What’s that song?  The question has plagued humans ever since the creation of music, and has led to countless heated discussions – and probably worse.

One Silicon Valley startup, Melodis Corporation, is doing something about it.

Melodis this week announced the introduction of a new iPhone app, SoundHound, which includes the world’s fastest music identification – virtually guaranteed to break up bar fights.  The new app also includes lyrics, complete iPod integration, and an exclusive “Underplayed” chart that has generated major buzz.  SoundHound is the new name for the 3.0 upgrade to Midomi for iPhone, and existing users will receive the app free of charge.

We recently caught up with Aaron Master, Product Manager at Melodis, to talk more about this awesome application and the convergence of music and technology.

SVR: Tell us more about SoundHound. What sets it apart from other music identification apps?

AM: We have just released version 3.0 of our iPhone app, which used to be called Midomi.  It has so many new features we’re changing the name to SoundHound.  The first thing that sets us apart from our leading competitor is that we are the fastest in the industry – literally three times faster.  As many of our early adopter fans know, the app can even recognize singing or humming in addition to identifying what is playing on the radio or tv.  And the new SoundHound version can even identify songs from your iPod where you’re missing the title or artist.  It solves that annoying problem of having songs in your iPod library without artists or titles. And of course, because SoundHound is an app for true music lovers, we strive to have the most complete database in the world, with the latest hits, hottest remixes and broadest coverage, even including popular classical pieces.

SVR: We understand you’re getting ready to introduce a new product release. Can you tell us about that?

AM: Actually, things went really well and we just released SoundHound on December 2, over three weeks ahead of our Christmas day target.  The response has been incredible.  Our average for the first 82 reviews was literally 5 out of 5 stars.  I’ve never seen anything like it in the App store.  I think it’s because we really listened to the feedback from previous versions and acted on it.  People told us they wanted lyrics and we provide it like crazy: we now offer beautifully displayed lyrics for most songs, including songs on your iPod.  People also wanted to be able to play iPod songs they found in the app; now you can do that and a whole lot more.  You can check out SoundHound info for any song on your iPod.  You just play a song then open SoundHound and SoundHound shows you the artist bio, track listing, and top songs.  It also has the world’s first online and iPod combined music search.  So when your search result includes a song in your iPod, SoundHound shows an icon right there telling you that you have the iPod song and letting you play your copy.  It’s a great way to see which of an artist’s top songs you already have and which you don’t.  The underplayed list has been a runaway hit too.  People love this. It’s a list of songs getting grabbed much more by users than they are played on the radio.  It has about 50 songs on it and you can see what songs will become classics or are on their way to becoming new hits.

SVR: Do you think music and technology are a natural fit? How many of the tech professionals at Melodis are also musicians?

AM: You’ve probably heard about all those studies linking musical talent with technical talent.  Our company is something of a case study.  We have a speech engineer who is a gifted concert pianist; a business development person who writes his own compositions; a research engineer who has performed as a saxophone soloist with a major American symphony orchestra; and a vice president who has jammed with members of the Grateful Dead.   And a good half of the office has music going on through headphones at any given time.  All this music love affects our products in a good way.  There are tons of little details to get right in the user experience for music lovers, and having people that are passionate about music in the office makes a huge difference.

SVR: How is Melodis empowering the next generation of rockers?

AM: Once upon a time, music discovery was quite difficult, even for young people with lots of connections.  It could take you hours or days to find out about new bands, similar artists, or lyrics to songs.  Music identification has opened that up in the past few years to instantly get people info about songs they fall in love with.  That kind of discovery can really broaden a young musician’s horizons.  With our latest app, we pretty much blow away the limits that were still there: now you can see the exact lyrics to a song, which really opens up your understanding of an artist’s message.  And when you see all the top songs that artist ever made and all the similar artists, and have previews and visual popularity data for it while on the go, that lets you explore and fall in love with music like never before.  In the past few months alone, I’ve (re)discovered Massive Attack, Sneaker Pimps, MadCon, and Bitter:Sweet just through the app.  But I’m already out of school.  It’s amazing to me to think of what a music genius a middle schooler could become by the age of twenty, just using something like this.  So I think the next generation of rockers will be connected to music information like no other generation before.  We feel very lucky to be such a big part of the current revolution in mobile music search.

You could argue that what we do here is a kind of entertaining music education, so everyone here at Melodis is really excited to be part of Silicon Valley Rocks! We look forward to seeing fellow rockers there.

Band Members:
Jonah Matranga: Vocals
Randi Zuckerberg: Vocals
Alison Murdock: Vocals
Tim Chang: Guitar
Andrew Stess: Bass
Larry Marcus: Drums

Tech Industry Affiliations: Facebook, SVRocks.com, Norwest Venture Partners, Walden Venture Capital and Amplified Music Services

SVR: Tell us about your band. How did you get started? How long have you been playing?

Randi Zuckerberg: We really embodied the Silicon Valley entrepreneurial spirit. Alison had a vision, secured an A-team, got everyone together in a garage to execute*, and we plan on delivering an awesome product on Dec 9th. (*by garage, we mean Larry’s awesome setup in Hillsborough)
Alison Murdock: The Open Source Band was formed in 2008 with the debut of Silicon Valley Rocks. Literally, it was a true Silicon Valley story — the band was formed via phone calls, Facebook, email, and quick conversations at conferences.
Tim Chang: we pride ourselves on never rehearsing more than 3 times per year!

SVR: Who are your major influences?

OSB: Blur, Radiohead, U2, The Police, Blondie, Led Zeppelin.
Jonah Matranga: Yea, the classics are just that for a reason. It’s fun to massacre them with geeky enthusiasm.
TC: I’m a reformed shredder, but still have a soft spot for anything by Van Halen, Steve Vai, Stevie Ray, Joe Satriani. These days I’m more about the groove and the hook…
RZ: Apple, Google, Cisco… wait, are we talking about music… or tech companies?

SVR: What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune in the music business?

