @CRAZYLITTLEASIAN Garner Multiple Ed Picks

@CRAZYLITTLEASIAN joined ccMIxter in May of 2020, a little over three months before the posting of this article. In that short time, she has already received over 39 mixes and 7 Editorial Picks. With her uniquely fresh vocal energy and heartfelt lyrics, she has attracted remixes from Loveshadow, J.Lang, sleeperspaceborn, and Zep Hurme to name a few. Producers from all over the world are uploading remixes of her vocal source, which is an indicator of her abilities as a singer and as a savvy independent artist.

With a dynamic life path that has taken her across the globe from her home country of the Philippines to the U.K., @CRAZYLITTLEASIAN is currently studying music at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London. She has a video about her experiences posted on her website. Her talents include dancing, ice skating, poetry, singing, as well as DJing, which got her an opening performance for international star Steve Aoki. Currently, she is producing a weekly video show called Sha-nanigans Live!, which is available on YouTube.

So how did @CRAZYLITTLEASIAN come to ccMixter? When we asked her about why she decided to become a member of the ccMixter remix community she told us, “I joined ccMixter because of my friend Paul Pajo, who encouraged me. It was the first time I really opened up as an artist to anyone other than my mum in the Philippines. I wasn't expecting the response I’ve been getting from my pellas - It has been overwhelmingly lovely.”

Jeris, a respected ccMixter artist and producer commented on his discovery of @CRAZYLITTLEASIAN. “I was like who is this @CRAZYLITTLEASIAN that everybody is remixing all of a sudden? Then come to find out she was born in Manila just like me! So at that point it was a wrap. I think I pretty much remixed the first thing I heard.” His remix of "Coffee and Lullabies" received an Editorial Pick and is an excellent example of the magic that happens between artists on ccMixter, sharing music across the globe.

 

“It's insane how people you've never met before are touched by your art and vice versa,” @CRAZYLITTLEASIAN remarked. “It truly is as close to magic as it can get.”

Now is your chance to discover that magic and the energy that is @CRAZYLITTLEASIAN.  We’re excited to have her collaborating with us here at ccMixter and look forward to watching her as she continues to rise together with all those around her.  

Listen to the Editorial picked remixes of @CRAZYLITTLEASIAN here.

Visit her ccmixter.org uploads page here.

ccMixter: An Online Resource for Teaching Music

CcMixter: Online Resources for Teaching Music

 photo: Flickr user Douglas Pimentel, creative commons licensed.

The world is scrambling right now, trying to figure out solutions for the problem of teaching students during the ongoing pandemic. The most direct and effective way seems to be shouldered on using the internet to teach in-home, but that leaves a lot unresolved. How are activities that are rooted in socialization and collaboration going to translate in such an isolated environment?

At ccMixter, our platform is based on online collaboration, and all the music we create is free to share as long as it's not used in a commercial way. That means a music teacher could run a participatory music project online with no costs involved.  

Our Music for Healing collaboration with the University of Utah is a great example of the possibilities available for teaching music creation online. With students and faculty contributing source material for musical creations, the event garnered 146 unique productions.  You can read more about the event here.  http://ccmixter.org/music4healing

If you're a music teacher searching for a creative way to engage your students from home, we'd love to help. Feel free to contact us if you  would like to investigate options on how to use ccMixter.org as a teaching aid for your online classes.

Still looking for more resources to build your online curriculum?  The NAMM foundation has a great list of places that may also spark creative ideas for online learning.  Click on the link below for more options.   

https://www.namm.org/playback/advancing-music-making/covid-19-social-distancing-music-making-resources

Letters For Black Lives-Spoken Word For a World of Change

Letters For Black Lives (LFBL) started with the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016.  Using Google docs, Twitter, and Slack, a small group of mainly Asian collaborators created a crowdsourced open platform to write the first letter, a letter aimed at opening dialog within families. The letter has now been translated into over twenty languages with numerous recordings and videos.

The letter starts:  "Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie, Grandfather, Grandmother, Family:  We need to talk."  I think most of us can relate to the silent pause that often follows that statement.  It's the prelude to a difficult conversation, but one that, now more than ever, needs to be had about racial injustice in our society.

With the recent killing of George Floyd and the resulting mass protests his murder ignited across the globe, LFBL is once again active, and has revised the letter to reflect the atmosphere of our current crisis.  Here at ccMixter, we are proud to have the recent translations included in the Break The Silence Remix event.

"Because LFBL releases their works under CC0 licenses, we are able to easily collaborate with them." says Kara Square, "This is a great example of why Creative Commons was created, to allow people to share, express, and move culture forward."

These letters are powerful.  We are grateful to have the spoken word version available for remixing in our community projects, and we encourage any and all to participate, to translate and to speak up in this time of new hope for a world where Black Lives Matter.  We encourage you to have the conversation, break the silence and end the violence.

Relevant Links:
Letters For Black Lives Website
Interview with Creative Commons
Break The Silence Remix Event