For the past two days I’ve been in conference and live music mode, attending the MusicMatters conference here in Singapore. Tuesday was a day of talks and panels about digital media and online video. Yesterday was a whole day of music industry talk, including an interview with Johnny Wright, manager of Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, Justin Timberlake and many others.

And, of course, there’s been a lot of live music. In fact, there are two more nights of music showcases, in Clarke Quay in Singapore. You can see the details here or tune into the YouTube live stream here.

And, if you want a sense of what is going on at the conference, you can follow the hashtag #matterstome or watch the live stream.

The core of the project is now regular (and now weekly) podcast. We’ve just uploaded our 32nd dispatch and you can listen to them on our site and also on iTunes.

We’ve also now built up over a hundred full reviews on the site, with everything from recent blockbusters to art-house classics and a fair bit of world cinema.

One of my favourite features is the “We’ve Been Watching” section, where we catalogue and make a brief comment on every film we catch. Although I stand no chance of keeping up with James’ prodigious viewing habits, it’s still a good discipline for me to make a note and add a reflection to all the films I see.

Interest in The Society For Film has been building slowly and I’m very pleased with how we’ve been developing. We already have plans for some improvements and new features for later in the year.

Perhaps the biggest thrill for me, apart from working with a knowledgable film critic like James, is being part of a regular podcast. I love podcasting as a platform and it’s fun technical challenge to make it work week after week.

In fact, doing this has given me an appetite to push further into the world of podcasting.

My daughter is doing a school project dealing with music’s social impact. The students are being asked to pick a decade and research songs from that period, while looking at the social issues people faced at that time.

She chose to look at the 80s and her preliminary inquiry brought up the cold war, nuclear disarmament, apartheid and economic recession as major themes. Certainly not a bad start for a middle school project!

Of course, I was fascinated by her choice, since the 80s were the decade of my youth, or at least my high school years. I recalled with some fondness a few of the songs she had already unearthed on YouTube, like Nena’s 99 Luftballons and The Scorpions’ Wind of Change (OK, that’s technically a 1990 song, I know).

And, it was a lot of fun to share some other big hits she had not yet discovered, like Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2, The Police’s Invisible Sun, Sting’s Russians and Free Nelson Mandela by The Special A.K.A.

Although many people seem to imagine (or recall) the 80s as a decade of candy pop and silly hair metal (there was plenty of both), it was also a decade of remarkably thoughtful and even confrontational pop music. The same decade that gave us Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by Wham was also responsible for Blackened by Metallica and Fight The Power by Public Enemy.

The music video for the latter, shot by director Spike Lee, fascinated my daughter. She was intrigued by the idea of a music video set during a protest and the whole aesthetic of the clip felt far removed from what she was accustomed to in a music video.

Her reaction to Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Two Tribes, was even more marked. Granted, this is a pretty in your face piece of work, but still, the idea of political leaders being mocked in a music video was shocking to her. “Isn’t this disrespectful” she asked, to which I could only reply, “yes, that’s the point.” Although we had talked about high art challenging authority before, the idea that a popular chart topping song could do so in such a graphic way was clearly a surprise.

We also looked at some songs that were not obviously social, but whose lyrics reflected the difficulties of the period, what we might call working class ballads, like Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer or Billy Joel’s Allentown. Although my daughter was not familiar with Bruce Springsteen’s classic anthem, Born In The USA, but she did recognise the defiant timbre of his voice from Springsteen’s recent Wrecking Ball album. After all, each work reflects a period of economic upheaval.

I’m not sure the 80s were a better decade for music than this one. There was plenty of bad music then and there’s lots of good music today. But, when writers get political these days, it does tend to be the politics of individual identity, of gender, or identity, more than something larger and more social. Although today’s music still tries to shock, it doesn’t seem to have the same appetite to challenge that it once did.

TheStyle Council Walls Come Tumbling Down by The Style Council

You don’t have to take this crap
You don’t have to sit back and relax
You can actually try changing it
I know we’ve always been taught to rely
Upon those in authority
But you never know until you try
How things just might be
If we came together so strongly

Are you gonna try to make this work
Or spend your days down in the dirt
You see things can change
YES an’ walls can come tumbling down!

Governments crack and systems fall
’cause Unity is powerful
Lights go out
Walls come tumbling down!

There’s also been plenty of questions, about the move, the impact on my life and home and my feelings on leaving Singapore. So, here’s a quick update of some the questions and answers about the move.

Too Soon?

When I moved to Singapore in 2011, I expected to be here at least four or five years and probably longer. As I’ve mentioned several times, I had a plan and I ran into bureaucratic problems which stymied that plan. I now have a (more modest) business set up here but, but I’m really still focussed on my own work. Recording and releasing my album and continuing existing projects has kept me busy for the first half of the year, but before the move came up, I was staring at an almost empty calendar for the second half of the year.

Ultimately life consists of work and love. The people we love and the work we do shapes our relationship to reality. When the person you love wants to move and the work you are doing is unfulfilling, it’s hard to justify staying put. The opportunity came and it’s time to be open to a new adventure.

The Glamorous Life?

While, moving to Tokyo may seem glamorous, exotic of something, right now it just feels like a chore. Packing your worldly goods into boxes is no fun. And, although I have few friends or acquaintances in this town, my daughter has some lovely neighbourhood friends (local and expat) she will sorely miss when we leave.

Material comfort and the thrill of an “exotic” new home is not to be taken lightly. But, I have a deep sense of dread about going through the process of moving again; the visa applications, closing down accounts here and figuring out how to get utilities connected in another country and the seemingly never-ending process of redirecting mail and other subscriptions.

The Creative Life?

If you had asked me ten years ago, I would have said expats are, by nature, more creative than those who choose to stay at home, as this UK newspaper article suggests. These days I’m not so sure. Living in Hong Kong and Singapore, I’ve been surprised (and occasionally alarmed) by how narrow and insular some expats can be and how tentatively they explore their new cities and the cultures within those cities.

Several people have pointed out how hard it can be to feel “at home” in Japan and how expats often feel like “outsiders.” Truth is, I’ve never felt like an “insider” at any stage in my life, so I’m not really focussed on that issue.

I’m far more curious about how life in Tokyo will change me. As I’ve written before, every move seems to shape me in a different way, something I see as essential to living a creative life and perhaps the greatest gift of all for those who live as expats, or anyone in fact, who has the opportunity to travel and explore our world.

Next week, Asia’s premier Music Industry conference hits Singapore again. As always MusicMatters promises to be bigger and better than ever. OK, they always promise that, but it certainly looks to be true again, as the conference continues to expand and diversify its programme.

This will be my fourth time at the conference and it has changed a lot since my first experience, in Hong Kong in 2010. Here’s a list of things I’m looking forward to this year.

The Music – I would not have kept going to MusicMatters were it not for the presence of fellow musicians, both at the conference and on stage at the various music showcases. A conference with only suits would not appeal to me and part of what MusicMatters does so well is blend many parts of the music industry together. There are excellent opportunities for musicians to attend the talks, workshop and mentoring events and performers are given an excellent showcase; big enough to be engaging, but small enough to let new voices shine through.

Free And Fast WiFi – I love live-tweeting from MusicMatters and although I was more low-key last year, I still found plenty of quotes and photo opportunities to share. I hope the WiFi is fast and abundant this year, because I suspect a lot of attendees will be filling Twitter with reports and comments from the conference (my conference list already has over 130 members!). The conference was a trending topic on Twitter last year and I expect the same again.

Singapore Updates – Last year The Singapore Music Society (sgmuso) was announced at the conference. I played a tiny role in helping them, by setting up their website and mailing list before the conference. Since then the society has grown and held a number of interesting events. I look forward to hearing them report back and seeing the reaction to Singapore’s music scene from conference attendees, especially those flying in from outside Asia.

No More Business Cards – I still have a stash of thick, somewhat expensive business cards with my Singapore contact details on them. These will be useless come July when I move. So, I hope to exchange them for lots of new, useful cards from people I meet at the conference. Sure networking kind of sucks, but it sucks less in a room full of people who are actually doing the stuff you do, love and enjoy!

Hong Kong Represents – my former hometown still has a place in my heart and I’m always keen to hear how the music scene is evolving there. There’s some Hong Kong music on offer in the showcase and a fair few delegates flying in for the conference. I hope they can forgive me for leaving Hong Kong.

Friends – At the risk of alienating some of my hard core musician buddies, I’ve made some friends attending these conferences – yes, even amongst the suits. MusicMatters has managed to change with the times and once you get through the doors, it is not (totally) dominated by the big end of the industry, but has people working at all levels of music. In amongst the networking, sessions and showcases I look forward to catching up with old friends and maybe making a few new ones as well.

No Lefsetz – Apparently you are either supposed to love or hate music industry blogger Bob Lefsetz. Well, I propose a third category; people who just don’t care. He was fine at last year’s conference, even running a good interview with Kenneth Parks of Spotify. But, it was droll walking into conversations about whatever Lefzetz did, or didn’t say, or seeing bands desperately covet a mention on his so-called “letter.”

More Coffee – The catering is pretty good at MusicMatters. The event is held in the Ritz-Carlton after all. But, last year it was real hard to get a cup of joe outside the major scheduled breaks. At a conference like this people are always coming and going from the talks and using odd times (and less relevant sessions) to schedule meetings. The lack of coffee sent people scampering to other cafes, or other parts of the hotel. Unplanned meetings over coffee can be one of the most serendipitous joys of a conference like this.

Gurrumul – In previous years MusicMatters has featured some great talent like Jason Mraz & Imogen Heap. This year’s lineup is really good, but one name really stood out for me. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, a blind Indigenous Australian singer is, quite frankly, a voice from the heavens. Already a star in Australia and acclaimed in Europe, being able to hear Gurrumul up close is more than a treat, it’s a privilege.