RZ: I think we’re really in this for the long haul. People can be critical because we’re in the red… but we’re not looking for a speedy exit. It’s a tough economy. Monetization isn’t a priority right now, we’re focused on the long term vision.
TC: We hope to flip to Google for a nice stock and cash deal someday. Also willing to accept options in Facebook and/or Twitter instead. Look for our upcoming social game!
Andrew Stess: All of the above and a free night away from home.
Larry Marcus: Up and to the right.

SVR: How does your music influence your work or vice versa?

RZ: I work in marketing at Facebook, where I lead partnerships around news, entertainment/pop culture, and non-profits. Before this, I was the lead singer of an Evanescence tribute band, “Evanescence Essence” (Evanescence had two hit songs… and we did BOTH of them). But band morale went downhill fast when Evanescence never came out with any new music… so I jumped at the opportunity to take my music in a new direction with the OSB.
TC: I’ve been a musician 3x longer than a VC, and it’s nice to be able to tie the creative process into the day job in working with startups in digital media, mobile and gaming.
AS: I am CEO of Amplified Music Services — we provide music identification and playlisting for ce devices and music applications — and director at LyricFind, the first and leading legal provider of search and display for lyrics.
JM: Rocking has been my job for my adult life.

SVR: Why do you think music education is important?

RZ: It’s such a shame that creative programs like music are the first to be cut when a school has to re-evaluate its budget. It’s so important to provide children with this creative and productive outlet.
AM: California will soon be facing a very drastic shortfall in educational budgets. In San Francisco alone, it could be $80 million. We were already fighting for arts education, and now, it’s a very dire situation.
JM: What she said. For real, music has pretty much saved my life. Several times, and I’m so sad that it’s not readily available to my daughter in public school. Seems completely insane that in a country like ours, in a city like this, with all this money everywhere, that we wouldn’t have arts programs everywhere. The positive impact on our children is irrefutable and obvious.
TC: Music has so much in common with science: the underlying mathematical structures, fractal symmetries of rhythm and phrasing, synthesis of disparate elements… it’s a shame that our society classifies music as a right-brained only, “artsy” discipline, often getting deprioritized for math, science and commerce-related studies. A key element of what has made me successful and happy in the fields of technology and engineering stem from the improviser’s mindset informed by my musical pursuits.

SVR: What was your own experience learning music as a kid? Who flipped that switch in your brain?

RZ: When I switched to a new high school, I didn’t know anybody, and someone recommended that joining the chamber choir would be a good way to meet people. I had never even listened to classical music before, let alone performed it, but I found myself truly loving classical music and opera. I still practice opera to this day and that classical music experience helped me tackle so many other musical genres.
AM: I played the piano, sang in the choir — all the normal stuff. When I attended the Ladies’ Rock Camp in Portland, OR and managed to form a band, write a song, and perform in 3.5 days — I realized that all that early training really paid off!
JM: I remember learning guitar and recorder and stuff with Mr. Richter. And playing Stones covers in the talent show in 6th grade. And listening to Zeppelin in the basement of some older neighborhood kids.
AS: I loved music when I was little kid and Abbey road was my first album. My guitar teacher when I was six was a great influence, the music teacher in elementary school, my junior high band director, and the HighSchool of the Arts in high school. My switch was flipped because of my want and need for music and the great people that taught me.
TC: Marty McFly, saving the world (and getting the girl) in Back to The Future with an electric guitar, baby!
LM: Susan Muscarella and the UC Jazz Ensembles at Berkeley was a real turning point in musical growth and understanding that music is a community. She’s running the Jazzschool in Berkeley and it’s an incredible place to study and play jazz.

You know Pandora: developers of the Music Genome Project and personalized radio stations that play only music you like.  But what you might not know is how committed Pandora is to music education. From its founding, Pandora has been fostering the next generation of rockers as one of only a handful of companies to recognize the important role that music instruction plays in childhood development.

Pandora (originally Savage Beast) emerged on the scene beginning with the Music Genome Project in 2000 and is now the #1 music application on the iPhone.

On December 9, Silicon Valley Rocks will honor Pandora Radio for its contribution to music, technology innovation, and education. We talked to Pandora CTO Tom Conrad about this exciting application and the company’s commitment to keeping music in schools.

SVR: Tell us about the Music Genome Project.

TC: It’s the most comprehensive analysis of music ever undertaken. Together our team of fifty musician-analysts has been listening to music, one song at a time, studying and collecting literally hundreds of musical details on every song. It takes 20-30 minutes per song to capture all of the little details that give each recording its magical sound — melody, harmony, instrumentation, rhythm, vocals, lyrics… and more — close to 400 attributes! We continue this work every day to keep up with the incredible flow of great new music coming from studios, stadiums and garages around the country.

SVR: How does Pandora Radio work?

TC: Just drop the name of one of your favorite songs or artists into Pandora and let the Genome Project go. It will quickly scan its entire world of analyzed music, almost a century of popular recordings — new and old, well known and completely obscure — to find songs with interesting musical similarities to your choice. Then sit back and enjoy as it creates a listening experience full of current and soon-to-be favorite songs for you. You can create up to 100 unique “stations.” And you can even refine them. If it’s not quite right you can tell it so and it will get better for you.

SVR: How does Pandora differ from other music recommendation and Internet radio programs?

TC: A few things: Pandora is really focused on delivering a personalized experience. When a listener comes to us, we always start by asking, “What music do *you* love?” That’s different than a service programmed by DJs. Both have their place but ours is focused on personalization — it’s all about the kind of music you love.

Second, since Music Genome Project is at the heart of what we do, we’re building stations based on musical building blocks rather than popularity or taste-making.

SVR: Over the last two years, Pandora has raised more than $40,000 in support of music education. Why do you think it’s important to keep music in schools?

TC: There’s an intrinsic connection that some students have with music — the same way that some kids are natural athletes. By investing in music education, we give those kids an outlet for those skills. To be able to nurture that is a great opportunity.

SVR: Pandora volunteers monthly at a local Oakland school that doesn’t have music education. Tell us more about that.

TC: For the last several years we have been working with Lockwood Elementary in Oakland. Our team has developed a music curriculum for the 5th grade class, and a large group from Pandora go to Lockwood one day per month to lead the class. We do work with instruments and explore how music works. It’s very hands-on, and it gives us a chance to connect with the students on many levels.

