Dual Careers

I’ve been brutally reminded recently about the difficulties of maintaining dual careers. Like so many musicians, I have a “day” job (which seems more like a day and night job recently). So, I thought I’d offer a little inspiration. “Double Lives” by David Heenan is an inspirational read about people who successfully juggle two careers. One great example is Norio Ohga, of Sony fame who also conducts major orchestras. I’m also inspired by the Makaha Sons, great musicians who have also pursued dual careers. A recent article by Wayne Harada describes their journey. http://honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060616/ENT15/606160306/1123
A big salute to everyone who manages multiple careers.

Lala and the Transitioning Music Market

There has been intense discussion about the changing aspects of the music industry in recent years, particularly the transition from CD’s to digital singles, ringtones, video games and emerging musical markets. Yet another agent of transition has emerged, called lala. Lala facilitates CD trades, taking a small transaction fee in the process. The copyright law aspects appear to be relatively straight forward on their face. CD owners are allowed to sell their physical CD’s under the “first sale” doctrine. You bought it, you can sell it. But, what happens when someone buys a CD, sticks it on their iPod, then sells the CD? What happens when a person puts their entire collection of CD’s on their iPod, then trades for an entirely new collection? You can see the problem. The ease at which recordings can be pirated and reproduced beyond the scope of the copyright owner’s rights continue to expand.

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Hoku Awards: New Talent

So, the Hoku Award results (Hawaiian version of the Grammys) have been announced. This year was particularly exciting for me, given the enormous amount of new talent. In such a small industry, it’s great to see new faces. More than anything else, that is a sign of health for the Hawaiian music market. For all of you looking for some new bands, check out Holunape. These guys have a wonderful traditional Hawaiian sound. Looking for another blazing uke player? Try Abe Lagrimas, Jr., an exceptionally talented guy. Of course, there are some old favorites too. Hapa continues to push the envelope of Hawaiian music, and it’s great to see that people who stretch the boundaries can still be recognized by the Hokus. There are so many more, Aaron Sala and Kaumakaiwa Kanaka`ole just to name a few. My pick to sweep the awards next year: Barfoot Natives.