A Fond Farewell – With my upcoming move to Tokyo (and assuming MusicMatters stays in Singapore) the cost of attending the conference suddenly shot up. The realist in me thinks this might be my last MusicMatters, at least for a while. So, I really want to go out with a bang, have a great time, take plenty of photos and make lots of connections. These conferences have been an amazing experience for me and I hope one day I can give something back. But, for now, I want to say goodbye in style.

Previous MusicMatters Posts

Here’s a list of my updates and articles from previous iterations of MusicMatters.
MusicMattersLive 2012 – The Performers
MusicMatters 2012 – Day One
MusicMatters 2012 – Day Two
Musician’s Guide To Networking
MusicMatters 2011
MusicMatters Live (2011)
Live Concert Photography – Lessons Learnt
MusicMatters – The Conference (2010)
MusicMatters – The Music (2010)

From time to time I get asked about Twitter Lists. To be honest, I couldn’t use Twitter the was I do without them. So, I wanted to share my approach Twitter lists, along with some practical examples.

Why Use Use Lists?

If you follow more than a few hundred people, it becomes hard to keep track of what everyone is saying by looking at your main feed. The solution is to break people up into lists, which makes it easier to keep up with all the activity. Lists let you can group people according to interests, location or whatever takes your fancy.

You can add people to lists without following them. This is useful when you are researching something, or maybe tracking an event, where you want to listen in for a while, but maybe not follow someone forever.

Tokyo Example: Using Lists To Research Something

Before I announced my upcoming move to Tokyo, I created a private Tokyo list. Private lists can only be seen by the user who creates them, so they are a great way of discreetly tracking an interest or conversation.

I started adding any twitter account I found that shared information about Tokyo; things to see and do, places to shop and eat, or just experiences and images of the city. Eventually, I’ll edit the list, but for now it’s a great source of information and since it’s now public, you can check the list here.

MusicMatters Example: Using Lists To Network

Next week I’ll be at the MusicMatters conference here in Singapore. It’s a big music industry event and many of the attendees are active on Twitter. So, I’ve already started to create a list of those who’ll be at there, either as speakers, delegates or playing in the various music showcases (you can see my MusicMatters 2013 list here).

Following the event hashtag (in this case #mm13 and #mml13) is still the best way to track a big conference. But, making a list is still a good supplement. The last two MusicMatters conferences I’ve had plenty of people say hello simply because I added them to the list. In a way, it sharpens networking. By tracking people’s tweets I already have a sense of where they are coming from and vice versa.

Member Of Example: Using Lists To Find Interesting People

When someone else adds you to a list, it’s a great way to find people with similar interest to your own. Or, you can check out the lists someone else is a member of to find people similar to them.

A great example is this list, Wordy Things & People, by Emma Kehayas (@tangledally). Curated lists like these are often a treasure-trove of surprising, cool and unusual Twitter users.

And, ultimately, that’s the point of Twitter for me. It is a great tool for meeting people, virtually and eventually, in person.

Finding And Creating Lists

In the browser version you can find lists to the right of your profile section. Clicking the lists tab shows you the lists you are subscribed to, which includes the lists you create, the lists you are a member of and gives you a button to create new lists.

You can add people to a list by looking at their profile, clicking the little head and shoulders icon, next to the follow/unfollow button and then hitting “Add or remove from lists…” Once you create a list, you can edit or delete it on the list’s own page.

On the Twitter iOS app, lists are also accessed from the profile page. However, you can’t create or add people to lists in the app.

Power-user Tips: HootSuite, SocialBro

Once you’ve created a few lists, you might find yourself wanting to manage them. The best solution I’ve discovered for this is SocialBro. They offer paid services, but if you scroll down you’ll find their free version which can be run in a Google Chrome browser.

SocialBro makes it easy to add people to a list based on location, something in their bio (like an interest in cooking), or how often they interact with you.

If you have multiple lists you might want to look at Hootsuite, which allows you to create tabbed windows based on lists. Right now I follow four locations, Singapore where I live, Adelaide where I often go on holidays, my former hometown of Hong Kong and my future hometown of Tokyo. In Hootsuite I had one page with each of these lists assigned to its own column. So, I can easily scan the four locations when I want to check up on what people are saying.

Hootsuite is also great for tracking events. For MusicMatters, the conference I mentioned above, I’ll create a page with a column for the list of attendees and also columns for saved searches of each event hashtag and the conference name (#mm13, #dm13, #mml13, #musicmatters). So, on one page I’ll have a detailed grab of everything people are saying about the event.

And When All Else Fails

And, here’s a little secret I don’t often share. Most days I don’t read Twitter in anything like this kind of detail. Frankly, I’m too pressed for time to keep track of what everyone is saying. I like having access to all the information, news and insight Twitter provides, but I can’t digest it every day.

So, I have a private list, with never more than 150 people on it. If I only check Twitter once in a day, that’s the list I look at. This maximises the chances I will see updates from the people who are most important to me.

With my album, You Can’t Deny What’s Inside, coming soon I’ve had a few requests about how to stay up to date with information on the release. So, I’ve decided to cave in and set up a mailing list.

If you are anything like me, then managing your email inbox is a protracted and sometimes futile battle. I certainly don’t want to add to the deluge. So, the mailing list will only see a few messages a year. Just enough to keep you up to date on the release and any big news about new projects, exhibitions or whatever.

My goal is to open up a more direct and personal line of communication with everyone who has been supporting and encouraging my work over the years, something more personal than blasting news out on social media. You can sign up by using this link, or by putting your email in the space below.

Giveaway

As a thank you for signing up to the list and because I’m just so damn excited about this project, I’m going to be giving a few things away.

First off, I’m going to give away a framed, signed, one-off canvas print of the image you see on the album cover art. This will be 41x41cm (16×16 inches) and can be shipped anywhere in the world. I took this image in Oaxaca, in 2011 and the mood of that moment, creatively and spiritually, permeates the whole album.

There will also be three 30x30cm (12×12 inch) archival quality prints of the image. I’ll be printing those here in my workshop in Singapore. Again, these will be signed and collectable, or at least unique.

Finally, I’ll be giving away (in the form of download codes), ten copies of the album.

To be in with a chance to win any of this stuff, you’ll need to sign up for the mailing list before midnight Singapore time, on the 22nd of this month (May 2013). I’ll then be asking Graham Perkins, The President of the Singapore Music Society (sgmuso) to draw the names for me during the MusicMatters conference.

So, sign up below, or using this link. Thank you and good luck.

Having contributed to both the SCMP and HK Magazine in the past, I have reservations about this. The SCMP has steered a less than direct course in recent years, especially with its Arts and Lifestyle coverage. And, HK Magazine was at times a welcome antidote to mainstream coverage of social issues in Hong Kong.

A Globally Influential Asian Newspaper?

My hope (or maybe this is just a dream) is the move might bring the SCMP closer to being a true regional news player in Asia. I’ve often felt the SCMP’s ambitions were too modest. Being the biggest English-Language paper in Hong Kong is not a worthy goal.

In South East Asia, we don’t have any big, internationally well regarded newspapers with regional influence. Often I find myself relying much more on coverage from The New York Times/International Herald, The Guardian or The Financial Times for reporting of events in my own backyard. And, even though Australia has papers with a good legacy, like The Sydney Morning Herald or the The Age, I often find analysis in other sources, like the BBC, to be more incisive.

It’s a common lament, that in the age of digital media, traditional newspapers and magazines are dead. But, the reality is not so simple. While many local newspapers around the world are struggling (and will continue to do so), papers that can reach a broader, regional and international audience are frequently doing well. The differences between, say The New York Times or The Guardian, and the South China Morning Post (or Singapore’s Straits Times) are more than just a matter of style or format.

Meanwhile In Singapore

Last week we also saw the latest global ranking of press freedom. Singapore slipped down fourteen places to tie for 149 on the list, alongside Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar. I’ll leave it to others to comment on the balance between government control and media self-censorship in this country. But, I’ve had two personal experiences that leave me fascinated about the media landscape here.

First, the experience of watching a fairly inane piece on the local music industry literally disappear from Google. My SEO is pretty good and it was amazing to see one post simply vanish from any relevant search results, while the rest of my site and other, similar posts where not equally affected. I’d like to think that was a glitch, but no experts I’ve spoken to think that could have been the case.

Second, the lack of interest from local news outlets has surprised me. In Hong Kong I had enquiries from all the English language news sources (papers, magazines, radio), but here, pretty much nothing. I’ve heard plenty of explanations, few of which really satisfy as explanations for this lack of curiosity.

Freedom Is Attractive And So Is Quality

New York Magazine recently published an interview with Robert Silvers, editor and co-founder of The New York Review Of Books. The NYRB is one of those “can’t happen in the digital age” stories, a niche, highbrow paper that prints long-form essays and is in good economic health.

As a long-time NYRB subscriber, I’m obviously a fan of the essays, and am constantly struck by the quality of the reviews and commentary on Asian politics and culture. Of course, one shouldn’t be surprised, given the quality of writers NYRB approaches and the breadth of opinions they represent.

And, this is really the issue, both in terms of writing in Hong Kong and Singapore. Quality writing from a diverse group of authors, who can faithfully represent differing perspectives, even ones they don’t agree with, is a benchmark of good critical media. You find it again and again in the newspapers and magazines that are still doing well in this digital age and it is something that separates those outlets with a global appeal, from the ones that merely try to survive regurgitating press releases to an increasingly distracted local audience.