SVR: What other organizations do you support that use music to make a difference?

TC: So far, we’ve teamed up with GlobalGiving to support three organizations: Education Through Music-LA empowers low-income kids through quality music instruction as part of a well-rounded education. Students demonstrate personal, academic, and creative growth, and the arts are fostered in the community. Little Kids Rock brings free musical instruments and music instruction to public school children. And the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation donates instruments to school and after-school music programs that are often a motivating factor for a child to stay in school.

SVR: Did you take music lessons as a kid?  What kind of an impact did it have on the person you are today?

TC: I played a bunch of instruments: trumpet, piano, guitar — none of them terribly well. In 5th grade, I got a lead part in a musical, and it was an opportunity to be good at something that was completely outside of my experience. I fell in love with singing and sang in choirs throughout high school and college. [Aside: “Glee” hits a little too close to home.]

Also, in high school and college, I really got into collecting and sharing music. There was nothing better than sitting someone down in front of my stereo and introducing them to unfamiliar artists. Just like Pandora but for one person instead of millions.

http://www.thewhitehalls.com/

New World Record

Video Link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/heathrowmusic

Band Members:
Drew Smith: Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitars
Neil Smith: Lead Guitars and Backing Vocals
Bill Shupp: Drums and Percussion
Paul “John” Castro: Bass and Backing Vocals

Tech Industry Affiliations: Digg.com, Aldon (software), IT for Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, Bite Communications

SVR: Tell us about your band. How did you get started? How long have you been playing?

The Whitehalls: The Whitehalls lead singer Drew Smith was taught his first chord by older brother Neil (who has spent time in such notable SF bands as Kingstreet and Kiss the Girl); there was really only ever going to be one outcome. It’s your typical “older sibling with formal music training teaches younger sibling how to play guitar only to find younger sibling is a songwriting genius who himself discovers he still needs older sibling to help him put a band together and get his songs recorded” rock ‘n’ roll fairytale.

After hearing Drew’s remarkable songs at a small open mic night, Neil insisted that they should form a band. Born and raised in England, the Smith brothers have called San Francisco home for more than 10 years. From the day they began playing together their relationship was one that occasionally struggled to contain the ambitions and opinions of the two musicians but which at the same time always found strength in it.

Of course, it takes more than two musicians to form a rocking band. In The Whitehalls’ case former LA-based session drummer Bill Shupp and fellow American, bass player Paul “John” Castro (formerly of Bay Area’s Torn and Two Way Radio) proved to have the energy and passion for the songs (and an appropriate level of musical talent) to round out the line-up.

SVR: Who are your major influences?

The Whitehalls: Some of our influences include Oasis, The Beatles, The Who, Jane’s Addiction, Neil Young, Radiohead, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Foo Fighters, Supergrass, Ash, Blur, Kula Shaker and Stereophonics.

SVR: What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune in the music business?

The Whitehalls: The Whitehalls believe that there has rarely been a more exciting time to be artistic and creative, especially in the Bay Area, where music and technology meet in such innovative ways.

Our #1 goal is to make great music and get it out to the world! If that brings fame and fortune so be it, but more important for us is the opportunity to make the music we want to and to get it out for people to enjoy.

In the end though, The Whitehalls are simply The Whitehalls: 4 musicians with something to say, 2 countries of origin, 2 occasionally squabbling brothers, and some damn fine music!

SVR: What are your day jobs?

The Whitehalls: Bill Shupp is a senior developer at Digg.com. Paul “John” Castro is an account manager at Emeryville software vendor Aldon. Drew Smith is an account executive at Bite Communications in SF. Neil Smith is director of IT, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

SVR: How does your music influence your work or vice versa?

Drew Smith: When you are working directly with the companies and people that drive innovation and technology in the Bay Area, then you are bound to find sources of inspiration!

Neil Smith: Having a decent job means I no longer have to focus so much on making money playing, which means it is easier to concentrate on the music. Also, since I work in underserved communities with kids who face tremendous challenges, I feel I’m exposed to life beyond a typically affluent and cosseted technology career, a perspective that hopefully provides me with a deeper set of experiences to draw upon when I’m making music.

Bill Shupp: Being a developer for a leading technology company means you have to apply perspiration along with innovation to have success. The craft of songwriting and performing requires the same and the rewarding feeling when you pull it off is very similar.

Paul “John” Castro: Music is what makes it possible for me to work and vice versa. I’m also working on a project for indie music distribution, called MusixShare, that is aiming for launch next year. This is a subject near and dear to my heart as a musician who is truly excited by the many new opportunities today for musicians to create and distribute content directly to fans.

SVR: Why is music education important?

The Whitehalls: Music Education is important for a few reasons:

1. to ensure the future of music we have to encourage the growth of future musicians; and
2. people who study music learn valuable skills that translate into having success down the road in areas that expand outside of just music.

SVR: What was your own experience learning music as a kid? Who flipped that switch in your brain?

DS: For me it was my brother Neil — he taught me my first guitar chords. But it was a love of bands like Oasis and brit-pop that started my song writing and I’ve never looked back!

NS: I was entirely self-taught and learned by listening to and figuring out guitar parts from my favorite songs — very quickly I was completely hooked on playing. It was a friend in high school who flipped the switch — he was an amazing guitar player and introduced me to the music of guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Albert King. I wanted to be like this guy, so always had something to strive for in those critical first 2-3 years of playing.

BS: Having played drums, as well as bass, for many years (including stints in the Dallas and LA music scenes), I’ve been exposed to many various styles which I hope come through when I play.

PC: I was lucky in that I had a number of strong music influences as a kid. My dad was a folk singer, my mom sang in a choir, and my uncle played in a rock band. This ensured that at every family gathering instruments and music were mandatory!

http://www.blissisignorance.com/

Out on a Limb

Band Members:
Jeremy Fortes: Producer, Lead Vocals and Synthesizer
Erin Fortes: Producer, Lead Vocals, Piano and Synthesizer
David Earl: Producer, Synthesizer, Piano and Vocals

Tech Industry Affiliations: Pyramind Studios and the “sflogicninja” of YouTube fame

SVR: Tell us about your band. How did you get started? How long have you been playing?

