Barcelona restored their six-point lead at the top of the Spanish Primera with a 4-0 rout of Sevilla at the Camp Nou.
The inspirational Iniesta put Barcelona on the way to victory with a brilliant goal on Wednesday.
Talisman Lionel Messi was missing through a stomach upset, but it made little difference for the Spanish champions-elect who were two up inside the first 16 minutes.
Andres Iniesta, who was deployed in Messi's position, scored the opener with a goal worthy of the Argentina maestro.
He took the opportunity from 20 meters to curl the ball past visiting keeper Javi Varas.
Samuel Eto'o missed a great chance to put Barca two up before making amends as he connected from Xavi's pass.
With a two-goal cushion, Barcelona were able to coast to victory against a Sevilla team who have now lost their last three matches.
The second half was only four minutes when the brilliant Iniesta set up Xavi for the third with French international striker Thierry Henry adding his 16th of the season in the 54th minute.
With massive games at Valencia and against Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, coach Pep Guardiola was able to take off Iniesta on the hour mark and later Xavi.
Valencia, fired by two goals from summer transfer target David Villa, beat Real Betis 2-1 to move within two points of third-placed Sevilla who entertain Real Madrid on Saturday.
The win cements cash-strapped Valencia's grip on the final Champions League qualifying spot.
Malaga are five points behind in fifth place, while Atletico and Villarreal, who are playing on Thursday, can cut the gap to three points with wins over Racing Santander and Recreativo Huelva respectively.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
SPORT-FOOTBALL
Former Manchester United star Roy Keane has made a surprise return to management at second-flight Ipswich just four months after walking away from Premier League Sunderland.
Keane forged his managerial reputation at Sunderland before leaving in December 2008.
Keane's appointment at the East Anglian club was confirmed on Thursday and he told their official Web site itfc.co.uk that he was targeting promotion "at the earliest opportunity."
The 37-year-old Keane has been out of work since resigning last December with Sunderland in the relegation zone.
"I truly believe that I am joining a club that has the potential, ambition and infrastructure to once again be a Premier League side," he said
"The club's owner (Marcus Evans) and chief executive (Simon Clegg) impressed upon me their total focus on achieving this quest at the earliest opportunity and I can't wait to get started."
Keane succeeds Jim Magilton, who was sacked after Ipswich failed to make the play-offs in the Championship, meaning they will be heading for their eighth straight season in the second-tier.
Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Keane made an immediate impression when taking over at Sunderland in the 2006-07 season, leading them from fourth bottom to the league title.
Ipswich, funded by hospitality entrepreneur Evans and with former British Olympic Association chief executive Clegg at the helm, will be hoping Keane can repeat his first season magic at Sunderland.
He kept them in the top-flight in their first season but left them struggling near the foot of the table and with reports of disagreements with the club's hierarchy.
The outspoken Keane has often courted controversy but Clegg has no doubts he is the right man for the job. "Roy has experienced promotion as a manager and, importantly, then kept his side in English football's top flight. I am looking forward to working with him." Clegg told BBC Radio Four:
"It is a massive coup for Ipswich Town," added Clegg -- who was team leader as Great Britain achieved a record medals haul in the Beijing Olympic games.
Ipswich won the English title back in 1962 under Alf Ramsey, who went on to lead England to World Cup triumph in 1966.
The other successful period in the club's history came under another former England manager Bobby Robson with consistent high finishes in the league combined with wins in the FA Cup in 1978 and UEFA Cup in 1981.
Meanwhile, Championship side Southampton have been consigned to relegation to League One after the Football League deducted them 10 points after their holding company went into administration.
As the holding company entered administration after the League`s March deadline, the points deduction will take effect this season should Southampton avoid relegation.
However, if Southampton go down anyway -- they are currently four points adrift with two games remaining -- then they will begin next season in League One on minus 10 points.
Keane forged his managerial reputation at Sunderland before leaving in December 2008.
Keane's appointment at the East Anglian club was confirmed on Thursday and he told their official Web site itfc.co.uk that he was targeting promotion "at the earliest opportunity."
The 37-year-old Keane has been out of work since resigning last December with Sunderland in the relegation zone.
"I truly believe that I am joining a club that has the potential, ambition and infrastructure to once again be a Premier League side," he said
"The club's owner (Marcus Evans) and chief executive (Simon Clegg) impressed upon me their total focus on achieving this quest at the earliest opportunity and I can't wait to get started."
Keane succeeds Jim Magilton, who was sacked after Ipswich failed to make the play-offs in the Championship, meaning they will be heading for their eighth straight season in the second-tier.
Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Keane made an immediate impression when taking over at Sunderland in the 2006-07 season, leading them from fourth bottom to the league title.
Ipswich, funded by hospitality entrepreneur Evans and with former British Olympic Association chief executive Clegg at the helm, will be hoping Keane can repeat his first season magic at Sunderland.
He kept them in the top-flight in their first season but left them struggling near the foot of the table and with reports of disagreements with the club's hierarchy.
The outspoken Keane has often courted controversy but Clegg has no doubts he is the right man for the job. "Roy has experienced promotion as a manager and, importantly, then kept his side in English football's top flight. I am looking forward to working with him." Clegg told BBC Radio Four:
"It is a massive coup for Ipswich Town," added Clegg -- who was team leader as Great Britain achieved a record medals haul in the Beijing Olympic games.
Ipswich won the English title back in 1962 under Alf Ramsey, who went on to lead England to World Cup triumph in 1966.
The other successful period in the club's history came under another former England manager Bobby Robson with consistent high finishes in the league combined with wins in the FA Cup in 1978 and UEFA Cup in 1981.
Meanwhile, Championship side Southampton have been consigned to relegation to League One after the Football League deducted them 10 points after their holding company went into administration.
As the holding company entered administration after the League`s March deadline, the points deduction will take effect this season should Southampton avoid relegation.
However, if Southampton go down anyway -- they are currently four points adrift with two games remaining -- then they will begin next season in League One on minus 10 points.
