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By Eric de Fontenay (MusicDish LLC Founder & Publisher)
(more articles from this author)
2009-11-12

The music industry in China has significantly changed over the past couple of decades, from a tightly government-controlled propaganda pipeline into an increasingly powerful and sophisticated economic sector. Spearheading the way in China's entertainment industry is Kenny Bloom, music veteran of over 30 years, and Founder and CEO of VisiTek Holdings, Ltd. Born in New York City, Mr. Bloom, at age 56, has accomplished more than most people do in a lifetime, and he has no plans of slowing his pace. To say that his list of accomplishments is impressive would be a gross understatement.

A winner of the Lincoln Center Award for Music Achievement at age 15, Bloom attended both Julliard and Manhattan Schools of Music Prep Departments. He joined Atlantic Records in 1977 (a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group) and launched KB communications in 1984, one of the first entertainment marketing companies. He formed a joint venture with China Film (China's film monopoly) in 1988 and secured the China license for the Warner Music library, which led to the first foreign owned PRC record company since 1949. Over the years, Bloom went on to produce numerous radio shows, television programs, concerts by internationally renowned artists, soundtracks, and Broadway plays. He is widely recognized as a major player in the entertainment industry.

One might wonder if Bloom would be ready to ride on his reputation for a while, coasting through the years to come after having such an illustrious career. But nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, Bloom is moving faster, striking harder with a bold strategy to become a leading content producer. Leading the charge is MOGO, a video site covering the emerging independent music scene in China to the young, hip (undeserved) urban music consumer.

I had an opportunity to interview Mr. Bloom regarding his past, and his vision for the future. It was one of the most enlightening, thought provoking, and inspirational interviews I've ever had the pleasure of doing.

You've had over 20 years experience in the Chinese music business, beginning with the launch of Warner Music China. What are some of the unique characteristics that have shaped its development?

For one thing, massive piracy. The only business left now is ringtones and live shows. That said, there are more artists now then every before. 20 years ago there were half a dozen big pop stars and 4 rock bands. Now there are scores of pop stars and well over 300 working rock bands.

So what's sustaining that growth in the face of piracy?

Basically, live shows. The entire industry is going through a global transition. China is no different in that regard.

There's been a lot of talk about the recent WTO decision opening the Chinese market to more Western entertainment, including music. The RIAA reaction to the decision was to state: "Enhancing the ability of the U.S. creative community to do business in China will generate needed revenue and jobs to the U.S. economy." This seems to fly in the face of the piracy problem. But having said that, do you believe that the decision will at least result in an increase in the international repertoire's share of the overall market?

China's music market has a 98% mandarin language repertoire. It's what they like. The WTO decision is certainly not going to change the musical tastes of the Chinese consumers. And why should China embrace western music in a language they don't understand. Does the West embrace Chinese music? That's a totally open market. This has been an inane concept for quite some time, that every market has a pent up demand for Western culture. In a way, it sends a very disturbing message that "your culture is not as relevant".

Let's discuss the latest western invasion in China - Google's oPhone vs. Apple's iPhone, China Mobile vs. China Unicom... While the iPhone launch in China thus far has been disappointing, it is turning into a new platform being seized by indie bands and labels to release content and manage their fan base. How will the smart phone impact the Chinese music business?

It will be a long time before smart phones are in the hands of the "average" Chinese consumer. They are just too expensive to have a huge impact outside of business applications.

But, the Chinese are super-status oriented and there is an upper-middle urban class. Why, when these products are launched in China, would they not be successful - especially with 400 million mobile users?

Even with 400 million users, you are talking about a relatively small percentage of the population who are upper-middle urban class. Out of the total population, maybe 3% can be classified as such. And they're not necessarily listening to music, certainly not Western music.

Pepsi has been making big moves in China with their nationally televised Battle of the Bands "Vox Rock" and launch of their music label QMusic. Is Pepsi really serious about supporting the independent Chinese music scene? And if so, is this a model that will have legs in China (i.e., might we someday listen to Tsingtao's latest buzz band)?