David Earl: Erin, Jeremy and I met around 1999 via an artist named Frank Garvey. I had left Frank’s collective around then, and was working as a producer on my own. It was about 6 months later that I saw my first performance of SCABARET!, Erin and Jeremy’s twisted cabaret/musical/anti-redemption story. I watched the show in awe as T.V.-headed characters danced, businessmen got caged, and one of the performers leaped from the stage to bust his ear open and bleed all over himself while he continued to act. Stoically. It was something else. I had just finished a very… uh… intense project that I needed distance from and in some ways needed the antidote of working with Erin and Jeremy. First as actor, then mixer, then producer, then finally full-on totally committed member of the project. Erin and Jeremy are like extended family to me, and as busy as we all are, we have managed to work solidly together as the core members of this ever-evolving project for 6 years.

SVR: Who are your major influences?

DE: Hardest question ever. I would say Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Ravel, Steve Reich, Killing Joke, BT, Xenakis, Rachmaninoff, Miles Davis, etc. Hell, I even think I’ve been influenced somewhat by George Jones.

Jeremy Fortes: I’m always looking for new/old music that makes my ears perk up. Off the top of my head Saul Williams, Aphex Twin, Tim Exile, Skinny Puppy, Lauryn Hill, Dead Prez, DJ Shadow, DJ Spooky, NIN, Queen, J.S. Bach, Mahler, Mozart, Pharcyde, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, George/Ira Gershwin, Digital Underground, all Mike Patton projects, Eurythmics, Dr. Dre, Pigface, Ween, Busta Rhymes, Fela Kuti, Marilyn Manson (circa 1996), Brain Eno, Nirvana, The Beatles for starters.

Erin Fortes: There are so many. My first piano teacher introduced me to The Beatles at age 6 and it was over. How can you like terrible music when your first favorite band is the Beatles? Granted, it was the 70’s, so he also introduced me to Bread — but luckily that didn’t stick quite as hard.

To pick some specifically right now, I’d have to say Aphex Twin, Fischerspooner, Nine Inch Nails, Saul Williams, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, The Cure, Grace Jones, Peaches and Gustav Mahler.

SVR: What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune in the music business?

DE: Fame? Whatever. Fortune? Certainly! Mainly, I would say getting to make what we want with as little compromise as possible. We have made HARD decisions to keep our integrity intact. Erin and Jeremy and I are the kind of people that aren’t looking for anyone to whore us… unless we get bags of money and absolute creative control. Really, people should be asking Erin and Jeremy about marketing ideas in the current music environment. They are brilliant. Personally, Marrow is a way for me to push my own comfort zones and try to create the most impactful productions possible.

JF: We’re always exploring new sounds and looking for new ways to engage our listeners. In the end we’re looking to make great music, music that is forward thinking. That interests us deeply. Hopefully we can present the work to our audience in a way that makes it easy for them to support and sustain us.

EF: Fame? Sure. As long as it’s on our terms. We’re all lucky enough to have day jobs that we enjoy, but they’re still for corporate clients. What we want from our music is to create art that makes sense to us. If it makes sense to other people and they want to talk about us, that’s a fantastic side effect. If you’ve got great music and no one’s listening to it, that’s not entirely the point… Fortune? Well of course! But it’s a new age in the music industry and we, again, are creating music that makes sense to us — we’ve already run into people promising us fortune whose basic pitch is “Hey, we love you guys and what you do — it’s so different! Now let’s change it to make it more commercial…” So, as Marrow, the emphasis is on creating great work and trying to get as many people to hear it and see us perform. (Not to say we wouldn’t shamelessly whore ourselves out for a million dollar project. But I think we might change our names for the interim…)

SVR: What are your day jobs?

EF: After years as a brand manager and designer in the financial sector, I’m now running my own boutique design firm doing everything from creative directing to getting my hands dirty with code by designing and developing websites.

DE: I am director of production at Pyramind, Inc. I am a full time music composer for games, TV, film, and industrial projects. I also am involved in a training program here.

JF: From 2004 to 2008 I was a full time audio/video producer and editor for the international branding firm Landor Associates, doing multi-media work for AMD, Citi, Hallmark, Snapdragon, Westfield, Brocade, PG&E, Beringer, Microsoft and FedEx, among others. I continue to do freelance video production/motion graphic work for Landor and other branding and advertising agencies in San Francisco.

SVR: How does your music influence your work or vice versa?

EF: My work influences my music because it affords me the time and money to work on it.

DE: The music I create during the day I create for others who pay me. Marrow is a personal investment into art that I hold myself accountable for.

JF: I agree and second the motion.

SVR: Why is music education important?

DE: Training the next generation is important culturally, economically, and keeps a fire solidly lit under my ass. I have been saddened to see trainees who come to Pyramind that don’t know their musical ABC’s. They can’t even spell a major scale! In the marketplace of ideas, we are becoming bankrupt. We need kids who have the basic knowledge of music theory so that we can progress and create art that is complex and culturally significant, building on and breaking the rules laid down throughout the ages. So many kids are creating music these days due to the proliferation of inexpensive products that record and play music. These kids can usually make a “beat,” but to become compelling storytellers, they need more tools under their belt. If we don’t get kids interested early on, I fear that the quality of music will further decline overall… However, I’m sure there will always be exceptions, but we need competition in the arts like we need competition in the auto industry. If we don’t get a lot of really passionate, excited artists, we are going to pay a very disturbing price.

EF: Music education is not just important, it’s essential. Music stimulates learning in other areas. Where the hell did my math education get me? I got all the way through calculus and I can’t even figure out a tip on a restaurant bill. Music education instills confidence in a way that no other discipline can — other than sports. Granted — you’re probably not going to find many kids who are trying out for musicals AND the basketball team, but the fact that both of these disciplines are now considered optional or throw-away is just mind blowing to me. I know how bored I was in high school. I was an outsider, like many art kids. Our music classes gave us something to belong to and shaped us in ways that no biology class ever could have.

