Welcome to Roadtrip Central! This is a continuing chronicle of my journey around the country, as I meet with Pandora listeners and musicians to learn about what you want to see happen with music in this digital age. I hope you enjoy reading about my past stops - from a three person meet-up in a Biloxi diner to a packed get-together in a huge MIT lecture hall.
I hope you'll take a minute to share your favorite bands, clubs, lodging and eateries in your city. If you don't see your state on the blog, just post to 'Other States' and I'll make a note to try and visit! I look forward to meeting and hearing from you!
Cheers...
Tim (Founder)
ON HALLOWEEN MUSIC: Wendy, Carrie and Igor
Shining
There's nothing like getting a raucous scare from music. Unless it's doubled with a good scare in a movie. For me it really hasn't gotten much creepier than The Shining's opening scene. And it all starts with the incredibly sinister music of the brilliant Wendy Carlos. An otherwise lovely scenic drive through the mountains is made ominous with Wendy's creeeeepy score, instantly foretelling the nightmare that will descend in the next few hours. This post is about scary music in drama, all of which can be heard on the jarring classical mixtape "Haunt Your House", created by Russell Johnson and me here at Pandora ...
From Weird to Creepy: Switched From Bach
Analog synth sounds are famous for being weird, so it's barely a skip over to 'creepy' for them. Wendy Carlos had already created a smorgasbord of curious Moog synth sounds on her landmark, genre-bending album Switched-on Bach. Apparently back in '68, classical had to be Mooged in order to really sell: An all-Moog Bach album, it was the first classical LP to go platinum. Bach's style is often dominated by counterpoint: the compositional technique of having 2 or more melodic lines going at once. If instruments were voices, a Bach fugue would sound like 2-5 people blabbering away at the same time. So hearing a gaggle of funky Moog sounds executing a contrapuntal Bach piece makes for some very entertaining, often silly musical conversations. She also Mooged Beethoven in A Clockwork Orange.
From there it was just a hop over to full-blown creepland:
Continue reading "ON HALLOWEEN MUSIC: Wendy, Carrie and Igor"
Jamming :: The Musicology Show :: Vol. 48
Add your own hey! Here's a brand-new episode of "The Musicology Show," our long-running audio podcast about the nuts and bolts of music making. This one's all about jambands, jamming, and the search for the perfect tube.
Joining us are Lebo from ALO (pictured to the right), Trevor Garrod from Tea Leaf Green and Newfangled Wasteland, and Jeremy Korpas from Big Light. (Newfangled Wasteland, btw, is a new West Coast jam outfit which pulls exclusively from the writings of Beck Hansen, aka Beck.)
As always, it's free to subscribe to "The Musicology Show" in iTunes or in any other feedcatcher (Google Reader, Juice, etc.)
Just scroll down on the main podcast page to hear those 40+ earlier episodes, or jump straight to the category pages on Composition, Styles, Singing, Instruments and Rhythm.
West Coast rap from Blu & Exile
While we're in the mode of West Coast rap,
here's a trunk-rattling set from Blu & Exile,
the underground Los Angeles team responsible
for the Below the Heavens album.
Be forewarned that Blu is, well, blue.
His rhymes are stocked with profanities
and very un-P.C. references, and are
tagged with a big, glowing, beeping,
flashing "Explicit Content" button.
Pandora Goes To Hollywood: Making Music For Movies
Think about your favorite movies.
Star Wars.
Edward Scissorhands.
Citizen Kane.
The Incredibles.
What would those movies be without the music that John Williams, Danny Elfman, Bernard Herrmann and Michael Giacchino composed for them?
Here's a video we made about the craft of composing for film.
Tim Westergren's whole concept for the Music Genome Project came out of the years he spent as a film composer, actually. The challenges he faced while getting directors to articulate their musical requests led him to think about a better way to make recommendations...
hence Pandora. But he can talk more about that.
Since we're on the topic, what is your favorite film score? Mine is Ennio Morricone's score for The Mission.
Thanks for watching,
Kevin
Join Us For a Pandora and Logitech Barbecue in Mountain View!
Our partner, Logitech (maker of the Squeezebox), is hosting their annual open house event and they have generously extended the invitation to Pandora listeners in the Bay Area.