Do Migraines Reveal Beauty?

As a long term migraine sufferer the review caught my attention. I’m familiar with the tricks migraines can play on our sight, the patterns and spots we see before the peak of a migraine’s pain. These are called migraine aura. Until reading this review it had never occurred to me these are actually a form of waking hallucination.

And, more tellingly, it seems these patterns are not random at all. They emerge from deep in the brain and share geometric ancestry with other natural patterns, based on the Fibonacci equation, like the shape of shells, snowflakes and the patterns of turbulent water and some chemical reactions.

This idea is quite provocative really. Does the emergence of these patterns in migraine-induced hallucination suggest we are hardwired to see such shapes ? Are we born with a code for beauty, with some basic rules of composition written into our brains?

Migraines And Lightning

Living in Singapore I’ve had a lot of migraines, more than I can remember having anywhere since I left Australia. In my teens I tended to assume migraines were at least partly connected to summer. In fact, I first started to discover what migraines were while reading up on heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

However, the heat in Delhi dwarves much of what I experienced in Singapore. The late monsoon equals the muggiest of Singapore days and the height of summer, when the temperatures soar into the mid-40s is really something else. And, I’ve seen plenty of other hot days on my travels over the years without experiencing pain.

It transpires there may be a connection between migraines and electrical storms (Lightning May Cause Headaches and Lightning Increases Migraine Likelihood, New Study Claims or at least a connection to sudden changes in barometric pressure (When Weather Makes Migraines Worse).

I’ve certainly noticed a correlation here, where thunder and lightening is commonplace. My most vivid experience was an afternoon of searing pain as a storm approached, then a sudden burst of clarity and peace just as huge peals of thunder burst overhead and passed. It seems to me the build up to the storm, rather than the storm itself is the culprit.

But, of course, I’m not a scientist. Maybe this is just auto-suggestion. However, I’d be fascinated to know if anyone else feels a connection between actual storms and mind storms and even more interested to learn if migraines do reveal templates for artistic and visual beauty that exist deep within our minds.

As I mentioned yesterday, my time in Singapore is now drawing to a close. When I moved to Singapore in 2011, it was at end of the of a long process of thinking about which city would be the best place in Asia to grow my music and photography business. I was expecting to be here for a few more years than this, perhaps until the end of the decade. I’m still shocked by the idea of packing up and leaving so soon.

Number Seven

But, from August I will be calling Tokyo home. This will be my seventh global city, after Santiago, Sydney, London, Delhi, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Unlike the move to Singapore, this is hasn’t come at the end of a long process. I grew up fascinated by Japanese culture, innovation and history and have always enjoyed visiting Tokyo, but I never really believed the opportunity would come to live there. As I explained yesterday, my spouse was offered a great job and looking at our circumstances, it made sense to go with it.

What Can Tokyo Offer?

Obviously Japan has a huge music industry and a rich heritage in many forms of visual arts. Moreover, the country is renowned for being at the centre of innovations in music and photographic technology. Of course, it will be inspiring to feel the pulse of these trends, but the reality is my day to day work happens several levels below all that.

To me, Tokyo seems to combine things I love about the great European cities, like London, Paris and Tokyo, with much of what I’ve come to admire about life in Asia. A huge bustling metropolis filled with little urban villages and corners of peace and calm. A place where you’ll find cheap, stand up eateries around the corner from some the most luxurious department stores in the world. A city which, despite a preponderance of cars and roads, still has great public transport and remains very walkable and filled with cyclists.

And, while it will be exciting to explore and experience all Tokyo has to offer, I know my working day to day will mostly involving shipping what I do now to a new location. Having shed many of the dreams I brought with me to Singapore, I’m still going to be making music and creating images every day. That won’t change.

Until Then

I will be packing up and leaving Singapore in early July, probably the week before what would have been my second anniversary here. Until then life will just continue as normal. I’m not making lists of “things to do before I go.” I don’t know enough people to warrant organising a farewell party. I’m simply going to continue working, living and enjoying Singapore, saying my goodbyes as I go, until the removal trucks arrive at my home. Then it will be time to packup, give thanks for the experience of living here and move on to the next adventure.

The place of expats and foreigners in Singapore society is the subject of much debate. Some will want me to say this is the reason I’m leaving Singapore, but it isn’t. Yes, Singapore is going through a period of change, which is uncomfortable at times for those of us not born here. I’ve had my share of unpleasant moments. But, that’s not why I’m leaving.

Others might want me to say I’m going because of the lack of freedoms in this nation; the restrictions on artists, or the all pervasive role of government in the creative industries. I have strong opinions about this. But, again, this is not why I’m leaving.

And, I’m not leaving because of the climate, as much as I’m prone to complain about the relentless heat and drenching rain. I adapted to far harsher weather in Delhi and I’m fortunate to enjoy regular visits to Adelaide, where I get to revel in some decent winter weather (and occasionally a little spring and autumn air as well).

I’m leaving because my spouse has been offered an amazing chance to work in a great city, a city I have often dreamed of living in. When I look at her, when I look my daughter, when I look at us as a family and when I think about my artistic journey this far, I simply cannot say no.

I feel very different to the way I felt leaving Hong Kong. After five years in that city I was exhausted. The pollution, the cramped living conditions and the ever increasing influence of China had rubbed the charm off living in Hong Kong. And, I had come to believe, however good the economic opportunites were in Hong Kong, I was always going to struggle to grow creatively.

Singapore has been a very different experience. I’ve had space here to sort out my life and to move in new artistic directions. Regardless of the social and political issues in Singapore, when I’m in my studio (and offline) I feel freer and more able to work than I did in Hong Kong. And, I’ve had a physical environment, including clean air and pleasant urban trails near home, that has given me time to think and space to become physically healthier.

I’m a better person for having had these two years in Singapore.

And, that’s why, despite the hassles, problems and issues, I could imagine living here again in the future. I don’t want to downplay how challenging the next few years will be for everyone in Singapore. But, the hysteria in the mainstream and online media all too often overlooks how peaceful and conducive to creative work this place can be.

On many of my lunch breaks I’ve walked down a clean, tree-lined path to my local hawker centre, where I’ve eaten tasty food in a casual environment. Often, I would marvel at the diversity of this place, representing not just all the ethnic groups that make up Singapore, but also the social groups as well; retirees, young families, construction workers, school and university students. I would then walk home, listening to the wind and the birds while watching the sun flicker through the branches above. I would often use this time to let my imagination run wild, before returning to work the hours I had left till my daughter came home from school.

This space, to think, to dream, to mingle and relax before returning to my tasks will be part of my enduring memory of Singapore. I will cherish it for the weeks I have left here and miss it when I go.

The sign you see above is a little decoration I’ve created for my studio. Actually, it’s not quite that little. At 12 inches by 8 inches and mounted on 1 inch think acrylic, it’s a substantial little reminder of one of my favourite personal mantras: Don’t Complain – Make Art.

Over the past few years I’ve heard a lot of complaining from creatives, especially musicians, both here and in other countries. Of course, sustaining your craft is hard, especially in the face of declining commercial opportunities. But, expecting to be supported by governments (or other kinds handouts) feels misguided and in many ways self-sabotaging.

What’s worse is following some of these creatives on social media. The complaint to art ratio often feels way out of proportion, to the point of making many artists sound like just another part of the online ranting masses.

That’s why I try to remind myself to not complain, but make art.

Or, to put it another way, to channel the source of the complaints, all the angst, anger and disappointment, into the stuff I create. I’m as guilty as any creative of being a complaintophile; heaven knows I’ve had my share of frustrations and disappointments in recent years (and particularly with some aspects of the creative scene here in Singapore).

But, there limit. And, while there is some value in critically analysing the problems you face (as long as you offer some solutions), there’s far more value in using your dissatisfactions to fuel your creative output.

It’s a choice. Instead of using rants and arguments to express yourself, use your art, songs, poems, photos, paintings, dance, whatever it is, to make a difference. Our privilege and blessing is the ability to express ourselves through creative media and if we have a genuine complaint, then giving it a voice through art is so much more powerful than taking cheap shots online or whinging into a cup of coffee or glass of wine.

Last week I announced You Can’t Deny What’s Inside, my first solo commercial music release. I’m thankful for the positive and encouraging response from so many of you. I’m writing now as a way to reply to some of the questions I’ve received.

At the time I called You Can’t Deny What’s Inside an EP, but I’m dropping that. From now on it’s just an album. I’ve decided it expand the release from five songs to eight, so calling it an EP feels odd.

This week I’m adding the last recordings to each song and from there it’s time for final mixing (all the songs are partially mixed already), mastering and the tedious minutia that goes along with a commercial release.

Hack To The End

Everything about this project has been designed to make sure it sees the light of day. I’ve talked myself out of previous releases for all sorts of reasons. So, this time, I’ve made every decision based on what makes it easier to guarantee I release the album.

Does that mean I’ve cut corners? Kind of. This will be a digital-only release because making CDs adds a whole layer of complications. I’ve done my own artwork because, frankly, it was faster. I haven’t invited other musicians in because I didn’t want to get bogged down writing arrangements.

I think this approach has given You Can’t Deny What’s Inside a very different feel, but, far more importantly, it has ensured it won’t be another piece of musical vapourware.

A Few Technical Details

The simple answer to most of the technical questions is, “yes, it’s going well.” I am working with the desk I wrote about earlier in the year and I am delighted with the sound. Using two different AD/DA converters has not been an issue for me, since everything goes through the same summing mixer and is also being compressed and EQ’d in analog as well, at the stereo stage.

And, I’m loving my three 500 series preamps, the API512C, A Designs P1 and Rupert Neve Designs 511. Each has it’s own sound and they cover my needs, especially for guitars, very well.