'Star Trek:' To boldly go where no prequel has gone before
Director J.J. Abrams' reinvention of the cult sci-fi franchise doesn't open across the world until May 7 and 8, but early reviews after London's Monday premiere are excellent.
The hype building around the 11th "Star Trek" film suggests that it could turn into a movie event to rival last year's Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," and introduce "Star Trek" to a legion of new fans.
Hot director Abrams, the creative talent behind TV series "Lost" and last year's much-hyped homage to Japanese monster movies, "Cloverfield," is the man given the unenviable task of re-working the franchise for the next generation -- without alienating its loyal fanbase.
The 43 year old director says he went back to the beginning to look for inspiration for the latest installment. Are you excited about the new "Star Trek" movie or is it all a bunch of hype? Tell us below in the SoundOff box
"I always felt there was something that had not been done with 'Star Trek,'" he said. "There have been 10 movies, but this is the first time that a movie has dealt with the fundamental, primary story Gene Roddenberry originally created in 1966." Interactive: A history of "Star Trek" »
"There are so many versions and narrations of 'Star Trek,' it felt like bringing in another ship and a whole new group of characters wasn't the way to go."
Abrams' "Star Trek" chronicles the first voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise's now legendary crew, telling the story of how Kirk, Spock, "Bones," Scotty, and the rest met.
Abrams solves the problem of how to convincingly cast a prequel to a series whose characters, like William Shatner's Capt. James T. Kirk, are indelibly etched on the collective pop-cultural consciousness with an inspired mix of newcomers and more well-known faces.
The new cast includes Australian star Eric Bana as Romulan captain Nero, and "Heroes" villain Zachary Quinto as Spock, while relative newcomer Chris Pine takes on the role of James T. Kirk. Watch Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock and Simon Pegg, who plays Scottie talk about "Star Trek" »
They uniformly manage to walk the tightrope between being recognizable as their predecessors without falling into caricature.
"That was the challenge for all of us, really," said New Zealander, Karl Urban who perfectly embodies the cantankerous Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the ship's doctor, "not to deliver some carbon copy."
A healthy dose of special effects adds a level of spectacle missing from previous "Star Trek" movies to Abrams' re-imagining of the franchise -- but, he says, the backbone of the film comes from the characters.
"[We had] to take something that has pre-existed us for decades, and make it feel legitimate, and vital, and relevant for today," Abrams said.
"And the only way to do that was through the characters that these actors played so well.
"None of the vast spectacle would matter if we didn't believe in and care about these characters."
One member of the original U.S.S. Enterprise crew Abrams couldn't resist including in the new lineup was legendary actor Leonard Nimoy, who comes back as an aged Spock in one of the storylines.
"He was clearly supportive and excited," said Quinto who plays the young Spock. "I don't think Leonard ever expected to play this character again. It had been 19 years since he donned the ears last time."
For self-confessed sci-fi nerd Simon Pegg, who plays ship's engineer, Scottie, working with Nimoy was a curious experience.
"When Chris [Pine] and I were doing our scenes with Leonard Nimoy, it was weird because he was talking to me as the man that I've known since I was nine," he said. "And it's not a man from this planet. It's a man from Vulcan."
One of the big questions surrounding the film to date has been how the franchise's die-hard fans, known as Trekkies or Trekkers, will react to the all-new "Star Trek."
Abrams says that despite the daunting nature of taking on such a well-loved series, he trusted that if he did his job the rest would follow.
"It's so much bigger than anything I've worked on before. The scope is so crazy," he said. "But I also felt that if we did our job and made a movie that was entertaining, it would include "Star Trek" fans.
Pine thinks the new film will appeal to die-hard Trekkers and new audiences alike.
"It's a big movie, in that it is full of big, spectacular effects and wonderful imagery, yet a small movie because of the great character drama.
"So, whether you're into big movies or small movies, I think you'll find something in this film."
Paramount, the studio behind "Star Trek," has already given the green light to the next film in the series and has signed Abrams to produce -- an indication, perhaps, of the high hopes they have for this film.
The hype building around the 11th "Star Trek" film suggests that it could turn into a movie event to rival last year's Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," and introduce "Star Trek" to a legion of new fans.
Hot director Abrams, the creative talent behind TV series "Lost" and last year's much-hyped homage to Japanese monster movies, "Cloverfield," is the man given the unenviable task of re-working the franchise for the next generation -- without alienating its loyal fanbase.
The 43 year old director says he went back to the beginning to look for inspiration for the latest installment. Are you excited about the new "Star Trek" movie or is it all a bunch of hype? Tell us below in the SoundOff box
"I always felt there was something that had not been done with 'Star Trek,'" he said. "There have been 10 movies, but this is the first time that a movie has dealt with the fundamental, primary story Gene Roddenberry originally created in 1966." Interactive: A history of "Star Trek" »
"There are so many versions and narrations of 'Star Trek,' it felt like bringing in another ship and a whole new group of characters wasn't the way to go."
Abrams' "Star Trek" chronicles the first voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise's now legendary crew, telling the story of how Kirk, Spock, "Bones," Scotty, and the rest met.
Abrams solves the problem of how to convincingly cast a prequel to a series whose characters, like William Shatner's Capt. James T. Kirk, are indelibly etched on the collective pop-cultural consciousness with an inspired mix of newcomers and more well-known faces.
The new cast includes Australian star Eric Bana as Romulan captain Nero, and "Heroes" villain Zachary Quinto as Spock, while relative newcomer Chris Pine takes on the role of James T. Kirk. Watch Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock and Simon Pegg, who plays Scottie talk about "Star Trek" »
They uniformly manage to walk the tightrope between being recognizable as their predecessors without falling into caricature.
"That was the challenge for all of us, really," said New Zealander, Karl Urban who perfectly embodies the cantankerous Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the ship's doctor, "not to deliver some carbon copy."
A healthy dose of special effects adds a level of spectacle missing from previous "Star Trek" movies to Abrams' re-imagining of the franchise -- but, he says, the backbone of the film comes from the characters.
"[We had] to take something that has pre-existed us for decades, and make it feel legitimate, and vital, and relevant for today," Abrams said.