JF: Even after you’ve studied music theory and composition and you can perform all of your scales on 12 instruments, it takes a while for you to find your voice. They say it takes comedians 10 years on stage bombing and succeeding the whole time before they really find who they are as a comic. I believe the musical journey is similar, especially if you’re creating original material and not in a corporate band playing “Brick House” and “Play That Funky Music.” If you understand the language of music and how to use tools to create it early on, that’s the head start to get to the REAL work of finding what the heck you’re going to say.

SVR: What was your own experience learning music as a kid? Who flipped that switch in your brain?

EF: I don’t know what I would have done without my music teachers as a kid. I was lucky enough to grow up next door to a professional jazz musician who also taught down the street at one of the high schools. He took an interest in me and I started my jazz piano training with him at the age of six. By the time I started second grade, I’d already completed college level theory courses under his tutelage. My music teachers from then on were completely supportive — and it gave me a reason to stay interested in school. I went to a very small, rural high school. And I hated it. But now looking back on it, all I remember are the times spent snacking on Doritos during rehearsal for the musicals, or hanging out in the music room with the chorus teacher practicing for our next concert. I tried going to college for something practical. That lasted a semester and I turned straight to my old home, the music department, where I spent four of the best years of my life and graduated with my BA in Art Song. That’s not going to get you a good job right out of college, but for me, I graduated with the strength, poise and confidence to stand up in front of a hall full of strangers and have them in the palm of my hand… while singing to them in German.

JF: My dad was a multi-instrumentalist in lots of bands during the 70’s and 80’s. He played saxophone, keyboard, guitar and he sang. Some of my earliest memories are at his rehearsals. He played a lot of funk, soul and top 40. He had me audition and join the San Francisco Boys Choir when I was 9. We read SATB classical choir arrangements (I was a soprano), and sang in Latin, Spanish, Italian and French. This gave me a head start to the music programs I was involved in all through middle and high school and eventually college. Everyone along the way showed me something about music that inspired me to want to learn more and explore new things.

DE: I started with trumpet and piano simultaneously around the 4th grade. I was excited by the trumpet, and showed some interest in piano which promptly landed me in piano lessons. I studied for a certificate of merit in my early years, learning theory and playing recitals. In 1985 I discovered computer music, and went completely nuts over it. High school was where it really hit full force, though. I was exposed to modular synthesis, created my own award-winning brass ensembles, and composed computer music like mad… teetering into classical composition and 20th century works. There was a single mentor and friend of mine at the time that really inspired me to explore and work on my creativity in general. He was a great teacher, and we are still in touch to this day.

SVR sponsor Pyramind is the leader in digital music, recording, and game audio training in the heart of San Francisco. In addition to their diverse lineup of courses and certifications, they provide sound and music production services for the biggest names in interactive entertainment. We talked to Greg Gordon, Pyramind CEO and founder, about the recently announced Rock Band Network and how Pyramind is helping bands get ready for it.

SVR: We saw that the Rock Band Network was announced this summer! Can you tell us more about it?

Greg Gordon: The Rock Band Network is an exciting way for bands and musicians to upload their own songs for millions of gamers around the world to play in the highly-successful Rock Band series of games. Rock Band Network is still in closed Beta for testing right now but is expected to open its doors to the public sometime first quarter of 2010. It presents some exciting opportunities but also some significant challenges. I spent two days in training with one of the game implementation specialists from Harmonix and I can tell you that to get one song into game play format will require a minimum of twenty to forty hours of work.

SVR: How easy is it to get a song included in Rock Band and how much can I expect to make if my song is sold?

GG: Getting a song into game play format will require some skills in MIDI transcription. This means you will need to transcribe your multi track stems to MIDI data so the game play engine can then represent the notes as Diamonds for triggering in game play. Beyond this you will need to program all the lyrics in sync with the performance and then add all the performer and audience response cues as well as the lighting! You will need to set yourself up with a creator’s account and become a registered developer with the Creators Rock Band Network. There will be some software requirements and definitely a learning curve to wrap your head around the whole process. Selling your song will get you thirty cents on the dollar and this includes all publishing and performance royalties. You can choose to price it at one, two, or three dollars. All transactions are handled in Microsoft Bucks.

SVR: Who approves the song? Do you know much about the criteria for approval? How can I up my chances?

GG: Getting into the RBN will require that you go through 2 levels of testing: QA Play Testing and then a peer review level for fixes and approval before publishing. Once your track passes peer review there is a 48-hour window to go live on the store. You can up your chances by being active on the network and getting involved with the peer review process. The more you play and test, the better your chances of having your title played and tested.

SVR: How is Pyramind connected to the Rock Band Network rollout?

GG: Currently Pyramind has no formal connection other than that we intend to be a resource for people wanting to learn the process of getting their tracks RBN ready, as well as potentially offering it as a service to those not wanting or willing to do it for themselves. As both a game audio production company and a training facility, Pyramind sees RBN as a great mix of both of its strengths and we are excited by the prospects. For those interested in finding out more, please email me at greg@pyramind.com or call me directly at 415.896.9800 x.201.

http://www.farewelltypewriter.com/ftweb/

Watching a Wreck

Video Link:
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=farewell+typewriter

Upcoming Shows:
12/02/09 Elbo Room (San Francisco, CA)

Band Members:
Grant Shellen: Guitar and Vocals
Jason Countryman: Bass and Vocals
Steve Slater: Drums and Vocals
Audie Roldan: Keyboards, Guitar and Percussion

Tech Industry Affiliations: Hewlett-Packard and Thing Labs (makers of Brizzly)

SVR: Tell us about your band. How did you get started? How long have you been playing?