When Can You Hear It?

I’m preparing a special podcast for the first week of May, where you’ll get a chance to hear the tracks along with some commentary on how the project was conceived and created. Rather than write another long essay, I thought it might be more interesting for you to hear me in the studio talking about the album.

Show Me The Money

Last week’s announcement was written in a way that carefully avoided asking you to reach for your wallet. I’m tired of the way many creatives can’t seem to talk about their work without dumping a sales pitch in the middle of every statement.

And, honestly, it felt inappropriate to do so since so many of you have been waiting a long time for me to offer some new music up. I wanted to talk a little about how this project came about, before talking about commerce.

Of course, all that aside, I have had lots of questions about how to pick up a copy of You Can’t Deny What’s Inside. As I mentioned earlier, this will be a digital-only release and you’ll be able to buy it through iTunes, Bandcamp and other digital outlets. The release will be mid-May, though I don’t have an exact release date just yet.

Next week I’ll be launching a mailing list, where you can sign up for updates on this and future music releases and a little competition, including free copies of the album and some limited edition prints of the cover art.

That’s all for now. I’ll write some more about You Can’t Deny What’s Inside once the album goes into the full mixing stage.

You Can’t Deny What’s Inside is, amazingly, my first commercial release as a solo musician. I say amazingly because these days, musicians make albums right at the start of their career, rather than after years of writing and performing, which was the norm when I started out.

But, I digress. You Can’t Deny What’s Inside is a big step backwards for me. For a while now I’ve been trying to project my musical ideas into the future, trying to create a new image, style, brand, whatever. I’ve gone as digital and experimental as you can, in pursuit of some new kind of sonic wow, to launch my solo career.

And, with You Can’t Deny What’s Inside, I’m drawing a line under all that and saying, for now at least, enough. It’s time to just admit the kind of music that flows naturally out of me, when I pick up an instrument isn’t new, or all that innovative. It just is what it is.

I hear a lot of talk about authenticity these days. I believe the best way to be authentic is to admit to what’s inside you, the sacred and the profane, then give that voice through whatever art or craft you can express yourself with.

During 2012 I closed my doors commercially, stopped marketing, stopped networking, stopped chasing clients and for the most part, spent day after day alone in my studio, listening to my muse. What I learnt tore through my soul.

Much of what I had been doing to try and “make a name for myself” and “get exposure” had really become a creative cage.

Early on in the year I would pick up my guitar, play a few bars and just start to weep. Without the pressure to create to a schedule, I found myself pulling all sorts of haunting musical fragments from my memory It was like hearing the long forgotten sound of footsteps in a school hall.

As the year progressed, the solitude of my studio became a safe place, where I could admit to myself, before admitting to the world, that there was no shaking off the layers of musical sediment.

You Can’t Deny What’s Inside is the first project created in my new project studio here in Singapore, Sugar Shack. This studio really is a phoenix-like story. I moved to Singapore with lots of dreams and when I couldn’t realise them, I decided instead to invest in building the most kick-ass little studio I could afford. This is my third project studio, after Pooja House in Delhi and Cloud in Hong Kong. And, it’s easily the best one yet!

The name, Sugar Shack, comes both from a Soul-Music inspired painting by the legendary Ernie Barnes and one of my favourite songs by the rock band Phish. For as much as I’ve called myself a Jazz musician over the years, when I pick up a guitar, just as much Soul & Rock comes out as Jazz. Like I said, You Can’t Deny What’s Inside!

In the next couple of weeks I’ll post some songs and details on how you can get a copy of You Can’t Deny What’s Inside. But, for now, I just wanted to let you know a little about the release and the journey that’s gone into making it.

And, I wanted to thank you for your patience and encouragement along the way, for reading this blog and reminding me in so many ways that making music still means something today.

My holiday in Adelaide is drawing to a close. Today was one of those deeply relaxing days; open blue skies, dry warmth, nothing to distract from the relaxation. I watched a little football, went for a easy bike ride, ate some great food, drank some fine wine and found myself, as I often like to do, ended the day on beach at making some photographs.

The frustrations and disappointments of the last week have started to fade into memory and my thoughts are slowly turning to getting back to Singapore. I will be largely offline for the first two weeks after returning to my studio. Hopefully, once I resurface, there will some exciting new work to share.

But, before that, I have a few more days to spend here in Adelaide. There’s one or two sights to see, a football match to attend, a photoshoot to complete, plenty of miles to ride and, of course, a few more sunsets to photograph.

I’m now deep into my holiday in Adelaide. After a fun weekend, I awoke to sad news on Monday, my beloved cat Sara had passed away in the night, after a full and fun 19 years of life. I had picked Sara out as a kitten from a shelter and she had been my companion during my early years in Academia. When I left Australia in 1999, Sara went to live with my parents.

Every time I went back to visit my folks, I always enjoyed reconnecting with Sara. She had a dominant, regal personality, the kind of cat that was happy to push you off a sofa in winter, once you had warmed it for her, or wake you in the morning, if you dared oversleep her breakfast time.

And, she was loved. Although very frail at the end, she was still walking and responding to pats on her final day. Three generations of my family spent time, making her feel comfortable, cared for and respected. A pet that lives so long becomes social glue in a family. Sara was such an important part of our lives.

I’ve been taking it pretty easy on this trip and since Sara passed, I decided to cancel a few plans (trips to wine country, cinema and museums). I’ve been checking out some local retail startups (report soon) and exploring some parks and developments.

And, not everything has gone well. I smashed my iPhone up pretty badly and while photographing on the beach I dropped my favourite 105mm lens in the surf.

Still, I’ve mostly been trying to take it easy this week, taking long bike rides, sharing stories and chasing sunsets. It’s a time to think about how much my life has changed since I took that little grey kitten home, fed her and watched her fall asleep by my side.

Being a nicer day, the event had a bit more of a carnival atmosphere today. Again I was struck by how diverse (and congenial) the crowds were. I spoke to some young Russian tourists who were very impressed with how calm and pleasant the scene was. And, I chatted with a local elderly lady, who was fascinated (in a good way) with the origins of the various people enjoying the afternoon.

It was also nice to see some of the regular local attractions being enjoyed by the crowd. The beachside Semaphore Park has a vintage Carousel that dates back to the 1920s and wonderful miniature train, operated by the nearby rail museum.

Walking away from the beach, the main road through Semaphore is fairly cool, with some excellent laid back cafes, where I was able to refuel and recover from the sun before heading home.

The highlight was some large, no, make that huge kites. They were an impressive sight against the dramatic clouds rolling in from the sea.

The biggest kites, which really were more like air-born decorations, were suspended from trailers and four wheel drive trucks on the beach. They didn’t really fly around, they just hung there, drifting slowly in the wind.

While this is an usual spectacle, I had hoped to see something more dramatic, like the kites we see in Asia and, maybe a little duelling and battle as well.

The newspapers had predicted big crowds, but the turnout was modest, perhaps because the weather today was relatively cool (low 20s) with intermittent light rain.

Still, it was delightful to see how mixed and ethnically diverse the people were. Even as a resident of a melting pot city like Singapore, I was struck by how wonderfully multicultural and cross-generational the crowds were.

The festival is on again tomorrow and if the sun is out I might go down again to create a few more images.

Last night I was out on the beach photographing here in Adelaide. It was a bit of a frustrating evening. As often happens, I met some interesting people and had some nice conversations.

But, the clouds were not co-operating, and I couldn’t get the image I was looking for. After the sun had set, I walked along the beach to try and create something using the cloud formations, which you can see above. It wasn’t the dramatic sunset I was looking for, but at least this was better than nothing.

Then, as I started to pack up my gear, more than half an hour after sunset, I turned to look at the ocean one last time and saw the horizon ablaze in a wash of reds and oranges. Honestly, I could easily have walked off with even noticing.

The image below has had very little done, in terms of processing, it didn’t really need it.

It’s so easy to take for granted little miracles like this – we get obsessed with something we set for that we can’t see the thing that’s right in front of us. Sometimes, we need to turn around.

OK, I have to admit my series on doing HDR photography has been a bit of a mess. I set out to write a step by step guide to my approach to High Dynamic Range photography, but I’ve kept rethinking and perhaps over-thinking my explanations and so, stopped posting the series.

I will come back this tutorial, but for now I wanted to sum up my approach, which you can see in the image above.

The first important point is not to auto bracket. Instead, choose your exposures based on the composition you are creating (composition-driven HDR). The composition lets you decide if you need two, three, or more images depending on the features you want to highlight. This avoids using blown out images, which increase the chance of halos, or very underexposed images which increase the noise.

Once you import the images, use a HDR merge programme to blend the images into a flat, well exposed image with no halos! In this case I used the HDR merge in Photoshop Then take one or two other images from the set, which look good as general stand alone images and bring those into photoshop along with the HDR image.

Convert one of the general exposures into a black and white with strong contrast and on the other general exposure push up the vibrance a little. Then blend the three images to taste.

Of course, there is a lot you can do with the blend modes to bring the image to life. Hopefully I can return to that later.

I’m now settling into a quiet holiday routines. Bike rides, slow lunches, walks on the beach and plenty of time to think. Just last week I was complaining to some photographer friends how I was feeling flat, stuck in a rut as it were.

I often find the best way to get out of a rut is, rather than chasing something new or novel, to actually lean into the familiar.

So the past few days, I’ve been watching the familiar patterns of the clouds and imagining the photos I hope to take on this trip. Being able to retrace the same steps is a bit like rehearsing music. More than just practice makes perfect, it’s something closer to improvisation, reconfiguring familiar elements in imaginative ways.