"And the only way to do that was through the characters that these actors played so well.
"None of the vast spectacle would matter if we didn't believe in and care about these characters."
One member of the original U.S.S. Enterprise crew Abrams couldn't resist including in the new lineup was legendary actor Leonard Nimoy, who comes back as an aged Spock in one of the storylines.
"He was clearly supportive and excited," said Quinto who plays the young Spock. "I don't think Leonard ever expected to play this character again. It had been 19 years since he donned the ears last time."
For self-confessed sci-fi nerd Simon Pegg, who plays ship's engineer, Scottie, working with Nimoy was a curious experience.
"When Chris [Pine] and I were doing our scenes with Leonard Nimoy, it was weird because he was talking to me as the man that I've known since I was nine," he said. "And it's not a man from this planet. It's a man from Vulcan."
One of the big questions surrounding the film to date has been how the franchise's die-hard fans, known as Trekkies or Trekkers, will react to the all-new "Star Trek."
Abrams says that despite the daunting nature of taking on such a well-loved series, he trusted that if he did his job the rest would follow.
"It's so much bigger than anything I've worked on before. The scope is so crazy," he said. "But I also felt that if we did our job and made a movie that was entertaining, it would include "Star Trek" fans.
Pine thinks the new film will appeal to die-hard Trekkers and new audiences alike.
"It's a big movie, in that it is full of big, spectacular effects and wonderful imagery, yet a small movie because of the great character drama.
"So, whether you're into big movies or small movies, I think you'll find something in this film."
Paramount, the studio behind "Star Trek," has already given the green light to the next film in the series and has signed Abrams to produce -- an indication, perhaps, of the high hopes they have for this film.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
President Obama’s Peacekeeping Proposal!
The Issue: Earlier this month, President Obama took a major step toward restoring America's influence abroad by submitting an ambitious request to Congress for $836.9 million in supplementary fiscal year 2009 funding for UN peacekeeping. This significant proposal will allow the United States to cover shortfalls in our financial obligations to UN peacekeeping missions that help stabilize some of the most critical global hotspots, such as Congo, Lebanon, Haiti, and Darfur.
The Problem: As Congress takes up the President's request over the next several weeks, the UN peacekeeping funds will be a ripe target for lawmakers eager to pare back federal spending that has increased dramatically in recent months.
What You Can Do: Constituents like you can make a real difference by contacting your legislators in support of the full $836.9 million for UN peacekeeping. This funding will help improve the situation on the ground in conflict zones around the world and help repair America's global leadership by fulfilling our commitments to UN peacekeeping and the international community.
Monday, April 20, 2009
CELEBRITY GOSSIP
Heidi Seals the Deal with Baby Number 4
From supermodel to supermom... Project Runway host Heidi Klum is expecting her fourth child. The 35-year-old blonde bombshell has two children with her husband Seal -- 3-year-old Henry and 2-year-old Johan. She also is mom to 4-year-old Leni, her daughter by businessman Flavio Briatore. A source told Us Weekly that Heidi and Seal are excited to expand their brood, "They have a great and very happy family. They definitely have always wanted a great big family." Klum and 46-year-old Seal married in May 2005 and have been practicing procreation like it's their job ever since. Last May, the model even admitted that there was still more little mouths to come, telling Redbook magazine, "So many people say, 'I am so done.' That hasn't come out of my mouth, and it hasn't come out of Seal's mouth either.
I feel like we still have one coming."
From supermodel to supermom... Project Runway host Heidi Klum is expecting her fourth child. The 35-year-old blonde bombshell has two children with her husband Seal -- 3-year-old Henry and 2-year-old Johan. She also is mom to 4-year-old Leni, her daughter by businessman Flavio Briatore. A source told Us Weekly that Heidi and Seal are excited to expand their brood, "They have a great and very happy family. They definitely have always wanted a great big family." Klum and 46-year-old Seal married in May 2005 and have been practicing procreation like it's their job ever since. Last May, the model even admitted that there was still more little mouths to come, telling Redbook magazine, "So many people say, 'I am so done.' That hasn't come out of my mouth, and it hasn't come out of Seal's mouth either.
I feel like we still have one coming."
MUSIC INDUSTRY
The music industry (or music business) sells compositions, recordings and performances of music. Among the many individuals and organisations that operate within the industry are the musicians who compose and perform the music; the companies and professionals who create and sell recorded music (e.g., music publishers, producers, studios, engineers, record labels, retail and online music stores, performance rights organizations); those that present live music performances (booking agents, promoters, music venues, road crew); professionals who assist musicians with their careers (talent managers, business managers, entertainment lawyers); those who broadcast music (satellite and broadcast radio); journalists; educators; musical instrument manufacturers; as well as many others.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the music industry was dominated by the publishers of sheet music. By mid-century records had supplanted sheet music as the largest player in the music business. Since 2000, sales of recorded music have dropped off substantially,[1] while live music has increased in importance.
There are four "major labels" that dominate recorded music — Sony Music Entertainment,[2] EMI, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group — each of which consists of many smaller companies and labels serving different regions and markets. The live music industry is dominated by Live Nation, the largest promoter and music venue owner. Live Nation is a former subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, which owns a majority of the radio stations in the United States. Other important music industry companies include Creative Artists Agency (a management and booking company) and Apple Inc. (which runs the world's largest online music store, iTunes Music Store, and sells the iPod.
