LAST CALL! Final deadline now Feb 27, 2019! Join us to design the future of the creative industries.
WELCOME
We have a new and exciting initiative we wish to share with you from the Inter-American Development Bank.
The IDB is executing for the first time ever in the Caribbean, a Creative Tech Lab, where technologists, coders, and web designers will form teams with 3-5 musicians from Jamaica to create new ways of using new technologies (such as blockchain, virtual reality, or artificial intelligence) that support our local artists in improving their revenue streams and in capturing new market opportunities. This stimulating initiative is based on the experience of the Open Music Initiative’s 2017 Summer Lab where three Caribbean artists visited the Media Lab in Boston to contribute to and explore the application of blockchain technology to the music industry.
The Creative Tech Lab takes place in Jamaica over the month of March, culminating in a splash event on March 30th and 31st where teams will share their prototypes. Deadline to submit applications: February 22nd. During the month of March, selected participants can expect to attend webinars on the fundamentals of the music business, actively learn and apply design sprint methodology, explore new emerging technologies that are transforming the music industry, interact with assigned mentors, gain access to technical and financial assistance to further develop technological solutions. Although this year’s tech lab is targeted to Jamaicans, by applying, other Caribbean nationals can take part in the online sessions that will be announced over the coming weeks.
If you are a technologist or musician interested in joining us on this journey, click below to apply. The deadline for applications is February 22nd 2019.
Keep checking back at our website for more updates and other opportunities to participate.
Join us to design the future of the creative industries.
Video
New Technologies and the Creative Industries: The Caribbean Experience at the Open Music Initiative Summer Lab 2017
Blogs and Publications
The IDB and the Open Music Initiative
The Open Music Initiative’s New Toys
Interview with Panos Panay: The Simple Formula Sparking a Musical Revolution
The Impact of Digital Innovation and Blockchain on the Music Industry
PHOTO COURTESY TIFFANY KNIGHT, OMI
Daniel “Chino” McGregor shared, on blockchain technology: “Yo, if a few months ago you had come to me and asked me ‘what was blockchain?’, I would have stared at you and asked ‘are you talking to me?’ Now I only dream of playing that blockchain instrument yo”.
And his experience with Virtual Reality: “Wearing VR goggles you can sort of fly through the story of a song and connect with sources of inspiration, lyrics and the stories of real people behind a composition. Sometimes it gets completely nuts and is a lot of fun. It works sort of like a video game for each song. And I can see fans, depending on their moods, playing with their favourite songs and connecting at an intense, soul level, with the artists. Which is totally cool.”
PHOTO COURTESY TIFFANY KNIGHT, OMI
According to Shawn Kalieba, “Musicians are constantly performing live. Shows and tours are our way of living now, and I think LÜM has immediate applications. Actually, we could start using it right now if it were available. During a concert, everyone could have their app open on their smartphones, and while the event develops, it registers all of the user’s body reactions at every second. It displays some awesome graphics from every person that you may use as part of a spectacle. But the cool part is that you have a connection in real time with each one of the individuals in the audience, and you can learn and react immediately. I mean the connection between a musicians or DJs with the public is key to their success and here it is possible thanks to the technology. Besides you keeping that connection with your audience after the event, the data can be used to create more interesting music.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Deadline for Applying is February 22nd, 2019! Don’t want until the last minute. Contact kaylag@iadb.org or shari.nat.pow@gmail.com with any queries you may have.
Keynote Speaker and Mentor, George Howard
George Howard
Role in the Creative Tech Lab Event: Keynote Speaker, Mentor
George He is the founder of GHS, a strategic consulting firm that advises a wide range of clients on how to integrate technology with strategy in order to increase brand awareness and revenue through innovation, social media, digital platforms, and strategic partnerships. A partial list of clients includes: Intel, National Public Radio, CVS Pharmacy, Alticor/Amway, Brown University, Paste Magazine, SpokenLayer, SingFit, The Landmark School, BigchainDB, Wolfgang’s Vault, and the Townsend Group. Additionally, Howard is the cofounder of Music Audience Exchange, which comprises a team of digital marketers, engineers, and music lovers, using technology to redefine the fundamental structure of brand-artist relationships. He is the former president of Rykodisc, the world’s largest independent record label, and cofounder of TuneCore, the world’s largest independent digital music distributor. George has published An Insider’s Guide to the Record Industry and Music Publishing 101. See more in his bio.
Check out his blogs here
See his videos here:
Open Music Initiative: The Future of Music
George Howard on Blockchain’s Benefits for the Music Industry
Coming Soon:
Online Webinar and Training Schedule
Creative Tech Lab’s Two Day Event Program (March 30 and 31)
Keep Checking Back for More.
