Piece Comment

Where Music is Going


I like this piece for its insight into how the music business is changing. I am running it with this lead:

Technology has radically altered the music business.
Take Matisyahu as an example.
He’s a Hasidic Jew from White Plains, New York.
He’s also a musician who blends traditional Jewish themes with Reggae, rock and hip hop sounds.
And, Matisyahu uses high tech applications to build real relationships as he tours across the country meeting fans.
It's going so well he's finding himself as part of the Olympic promotional engine for NBC.
Andrew Davis explains his technological and personal approach.

I am not crazy about the nearly 10 second of music at the top of the story, I'd rather have jumped into the story first and then gotten the music.
Also, the delivery is a little too enthusiastic. I doubt the objectivity of the reporter. It would have been nice to get an outside voice to put Matisyahu's approach into context.

That said, I chose to run it on our afternoon magazine because it is an interesting lens into what music fans now are responding to. We have a lot of musicians - and technology - in Seattle and I think listeners will be drawn into both the music and the story of how Matisyahu has used hi-tech to reach fans.