HISTORY 1700s and 1800sUntil the 1700s, the process of composition and printing of music was for the most part supported by patronage from aristocracies and churches. In the mid-to-late 1700s, performers and composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to seek commercial opportunities to market their music and performances to the general public. After Mozart's death, his wife (Constanze Weber) continued the process of commercialization of his music through an unprecedented series of memorial concerts, selling his manuscripts, and collaborating with her second husband, Georg Nissen, on a biography of Mozart.[3] In the 1800s, the music industry was dominated by sheet music publishers. In the United States, the music industry arose in tandem with the rise of blackface minstrelsy. The group of music publishers and songwriters which dominated popular music in the United States was known as Tin Pan Alley.1900sIn the early 20th century, the phonograph industry grew greatly in importance, and the record industry eventually replaced the sheet music publishers as the industry's largest force. A multitude of record labels came and went, but a handful of label corporations prospered for decades. By the end of the 1980s, the "Big 6" — EMI, Sony, BMG, PolyGram, WEA and MCA — dominated the industry. In mid-1998, PolyGram merged into Universal Music Group (formerly MCA), dropping the leaders down to a "Big 5". They became the "Big 4" in 2004 when Sony merged with BMG. 2000sMain article: Music industry in the 21st century The advent of file sharing technologies has changed the balance between record companies, song writers, and performing artists. Bands such as Metallica have fought back against peer-to-peer programs such as the infamous Napster (even they are not against file-sharing now), and the arguments for and against technology to circumvent them - digital rights management systems - remain controversial. With the dawn of Apple Inc.'s iTunes online music store in 2003, legal music downloads became widely available.By June 2008, digital music sales generated around $2 billion in revenue, with tracks available through 500 online services located in 40 countries, representing around 10 percent of the total global music market. Revenue from retail CD sales, however, continued to fall. IBISWorld eported in June 2008 that "the industry's financial future looks bleak," but noted that, although revenues have decreased, artists have suffered less than record companies, since they can "make most of their money on merchandise sales and touring
Business structureThe music industry is made up of various players, including individuals, companies, unions, not-for-profit associations, rights collectives, and other bodies. Professional musicians, including band leaders, rhythm section members, musical ensembles, vocalists, conductors, composers/arrangers, and sound engineers create sound recordings of music or perform live in venues ranging from small clubs to stadiums. Professional musicians negotiate their wages, contractual conditions, and other conditions of work through Musicians' Unions or other guilds. Composers and songwriters write the music and lyrics to songs and other musical works, which are sold in print form as sheet music or scores by music publishers. Composers and performers get part of their income from writers' copyright collectives and performance rights organization such as the ASCAP and BMI (or MCPS and PRS respectively for the UK). These societies and collectives ensure that composers and performers are compensated when their works are used on the radio or TV or in films. When musicians and singers make a CD or DVD, the creative process is coordinated by a record producer, whose role in the recording may range from suggesting songs and backing musicians to having a direct hands-on role in the studio, coaching singers, giving advice to session musicians on playing styles, and working with the senior sound engineer to shape the recorded sound through effects and mixing.Most professional musicians, bands, and singers are signed with record labels, which are companies which finance the recording process in return for part or full share of the rights in the recording. A record company is an entity that manages sound recording-related brands and trademarks which consist of their owned labels; their owned and licensed master recordings; and various related ancillary businesses such as home video and DVDs. Labels may comprise a record group which is, in turn, controlled by a music group. As such, a larger umbrella label may have a number of sub-labels releasing music. Music publishers exist separately (even if sharing the same ultimate holding company or brand name), and they represent the rights in the compositions - i.e. the music as written rather than as recorded.Record companies and record labels that are not under the control of the "Big Four" music groups and music publishers that are not one of these four groups are generally considered to be independent or "indie" labels, even if they are part of large, well-financed corporations with complex structures. Some music critics prefer to use the term indie label to refer to only those independent labels that adhere to criteria of corporate structure and size, and some consider an indie label to be almost any label that releases non-mainstream music, regardless of its corporate structure. According to US Market Research Firm NPD Group, iTunes recently surpassed Wal-Mart as America's largest music distributor. A record distributor is a company (often a record label)[citation needed] that works with record labels to promote and distribute their records, either in their home market or overseas.Once a CD is recorded, record distributor companies organize the shipping of the CDs to music stores and department stores. Record labels have use an "A&R" (Artists and Repertoire) manager to help develop the performing style of bands and singers signed the label. A&R managers may organize shared tours with similar bands or find playing opportunities for the label's groups which will broaden their musical experience. For example, an A&R manager may decide to send an emerging young singer-songwriter with little live playing experience on a major tour with an established electric folk rock act from the same label, so that this person will gain more confidence.When CDs sell in stores or on websites such as iTunes, part of the money is returned to the performers in the form of royalties. Most recordings only earn royalties for a short period after they are released, after which the song becomes part of the "back catalogue" or library. A much smaller number of recordings have become "classics", with longstanding popularity, such as albums by the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. These albums have continued to earn royalties for the surviving band members decades after their original release date.Successful artists will hire a number of people from other fields to assist them with their career. The band manager oversees all aspects of an artist's career in exchange for a percentage of the artist's income. An entertainment lawyer assists them with the details of their contracts with record companies and other deals. A business manager handles financial transactions, taxes and bookkeeping. A booking agency represents the artist to promoters, makes deals and books performances. A travel agent makes travel arrangements. A road crew is a semi-permanent touring organization that travels with the artist. This is headed by a tour manager and includes staff to move equipment on and off-stage, drive tour buses or vans, and do stage lighting, live sound reinforcement and musical instrument tuning and maintenance. The tour manager's tasks can vary widely depending on the type of tour and where the group is playing. The tour manager's typical tasks of ensuring that hotel, restaurant and travel arrangements are confirmed may expand into other tasks, if the venue where the band is playing does not have certain equipment. If the venue lacks a grand piano or Hammond organ that the band needs for the show, the tour manager will be responsible for finding a rental instrument for the show and having it moved onstage; as well, if a band member needs an emergency instrument repair, the tour manager and/or the guitar tech will help to find a repair person or replacement instrument. The most high-profile celebrity performers may also have personal assistants, a chef, and bodyguards. Singers may hire a vocal coach to give them suggestions on how to take care of their voice or develop their singing range.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the music industry was dominated by the publishers of sheet music. By mid-century records had supplanted sheet music as the largest player in the music business. Since 2000, sales of recorded music have dropped off substantially,[1] while live music has increased in importance.