And also, when facing a rut, there’s something to be said about just standing your ground. I’ve taken many of my best photos here so I feel I can trust this place to inspire me again, to throw up photographic opportunities. It’s up to me to just wait, be patient, find those moments then do the work to try and make them special.

This morning I flew into Adelaide, on the start of a short holiday. In some ways the flight from Singapore to Adelaide is too short, not long enough to catch a proper sleep on the plane, so as the day draws to a close I’m feeling shattered before the sun even sets.

I’ve had the chance to catch up with my family over lunch, before going out for a quick beachside bike ride. This afternoon I, rather unsuccessfully, chased a flock of birds around a local park, in a vain attempt to ward off the post-flight fatigue.

I’m looking forward to catching up on some sleep tonight, then enjoying a quiet few days to rest, think and have some fun. It’s shaping up to be a fascinating year, so I’m glad to be here, where the pace is gentle, the light is amazing and the natural surprises literally land on your doorstep.

I wanted something bold, bright and colourful to welcome me every morning when I walked into the studio, something that summed up little bit about how I feel working in this space.

After all, my hope is this studio will be a place where work and love collide.

See, I love my work. I love to walk into the studio on a Monday morning, power things up and get to it. I figure if you get to my age and you still hate Monday mornings, there is something horribly and tragically wrong.

I love making music, I love creating images and I love shaping words. Sure, I (try) to do it for money, but the truth is, I’ve done this all my life, more often than not for free and always because it felt like the most delightful thing to do with my time; because it felt right.

I also realise I can only do this work I do because of the love I’ve been fortunate to receive over the years. The care, nuture and protection afforded to me by my parents, who made so many sacrifices to give me a good start in life. The love (and patience) I receive from my spouse and daughter, as they put up with my travel, my forgetfulness and my constant need to create (often well into the night).

And, of course, this is only the start of it, because I’ve been blessed with plenty of love in between, with everyone who has loved my work, music, photography, writing or just simply been a good encouraging soul alongside me through life’s journey.

I’m no great painter, but I’ve poured what I know into this canvas. I hope it will say something to everyone who visits my studio and also to me every morning as I get down to work.

Because, ultimately, it’s all about love.

“Politics is the art of the possible.”
Otto von Bismark

I’ve always been fascinated by this quote, attributed to the 19th Century German politician known as the Iron Chancellor. On the one hand it recognises how human interactions, especially when they involve matters of power and social importance are always an extended dance of improvised negotiation.

But, on the other hand, there’s more than a hint of pragmatism in this quote as well – it offers no hint of idealism or even much scope for ethical commitment.

Here And Now, In This Place

Still, in the past year, I’ve often wondered what “the art of the possible” means in terms of creativity. I guess because so much of my circumstances in the past, nearly two years in Singapore, have been less than I had hoped for and different to what I had realistically expected.

I find myself, day after day, saying “well let’s focus on what is possible, here and now, in this place, with what I have.”

Keep The Project Moving

The interview above, with music producer Chris Lord-Alge is pure gold for anyone interested in how creativity works in the field of music. Lord-Alge is very open about what it takes to work with people in a high-pressure musical environment. One idea he riffs on a number of times basically says, “there are no rules, just keep the project going.”

It hit home for me, since I have lost much of this month (so far) to a rather nasty ear infection. I had hoped to be recording new original work right through March, but instead I found myself almost unable to hear out of my right ear for most of the last two weeks. It’s clearing up now, but I’ve had to adjust my goals, since I not only couldn’t hear well, but I was prone to sudden spells of dizziness and headaches as well.

I refocussed by making a list of things I could do given this condition. So I cranked through a bunch of less than glamorous tidying and administrative tasks. I also set up new folders and templates for the recording I will be doing now my ear has healed.

Another Small Example

Yesterday I found myself in the Eunos Industrial District here in Singapore (a fascinating place I will revist and photograph). I was there to pick up some fibreglass material, which I am today putting into enclosures to help balance the sound in my studio.

I’m blessed with a wonderful sounding room here in Singapore. A high, asymmetrically racked wood panelled ceiling does a lot to dampen and control the sound. But, I wanted to improve on it a little more.

I had tried to buy some material from Owens Corning, since the perfectionist in me wanted the best dampening on the market. But, the local distributor was less than helpful. I needed 10-12 sheets (120x60cm), but the distributor would only sell to me if I ordered a whole container full and paid up front.

So I settled on the material I could find locally, despite the internal struggle and desire to get what I wanted from overseas, whatever the cost. The art of the possible.

Momentum Wins

There’s a lesson that’s unravelling itself here, about the importance of momentum, of the day to day battle to keep original work alive and moving forward. It’s also a lesson about the way we speak to ourselves, about being kind to our muse and inner motivations when circumstances are unhelpful, about learning to say “well I can’t do that, but I can do this instead.”

Last night Singapore was treated to a concert of the highest quality by one the brightest sparks in the music world, Esperanza Spalding. Touring on the back of her recent album, Radio Music Society and here as part of the Mosaic Music Festival, Esperanza and her full 12 piece band brought the Esplanade Theatre to life in a vibrant musical celebration.

The acclaim around Spalding is already well documented. A self-taught musician, who grew up with the single mother in a rough ghetto, she was performing live by the age of five and became a chamber music concertmaster by the age of fifteen. Soon after she started playing bass gigs in local clubs and left high school at the age of sixteen to study music, first at Portland State University, then later Berklee College of Music in Boston, where before she was twenty she was invited onto the teaching staff.

Esperanza first came to prominence playing music heavily influenced by Brasilian Jazz and her phrasing, both vocally and on bass has a natural affinity to that genre. However, in Radio Music Society, she changed direction a little and explored the roots of Soul, R&B and Fusion, while maintaining a strong Jazz identity (she draws heavily on Thad Jones in her arrangements). It’s a bold, confident and hope-filled album that I believe deserves to be compared to great releases like Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions.

On stage, Esperanza Spalding has a swagger we rarely see in a jazz artist so young and a level of technical artistry we seldom encounter in the world of popular music. She is a natural anchor and focus of attention on stage, not just because she a a beautiful young woman with an amazing shock of afro hair, but, far more importantly, because she is the ringmaster of a broad and talented troupe of musicians whose playing carefully cantilevers out from this young star’s extraordinary voice and powerful musical groove.

In fact, given how well orchestrated and arranged this show was, it is remarkable how loose and fluid it felt. Spalding used casual banter, conversation with the crowd, herself, or an imagined lover, to introduce and segue the songs and when the time came for her band to take solos, she gave said soloists plenty of room, built powerful grooves underneath them and encouraged the players to take risks. And, Esperanza’s own playing and singing was quiet remarkable. The whole concert was the perfect marriage of fearless artistry, technical brilliance and deep preparation.

It’s hard to pick out highlights, because, honestly, there were no weak points or disappointments. Cinnamon Tree was remarkable, performed slightly slower than the album version, with a wider groove. Spalding closed out the night with a shining rendition of Radio Song, complete with an explanation of the song’s meaning and a nice crowd sing along, before coming back for two encores.

The last of which saw Esperanza on stage alone, just her, an acoustic bass and the spotlight, performing Precious, one of her most well known tracks, which was warmly received by the audience (many of whom were very familiar with her repertoire). This was an earthier, slower and richer version than previous versions and seeing her extract new tones and textures from this song was a fitting end to a marvellous night of music; a sign there is still so much more to come from this extraordinary artist.

And, there it was in one brief conversation, a summary of how moving country changes us, sometimes without our even noticing.

The Truth Is In The Wardrobe

Of course, she was right. I’ve adjusted my wardrobe to suit Singapore’s hot and wet climate. Most days I look like I’m on my way to a folk rock festival, or on my way back from the beach. And forget about seasons, I wear the same outfits in January as a do I July.

With every move, there’s been changes like this. The urbane and fashionable clothes I wore in Hong Kong were a different to the country club attire, all polo shirts, chambray and comfortable sweaters I wore in Delhi. When I first moved to London I dove into the life of being an academic by dressing in layers of black on black that made me look like a cartoonish cross between a 60s spy and an extra from the set of The Matrix.

On Being A Mysterious Alien

Each change of wardrobe is a somewhat superficial reflection of the process of adapted to new city. In London I lived in a nice little terrace lined street with a pub one corner and a church on the other, while in Delhi I dwelled a semi-rural area with tractors grinding past our gate and peacocks in the garden. In Hong Kong I was perched high up in a glass tower right in the heart of the city, while in Singapore I live in a low rise, quiet, tree-lined neighbourhood well away from the hustle and bustle.

I firmly believe one of the joys (and privileges) of being an expatriate is the chance to learn from each new place you inhabit. And, along with this opportunity to learn is the amazing chance to change yourself with each move, to improve and adjust your outlook on life, your career and work.

This constant change of wardrobe and perhaps even personality reminds me of the great time travelling British Sci-Fi hero, Doctor Who. The Doctor is a mysterious alien who frequently visits earth, at different stages of human history, typically just in time to save the planet from some invading peril.

An odd quirk of The Doctor’s species means that instead of dying, he regenerates right at the moment of death, coming back to life as a new version of himself. He retains his memories but changes his personality (which, of course, means the producers can cast different actors to play the same role.

The Danger Of Being The Doctor

There a wonderful moment every time the doctor regenerates, where he literally has to discover his new personality and get used to his current looks. He then proceeds to pick an outfit, a wardrobe if you like, that will define and reflect his new stage of life.