Grant Shellen: Steve and I had played together in high school. Years later, we both wound up back in our hometown and started playing together. We recruited some friends of friends (Jason and Audie) to join us. We’ve been playing with this lineup since January 2007.
Jason Countryman: We’re awesome. We would videotape rehearsals but we don’t want to hurt the children. Steve and Grant played together, then found me, then we got Audie sent to us mail order. He’s been great. We’ve been playing… 3 years? I seriously have no idea. I know we were the Flying Eyes, then we recorded, then we were Farewell Typewriter, then we played a lot of shows. A lot of shows. And Grant took his shirt of once, I remember that.
Audie Roldan: Saw Farewell Typewriter at a show once and said to myself, “Wow! What an act: A circus drummer, a bearded lead singer, and an emo bassist. Where do I sign up?” Actually, saw one of their first shows and was quite impressed. Then one day, I was browsing through Craigslist’s “casual encounters” section and they had posted an ad saying their threesome needed another guitarist/keyboardist. Turns out we also shared the same studio facility. A few days later, I showed up for audition, did a couple Michael Jackson moves, and was hired. The fact that I couldn’t play my instruments didn’t matter. The rest, as they say, is history.
Steve Slater: We are all barbers. One day, while cutting hair, we decided to play instruments instead. That’s how we formed. This all happened last week.

SVR: Who are your major influences?

GS: Our tastes overlap, but we all listen to vaguely different things, which is great. Somehow, we wind up writing dancey, beat-driven stuff, but melodies are very important to us. Stuff we like in the same vein would be Phoenix, Minus The Bear, Bloc Party, XTC, Crystal Skulls, The Dismemberment Plan, etc. Personally, I listen to mostly rock, but I’m always seeking out new stuff. Some of my favorites are Pedro The Lion/Dave Bazan, The Long Winters, Death Cab for Cutie, Howie Beck, Elliott Smith, The Beatles, Sondre Lerche… how much time do you have?
JC: I think the band sounds like Spoon, Nada Surf, The Posies… maybe some old Weezer with some sprinklings of other stuff. Grant and I both listen to a lot of Dave Bazan. Trying to edge more into the dancey stuff… maybe OK Go and CSS are becoming influences? Maybe I’m the only one listening to CSS.
AR: If I said Yanni, would you laugh? I’d also add to this list Nirvana, The Cardigans, Gin Blossoms, The Cure, David Lanz, Brian Eno, The Crystal Method, and Smashing Pumpkins.

SVR: What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune in the music business?

JC: That would be nice! You are more than welcome to make us famous and fortunous. We would like that. Mostly we just like to play and record and, honestly, drink and dress up in ties, occasionally taking trips to do shows and recordings, but if you can give us the other stuff that would be great.
GS: We know that the whole fame and fortune thing is not only hard to come by, but not even necessarily the greatest option these days, so our fantasies are much smaller: we’d just love to keep making records and playing shows as long as we’re enjoying it. If we could pay the bills just by being a band, why that’d be fabulous. We think that a lot of people would like us if they heard us, so a tour is probably in order soon.
AR: To me, being famous is a bonus. My goal is make good music, share it with people, and really just have fun doing it. If we get noticed and become famous doing it then great! I’m fortunate, though, to be part of a talented group of individuals who make really good music that people like.

SVR: What are your day jobs?

GS: I work for a startup, Thing Labs, which makes Brizzly, a Twitter and Facebook client. I do community management, product marketing, writing and editing for them.
JC: Steve and I are full-time musicians (who, as per standard, are also private music instructors).
AR: I work as a web marketing designer at Hewlett-Packard headquarters in Palo Alto. And yes, we have other products besides printers!
SS: Barbers.

SVR: How does your music influence your work or vice versa?

GS: There are plenty of ways they influence each other, but in both arenas I try to take risks. You never grow either in music or business if you’re afraid to try new things. Sometimes having a particularly productive or creative period with music will inspire my work, and vice versa.
AR: Music is a form of therapy for me and an extension of my creativity. My job requires a certain degree of creativity and often melodies and harmonies in my head can easily translate into colors, websites, and cool campaign ads. However, I feel that the teamwork involved in creating music can also easily translate into how you work with people on projects in your day job and vice versa. The importance of collaboration, sharing of ideas, good communication, and constructive criticism is essential to both making music and working on projects. As such, work and music for me tend to influence and complement each other. To be able to work with your team to create something from scratch and come up with a final product that you are able to share with the rest of the world is a very satisfying feeling.
SS: Our work has nothing to do with music — we cut hair.

SVR: Why is music education important?

JC: Well, it’s important because it develops different parts of the brain, provides you with a different type of creative thinking than you would otherwise be exposed to… but that’s pretty obvious. I think the clearest example is that it gives you a craft or discipline that shows direct results — the more you put into music, the more you get out of it — it’s a direct relationship. If you put in more time, you will get results — the more time you spend exploring your instrument and your musical abilities, the easier it gets, the better you perform, the more confident you are on stage, the more expressive and emotive the music you play is, the more people you meet, and so on and so forth. And those are things that effect your self-esteem and your abilities and comfort zones outside of music. That and it’s freaking weird stuff — bizarre nomenclature, complex technical jargon and slang… and you’re using your ears and memory in ways you wouldn’t otherwise, blending them with your ability to move your fingers, your hands, maybe your feet on the drums, or your mouth on a trumpet, and then putting all that esoteric knowledge in context, framing it in the culture and history of music, using that to bring out the style of a piece. Every musician is part historian, part archivist, part technician, part promoter, part actor, part foreign language specialist, part artist. I think all of that is great for everyone to be at least somewhat familiar, even just on a conceptual level — it’s not just helpful for musicians or future musicians.
GS: Both Steve, our drummer, and Jason, our bass player, are music teachers. They were both music majors in college, which is what I started as, but wound up changing. None of us would be half the musicians we are today without the experience of having someone, whether a private instructor or band teacher, help guide us. School music programs are especially important because it’s an opportunity for kids to have a creative outlet, learn some things, and show off for parents and peers.
SS: It’s not. We have Guitar Hero and Rock Band now.

SVR: What was your own experience learning music as a kid? Who flipped that switch in your brain?