There are four "major labels" that dominate recorded music — Sony Music Entertainment,[2] EMI, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group — each of which consists of many smaller companies and labels serving different regions and markets. The live music industry is dominated by Live Nation, the largest promoter and music venue owner. Live Nation is a former subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, which owns a majority of the radio stations in the United States. Other important music industry companies include Creative Artists Agency (a management and booking company) and Apple Inc. (which runs the world's largest online music store, iTunes Music Store, and sells the iPod.
HISTORY 1700s and 1800sUntil the 1700s, the process of composition and printing of music was for the most part supported by patronage from aristocracies and churches. In the mid-to-late 1700s, performers and composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to seek commercial opportunities to market their music and performances to the general public. After Mozart's death, his wife (Constanze Weber) continued the process of commercialization of his music through an unprecedented series of memorial concerts, selling his manuscripts, and collaborating with her second husband, Georg Nissen, on a biography of Mozart.[3] In the 1800s, the music industry was dominated by sheet music publishers. In the United States, the music industry arose in tandem with the rise of blackface minstrelsy. The group of music publishers and songwriters which dominated popular music in the United States was known as Tin Pan Alley.1900sIn the early 20th century, the phonograph industry grew greatly in importance, and the record industry eventually replaced the sheet music publishers as the industry's largest force. A multitude of record labels came and went, but a handful of label corporations prospered for decades. By the end of the 1980s, the "Big 6" — EMI, Sony, BMG, PolyGram, WEA and MCA — dominated the industry. In mid-1998, PolyGram merged into Universal Music Group (formerly MCA), dropping the leaders down to a "Big 5". They became the "Big 4" in 2004 when Sony merged with BMG. 2000sMain article: Music industry in the 21st century The advent of file sharing technologies has changed the balance between record companies, song writers, and performing artists. Bands such as Metallica have fought back against peer-to-peer programs such as the infamous Napster (even they are not against file-sharing now), and the arguments for and against technology to circumvent them - digital rights management systems - remain controversial. With the dawn of Apple Inc.'s iTunes online music store in 2003, legal music downloads became widely available.By June 2008, digital music sales generated around $2 billion in revenue, with tracks available through 500 online services located in 40 countries, representing around 10 percent of the total global music market. Revenue from retail CD sales, however, continued to fall. IBISWorld eported in June 2008 that "the industry's financial future looks bleak," but noted that, although revenues have decreased, artists have suffered less than record companies, since they can "make most of their money on merchandise sales and touring
Business structureThe music industry is made up of various players, including individuals, companies, unions, not-for-profit associations, rights collectives, and other bodies. Professional musicians, including band leaders, rhythm section members, musical ensembles, vocalists, conductors, composers/arrangers, and sound engineers create sound recordings of music or perform live in venues ranging from small clubs to stadiums. Professional musicians negotiate their wages, contractual conditions, and other conditions of work through Musicians' Unions or other guilds. Composers and songwriters write the music and lyrics to songs and other musical works, which are sold in print form as sheet music or scores by music publishers. Composers and performers get part of their income from writers' copyright collectives and performance rights organization such as the ASCAP and BMI (or MCPS and PRS respectively for the UK). These societies and collectives ensure that composers and performers are compensated when their works are used on the radio or TV or in films. When musicians and singers make a CD or DVD, the creative process is coordinated by a record producer, whose role in the recording may range from suggesting songs and backing musicians to having a direct hands-on role in the studio, coaching singers, giving advice to session musicians on playing styles, and working with the senior sound engineer to shape the recorded sound through effects and mixing.Most professional musicians, bands, and singers are signed with record labels, which are companies which finance the recording process in return for part or full share of the rights in the recording. A record company is an entity that manages sound recording-related brands and trademarks which consist of their owned labels; their owned and licensed master recordings; and various related ancillary businesses such as home video and DVDs. Labels may comprise a record group which is, in turn, controlled by a music group. As such, a larger umbrella label may have a number of sub-labels releasing music. Music publishers exist separately (even if sharing the same ultimate holding company or brand name), and they represent the rights in the compositions - i.e. the music as written rather than as recorded.Record companies and record labels that are not under the control of the "Big Four" music groups and music publishers that are not one of these four groups are generally considered to be independent or "indie" labels, even if they are part of large, well-financed corporations with complex structures. Some music critics prefer to use the term indie label to refer to only those independent labels that adhere to criteria of corporate structure and size, and some consider an indie label to be almost any label that releases non-mainstream music, regardless of its corporate structure. According to US Market Research Firm NPD Group, iTunes recently surpassed Wal-Mart as America's largest music distributor. A record distributor is a company (often a record label)[citation needed] that works with record labels to promote and distribute their records, either in their home market or overseas.Once a CD is recorded, record distributor companies organize the shipping of the CDs to music stores and department stores. Record labels have use an "A&R" (Artists and Repertoire) manager to help develop the performing style of bands and singers signed the label. A&R managers may organize shared tours with similar bands or find playing opportunities for the label's groups which will broaden their musical experience. For example, an A&R manager may decide to send an emerging young singer-songwriter with little live playing experience on a major tour with an established electric folk rock act from the same label, so that this person will gain more confidence.When CDs sell in stores or on websites such as iTunes, part of the money is returned to the performers in the form of royalties. Most recordings only earn royalties for a short period after they are released, after which the song becomes part of the "back catalogue" or library. A much smaller number of recordings have become "classics", with longstanding popularity, such as albums by the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. These albums have continued to earn royalties for the surviving band members decades after their original release date.Successful artists will hire a number of people from other fields to assist them with their career. The band manager oversees all aspects of an artist's career in exchange for a percentage of the artist's income. An entertainment lawyer assists them with the details of their contracts with record companies and other deals. A business manager handles financial transactions, taxes and bookkeeping. A booking agency represents the artist to promoters, makes deals and books performances. A travel agent makes travel arrangements. A road crew is a semi-permanent touring organization that travels with the artist. This is headed by a tour manager and includes staff to move equipment on and off-stage, drive tour buses or vans, and do stage lighting, live sound reinforcement and musical instrument tuning and maintenance. The tour manager's tasks can vary widely depending on the type of tour and where the group is playing. The tour manager's typical tasks of ensuring that hotel, restaurant and travel arrangements are confirmed may expand into other tasks, if the venue where the band is playing does not have certain equipment. If the venue lacks a grand piano or Hammond organ that the band needs for the show, the tour manager will be responsible for finding a rental instrument for the show and having it moved onstage; as well, if a band member needs an emergency instrument repair, the tour manager and/or the guitar tech will help to find a repair person or replacement instrument. The most high-profile celebrity performers may also have personal assistants, a chef, and bodyguards. Singers may hire a vocal coach to give them suggestions on how to take care of their voice or develop their singing range.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
The music industry (or music business) sells compositions, recordings and performances of music. Among the many individuals and organisations that operate within the industry are the musicians who compose and perform the music; the companies and professionals who create and sell recorded music (e.g., music publishers, producers, studios, engineers, record labels, retail and online music stores, performance rights organizations); those that present live music performances (booking agents, promoters, music venues, road crew); professionals who assist musicians with their careers (talent managers, business managers, entertainment lawyers); those who broadcast music (satellite and broadcast radio); journalists; educators; musical instrument manufacturers; as well as many others.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the music industry was dominated by the publishers of sheet music. By mid-century records had supplanted sheet music as the largest player in the music business. Since 2000, sales of recorded music have dropped off substantially,[1] while live music has increased in importance.