SPEAKERS
George Howard
Role in the Creative Tech Lab Event: Keynote Speaker, Mentor
George Howard is an associate professor of music business/management at Berklee College of Music. He is the founder of GHS, a strategic consulting firm that advises a wide range of clients on how to integrate technology with strategy in order to increase brand awareness and revenue through innovation, social media, digital platforms, and strategic partnerships. A partial list of clients includes: Intel, National Public Radio, CVS Pharmacy, Alticor/Amway, Brown University, Paste Magazine, SpokenLayer, SingFit, The Landmark School, BigchainDB, Wolfgang’s Vault, and the Townsend Group. Additionally, Howard is the cofounder of Music Audience Exchange, which comprises a team of digital marketers, engineers, and music lovers, using technology to redefine the fundamental structure of brand-artist relationships. He is the former president of Rykodisc, the world’s largest independent record label, and cofounder of TuneCore, the world’s largest independent digital music distributor. Howard is a sought-after expert witness who has drafted reports for and testified in many high-profile cases. He also is a columnist for Forbes, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times and many other publications.
Quotes from George:
“Having worked in the music industry as long as I have, I don’t want to necessarily just bring war stories. You’ve got to back it up with some good science and theory. One of the challenges is with new media. The tools are new. So, I try to balance those with some real, time-tested marketing strategies. You begin to realize that it’s all sort of been done before, but now we have an opportunity to recontextualize things. I do try to find a balance of things, but the music business is changing every second.”
Check out his blogs here
See his videos here:
Summer Lab 2017 Video
Open Music Initiative: The Future of Music
George Howard on Blockchain’s Benefits for the Music Industry
Berklee College of Music 2016 Commencement Speech
For more on George Howard, see: https://www.berklee.edu/people/george-howard
Lydia Rose
Role in the Creative Tech Lab Event: Panelist
Lydia Rose is the General Manager of the Jamaican collective management organization, Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors, and Publisher (JACAP), since 2012. JACAP administers the rights of the composers, authors, publishers of musical works both locally and internationally in Jamaica.
She holds an M.Sc. Degree in International Business and a B.Sc. in Management and Accounting from the University of the West Indies. She currently is the chair for the Management Committee of the Association of Caribbean Copyright Societies (ACCS). This organization was formed by the four major Rights Management Societies in the Caribbean – Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and St. Lucia.
Ms. Rose is the former Director of the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO). She is also the former General Manager for the Anchor Group of Companies, which comprises recording studio and publishing company.
Kayanne E. Anderson
Role in the Creative Tech Lab Event: IP Lawyer and Mentor
Ms. Kayanne E. Anderson is an International Legal and Regulatory Counsel and consultant who has functioned primarily in the areas of private sector development, intellectual property advocacy and reform, corporate governance, international cross border transactions as well as policy, legal & regulatory analysis and reform throughout the Caribbean.
As a cutting edge thinker, Kayanne’s track record boasts a unique depth of inquiry, in her research and policy portfolio:- in creative industries, SME business development, telecommunications law and regulation, global market access, international standards as well as competitiveness, reduction of bureaucracy, power relations and accountability. In addition to Bachelor’s degrees in Media & Communication (1991) and Law (1995), Kayanne also holds the graduate certificate in Legal Education and professional certification in telecommunications regulation (SAFIR) & internet policy (ITU), intellectual property (WIPO) and in private equity and venture capital (DBJ).
Recently, Kayanne convened the Intellectual Property Exchange Caribbean which is a conduit that is supporting commercialization strategies for IP owners, creators including research and university inventor throughout the region.
Kayanne is one of the premier subject matter experts on Caribbean Intellectual Property Law, and in 2009 was responsible for opening the first intellectual property office in any Commonwealth Caribbean university, the University of Technology Jamaica. This after, developing the University’s intellectual property policy, pushing for increased use of research and research results, increase of patent applications and development of new IP through research and innovation and inventions. In 2010 – 2011, she served as the Key IP Expert in an EU funded project to strengthen the institutional framework and management of IP in the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO) of Barbados.
Clive Hunt
Role in the Creative Tech Lab Event: Panelist
Clive Hunt is a Jamaican reggae multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer and producer. Hunt learned the trumpet while at Stony Hill Approved school and joined the 1st Battalion Jamaica Regiment Band at the age of seventeen. On leaving the service he was recruited by Byron Lee for his band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, touring with the group in North America.
He became a sought-after session musician, playing trumpet and also bass guitar, flute, horn, keyboards, and saxophone. He was also employed as an arranger and producer, working with many singers and musicians. Amongst others he worked with: Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Peter Tosh, Wailers, Grace Jones, Max Romeo, Pablo Moses, Jimmy Cliff, Johnny Clarke, Judy Mowatt, Devon Irons, Duke Reid, Sister Carol, Marcia Griffiths, Yasus Afari, J.C. Lodge, Congos, Chaka Demus, Ruddy Thomas, Twiggy, Al Campbell, Joe Higgs, Burning Spear, Lloyd Parks, Horace Andy, Dean Frazer, Gregory Isaacs, Jimmy Riley, I-Threes, Spanner Banner, and many others.
He released his first album “Satta I” (Trojan) under the name of “Lizzard” in 1976. A second dub album, Orthodox Dub was released on the Wackies label.