It is essential that corporate sponsors support the music industry. We are now seeing more of it focused on rock and hip-hop. But we also need local media to embrace those musical styles in order to build the consumer base. Otherwise, sponsors won't be able to quantify their investment in music that is outside of the mainstream.

Isn't QMusic much more than sponsorship? They're talking about developing and launching new bands, like Starbucks Hear Music.

Let's see what they do. It's still too early to make judgments as they have not yet started their operations.

I have one final question for you. Mogo is something of a 21st century MTV-like pioneer in China. You are creating original and professionally produced WebTV content (not user-generated), in support of the emerging independent scene (art, music...). That's difficult enough in the West. What are some of the unique challenges you face – the consumer, the government, advertisers?

It's China's own home-grown music TV station and all parties have been very supportive. The biggest challenge we are facing is finding qualified staff. Every company has problems finding experienced workers. Don't forget, the modern era of China is only 30 years old with most of the development coming in the past 10. The word of the day is "patience". It will all happen, but it will happen on China's terms.

Brooklyn, NY, November 17, 2009 - Brooklyn recording sensation LaKid Wise is setting a new standard for the musical genre we call "Hip-Rock", the fusion of rhythmic and poetic rap with hard, edgy and guitar-filled rock. While working on his debut album, LaKid Wise is releasing a promotional giveaway mix album titled "Enter The Movement" available for direct download on www.TheHipRockStar.com as of November 24, 2009.

"Enter The Movement" will feature original works such as "Hustler", "Breaking Down" and various renditions and tributes to classics such as the late Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" and the Beatles' "Yesterday". America's listeners have been waiting for something different to hit the airwaves. Although Hip-Rock had its years of rise with acts such as Limp Bizkit and Rage Against The Machine it has never stayed consistent with today's top charts. It is a substantial challenge to revive this genre and keep it stable but this mixtape stands as a great starting point.

"Bringing two of the most influential genres together is not going to be easy but with the support of the people, anything is possible," says LaKid Wise. "Music is universal. My work is about more than creating a unified sound. It is about sending a message."

LaKid Wise has been composing music since age eleven. Still rocking at twenty-one, he has drawn creative inspiration from the great artists we know in modern entertainment. From immigrating to New York City as a young child, interning at Roc-a-fella Records as a high-school student and releasing two independent albums in his teenage years, LaKid Wise is stepping outside of the box to redefine commercial music.

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If you would like more information or to schedule an interview with LaKid Wise, please feel free to contact me directly at 347-782-5590 or email at Khaled.Ouaaz@Gmail.com

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I'm sure some of you may have heard by now that President Barack Obama recently got caught calling Kanye West a "Jackass!" It was supposed to be "off the record" but a reporter there messed up and immediately reported it, hence, how that news got out real fast!!

Now I understand that as the "PRESIDENT" you are not to be making those types irresponsible "name calling" and Obama did get into a bit of trouble for it, but in my opinion, I think that made everyone love him even MORE for saying that!

Off record or not, Obama calling Kanye West a "jackass" to me, was quite a heroic moment, and I am sure everyone here agrees....because...well....for what Kanye West did to Taylor Swift, he deserves to be called way worse names then just a "jackass." I truly believe that after that incident, the world finally saw Kanye for what he really is: An arrogant, self-centered, rude, piece of shit, asshole, with no respect for other people whatsoever! His actions at the VMA's really showed the world for what he truly is and I'm glad someone finally called him out on it!

I love Kanye and I have always been a fan of his music, but I slowly starting losing respect for him as I saw more and more of this type of arrogant behavior coming from him. I think the whole Taylor Swift incident was the last straw for me. That was the final moment where I just lost total respect for this man. No only was he rude, he was also aggressive, obnoxious, and disgustingly unapolegetic about it all. I am no longer a Kanye West fan. There are NO excuses for his behavior, not only on that night, but we all could have seen this coming a mile away. This moment was just waiting to happen, as he has been rude to people like this before many times at previous award shows. I know don't what he's done to make him feel like he is so on top of the world right now, but I highly advice his "people" to tell him to go humble hiss ass down for a while and come back when he gets a little bit of humility back. Actually....a LOT of humility.