There are four "major labels" that dominate recorded music — Sony Music Entertainment,[2] EMI, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group — each of which consists of many smaller companies and labels serving different regions and markets. The live music industry is dominated by Live Nation, the largest promoter and music venue owner. Live Nation is a former subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, which owns a majority of the radio stations in the United States. Other important music industry companies include Creative Artists Agency (a management and booking company) and Apple Inc. (which runs the world's largest online music store, iTunes Music Store, and sells the iPod.
HISTORY 1700s and 1800sUntil the 1700s, the process of composition and printing of music was for the most part supported by patronage from aristocracies and churches. In the mid-to-late 1700s, performers and composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to seek commercial opportunities to market their music and performances to the general public. After Mozart's death, his wife (Constanze Weber) continued the process of commercialization of his music through an unprecedented series of memorial concerts, selling his manuscripts, and collaborating with her second husband, Georg Nissen, on a biography of Mozart.[3] In the 1800s, the music industry was dominated by sheet music publishers. In the United States, the music industry arose in tandem with the rise of blackface minstrelsy. The group of music publishers and songwriters which dominated popular music in the United States was known as Tin Pan Alley.1900sIn the early 20th century, the phonograph industry grew greatly in importance, and the record industry eventually replaced the sheet music publishers as the industry's largest force. A multitude of record labels came and went, but a handful of label corporations prospered for decades. By the end of the 1980s, the "Big 6" — EMI, Sony, BMG, PolyGram, WEA and MCA — dominated the industry. In mid-1998, PolyGram merged into Universal Music Group (formerly MCA), dropping the leaders down to a "Big 5". They became the "Big 4" in 2004 when Sony merged with BMG. 2000sMain article: Music industry in the 21st century The advent of file sharing technologies has changed the balance between record companies, song writers, and performing artists. Bands such as Metallica have fought back against peer-to-peer programs such as the infamous Napster (even they are not against file-sharing now), and the arguments for and against technology to circumvent them - digital rights management systems - remain controversial. With the dawn of Apple Inc.'s iTunes online music store in 2003, legal music downloads became widely available.By June 2008, digital music sales generated around $2 billion in revenue, with tracks available through 500 online services located in 40 countries, representing around 10 percent of the total global music market. Revenue from retail CD sales, however, continued to fall. IBISWorld eported in June 2008 that "the industry's financial future looks bleak," but noted that, although revenues have decreased, artists have suffered less than record companies, since they can "make most of their money on merchandise sales and touring
Business structureThe music industry is made up of various players, including individuals, companies, unions, not-for-profit associations, rights collectives, and other bodies. Professional musicians, including band leaders, rhythm section members, musical ensembles, vocalists, conductors, composers/arrangers, and sound engineers create sound recordings of music or perform live in venues ranging from small clubs to stadiums. Professional musicians negotiate their wages, contractual conditions, and other conditions of work through Musicians' Unions or other guilds. Composers and songwriters write the music and lyrics to songs and other musical works, which are sold in print form as sheet music or scores by music publishers. Composers and performers get part of their income from writers' copyright collectives and performance rights organization such as the ASCAP and BMI (or MCPS and PRS respectively for the UK). These societies and collectives ensure that composers and performers are compensated when their works are used on the radio or TV or in films. When musicians and singers make a CD or DVD, the creative process is coordinated by a record producer, whose role in the recording may range from suggesting songs and backing musicians to having a direct hands-on role in the studio, coaching singers, giving advice to session musicians on playing styles, and working with the senior sound engineer to shape the recorded sound through effects and mixing.Most professional musicians, bands, and singers are signed with record labels, which are companies which finance the recording process in return for part or full share of the rights in the recording. A record company is an entity that manages sound recording-related brands and trademarks which consist of their owned labels; their owned and licensed master recordings; and various related ancillary businesses such as home video and DVDs. Labels may comprise a record group which is, in turn, controlled by a music group. As such, a larger umbrella label may have a number of sub-labels releasing music. Music publishers exist separately (even if sharing the same ultimate holding company or brand name), and they represent the rights in the compositions - i.e. the music as written rather than as recorded.Record companies and record labels that are not under the control of the "Big Four" music groups and music publishers that are not one of these four groups are generally considered to be independent or "indie" labels, even if they are part of large, well-financed corporations with complex structures. Some music critics prefer to use the term indie label to refer to only those independent labels that adhere to criteria of corporate structure and size, and some consider an indie label to be almost any label that releases non-mainstream music, regardless of its corporate structure. According to US Market Research Firm NPD Group, iTunes recently surpassed Wal-Mart as America's largest music distributor. A record distributor is a company (often a record label)[citation needed] that works with record labels to promote and distribute their records, either in their home market or overseas.Once a CD is recorded, record distributor companies organize the shipping of the CDs to music stores and department stores. Record labels have use an "A&R" (Artists and Repertoire) manager to help develop the performing style of bands and singers signed the label. A&R managers may organize shared tours with similar bands or find playing opportunities for the label's groups which will broaden their musical experience. For example, an A&R manager may decide to send an emerging young singer-songwriter with little live playing experience on a major tour with an established electric folk rock act from the same label, so that this person will gain more confidence.When CDs sell in stores or on websites such as iTunes, part of the money is returned to the performers in the form of royalties. Most recordings only earn royalties for a short period after they are released, after which the song becomes part of the "back catalogue" or library. A much smaller number of recordings have become "classics", with longstanding popularity, such as albums by the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. These albums have continued to earn