SF Music Tech Looks at Covergence of Technology and Music
by Jennifer Elias | October 3, 2013
Artists, business professionals and developers gathered under one roof at SF Music Tech, featuring 50 discussions surrounding technology’s role in the music industry.
The band Iration showed its social media chops with a panel dedicated to revealing unique targeting tactics when engaging with fans. Targeted email blasts and Google ads, the band is directing individual content toward each city they tour.
“We’ve seen a lot of success with those (targeted emails),” SocialSoundSystem’s Xavier Ramirez said. “One key aspect is targeting interactive contests where we ask them to post their tickets.”
The band also asks fans to request its songs to local radio stations, and in return, they can unlock exclusive videos.
“Videos are pretty much the cheapest content you can have,” Iration guitarist Micah Pueschel said.
Shot entirely with GoPro’s, Iration captures the crowd, where fans can spot themselves in the videos, making them feel included and engaged in its content.
Wearable instruments were also discussed at the conference with a Google Glass demo by Yosun Chang, who used a touch pad and light sensor to play digital instruments on Google Glass, such as the piano and trombone. However, it was a fairly new hack and therefore won’t be effective until further down the road.
Another panel featured a discussion on technology at music festivals with Corrine Zawaduk of Shambhala festival, Leo Nitzberg of Goldenvoice, Peter Hudson, Burning Man grand-scale artist and Freddy Hahne of Black Rock Arts Foundation.
“It’s gotten to the point where the arts and visuals have become the key, almost as important as the music,” Hahne said . “It’s where spirituality meets technology. And, now with 3D modeling at tech shop, artists are using these to make more amazing things at festivals”
Zawaduk has utilized video mapping with the Shambhala festival.
“We released a thousand white balloons and the RF-ID tags inside were and able to capture the people who were playing with the balloons,” she said. “And, now video mapping and RFID technology is getting cheaper.”
Nitzberg, who was involved with planning for Coachella, said the shows that survive are the ones who think about the entire experience including art technology.
“I use the Exploratorium and Google earth, to determine where an art structure will fit,” Hudson said.
The Women in Music Tech panel was one of the more diverse panels at such a typically male-dominated conference. Hosted by SF Music Tech Co-producer Shoshana Zisk, the group discussed the importance of having women in the music and tech industry which currently lacks diversity.
Tagged as: Google Glass, hackathon, music festival, SFMusicTech