With that said....OBAMA IS THE SHIT! Kanye is DEFINITELY A JACKASS! Let's not hope he starts to beat up women next.....cuz I can definitely see his character type being able to do that. Pray for Kanye ya'll! YES WE CAN!

Tila

We all wish that everyone would love, appreciate and understand our art, our ideas and, basically, us. It would be so much easier if they could just “get it”, wouldn’t it? There's no reason at all for people to cruelly bash others or go on the attack and yet it happens everyday. Every day someone deals a harsh word, a negative opinion, an attack or an insult.

Now, it's true that opinions differ and no one is going to like everyone and everything. Still, for some reason, while each of us can have very strong opinions about others, we oftentimes get hurt, offended or bothered when someone has strong opinions about us.

First, grow a pair

You have to learn to take it. You have to learn to both brush it off, but also see when it might actually be constructive criticism or have a seed of actual honesty. When we hear bad things about ourselves, especially relating to things we feel good about, the natural reaction is to go on the defensive. But take a step back and take a breath. Before you go on a counter-offensive, take a look at what has been said or written and see if it is something you should consider.

Still, on the other side of things, there are people who are just going to be brutal. They are going to tear into you and, really, do the reasons matter? Why justify it as jealousy or a personal grudge? It doesn’t really matter. Let go of it.

I have been writing this blog for almost two years. At least once a week, I put out my thoughts. They are my thoughts, approaches and ideas that I have experienced firsthand which have shaped my view, my opinions and my approach. Without a doubt, it is different from others, but I do not think I have ever been completely off in any of the articles I have written.

Now ask some of the readers who have both publicly and privately sent scathing comments, harsh emails and calling me every name in the book. They accuse me of being a hack, a scam artist and someone who doesn’t have a clue about the music industry. Hell, I got one guy who says my writing pisses him off more and more each week. Side note: stop reading. I don’t intentionally want to upset people, but I am not going to stop and I am not going to cater to you, so skip my blog. Easy enough right? But for all the rude comments, I get many more nice ones. Very kind emails and wonderfully supportive comments, so I keep on trucking. It can hurt sometimes, but when it is more good than bad, it is better to just let the bad go.

I was walking downtown in Seattle and a guy actually shouted from across the street that my articles are retarded. I actually kind of felt like a rock star in that moment. He hates my stuff so much, yet continues to read it and even knows what I look like. It really didn’t phase me at all. And instead of giving him the reaction he might have been looking for, I bowed, thanked him and said the next article will be out Monday morning. But still, the point is, take a look at first. If it isn’t something constructive and it isn’t something you want to change, whether it is your writing, your music or anything else, then take it with a grain of salt and brush it off. Let it go.

Sometimes communication can be bad

Literally let it go. I know I have repeated that a few times, but it needs to be repeated. Do not get into the habit of responding to these people. If you are getting genuine questions, well, that's one thing. But if someone says you suck, your song sucks, your picture sucks or whatever, let it be. I used to erase the negative comments and more often than not now, I just leave them up. It is their opinion and it is their right to say what they want. Responding is only going to light a fire for them to attack you more. The more you react, the more you set them up to respond, to bother you more. You let them under your skin and by responding, you just give them the power to crawl around more.

Every time I have responded to someone being negative, they have only become more of a jerk. When I don’t waste the time or the effort, they usually go away or bother me less frequently.

Wasted energy

Regardless of your job, what you create and what you want, people are a little more tired these days. Energy levels are down and we need to be at 100% to get what we want and have the endurance and energy to continue to go after it. Worrying about people that are being negative, giving you shit or just being mean takes away from the effort you can put toward what you want and bringing it to the people that actually want it and are appreciative of it. Don’t short out those that like you for wasted energy on a few that don’t.