royalties for the surviving band members decades after their original release date.Successful artists will hire a number of people from other fields to assist them with their career. The band manager oversees all aspects of an artist's career in exchange for a percentage of the artist's income. An entertainment lawyer assists them with the details of their contracts with record companies and other deals. A business manager handles financial transactions, taxes and bookkeeping. A booking agency represents the artist to promoters, makes deals and books performances. A travel agent makes travel arrangements. A road crew is a semi-permanent touring organization that travels with the artist. This is headed by a tour manager and includes staff to move equipment on and off-stage, drive tour buses or vans, and do stage lighting, live sound reinforcement and musical instrument tuning and maintenance. The tour manager's tasks can vary widely depending on the type of tour and where the group is playing. The tour manager's typical tasks of ensuring that hotel, restaurant and travel arrangements are confirmed may expand into other tasks, if the venue where the band is playing does not have certain equipment. If the venue lacks a grand piano or Hammond organ that the band needs for the show, the tour manager will be responsible for finding a rental instrument for the show and having it moved onstage; as well, if a band member needs an emergency instrument repair, the tour manager and/or the guitar tech will help to find a repair person or replacement instrument. The most high-profile celebrity performers may also have personal assistants, a chef, and bodyguards. Singers may hire a vocal coach to give them suggestions on how to take care of their voice or develop their singing range.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the music industry was dominated by the publishers of sheet music. By mid-century records had supplanted sheet music as the largest player in the music business. Since 2000, sales of recorded music have dropped off substantially,[1] while live music has increased in importance.
There are four "major labels" that dominate recorded music — Sony Music Entertainment,[2] EMI, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group — each of which consists of many smaller companies and labels serving different regions and markets. The live music industry is dominated by Live Nation, the largest promoter and music venue owner. Live Nation is a former subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, which owns a majority of the radio stations in the United States. Other important music industry companies include Creative Artists Agency (a management and booking company) and Apple Inc. (which runs the world's largest online music store, iTunes Music Store, and sells the iPod.
HISTORY 1700s and 1800sUntil the 1700s, the process of composition and printing of music was for the most part supported by patronage from aristocracies and churches. In the mid-to-late 1700s, performers and composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to seek commercial opportunities to market their music and performances to the general public. After Mozart's death, his wife (Constanze Weber) continued the process of commercialization of his music through an unprecedented series of memorial concerts, selling his manuscripts, and collaborating with her second husband, Georg Nissen, on a biography of Mozart.[3] In the 1800s, the music industry was dominated by sheet music publishers. In the United States, the music industry arose in tandem with the rise of blackface minstrelsy. The group of music publishers and songwriters which dominated popular music in the United States was known as Tin Pan Alley.1900sIn the early 20th century, the phonograph industry grew greatly in importance, and the record industry eventually replaced the sheet music publishers as the industry's largest force. A multitude of record labels came and went, but a handful of label corporations prospered for decades. By the end of the 1980s, the "Big 6" — EMI, Sony, BMG, PolyGram, WEA and MCA — dominated the industry. In mid-1998, PolyGram merged into Universal Music Group (formerly MCA), dropping the leaders down to a "Big 5". They became the "Big 4" in 2004 when Sony merged with BMG. 2000sMain article: Music industry in the 21st century The advent of file sharing technologies has changed the balance between record companies, song writers, and performing artists. Bands such as Metallica have fought back against peer-to-peer programs such as the infamous Napster (even they are not against file-sharing now), and the arguments for and against technology to circumvent them - digital rights management systems - remain controversial. With the dawn of Apple Inc.'s iTunes online music store in 2003, legal music downloads became widely available.By June 2008, digital music sales generated around $2 billion in revenue, with tracks available through 500 online services located in 40 countries, representing around 10 percent of the total global music market. Revenue from retail CD sales, however, continued to fall. IBISWorld eported in June 2008 that "the industry's financial future looks bleak," but noted that, although revenues have decreased, artists have suffered less than record companies, since they can "make most of their money on merchandise sales and touring
Business structureThe music industry is made up of various players, including individuals, companies, unions, not-for-profit associations, rights collectives, and other bodies. Professional musicians, including band leaders, rhythm section members, musical ensembles, vocalists, conductors, composers/arrangers, and sound engineers create sound recordings of music or perform live in venues ranging from small clubs to stadiums. Professional musicians negotiate their wages, contractual conditions, and other conditions of work through Musicians' Unions or other guilds. Composers and songwriters write the music and lyrics to songs and other musical works, which are sold in print form as sheet music or scores by music publishers. Composers and performers get part of their income from writers' copyright collectives and performance rights organization such as the ASCAP and BMI (or MCPS and PRS respectively for the UK). These societies and collectives ensure that composers and performers are compensated when their works are used on the radio or TV or in films. When musicians and singers make a CD or DVD, the creative process is coordinated by a record producer, whose role in the recording may range from suggesting songs and backing musicians to having a direct hands-on role in the studio, coaching singers, giving advice to session musicians on playing styles, and working with the senior sound engineer to shape the recorded sound through effects and mixing.Most professional musicians, bands, and singers are signed with record labels, which are companies which finance the recording process in return for part or full share of the rights in the recording. A record company is an entity that manages sound recording-related brands and trademarks which consist of their owned labels; their owned and licensed master recordings; and various related ancillary businesses such as home video and DVDs. Labels may comprise a record group which is, in turn, controlled by a music group. As such, a larger umbrella label may have a number of sub-labels releasing music. Music publishers exist separately (even if sharing the same ultimate holding company or brand name), and they represent