Of course, as wonderfully romantic as this metaphor might be, it’s fraught with problems. For starters The Doctor, originally developed for UK television in the 60′s is built on the myths of the British empire (the invaders usually attack London first, rather than New York or Los Angeles). The Doctor is very much the archetype of the patronising gentleman-solider chipping in the save the natives, frequently picking up a good looking local girl as his companion along the way (often to the chagrin of their loved ones), before dashing off to some idyllic location to laugh about his adventures.

And, while The Doctor is obsessed with saving the earth and minimising human casualties, much like like The Avengers, he saves the the day, but doesn’t hang around to clean up the mess.

One episode in particular put this into sharp relief. The Doctor had just saved the earth from yet another invasion, with the aliens fleeing in defeat. However, the Prime Minister decided to launch a weapon, destroying the retreating alien ship. The Doctor becomes incensed at the senseless loss of life (and possibly at being upstaged in his moment of triumph), but the human leader chides him by saying he might not always be around to save humanity since he doesn’t really live on earth.

Which, in a way, is the danger of forever seeing yourself as an expatriate. The life might well be a wonderful adventure, full of change and opportunity. But, for all that, you’ll always struggle to really feel accepted in the new places where you live, no matter how much good you try to do, or how deeply you come to love your new home.

Just like our mythic alien friend, The Doctor, the very thing that makes you special, unique and helpful might also be the thing that makes people struggle to trust you.

“The point of marriage is not to create a quick commonality by tearing down all boundaries; on the contrary, a good marriage is one in which each partner appoints the other to be the guardian of his solitude, and thus they show each other the greatest possible trust. A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development. But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky.”
Rainer Maria Rilke

Norah Jones is one of my favourite contemporary singer-songwriters. So, it was with a sense of giddy anticipation that I booked tickets last year for last night’s performance at the new, 5,000 seat Star Theatre here in Singapore.

The anticipation proved to be worth it, because it was a wonderful concert. The audience was warmed up by the excellent duo of Cory Chisel and Adriel Harris, who played some very cool Americana and Folk Rock, before Ms Jones and her band came onto a stage decorated with hanging paper cranes.

To many people, Norah Jones is best known for her first two albums (Come Away With Me and Feels Like Home). With a sultry, laid-back and easy going sound, she was a worldwide hit. However, Jones, who started out as a lounge singer, wrote very little of the early material and only by her third album (Not Too Late) was writing the larger share of the material she released.

Jones progression as a singer-songwriter has seen her material become edgier, darker and in many ways more satisfying. Although her two last albums (The Fall and Little Broken Hearts) have not been as commercially successful as her earlier works, they have been critically acclaimed and have brought her a new, younger and more urban fan base.

Of course, this presents a challenge for a popular artist. The fans who love her early work may feel alienated by some of her more recent material. But, that early success could easily become a cage for a bold and adventurous musician who is clearly growing as a songwriter.

For example, Miriam, from her latest album is arguably the best song Jones has written; a brooding and dastardly murder ballad that one could imagine being penned by Tom Waits or Nick Cave. It’s a world away from the sweet charm of Come Away With Me.

And yet, to hear Jones sing Come Away With Me today, is to hear a song whose naive hope and longing has been replaced with a gnawing sense of doubt. She sings it now as a woman who is perhaps more sure of her self, but less sure of the longevity of her charms.

But, there is no doubting Jones’ appeal as a performer. She moved freely from electric to acoustic piano, with confident spells in between on electric and acoustic guitars. And, her band supported her ably, shifting perfectly from solid to swampy grooves and doing well to recreate a more contemporary take on her early sound and faithfully reproducing their grittier tones of Jones’ recent recording. In particular Jason Abraham Roberts on guitar stood out, with his angular, effected and jangly guitar accents and solos.

From a purely artistic perspective, the standout moment was when the band performed huddled on one side of the stage into a single Telefunken microphone. In this age of auto-tune and backing tracks, the deceptively hard musical high-wire act of performing this way, with the band balancing their sound of the basis of where they stood and how they played, was a musical breath of fresh air.

And, in a way, the whole concert was equally refreshing. Norah Jones is a stellar talent, emerging from early success and growing with every album as a songwriter. This concert simply confirmed my admiration for her ability and courage as a performer and musician.

So, I’ve decided to pull together a little, highly subjective list of my own, based on my experience of using Twitter in Singapore. Lists based on follower counts are not always helpful and I have no time for “influence” scores.

Instead, for this list I’ve focussed on fascinating individuals, who tweet largely original stuff and understand being social means interacting with, responding to and even following back their followers (when possible). Anyway, here goes,

Kinmun Lee @MrBrown – The “Blogfather of Singapore,” Kinmun is considered a “must follow” by most Singapore Twitter users I speak to. Kinmun uses humour and satire in a great way to highlight issues in day to day life.

Derek Sivers @sivers – Derek describes himself as an entrepreneur, programmer and avid student of life. Best known for being the founder of CD Baby, Derek is now a sought after speaker, writer and one of the most positive and inspiring people I’ve ever met. And, despite having close to 300,000 followers, he still manages to reply to messages on Twitter and take direct emails.

Anita Kapoor @AnitaKapoor – A TV host, writer and activist, Anita is often covering stories in Singapore and across Asia. Sharp, wise and funny, Anita is one my favourite sources for commentary on media and the arts.

Tan Geng Hui @tangenghui – A tireless and inspring photographer, Geng Hui first came to my attention because of his ongoing project photographing parts of Singapore that are disappearing in the face of the city’s relentless expansion and modernisation. Adept at both mobile and full frame photography, Geng Hui’s work is a constant favourite of mine.

Brian @litford – A bass player and marketing manager with media company e27, Brian shares a lot of unique links and insights on the local tech and arts scene. He’s also been very generous in sharing articles I write for this blog.

Graham Perkins @grayperks – Graham is the president of the Singapore Music Society and one of the best networked people in Singapore’s creative industries. Having worked with Apple, Adobe and now Fender Musical Instruments as well as living in Singapore for 16 years, Graham is always insightful and a great news source during major events like MusicMatters.

Callan Tham @ctham – One of my favourite Singapore based photographers, Callan is an excellent street photographer. Unlike many photographers on social media, Callan doesn’t just share his own work, or the usual articles on camera technology, he actually shares photos that inspire him and great writing on the art and ethics of photography.

Tan Siok Siok @sioksiok – Entrepreneur and filmmaker, Siok produced Twittamentary an excellent documentary on Twitter use and the impact of social media and regularly shares good links on the film industry, tech and issues across Asia.

Pearl @pearlatplay – One of the most encouraging and positive twitter users in Singapore, Pearl is a talented jeweller with a keen eye for photography and observations about everyday life. And, like many others on this list, Pearl is also quite active on Instagram.

Adrienne Michetti @amichetti – An educator with a passion for travel, Adrienne is one of the best sources I follow on Twitter (not just in Singapore) for articles on ways of working, productivity and kids use of tech. And, she is also an excellent online conversationalist, encouraging a fun sense of online community.

Kevin Mathews @KevinMMathews11 – A musician, songwriter, event organiser and journalist, Kevin is one of the most important and influential voices in the local music scene. He is also an unceasing and inspiring advocate for music in this town and I’m always amazed at the effort he puts into encouraging and supporting young musical talent. Follow him for updates on the best local gigs and acts.

Jamshed Wadia @JamshedWadia – One of the most helpful and positive voices in Singapore’s social media “scene,” Jamshed is a social media strategist for Intel and a good source for tech and business news. He was also one of the most quoted speakers at the recent Social Media Week here.

Social Media Week Singapore recently had an evening with three events focussed on music and social media, sponsored by the online music platform Deezer. The night was hosted by Broadcast HQ, which is a cleverly designed bar, bistro, music store and live venue.

Where Music, Social & Tech Collide

The main event was a panel discussion, chaired by Hidzir Junaini from Juice magazine, with Sandy Monteiro, President South East Asia Universal Music, indie musician Inch Chua, Dean Chew from record label Darker Than Wax and Clement Gosse, Deezer’s Business Development Manager.

Unfortunately, the conversation never really took off, the room was too small for the crowd that turned up with the audience crammed into rows school assembly style and the speakers seated in a row. It was an oddly cold environment for a creative event.

Moreover, the panelists seldom interacted with each other and the moderator did little to get the speakers to elaborate on their comments. This was most evident at two points, when Chew and Gosse spoke back to back; the first when Chew mentioned how young electronica artists are distributing on casette and Gosse (who sadly did little but shill Deezer’s features) suggested digital was a total solution and later, when Chew spoke about the value of Bandcamp for a small label while Gosse followed up with another generalisation about Deezer’s benefits.

Not to be down on Deezer as a service, but it’s these kinds of contrasts that really need to explored if a panel is going to take us any further that what we can learn by just looking up each speaker’s website.

And, this is especially the case in Singapore where music and tech really out to collide more regularly than the currently do. An observation I’ve made (which is backed up every time I talk to experienced people in music here) is Singapore has talented musicians with good ideas, but the execution of those ideas and the online and social media backing those ideas is not always the best.

Inside The Game

“The audience is always smarter than you.”
Inch Chua

Thankfully the event did have it’s good moments. I’ve already mentioned some good points raised by Dean Chew. There was also some frank insights from Inch Chua, especially around how time consuming and unpredictable social media and online communications can be. Chua has recently run a good crowdfunded campaign for her upcoming album and many people (myself included, consider her one of the brightest of the current musical talents emerging from Singapore (a fact supported by her solo showcase later on in the night, which was the best performance I’ve seen from her and followed another great act, soul/electronica duo Octover).

