Downloaded: The Music Industry in the Digital Age
In 1998 Shawn Fanning, a teenage hacker and programmer, created the code that would become the basis for all peer-to-peer file sharing. Shortly after, Fanning and his business partner, fellow teenage hacker Sean Parker, launched the file-sharing service Napster, and the world was irrevocably changed. Explore the impact Napster had on the music industry, where that industry is today as a result, and what may be its future.
Presenters
Paul D. Miller/DJ Spooky has recorded a huge volume of music and collaborated with artists, writers, musicians and composers such as Robert Wilson, Iannis Xenakis, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mariko Mori, Kool Keith, Pierre Boulez, Saul Williams, Steve Reich, Yoko Ono, Thurston Moore, and Colson Whitehead among others. Miller is the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Artist-In-Residence for the 2012-2013 season – the first such designated artist in the Met’s long history.
Miller’s multimedia performance piece “Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica” was commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music/Next Wave Festival and other presenters. In addition to his award-winning book "Rhythm Science" (MIT Press), his written work has appeared in The Village Voice, The Source, Artforum, The Wire, Rap Pages, Paper Magazine, The Nation, and a host of other periodicals. Miller’s newest book, “The Book of Ice”, was published in 2011. Miller’s work as an artist has been included in the Whitney Biennial; The Venice Biennial; the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany; Kunsthalle, Vienna; The Andy Warhol Museum, Paula Cooper Gallery and many other museums and galleries. He is Managing Editor of Origin Magazine.
www.djspooky.com
As co-founder of legendary group Public Enemy, Chuck D redefined rap music and hip hop culture. His lyrics addressed weighty issues about race, rage and inequality with a jolting combination of intelligence and eloquence never seen before. In the late 1990's, Chuck D began championing digital music and has remained a major proponent visionary ever since. Public Enemy marked their 25th anniversary last year with a pair of critically acclaimed albums and will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2013. They continue to tour worldwide.
Bill Flanagan is an executive with MTV Networks. Among the series he created are VH1 STORYTELLERS and CMT CROSSROADS. His books include WRITTEN IN MY SOUL (conversations with Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger and others) and U2 AT THE END OF THE WORLD, as well as three novels and a collection of humor pieces. He is an on-air essayist on CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING.
J. Edward Keyes has been writing about music for nearly 15 years. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork and MAGNET, as well as the 2006 edition of Da Capo’s Best Music Writing series. He is currently eMusic's editor-in-chief. His favorite record of all-time is 16 Lovers Lane by the Go-Betweens.
Director/Producer of Downloaded, a feature documentary from VH1 Rock Docs on the rise and fall of Napster and the birth of the digital revolution.
Thursday, March 14