We'd love to see everyone come out and enjoy some complimentary food and drinks, mingle with fellow Pandora listeners and demo the latest products from Logitech, including the new Squeezebox Boom. You will also have the opportunity to take advantage of great discounts on Logitech network music players including Squeezebox Duet and Transporter (Visa, MC and American Express accepted - no cash or checks).
Logitech will be providing a complimentary BBQ dinner (first come, first served) beginning at 5:00 pm. We hope you can make it out!
Please RSVP by sending us an email to event@pandora.com with BBQ in the subject line. Make sure to let us know if you plan to bring a guest--more the merrier! Full details below:
When: Thursday, September 11th, 2008
Where: Logitech, Inc., SM teams' back parking lot
455 National Avenue, Mountain View (map)
Schedule:
5:00 PM - Complimentary BBQ dinner cooked fresh on site by Emergency BBQ Company (First come first served).
6:30 PM - Town Hall meeting and Q&A with the Logitech SM team (Dylan Rhodes, Caleb Crome and Sean Adams) and Tim Westergren, Founder of Pandora
We look forward to seeing you there!
--Tim (founder)
Studio Stories: The Plant Studios
In the latest episode of the Pandora Video Series, our guests are Arne Frager and Mari Tamburo, the leaders of the Plant Studios in Sausalito, CA. The river of great albums made there is stunning, with notable records by Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, and Rick James just skimming the surface. In the video, "Studio Stories: The Plant Studios," we talk about the ways that the lavish studios of yore can adapt to survive in a changing music industry. We also look at one creative way that a recording studio can involve itself in music education, as the Plant has done.
If you want to download the full-sized video rather than stream it from the page, subscribe to the feed in iTunes or any other feedreader.
Enjoy!
Kevin
Santa Monica Get-together Monday, May 12th, 2008!
We are having a Pandora meet-up at the Santa Monica Main Library Auditorium in Santa Monica. Hope to see you there--excited to meet our Santa Monica listeners!
If you would like to attend, please RSVP by sending an email to Angie at tour@pandora.com with SANTA MONICA in the subject line.
When: Monday, May 12th, 2008 @ 7 PM
Where: The Santa Monica Main Library Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (map)
Cheers,
Tim
Oakland Get-together Thursday, February 7th, 2008!
We are having a hometown Pandora meet-up at the Historic Sweet's Ballroom in Oakland. I'm excited to meet our local listeners! To RSVP for this event please email Angie at tour@pandora.com.
When: Thursday, February 7th, 2008 @ 7 PM
Where: The Historic Sweet's Ballroom, 1933 Broadway in Oakland (map)(directions)
Cheers,
Tim
SAVE THE DATE! Oakland Get-Together February 7th, 2008
Details to be announced soon!
When: Tuesday, February 7th, 2008
Where: TBD
Cheers,
Tim
Video: Great American Music Hall
We are back, with cameras in hand, and now we're in our backyard. This time, we check out a room that was built after the huge 1906 earthquake, and set up with the intention of presenting diverting entertainment, so as to take peoples' minds off their woes in a devastated city. That's right... This week's video takes us to San Francisco...
As this series rolls on, we will be checking out other cities, so definitely give us the heads-up on what venues you think we should explore.
Thanks for watching,
Kevin
Our first ever video on Pandora
We're very pleased to bring you our first foray into the land of video. These shows take you backstage, on stage, and all around some of the country's coolest live-music venues. The first video just premiered, and it is set in southern California at the Canyon Club. Enjoy! Watch in good health! And please let us know what venues you would like to see in these videos -- in your hometown, what's your favorite place to see live music?
Thanks for watching,
Kevin
San Diego Get-together Wednesday, March 28, 2007!
I'll be at the Arts and Entertainment Center in San Diego's North Park neighborhood for a Pandora meet-up. Excited to meet our San Diego listeners!
When: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 @ 7 PM
Where: Arts and Entertainment Center, Peacock Alley: 3026 University Ave (map)
Cheers,
Tim
San-Diego Meetup
Update: We've now have a place and time for our get-together coming up in San Diego, which will be in the Peacock Alley at the Arts & Entertainment Center on University Ave. Full details of the event are below. You can RSVP by emailing tour@pandora.com with "San Diego" in the subject line. Hope to see you there!