Hunt emigrated to New York City in the late 1970s, and while in New York he worked with Joe Gibbs and Lloyd Barnes‘ Wackies set-up. As an established, successful producer, he has worked with the likes of Beres Hammond, Judy Mowatt, The Abyssinians and Garnett Silk, and recorded with Jimmy Cliff, Steely & Clevie and The Rolling Stones.
He was signed by VP Records as a producer for the label, and has produced for artists such as Etana, Jah Cure, Maxi Priest and Queen Ifrica.
Grub Cooper
Role in the Creative Tech Lab Event: Panelist
Grub Cooper is the musical director for the band Fabulous Five Inc. (Fab 5). Fab 5 was initially a show band supporting various singers across Jamaica. They backed Johnny Nash on the reggae cuts comprising most of his 1972 platinum album I Can See Clearly Now. Their first recording was “Come Back And Stay”, which was a number one song in Jamaica. During their first three years on the road, they won the Swing Awards for best band. They have developed songs not only with the music of Jamaica, but with their own compositions of soca, the music of the Eastern Caribbean. They performed soul, funk, rock, jazz, disco, gospel, and classical music. Their album Christmas In the Sun is the most-successful Christmas album by a Jamaican band.
Grub Cooper has won numerous awards, including the Order of Distinction, Commander Class (CD) 2006 (a national award of the Government of Jamaica), and a special honor award from the JFM (1988) for his contribution to the development of Jamaican music. He has been Jamaica’s leading theater musician for more than three decades and a major producer of gospel music.
In 2017, he was honoured by the Rita Marley Foundation for his contribution to Jamaica’s musical heritage. Throughout his career, Grub also arranged and produced lead and backup vocals for the I-Threes, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, and The Grace Thrillers. He also provided background vocals for British musician, Boy George’s single, Believe In It All. An established songwriter, Cooper has penned several international hit songs, including Rita Marley’s One Draw, Harambe, That’s The Way, and Love Iyah; and Fab 5’s All Night Party, Jamaican Woman, Mini Mini, Freeze, and Yu Safe.
Adding to his impressive musical accomplishments, six of Grub’s musical arrangements for musicians Eric Donaldson and Roy Rayon won the National Popular Song Contest, formerly the Festival Song Contest.
FAQs
Am I eligible to participate?
If you are an artist: Artists will be creating music on the spot based on briefs provided. As such, we need artists that are experienced in doing recording and working in live settings and that are ideally multifaceted.
– Be a citizen of an IDB member country currently residing in Jamaica (see https://www.iadb.org/en/about-us/who-we-are )
– Be either a musician; a professional working with a production company, studio, publishing company, management company, or other music industry company operating in the Caribbean; or a professional that undertakes administrative functions to support musicians in the music industry
– Ability to be in Jamaica during the month of March to work in teams and participate in all activities of the Workshop programme (forthcoming).
– Must fill out the application form which requires:
1. an online link(s) to your music
2. an online link to personal website or CV outlining your work
– Must have experience doing recording and working in live settings
– At least one year experience
– Only individual artists are eligible or one individual selected to represent a group
– Age or gender does not matter. We encourage youths and women to apply!
If you are a technologist: A technologist is a wide category for coders, designers, and anyone with experience in software development.
– Be a citizen of an IDB member country currently residing in Jamaica (see https://www.iadb.org/en/about-us/who-we-are )
– Ability to be in Jamaica during the month of March to work in teams and participate in all activities of the Workshop programme (forthcoming).
– Must be passionate in supporting creative artists in addressing their pain points.
– Must fill out the application form which requires:
1. an online link to personal website or CV outlining your work
2. At least two years experience in software development
– Must have experience working with languages such as Java, PHP, Python, R or Ruby
– Age or gender does not matter. We encourage youths and women to apply!
What is the criteria for selection of artists? I.e. what type of artists does the Summer Lab need? Specific characteristics? An established catalogue? Unreleased music? Number of years experience?
We need professionals who are key to the music value chain in terms of the actual production of the music, the composition, the promotion, the administration, etc. Artists who have experience especially in recording and performing in live settings would be ideal.
How many artists do you need? What is the minimum or what is the maximum number of participants?
It could be as many as 20 active participants who will be in teams that must be present in all the sessions over the one month period. This number is flexible given that all applicants will have access to view webinars and live sessions. Please check back for information on dates and times.
What are the expectations/role of participants?
Participants must be present for the entire duration of the Lab and actively participate and engage in all sessions. Participants will be required to sign off on their commitment with regards to their expected roles.
Do the participants need to sign any sort of legal disclaimers?
Yes, but we will not be asking them to assign any publishing rights etc. from any existing work (all work will be new) nor shall we ask them to assign any rights with regard to the software developed. Teams will own their intellectual property with the option to publish their words to the IDB’s Code for Development platform which will provide them with international visibility.
What can the artists expect from participating in the Summer Lab?
An unprecedented exposure to new products and services that may be possible as a result of technology being explored; close collaboration with some of the top technologists, designers, business people etc from Jamaica; a one month learning session with intellectual property and Technology Experts; an understanding of new monetization possibilities that arise with respect to new music uses; network and contacts with key industry players; exposure through press and media during and after the Lab; and much more.