GS: I joined the school band playing tenor sax in 7th grade. I’d never really played a musical instrument (other than recorder) before, but my mom liked to sing and her dad had been a professional musician. Music was already really important to me. A friend of mine picked up guitar shortly after I’d started learning saxophone, and I dug up my mom’s old nylon-string guitar she’d bought for $30 in Hawaii 30 years earlier. With a little help from my friend and the transcriptions in the back of Guitar World magazine, I taught myself guitar. I had good band teachers, but I probably taught myself the most just from listening to music and playing with other musicians.
JC: Turns out my great grandmother had perfect pitch, and her father was a well-known piano tuner — I don’t have perfect pitch, but I’m sure his genes have helped a lot to push us toward music. Really, though, my mother used to sing and play piano, and we always had pianos around, so I guess that’s the beginning ultimately, because if they weren’t there it wouldn’t have happened… I probably would’ve gone into the visual arts or psychiatrics. It helped that my brother started playing sax seriously when we were all in junior high — we’re all very competitive, so my sister and I got serious too. Now we’re all professional musicians, each into their own thing. I think because all three of us did it, my parents became immersed and indoctrinated into the whole thing, and therefore were very supportive — without that, if it had just been me, I don’t think I would’ve gotten a whole lot of encouragement. As it is I still get occasional advice to go be an insurance salesman or something (I think they worry I won’t be able to afford the future grandchildren that I owe them). It helps that I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area too — lots of culture, lots of music.
SS: Well, it was hard without video games. We had these people at school that would teach us things like notes, scales and rhythms. All useless when you are in a rock band. That’s why learning on a video game is better, it’s more realistic.
AR: Let’s be honest — I got into music because of girls! I wanted to impress girls and my friends. Eventually that developed into a deeper obsession that went beyond impressing people. However, at the time, I just didn’t have the patience and the time to learn an instrument. Fortunately though, my dad really pushed me to get into it. That dude showed me how to play the piano and the guitar, and although he sucked, it got me started. After all, if he can impress me with his crappy playing, I too can impress people with my crappy playing. At the time, though, we didn’t have enough money for me to take formal music lessons so a lot of what I learned was self-taught. Hopefully, I’ll have enough time to get formal music lessons someday. For now, I’ll just keep faking it.

With more than 6,600 customers, NetSuite is the #1 cloud business software suite, delivering comprehensive accounting/ERP, CRM and ecommerce capabilities in a single powerful business management software solution. NetSuite’s real-time dashboard technology provides an easy-to-use view into role-specific business information. We recently talked with our VIP Sponsor about the work — and the good works — they do there.

SVR: Tell us more about how NetSuite gives growing businesses a competitive edge.

NetSuite: NetSuite is the first and only cloud application that provides a single, integrated cloud solution across accounting/ERP, CRM and ecommerce. We enable businesses to streamline their operations with a single integrated system ensuring the free flow of information across the business. Our integrated solution also provides every designated employee with instant real-time business visibility — something that is key in today’s economy. And with NetSuite, business users always get access to the latest innovations such as the NetSuite for iPhone application, making it possible to run your business from the palm of your hand.

In this economy, cash is king, so NetSuite’s “pay as you go model” enables businesses to preserve valuable capital expenditure. NetSuite’s 100% cloud delivery and integrated suite enables businesses to dramatically slash IT costs — for example, a recent study found NetSuite was 50%+ more cost-effective than traditional on-premise solutions. And earlier in the year, an independent report found that NetSuite even delivers green benefits — with businesses saving on average $10K/year in energy costs as a result of running NetSuite.

SVR: Last week, NetSuite and InsideView announced InsideView for NetSuite, the first application to integrate social intelligence into core business processes. Tell us more about that.

NetSuite: InsideView for NetSuite was built using NetSuite’s SuiteCloud development platform and is the first social intelligence application delivered natively within NetSuite. InsideView for NetSuite allows NetSuite users to have instant access to relevant intelligence harvested from emerging social media — such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook — as well as editorial sources, such as Thomson Reuters and Capital IQ.

For example, by looking at a customer in NetSuite, a sales person can not only see traditional contact, sales and financial information, they now get social media information integrated directly with it — they can see if the customer has just reported earnings (and what they were), if they’ve recently had a funding round, key hires and leavers, as well as the general buzz about the company — enabling them to more effectively engage with the account and uncover opportunities.

SVR: How does NetSuite support the Silicon Valley community?

NetSuite: NetSuite is a global company founded and headquartered in San Mateo, and a leading employer in Silicon Valley. We also take an active part in the community. In 2008, we launched NetSuite.org to give back to Silicon Valley and the broader community. NetSuite.org makes product donations to both charities and for-profit firms, recognizing positive social impact is increasingly created by social entrepreneurs. The common requirement across all grantees is that they articulate and measure their social impact. NetSuite.org makes product donations and service grants across a number of areas. NetSuite.org provides an automatic donation to any Tech Awards Laureate that requests a donation, as well as providing an automatic donation to any GSBI social entrepreneur that requests a donation. The Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI) is the signature program of Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology and Society (CSTS). We also are actively involved in Silicon Valley sports — for example, we’re pleased to be a sponsor of the San Jose Earthquakes.

SVR: What inspired you to become involved in Silicon Valley Rocks?

NetSuite: Silicon Valley Rocks’ mission of supporting and revitalizing school music programs is inspiring, and we hope to help highlight the group as many of us are parents in the community. In addition, Silicon Valley Rocks! brings together a network of technologists, VCs, entrepreneurs, industry watchers, and bloggers to accomplish this mission.

SVR: Do you have a burgeoning band or musicians at NetSuite?

NetSuite: Not yet, but perhaps after the event, we will get a few people inspired to take the next step!

SVR: Why do you think music education in the schools is important?

NetSuite: Music is a great outlet for self-expression and creativity. With music education, students that are exposed to weekly music lessons, rehearsals, or general music classes reap significant benefits, such as learning more about self-discipline, teamwork, socialization, participation and organization. It’s also important for kids that may not be able to excel academically — it can be a key way for them to gain confidence, show success, and nurture a unique talent. Having your kids receive a music education also has another benefit — it’s a pleasure hearing them sing their favorite songs and play their instruments (even if sometimes they may be a little out of tune)!

http://telltaleheartbreakers.com/

Rollercoaster

Video Link:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=44021124

Upcoming Shows:
11/18/09 Red Devil Lounge (San Francisco, CA)
11/21/09 Brookdale Lodge (Brookdale, CA)

Band Members:
Traci Hovnanian: Vocals
Ryan Rosprim: Guitar
Matt Eskew: Bass
Michael Smartt: Drums

Tech Industry Affiliations: PDI/DreamWorks

SVR: Tell us about your band. How did you get started? How long have you been playing?