Where: Arts & Entertainment Center, Peacock Alley
3026 University Ave, San Diego, CA
(map & public transportation)
When: Wednesday, March 28th, 2007 @ 7 PM
Hey Everybody,
At the end of March, I'll be making a roadtrip stop in San Diego to host a get-together with music lovers in the area. This will be my chance to connect with Pandora listeners and get some feedback from you about the service, as well as hopefully answer some questions you may have about the Music Genome Project.
We're still in the planning stages for the meetup, and would love to get your suggestions of where to hold it. We're looking for comfortable, intimate spaces that can hold at least 100 people. If you have any thoughts, please post them below! You can also email us at tour@pandora.com if you have suggestions as well. No idea is too big or small!
Tim (Founder)
UC Berkeley Recap..
Another much belated recap... gradually catching up. Great to finally host a town hall meeting in what is truly our own backyard... Berkeley, CA. Not suprisingly, the group was full of ideas and irreverence.
A number of great discussions, including a lot of talk about integrating with existing collections...
Continue reading "UC Berkeley Recap.."
Live podcast with Pandora at the MacWorld Expo this Friday
On Friday, January 12th, Pandora will be joining the MacVoices podcast for a live recording session following the MacWorld Expo. MacVoices host Chuck Joiner will be interviewing Tim, Kevin Seal (host of the Pandora Podcast), and Tom Conrad (Pandora's CTO).
The event is free to attend and open to the public. Details and the full list of scheduled guests are listed below. Hope to see you there!
When: Friday, January 12th, from 6-9pm
Where: Renaissance Parc55 Hotel - Corintia Room
55 Cyril Magnin St, San Francisco (map)
Other guests will include:
Jim Dalrymple, Online Editor for MacWorld
Paul Kafasis, CEO of Rogue Amoeba Software
David Bassin, Host of Freefall
Michael Butler, Host of the Rock and Roll Geek Show
Berkeley Get-together on Monday!
This coming Monday, I'll be hosting a meetup on the UC Berkeley campus, just a few miles away from our offices in Oakland! Looking forward to meeting Pandora users and musicians from the East Bay, and hearing what they have to say about current trends in music. If you're in the area, please stop by! Full details are below.
Details
When: Monday, December 4th, 2006 at 7:00 pm
Where: Heller Lounge, MLK Student Union Building, UC Berkeley
Hope to see you there!
Tim (Founder)
Stanford Town Hall Meeting on Monday!
I'm hosting a Town Hall meeting this Monday at my Alma Mater, Stanford University. It's going to be great being back on campus and sharing our story with students and Pandora users in the local area. Please stop by if you have a chance!
Details
When: Monday, November 27th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Where: Cubberley Auditorium, Stanford University, Palo Alto
Hope to see you there!
Tim (Founder)
Los Angeles to New York City...
What a week! Started with a fun visit to USC for a discussion with a group of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and radio biz folks at the Thornton School.
Thanks to Jerry Del Colliano for hosting a very nice event. Breeding the next generation of music/tech entrepreneurs. Jerry is a long time radio guy, now reborn as a tech guru.
Wrapped the evening with a discussion with students and Westwood-ites on the UCLA campus.
Early morning to NYC - halloween night Medeski, Martin & Wood at Hammerstein ballroom... nice photo from balcony...
Continue reading "Los Angeles to New York City..."
Coming back to LA!
For those of you who missed the Pandora Town Hall last month (see recap below) or if you want another chance to get your questions answered, the evening of Monday, October 30th 2006 I'll be on the UCLA campus for another get together (open to the public). The meet will start at 6:30pm, and will be in the Northwest Auditorium of Covel Commons. Parking will be available on campus for $8 per car.
Please RSVP to the event by sending an email to tour@pandora.com with "LA" in the subject line.
Los Angeles Recap...
Started the day off with a stimulating conversation with students at USC's Annenberg school. Thanks to Aram for inviting me. Particularly interested to hear the students' thoughts on the listener-to-listener part of the service. Los of lessons to be learned from the existing social network sites.
Amazing location for the evening get together at the Silent Theatre. Quite a bit of discussion around the rigths and opportunities for artists - clearly reflective of the many musicians, and music label folks in the audience.
I was impressed with the general commitment of everyone there to furthering the interests of musicians...
Continue reading "Los Angeles Recap..."
