DBDBD NY – cross-cultural on-line magazine – believes based on the view that music and community are indivisible that a social awareness can be fostered through music.
In this episode of the MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews LaRonda Davis, National President of the Black Rock Coalition (BRC), co-founder and CCO of Flaming Yoni Productions, and Group Creative Director of Publicis.
The topics discussed include the history of the BRC, it’s mission and accomplishments, their unique approach to music activism and their relationship with organizations such as MFM, AFM, Local 802, combating racism in the music industry, surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, and looking toward the future.
In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews master pianist, composer, producer, music educator, music activist, and MFM Advisory Committee Member Arturo O’Farrill. The topics discussed include the evolution of Latin Jazz, O’Farrill’s work as a composer, his recent CD release and collaboration with Dr. Cornel West “Four Questions,” his involvement with Musicians For Musicians, music activism, and his spiritual philosophies on music.
Artist: Future350 Nu Bossa Title: Songs for the Amygdala Label: Movita Records Genre: nu Bossa/world
CD review by Dawoud Kringle
The amygdale is one of two almond-shaped clusters of nuclei located deep and medially within the temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. As part of the limbic system, it performs a primary role in the processing of memory, decision-making and emotional responses.
The U.S. House of Representatives embraced music licensing reform, and supported the efforts to update the US’ antiquated copyright laws.
The new Senate bill combines three separate pieces of legislation: 1. The Music Modernization Act of 2018 (S.2334, introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) in January, which updates licensing and royalties as pertains to streaming). 2. The CLASSICS Act (or Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, & Important Contributions to Society Act, introduced in February by Chris Coons (D-DE) and John Kennedy (R-LA) to ensure that songwriters and artists receive royalties on pre-1972 songs). 3. The AMP Act (or Allocation for Music Producers Act, introduced in March by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-LA) and ranking committee member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA.) with the support of and Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and Kamala Harris (D-CA).
Music Venue Trust is a UK based network of grassroots music venues and their supporters. Their base concept, Agent of Change, was first introduced into the music scene in Australia, and then, three years ago, into the UK. Agent of Change is a term that is used to describe various approaches to controlling the relationship between newly built development (typically residential), and extant noise sources (typically, music venues).
The Agent of Change campaign believes that the cornerstone of the UK music industry is under threat and needs protection. Music venues are threatened with closure because of changes in planning laws to encourage residents to move into town centers. This change in policy was originally intended to address housing shortages (specifically, offices, car parks and disused buildings to be converted into residences. The problem arose with the UK’s music venues being next door to those offices and car parks. Music venues were subsequently forced to fight noise complaints, abatement notices and planning applications. The locations of the venues were deliberately chosen so that the music wouldn’t create problems for residents. With the aforementioned housing policy changes, residents made complaints about sound. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that the developers of the residential properties have no legal obligation to soundproof these new residences. UK law mandates that the business or person making the noise is responsible for its management.
In this episode of the MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews LaRonda Davis, National President of the Black Rock Coalition (BRC), co-founder and CCO of Flaming Yoni Productions, and Group Creative Director of Publicis.