Matt Eskew: It all started in late 2004 when then Deadutantes vocalist Traci and I were commiserating about the state of our current music projects and decided to form a new project. Former Kill Sister Kill guitarist Ryan Rosprim was quickly added to the mix and after spending nearly a year writing music, The Tell-Tale Heartbreakers hit the stage. Since then, we’ve worked on sculpting our own sound, and have been tearing through the post-punk music scene with tense guitar and bass-driven songs. Now, with the recent addition of drummer Michael Smartt, we’re busy working on our second record due out in 2010.

SVR: Who are your major influences?

ME: Siouxsie & The Banshees, Joy Division, The Cramps, Love and Rockets, The Damned, 45 Grave… just to name a few.

SVR: What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune in the music business?

ME: We are going to take this as far as it can go. We just are going to keep playing shows and recording music. If fame and fortune come as a result, well, I don’t think any of us would hate that.

SVR: What are your day jobs?

ME: I’m a layout artist for PDI/DreamWorks. Michael Smartt is a physical trainer for Bay Functional Fitness (whose clients include Pixar Animation Studios). Ryan Rosprim is a store manager for Whole Foods Inc. in San Francisco. Traci Hovnanian is an art student with a focus on painting and photography.

SVR: How does your music influence your work or vice versa?

ME: Music is often used as an escape from our daily lives. We tend to use it as a branch of creativity that we don’t usually get to express during our normal work day. There is nothing better than a good practice or playing a great show after a long work week; it’s a great release.

SVR: Why is music education important?

ME: Studying music (and the arts in general) in school is an important part of a child’s growth process. It teaches kids structure and discipline that can be applied to the rest of their studies, and their lives in general. It is part of a whole, enriched education that can open doors for kids that they may not even be aware of. I can’t imagine where we would all be if we didn’t have these type of programs when we were in school.

SVR: What was your own experience learning music as a kid? Who flipped that switch in your brain?

ME: When I was a kid in the late 70s, we had a Simon game unit. It had these four large buttons, one each of the colors red, blue, green, and yellow, and each button would sound a different tone. I remember sounding out songs on that thing — totally not what it was meant for, but I loved hearing the “music” I was making. I guess that was my gateway instrument that lead to harder instruments in grammar school, like the recorder and the triangle (haha). I can’t say who specifically “flipped a switch” but I think that growing up in the Bay Area, with its crazy musical diversity, certainly helped to introduce me to a wide variety of sounds and styles, and my own curiosity and creativity just took it from there.

http://www.myspace.com/corinnemarcus

Invincible Girl

Band Members:
Corinne Marcus: Vocals
Mark Jeffery: Guitar
Dennis Harper: Bass
Larry Marcus: Drums

Tech Industry Affiliations: Walden Venture Capital and Digidesign

SVR: Tell us about your band. How did you get started? How long have you been playing?

Corinne Marcus: The band in this configuration has been together for almost a year. During the recording of Acrobat, I had the opportunity to work with several musicians on different songs. That turned out to be a wonderful experience and a real treat. However, I am glad now to be playing consistently with Mark, Dennis and Larry. They are not only great musicians willing to share their talent with the band, but are also great guys. It is very fun to be growing as a band and to write and collaborate on new material.

SVR: Who are your major influences?

CM: Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde, Natalie Merchant, Suzanne Vega, Fiona Apple, Joan Osborne, Rickie Lee Jones, David Bowie, Sting, Seal and many more.
Dennis Harper: Jaco Pastorius, Weather Report, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin.
Larry Marcus: Bill Bruford, Tony Williams, Stewart Copeland, Ringo, Stanton Moore.

SVR: What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune in the music business?

CM: I hope to write great songs and perform in venues where music-loving people gather to enjoy live music.
Mark Jeffery: Fame or fortune would be fine. Either one. We’re not choosy.
DH: We are looking to play larger venues and festivals.
LM: Up and to the right.

SVR: What are your day jobs?

CM: Holistic practitioner — I do Reiki, laying of hands healing and provide astrology consultations. I’m also the mother of a lively 9 year old girl, which is a full time job.
MJ: Software Engineer at Digidesign. Original Developer of ProTools.
DH: Video Development Director, working on a major MMO title.
LM: Walden Venture Capital: including music-driven Pandora and Midomi.

SVR: How does your music influence your work or vice versa?

CM: Music inspires my work. I often get melodies while working, or experience a feeling that I want to transpose into a song. Music also impacts my connection with my daughter, as we enjoy singing, dancing and playing music together. It becomes a bonding experience for us.
MJ: ProTools affords new ways to compose music.
DH: Music and video games go well together. I’ve even programmed the midi-like code that ran the sequencers in all Atari video games in the 1980s.
LM: It keeps another part of my brain pumping, relaxes me, unifies me, inspires me. A reminder of music’s power to connect all.

SVR: Why is music education important?

CM: Because music seems to merge the creative and the analytical mind, and it all happens while having fun.
MJ: Without music education, the creative part of the brain, which can provide insight into solving daunting engineering challenges, is underdeveloped. Music education is vital to a technology-based society. Humanity is greatly enriched by music education, plus it helps you meet chicks/dudes.
DH: Music is a passion that can stay with a child his whole life. It helps to develop logic and coordination. It brings an appreciation of something beautiful that is beyond words.
LM: Music is good for math, concentration, gives kids something to be passionate about and a forum for social growth. Music is a team sport.

SVR: What was your own experience learning music as a kid? Who flipped that switch in your brain?
DH: At Awalt High School in Mountain View, we had a Jazz Ensemble teacher named Barry Erlich. He led our band onto many state and national championships. He was so inspiring that many of that era are professional musicians, or at least still active. We even have a social networking site setup for the old Awalt Jazz Band now, and still keep in touch 30 years later.
LM: Susan Muscarella and the UC Jazz Ensembles at Berkeley was a real turning point in musical growth and understanding that music is a community. She’s running the Jazzschool in Berkeley and it’s an incredible place to study and play jazz or put in your charitable giving program.