Meetup in Los Angeles!
Heading south to the city of angels... Come join us for a town hall meeting on Thursday night in Hollywood.
Details:
When: Thursday, September 28th, 2006 - 7:00pm
Where: The Silent Theatre
611 N. Fairfax Avenue (just south of Melrose)
Please rsvp to tour@pandora.com. Should be a great conversation - hopefully we'll have a good contingent of folks from the biz... We'll of course have our pandora gifts too.
Update: The September 28th 2006 meet will be located at The Silent Movie Theatre (611 North Fairfax Ave), and will begin at 7pm. RSVP for the meet by sending an email to tour@pandora.com with 'Los Angeles' in the subject line. Hope to see you there!
Hitting Los Angeles on September 28th and also at the end of October. Should be some interesting meetups at the hub of the modern record business. In addition to evening meetups, I'm going to be speaking on the USC campus in some classes on both occasions. Nothing like time with students to get psyched up. LA has a bustling music scene, and I welcome any suggestions for places that I should stop by while I'm there. Drop a message below to keep the comments section buzzing!
We love reading and responding to your feedback on the blog - the comments have been a treasure trove of great insights and guidance as we plan our visits. If you have a particular idea you want to discuss, or just want to get more involved, we're eager for help - just drop us an email at tour@pandora.com. Please include your location in the subject line of your message too. No idea is too big or small!
SAN FRANCISCO TOWN HALL ROUND UP!
Wow - what memorable evenings we have had!
Thanks to everyone who showed up for the Zeum and SWIG gatherings over the past week. They were great opportunities to hear from the hometown crowd directly - long overdue. Particularly enjoyable for the many Pandora employees who were finally able to attend a town hall meeting in person, rather than rely on blogs and emails. Special for all of us.
We had 230 folks show up at Zeum... !!
Continue reading "SAN FRANCISCO TOWN HALL ROUND UP!"
SAN FRANCISCO TOWN HALL 7/25
Calling all Bay Areans! We're getting together for a Town Hall meeting next Tuesday (July 25th) in San Francisco. We'd like to meet Pandora listeners to talk about the service and more generally about the future of online music... The new event will be held at SWIG, a very cool club near Union Square.
Details:
When: Tuesday, July 25th, 2006 - 7pm
Where: SWIG Bar
561 Geary Street @ Taylor Directions
This is a FREE event. Seating is limited, so if you'd like to attend, please RSVP to tim.westergren@pandora.com
Should be a great evening. Hope to see you there! Tim (Founder)
Pandora Meetup at MacWorld
We're getting together this Thursday (Jan 12th, 2006) at MacWorld in San Francisco. Chuck Joiner, a great friend of Pandora and editor of MacVoices is organizing it.
Click here for details.
Where: Piazza Lounge on the second floor of the Renaissance Parc55 Hotel
When: 6:30 - 8 PM.
Tim and I will be there - may also head out for dinner afterwards. Come help us figure out how to get Pandora onto the iPod...!
We want to meet you! Nov 10th @ 6:30 in San Francisco.
Over the course of the last 8 weeks we've been introduced to an incredible group of Pandora listeners from all over the world. Whether it's been here in the Pandora blog comments, via pandora-support@pandora.com, or out there in the blogosphere we've virtually "met" an amazing and passionate group of music lovers.
We think it would be fun to get some of our bay area listeners together to meet face to face. To that end, a bunch of the Pandora gang is going to head to Edinburgh Castle -- a great Scottish pub in San Francisco -- on Thursday, November 10th and we'd like for you to join us. We'll be there at 6:30PM. It will be a low key thing; just a bunch of music lovers getting together to hang out.
Hopefully you'll be able to come... we'd certainly love to have you there. Just RSVP with a comment to our blog to give us a sense of how many we can expect.
Details:
When: Thursday, Nov. 10th, 2005 @ 6:30
Where: Edinburgh Castle, 950 Geary (between Polk & Larkin)
RSVP: Post a comment here
PS: Some of us are planning to go over to the Great American Music Hall afterwords for the Matt Nathanson concert. It turns out that he's a great "Genome match" for a wide range of rock music inputs on Pandora, so we thought we'd head over to check out his live show. You're very welcome to join us for that too if you'd like. Or not. Totally up to you.
