Free live streaming video of classical concerts at Medici.tv

Album sales of classical music have been on the decrease for years now. Finally this downward trend seems to have bottomed out. Digital sales have helped boosting the bottom line of the main labels, and  predictions are digital sales will surpass CDs by 2013. But there are other business models popping up in the the classical music recording arena.

Subscription business model

The hottest business model on the block is the subscription based model. For a low monthly fee (usually around $10) you will get access to an overwhelming variety of classical music. Already in 2003, Naxos started off their subscription based streaming audio services with a wide variety of choice; an excellent source for xenophiles like me. I gladly made use of this service during my studies at the University of British Columbia, but, after finishing my DMA I must admit I have not subscribed to their paid service (yet).  

First audio, now video

With internet speeds continuously on the increase, on-demand video streaming has become the new normal. In 2008 the now popular Netflix started their subscription based video service, streaming popular TV shows and movies to their US customers. As soon as their subscription became available here in Canada, we signed up and were amazed! It’s got tons of shows and movies, it is a fast on-demand experience, easy to use, and, perhaps one of the best features, there are no annoying commercials.

Classical music, please!

Netflix is great, but how about some serious classical music? Medici.tv to the rescue! Medici.tv streams live concerts free of charge. Yes, free of charge! So where’s the catch?

How Medici.tv will make money

Medici.tv's is hoping that the serious music aficionado would like to have 24/7 access to the medici.tv complete library, which will grow over time. With a free account only the latest live registrations can be viewed for a total of 60 days. To obtain unlimited access to the live registrations, as well as access to several 100s of movies/documentaries on music, one will have to upgrade to a paid subscription (starting at 6.50 euro/month).   

Worth it?

Good question, and somewhat hard for me to answer. I think the business model is right, and the free viewing of live concerts will help quickly buzz. But I wonder if the choice of music, which is rather conservative, will connect with a younger (and future) audience?

Conclusion

Medici.tv offers a great service, with reasonable rates for their unlimited on-demand services. Let's hope their choice of live registrations will become more inclusive (think Naxos) soon. 

Saxophone education and performance in British Columbia: Early history and current practices

My thesis is now available for download: Saxophone education and performance in British Columbia: Early history and current practices (pdf)

Five things I have learned from the BC Arts Council Grant Writing Workshop

Last Friday, 21 January 2011, I spent a day in Vancouver and visited the "Professional Development & Mentoring Session: Grant Writing with Walter Quan."

Here in a nutshell is what I have learned:

1. Develop your projects only after researching the grant program you are thinking of applying for.

2. When sending a recording (CD) to support your application, make sure the music a) is impressive, b) is expressive, c) relates to the project, and d) has the potential to convince the jury immediately (think Malcolm Gladwell's Blink theory of "thin-slicing"). Juries have little time to decide so pick your tracks (especially your first track) very carefully.

3. Remember that all jury members will receive photocopied versions of your support materials. Therefore, do not use highlight markers on your documents (a photocopied version with highlights will actually look as if you tried to censor the document) and be careful when using a design (if any) for your support materials; make sure the design looks good in both colour and on black and white photocopies.

4. There are two handbooks on the First Peoples' Heritage Language and Culture Council website. These e-books can be viewed on any computer. They contain helpful information on writing grants. Just click, download, and enjoy the benefits!
- Arts Portfolio Handbook (PDF)
- First Peoples Grant Writing Handbook (PDF)

5. Walter Quan is great at explaining and clarifying the whole grant process, including what happens after you submit your application: how the jury is chosen, the jury process, etc. For information or feedback he prefers phone calls over emails, so do call him personally for any questions or concerns you might have.

The grant writing workshop was well attended and had an audience of about 45 people (CMC fits 40 comfortably).  I thought it was well worth the trip to Vancouver. Thank you Walter (from the BC Arts Council) and the CMC BC for organizing and hosting this workshop for us!