Conclusion: It will only get worse

Realistically, it will only get worse. The more reads I get on my blog, the more kind comments have come my way, but, at the same time, the increase of the rude and harsh ones has jumped up as well. The more you play out, the more you are heard, the more you get your music out there, your writings, your image and yourself, the more people there will be to tear you a new one. The more people will give you shit, the more people that will mock you, tease you, attack you and all around try to get you all pissed off.

Take it with a grain of salt, let it roll off your back or any of the other thousands of sayings that are out there. Move forward in confidence and assertiveness and create what you want to create. That power will allow you to reach many more people than playing scared, responding to every bad comment or getting into it with every person who doesn’t like you. Don’t waste the time trying to turn a hater into a supporter. Spend your time going after as many people as you can to build a strong fan base that supports you.

Stay sensitive to your art but become less sensitive to criticism or it will eat you alive. If you can’t handle the scrutiny, you are going to have a rough go in any art or entertainment related business.

© 2009 Loren Weisman

www.braingrenademusic.com

Watch out for Loren Weisman’s "Realistic Music Careers 101 Seminar" coming to a city near you and Loren's book “The Artist's Guide to Success in the Music Business” coming in 2010.

For more information on Loren, bookings or press inquiries, please contact his publicist and agent, Jenée Arthur at Rellihan Satterlee. Email: jenart@relsat.com Phone: 206-588-1998

           I love Cm Punk! He's hot,he's talented & different from most of the other wrestlers.So for other CM Punk fans I've went around & collected as many icons,gifs,banners as I could.I will be adding of course & I hope you guys like them.Also I have another collection like this ( it's titled " Shawn Micheals & Dix Gifs & Banners ) check that one out if you're also a HBK & DX fan.

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If you do not have a great betting strategy, winning at roulette could be as overwhelming as you play the odds. With the right strategies and some luck, your chances of winning will be greatly improved every time you are at the casino. Since roulette game is having almost 50-50 odds which gives you pretty good hope to win a small fortune overnight. So you got to know what the game is about before you start.

Even if you know how to pick winning numbers because you can feel the table instinctively, it still does not necessarily mean you will walk away with big fortune unless you know when to stop. There are tons of roulette systems, only few of which can be devised to beat roulette. Having a system is critical, but it is definitely not going to guarantee you to win every time. With the right betting methods and the proper strategy, winning at roulette is not a unrealistic goal. Let's get started.

You should try different winning strategies until you find the one which makes you win at majority of the time, otherwise you either adjust it or totally abandon it. How many times we see roulette systems are relying on sequential probability and conditional probability, and fail to produce any real, consistent result. That's because roulette is a game of both probability and systematic patterns. Most of the systems fail to study its patterns.

Martingale system is one of the best well known systems every roulette player will be told about. Like many other systems, it may seem useful sometime. However it's less likely to make you win in practice. The system is pretty simple - double up your previous bet when you lose. Try it on red or black, even or odds, you will find it work in a very short term. Or you weren't lucky at all, you could lose big after a few sessions.

Another popular system called D'Alembert System. The system is based around the theory of Nature seeking equilibrium meaning that if one outcome begins to dominate the results in the present then the future results will be dominated by the opposite. For example if you are betting $1 and you lose you go on to bet $2 than $3 dollars increasing the bet every time until you win. If on the next round you win then you decrease the bet by one unit back to $2 or $1 every time you win. The problem with this method is that if you go on a hot winning streak you're not going to win as much as you would getting lucky on the field, but it is a safer betting system.

Winning at roulette always requires you making smart bets and most importantly, making smart decision. Understand the odds and play with it smartly. Find a safe odds and go for the long shots little by little. You will find yourself win although the odds are against you. By using a working system or strategy, you give yourself better odds and make more consistent win.