But, somewhat surprisingly, the most engaging speaker of the night was Sandy Monteiro from Universal Music. In my experience, it’s rare to hear a major player in the music industry be as candid and honest, at least while they are still employed. Monteiro spoke openly about how difficult it has been for the industry to adapt to digital and the loss of control over channels of distribution. And, it was good to see a leader in this field acknowledge the human cost of the industry’s upheaval, in terms of jobs lost and people leaving music (just this week we had news the legendary Ocean Way was sold). And, I appreciated his plea for people to be as passionate about music on social media as they are about other pursuits (which makes me wonder why social music platforms never generate as much positive comment as photo and visual curation services).

What Is A Music Scene Anyway?

The one really controversial comment of the night, which attracted a fair bit of murmur in the audience and a lot of comment online came during the question time.

“Singapore does not really have a vibrant local music scene.”
Sandy Monteiro

It would have been good for the moderator to have stopped Monteiro and asked him to unpack this sentence a little, because I suspect there are two things people may have misunderstood. First, what was meant by the phrase “vibrant” and second, what a “music scene,” looks like.

I suspect Monteiro was not saying what many thought, namely Singapore has no musical talent to offer, or this place is a musical desert. Of course, there are good bands and songwriters here and live venues to support them – far more of both than in Hong Kong, for example.

But, a music scene is a lot more than just a few gigs and bands. It’s a community and culture that supports and develops every aspect of music, creating and sustaining careers (I’ve before about this, in How To Develop A Jazz Scene In Hong Kong and A Better Music Scene In Singapore?).

And calling a scene vibrant suggests to me size, diversity, sustainability and optimism. On this point I always keep coming back to Nashville as the success story of our age. There are, to my knowledge, at least four guidebooks in print aimed at helping musicians, producers, engineers and songwriters to “make it” in Nashville.

This suggests a scene vibrant enough to attract people from other parts of the US and in fact, from all over the world, to move there. A really vibrant music scene in Singapore would be evidenced not just by it’s ability to sustain a diversity of (lifelong) careers in music, but by how attractive it would be for people to be based here and want to make music here.

And, yes, that includes foreigners.

Final Thoughts

Probably the most important part of this event were the conversations during and after each session (although the conversations online were limited). I’d call it less about networking, than about encouragement and support for each other’s work, since most people in the room either knew each other or knew of each other.

Perhaps the biggest dissapointment for me was the event was on at the same time as some other parts of Social Media Week Singapore. It would have been good to have some of the high profile tech-focussed “experts” in the room to engage with and comment upon the conversations.

Still, the organisers of Social Media Week here should be thanked for putting together a solid event, with a well balanced panel, a promising music platform and two of the best local acts performing. The music industry is changing fast and it needs innovation and fresh ideas. I still believe Singapore is a place where music and tech can collide and events like this can play a part in helping that happen.

I’ve decided, from this day onwards, I won’t buy another CD.

On Being A Late Adopter

When CDs first came out I was not a fan. It was clear the lack of noise and increased dynamic range were attractive, especially for listening to classical music. But, every time I had the chance to compare the same recordings on CD and Vinyl through a good quality sound system, the difference was staggering, at least to my ears. The CDs sounded harsh, thin, metallic and often profoundly unrealistic.

Sadly, not everyone could hear the difference.

Of course, the quality of music on CD has improved a lot over the years and we now know a lot more about how music behaves in the digital realm than we did thirty years ago. But, truth be told, I never loved the format.

Shoehorned Into Digital

Throughout the early 90s consumers were soon given little choice but to switch over to CD, especially in Australia, where I lived at the time. Like many music fans the experience of being forced into an inferior and more expensive format left a sour taste in the mouth.

As bad as CDs were, MiniDisc (MD) was worse. An attempt at a digital version of cassettes, the format was eventually killed by its cost, poor sound, limited interest from consumers and the eventual rise of MP3.

And, while I was relatively quick to jump on the iPod trend, I was half-hearted about loading my whole catalogue into iTunes or buying music digitally. The original 128 kbit/s AAC sounded terrible to my ears and while the current 256 kbit/s on offer is much better, it’s still not all that great.

Today I have about 40% of my music library in iTunes, all of it ripped at 320 kbit/s AAC, which I consider to be the lowest acceptable quality for casual listening while travelling. Of course, it’s a compromise for the sake of saving some space and giving me a wide choice of music on my iPhone.

A Digital Future

While files compressed at 256 kbit/s or 320 kbit/s are OK for occasional listening, they still don’t match CD quality, which is why I’ve been very reluctant to buy digital downloads.

However, the new Mastered for iTunes standards can give us hope that in the future companies like Apple will be in a position to deliver files at far higher quality standards than current downloads, higher than CD in fact!

Moreover, it should be pointed out the music originally created for vinyl was engineered to work best on that format. Many of the bass and sub-bass heavy genres that have evolved in recent years were made possible (for better or worse) by the extended low end available on digital formats. And high quality digital may also continue to be the best format for some kinds of classical and ambient music as well as spoken word performances.

How I’m Listening Today

My studio monitors, the SE Munro Egg150 are specifically designed for music production. However, they also have inputs (and an EQ setting) for conventional HiFi equipment. So, I’m running a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable as my primary listening device alongside my desk for audio work (I still have a CD player in my Mac Pro, if required).

One of the first things you learn, as you get into audio production is to to develop a good set of “reference” material. This means songs and albums that are not just personal favourites, but ones that are clearly exceptional in terms of production and sound quality.

Listening again and again to your reference material, trains your ear in terms of good sound and helps you make decisions about which gear to buy and how to adjust it in the studio. As acclaimed designer and engineer Rupert Neve puts it,

Inevitably our data bank of “natural” sound is built up on the basis of our personal experience and this must surely emphasize the importance of listening to “natural” sound, and high quality musical instruments within acoustic environments that is subjectively pleasing so as to develop keen awareness that will contribute to a reliable data bank…

…Memory and knowledge of real acoustic and musical events may be the biggest tool and advantage any recording engineer may possess.

Everything we are learning about music cognition suggests our brains rewire themselves over time, based on what we listen to and how we listen to it. If you love music and hope to make music, then you owe it to yourself to listen to music under the best conditions you can manage, because you are actually programming yourself for the moments when you will come to make music.

Music to me sounds best when it is warm, wide and focussed, like a good vinyl recording. Vinyl is my truth; a beautifully deceptive and imperfect truth.

1. Use The Hashtag
Every self respecting event these days will have a hashtag. Look out for the hashtag before the event starts and add it to every relevant tweet you send. Using the hashtag does at least three things. First, it raises the profile of the event (more on that later). Second, it puts your comments in front of other Twitter users at the event, people following from elsewhere (and if there’s a live tweet wall, in front of all attendees). Third, it makes people aware of your presence, even if they don’t follow you (which for me always leads to new followers).

Also, a lot of event organisers don’t really understand the dynamics of Twitter and use very long hashtags. This is cumbersome, slows users down, forces people to write shorter messages and increases the chances users will mistype the hash tag or simply not use it. Don’t be afraid to suggest a shorter hashtag to the organisers, preferably less than seven characters.

2. Take A Photo
If we are to believe the hype, every event is dynamic, well organised and packed to the rafters. But, LiveTweeting is popular because we want to decide for ourselves if the hype is merited.

A great way to help people evaluate an event is with a picture. With one photo you can show the kinds of people in attendance, the size of the audience and the mood of the event.

3. Tweet From A Search
Once you have the hashtag, do a search for it on Twitter. This will show you all the tweets from people using the hashtag. If you press the new tweet button from here Twitter will automatically drop the hashtag into the new tweet. And, if you use a Twitter client, like Hootsuite, adding a saved search for the Hashtag as a stream can help you track the event more quickly.

4. Be Generous
A common misunderstanding of social media involves treating it like a cheap form of self-promotion. But, unless you are already well known and have a large following (much larger than mine), then just blasting your tweets without interacting with other users might well turn out to be an exercise in futility, like shouting at the wind.

So, if you see a good comment or quote, retweet it, instead of saying the same thing yourself. Or, add a comment and include the other person. You’ll get noticed faster and earn far more goodwill this way.

I firmly believe the phrase, “a rising tide floats all boats,” is the best way to approach social media, especially Twitter.

5. Get It Right
If you are going to quote someone, then be precise. If you can’t get the quote down verbatim, then don’t use quotation marks, just write your impression. I’ve seen some credibility destroying situations when attendees react against a misquote, or misrepresentation of something that was said.

And, in a really dense presentation, you might want to take a photo of a slide full of facts, then come back to it later, to make sure you quote the right information.

6. Actually Participate
Don’t just tweet, listen. If LiveTweeting is getting in the way of actually paying attention to the event, then put your device down and engage. Readers what to share your experience, either because they want to compare it to their own, or because they can’t be there to experience it for themselves. But, if Twitter is getting in the way of actually feeling something, then your tweets will be the worse for it.

This might mean you tweet less or even wait till after the event to send your messages out. Besides, given how fast some laser-guided tweeters can type, you will probably never be the most prolific tweeter in the room, but you can still be the most interesting.

7. Create Drafts
Here’s a power user trick. Before the event, load up Twitter (on iOS) or your Twitter client (like Hootsuite) with a series of relevant draft tweets. That way, when you need to say something, you already have some thoughts written, or tweets half finished.

I use this in a few different ways. If I know a speaker is likely to drop some great quotes, then I will create a few drafts with the last part of the message already typed in, like the final quotation mark, their name (or Twitter account) and the event hashtag. That’s 25% of the work of a tweet already done.

And, if I know the topic (or speakers) well, then I might write a few questions, issues or provocations and save them in drafts. Then, it’s super quick to Tweet them, if they become relevant during the event.