the rights in the compositions - i.e. the music as written rather than as recorded.Record companies and record labels that are not under the control of the "Big Four" music groups and music publishers that are not one of these four groups are generally considered to be independent or "indie" labels, even if they are part of large, well-financed corporations with complex structures. Some music critics prefer to use the term indie label to refer to only those independent labels that adhere to criteria of corporate structure and size, and some consider an indie label to be almost any label that releases non-mainstream music, regardless of its corporate structure. According to US Market Research Firm NPD Group, iTunes recently surpassed Wal-Mart as America's largest music distributor. A record distributor is a company (often a record label)[citation needed] that works with record labels to promote and distribute their records, either in their home market or overseas.Once a CD is recorded, record distributor companies organize the shipping of the CDs to music stores and department stores. Record labels have use an "A&R" (Artists and Repertoire) manager to help develop the performing style of bands and singers signed the label. A&R managers may organize shared tours with similar bands or find playing opportunities for the label's groups which will broaden their musical experience. For example, an A&R manager may decide to send an emerging young singer-songwriter with little live playing experience on a major tour with an established electric folk rock act from the same label, so that this person will gain more confidence.When CDs sell in stores or on websites such as iTunes, part of the money is returned to the performers in the form of royalties. Most recordings only earn royalties for a short period after they are released, after which the song becomes part of the "back catalogue" or library. A much smaller number of recordings have become "classics", with longstanding popularity, such as albums by the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. These albums have continued to earn royalties for the surviving band members decades after their original release date.Successful artists will hire a number of people from other fields to assist them with their career. The band manager oversees all aspects of an artist's career in exchange for a percentage of the artist's income. An entertainment lawyer assists them with the details of their contracts with record companies and other deals. A business manager handles financial transactions, taxes and bookkeeping. A booking agency represents the artist to promoters, makes deals and books performances. A travel agent makes travel arrangements. A road crew is a semi-permanent touring organization that travels with the artist. This is headed by a tour manager and includes staff to move equipment on and off-stage, drive tour buses or vans, and do stage lighting, live sound reinforcement and musical instrument tuning and maintenance. The tour manager's tasks can vary widely depending on the type of tour and where the group is playing. The tour manager's typical tasks of ensuring that hotel, restaurant and travel arrangements are confirmed may expand into other tasks, if the venue where the band is playing does not have certain equipment. If the venue lacks a grand piano or Hammond organ that the band needs for the show, the tour manager will be responsible for finding a rental instrument for the show and having it moved onstage; as well, if a band member needs an emergency instrument repair, the tour manager and/or the guitar tech will help to find a repair person or replacement instrument. The most high-profile celebrity performers may also have personal assistants, a chef, and bodyguards. Singers may hire a vocal coach to give them suggestions on how to take care of their voice or develop their singing range.
AFRICAN FILM PRODUCERS
Director/Co-Producer Franco Sacchi is a freelance director, editor, and producer. Franco co-directed, produced, and edited American Eunuchs, a feature length documentary that aired in 2004 on the Sundance Channel and on Channel 5 in the UK. It was also shown at several national and international film festivals, including the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA).
Franco collaborates on an ongoing basis with two news magazines of RAI International (the international branch of Italian Public Television) as a broadcast journalist/producer.
Franco also worked for over six years in the Department of Educational Services at Avid Technology. Clients included ABC, 20/20, ESPN, NBC Dateline, Telemundo, RAI (Italian National Public Television), and many others.
He graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Bologna and earned an MA in Visual Arts from Emerson College.
Still Photographer/Associate Producer Aimee Corrigan is a freelance photographer, writer, and producer whose first documentary project, The Village Heals: HIV/AIDS in Rural Zimbabwe, was presented at The University of Zimbabwe in 2001.
Since then, Aimee has produced media for several organizations in Boston and London; including Life is good Inc., Action for Southern Africa, Project Joy, and The Panos Institute.
Aimee is the Practicum Manager at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University. Based on the philosophy that media can make a difference, the CDIA Practicum creates partnerships with non-profit organizations around the world. As Practicum Manager, Aimee has coordinated web, photo, video, and 3D productions that capture the spirit of dozens of non-profits in Boston and beyond.
Aimee is currently producing a documentary on Hurricane Katrina's impact on Mississippi's poorest children. Her photographs from Nollywood will be on exhibition around the United States.This Nollywood is a documentary film that captures the spirit of Nigeria's booming movie industry.
Franco collaborates on an ongoing basis with two news magazines of RAI International (the international branch of Italian Public Television) as a broadcast journalist/producer.
Franco also worked for over six years in the Department of Educational Services at Avid Technology. Clients included ABC, 20/20, ESPN, NBC Dateline, Telemundo, RAI (Italian National Public Television), and many others.
He graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Bologna and earned an MA in Visual Arts from Emerson College.
Still Photographer/Associate Producer Aimee Corrigan is a freelance photographer, writer, and producer whose first documentary project, The Village Heals: HIV/AIDS in Rural Zimbabwe, was presented at The University of Zimbabwe in 2001.
Since then, Aimee has produced media for several organizations in Boston and London; including Life is good Inc., Action for Southern Africa, Project Joy, and The Panos Institute.
Aimee is the Practicum Manager at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University. Based on the philosophy that media can make a difference, the CDIA Practicum creates partnerships with non-profit organizations around the world. As Practicum Manager, Aimee has coordinated web, photo, video, and 3D productions that capture the spirit of dozens of non-profits in Boston and beyond.
Aimee is currently producing a documentary on Hurricane Katrina's impact on Mississippi's poorest children. Her photographs from Nollywood will be on exhibition around the United States.This Nollywood is a documentary film that captures the spirit of Nigeria's booming movie industry.
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