8. Pick Your Audience
Who are you tweeting for? The people in the room, or the people outside it? If your focus is the people in the room, quoting something the speaker said is less important than commenting on it, challenging it, or asking others what they thought. But, if your focus is people outside the room, then you’ll need to put your comments in context and pick quotes that will make sense to people who are not hearing the whole presentation.

9. Thank The Organisers
OK, so the coffee sucks, the air-conditioning is too cold and the question time was too short. Big deal. If that’s all you have to say to the event organisers then don’t expect a lot of love in return.

Think about it, the organisers have spent weeks and months on this event and all you can say is the coffee wasn’t hot enough? Where do you expect the conversation to go from there?

Use your opportunity to address the organisers on social media and say something positive instead. Thank them for the event and mention something that inspired you. This helps them raise the profile of the event. You are almost guaranteed a rewteet or two and probably some new followers.

And, this is far more likely to yield a relationship with the organisers. In turn, this will help your chance to get on the inside for future events (where you can take control of the coffee for yourself if it’s that important to you).

10. Follow Up And Follow
Don’t stop tweeting or checking the hashtag the moment you walk out the door. The hour or so after an event finishes are sometimes the richest for comments, retweets and follow-up questions. It’s also a good time to thank people for sharing your tweets and following (and following back) people who engaged with the event.

Coming Into Light is an extraordinarily well put together introduction to the life and work of early photographer and film maker Edward S. Curtis. Originally created for the American Masters TV series on PBS, the film is now available as a standalone documentary. I’m very glad it is, because this is quite a remarkable piece of work, focussing on a true photographic pioneer.

Edward S. Curtis is best known for his twenty volume work, The North American Indian. Initially financed by a $75,000 investment from John Pierpont Morgan (J.P. Morgan), The North American Indian took thirty years to produce and cost Curtis his career, his marriage and all his wealth.

In the process of creating The North American Indian, which began in 1906, Curtis visited eighty tribes and took over forty thousand images. Much of the time he travelled on horseback and horse-drawn carriage with a small team and up to a ton of equipment (he also made audio recordings and films). During the production he also made over one hundred and twenty rail trips from his home in Seattle to his publishers and financiers in New York.

This staggering stamina and determination is well documented in Coming To Light which was directed by Anne Makepeace and helped along by narrators Sheila Tousey (who is a Menominee and Stockbridge-Munsee Indian) and Bill Pullman, who reads from Curtis’ own letters and memoirs.

But, the star of this documentary is Curtis’ own work. While the photos, black & white, sepia and hand-toned often reflect the style of his time, there are many images that look quite modern, with very deliberate and controlled composition.

In fact, Curtis was a master at staging people and props in order to create compelling photographs. And, almost a century before the manipulation of images with photoshop would become popular, Curtis was using darkroom techniques to edit modern objects out of the “historical” photos he was creating.

Curtis himself was a man of humble beginnings. He only had a sixth grade education, but that didn’t stop him building his own camera at the age of twelve and then working his way from manual labour (and the early death of his father) through to starting his own successful photographic business in Seattle. In fact, his success as a society photographer was what allowed him to embark on his documentary work and gave him a style that made his images stand out from other, similar attempts to document Native American people and customs.

Initially, his work proved to be very popular and successful. Apart from the printed tomes, he presented his photos in slideshows accompanied by music. However, he also became a figure of controversy with some anthropologists questioning his methods and research.

Coming Into Light also documents a lesser known part of Curtis’s work, his landmark 1914 docudrama, In The Land Of Headhunters (which first screened seven and a half years before Nanook Of The North). Although based on a fictional narrative and riddled with historical and cultural inaccuracies, the film did contain some accurate depictions of Kwakwaka’wakw rituals, which at the time were banned (a law that stood until 1951). In The Land Of Headhunters was a commercial failure at the time but is now considered to be an important early film.

By the end of his life, interest in the kind of work Curtis produced (and the history of North American peoples in general) had waned, as had the market for expensively produced books like The North American Indian (thanks to the great depression. In fact, the bulk of the existing archive of Curtis’ work lay gathering dust in the basement of a Boston bookstore (having been sold cheaply by the Morgan estate in 1935) until it was discovered by chance in 1972.

Of course this film will appeal to anyone with an interest in photography and history. But, this is also a story about an amazingly focussed and passionate artist who overcame tremendous challenges to produce a legacy of work that has outlived the fashions of his day.

For example, one of this morning’s speakers, Damien Cummings, suggested the passion points in Singapore are shopping, food, tech, travel & work. The mix will vary slightly from city to city. For example, the people I follow from Hong Kong often talk passionately about hiking and running, while those I follow from Adelaide will frequently mention wine or the beach.

The important point is this; to communicate online we have to connect with people’s passions on some level. But, too often we are so obsessed with our own message, the thing we are trying to sell or the idea we are trying to get across, we fail to connect.

Art And Emotion

One of the responses I got on Twitter was a great question from Graham Perkins, president of sgmuso (The Singapore Music Society). Graham asked,

@fernandogros passion points are one thing but what about emotional points? Aren’t they still at the heart of all music?

— Graham Perkins (@grayperks) February 18, 2013

I firmly agree when it comes to talking about the work itself, emotion is everything. What lifts a photograph from just a pretty picture to a work of art are the emotions it evokes in the viewer. And, the difference between music that makes an impact and music that simply exists as a pleasant background noise is largely in the emotional (or perhaps cognitive) responses it generates in the listener.

But, being solely, or even excessively focussed on emotion is part of the reason why many social media efforts on behalf of the arts don’t work.

Some Examples

I’m a huge fan of Hugh MacLeod’s GapingVoid cartoons. I believe his business has grown so well because his art is all about emotion and because he connects with people’s passions. His gallery business evolved from the realisation office workers were printing his cartoons out and putting them up in cubicles. Understanding why workers were doing that was a key insight for Hugh and something he has written about extensively.

It’s a lesson I quickly picked up on when entering the photography world in 2009. I was used to the music world, where artists would often only talk about their own work, frequently in a very self-obsessed way. By contrast, the photographers I was finding, some with really substantial followings, were broader in their interests, more generous in engaging with their followers and more willing to connect with passions, not just to become better photographers themselves, but in other areas as well.

In fact, a lot of the best photographer’s blogs out there really aren’t exclusively photography-focussed at all. Rather, they are about travel, food, romance, religion, tech or even self-help. They are blogs about passions that help sustain artists who evoke emotions.

Life Is Hard – So Start There

I have a little rule for all this that I like to call the “life is hard principle.” Basically it goes like this; people go online largely because life is hard. They are tired, stressed, worried, angry, lonely or trying to figure out a problem. For someone to connect with online content (especially when it comes to subscribing) they need to feel like the content helps them overcome something hard in their life, that it’s part of the solution and not just part of the problem.

And, the biggest problem online is noise; the clutter and confusion, the proliferation of choices.

Being focussed on passions is smart, because it helps us build authentic bridges of connection between ourselves and other people online. Doing this involves talking about more than just our art and how emotionally potent it is. It involves taking seriously the lives of our fans and followers and understanding what motivates them as they try to deal the reality of life’s hardships.

Otherwise, no matter how emotional our art might be (or might seem to us), we’ll just be another voice shouting at the wind.

This morning’s event featured largely frank and jargon-free talks from Laura Balkovich, Head of Social APAC for Google and Damien Cummings, Regional Marketing Director, Digital & Social Media. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it was one of the best sessions on Social Media I’ve attended.

Brands, Google & Social

“Google+ is really the next version of Google.”
Laura Balkovich

Laura Balkovich’s talk was largely a position piece on the way Google understands social interaction online, the changing face of search and the way Google+ is showing us what the future of the internet might look like. Within that the focus was on how important user generated content and online communities are for brands and companies.

A few comments I caught from Balkovich included,

At the beginning of the talk there was a bit of shuffling and snickering when Google+ was first mentioned, with the person next to me saying “I thought Google+ was dead.” By the end of Balkovich’s presentation I could see people around me updating their G+ profiles on tablets and smartphones – an amusing but revealing reversal.

People, Passion & Social

“Social Media = People”
Damien Cummings

Like any good keynote should, Damien Cummings talk really broke open the subject in a refreshing way. I’ve come to be somewhat cynical about big social media events because all to often their focus is claustrophobically narrow, defined by an obsession with brands and metrics.

Cummings did a great job of pulling the focus back onto people and why they use social media in the first place, before talking about brands and the real challenges they face. Some points I noted include,

Takeaway Points

“We’re not fearless in Asia.”
Damien Cummings

Before the event I was talking with a blogger I admire about how difficult it can be locally to get reliable information and access for key events in this city. That conversation was echoing in my ears as I sat and heard Balkovich and Cummings talk about the importance of online communities, influencers and super fans.

Because all too often the focus, in social media related activity, is on brand communication and pumping out spam-ish announcements. But, there’s a lot less focus, far too little in fact, on understanding and developing communities and relationships with key influencers.

I was surprised when Cummings pointed out that most of the largest Twitter accounts are either film/tv stars or companies and that the biggest individuals on Twitter have numbers followers in 12-15k range. As someone in that group I was stunned, because the interaction I get locally from brands in my field, from event organisers and from key companies is close to zero (which is very different to my experience living in Hong Kong or when I travel to other major cities). Clearly something is wrong here.

And, the final point that hit home was the need to transcend location-obsession and connect instead with people’s passions. Most of the arts related social activity I see in Singapore feels very location obsessed and all too often feels outright spammy. This is a topic I’ll come back to after Thursday’s music related Social Media Week events.

So, for now I’d like to say thank you to the Social Media Week Singapore organisers for a thought-provoking event and to Laura Balkovich and Damien Cummings for two great talks.