Wednesday 19 Jun
 
 

Kanye West — Yeezus

Try as you might, but there’s no escaping Kanye West. Turn on the TV, radio, computer — hell, take a stroll downtown and you might see his mug projected on the side of a building. It’s an undeniable fact of life in 2013: Kanye West is bigger than Buddha, Krishna and The Beatles (today, anyway) and he’ll be the first to let you know about it.
06/18/2013 | Comments 0

John Moreland — In the Throes

With the soul of a poet and the look of a Sons of Anarchy extra, Tulsa’s John Moreland has been gifted the sort of gravely, booming voice that does Bruce Springsteen proud and a similar understanding of the universal human experience. It’s made for some fantastic records — both as a solo artist and with his dissolved Black Gold Band — and In the Throes is his best yet.
06/19/2013 | Comments 0

Jumpship Astronaut — Lights Burn Out

Oklahoma has never been the haven for electronic rock music that it is for country, folk and, as of late, psychedelic pop, but from the sound of Lights Burn Out, Oklahoma City upstart Jumpship Astronaut seems intent on changing that.
06/12/2013 | Comments 0

Various artists — Reaching Out

Like so many Oklahomans, the local music scene has responded with generosity and grace in the wake of last month’s tragedy in Moore. In the weeks since, droves of local musicians have banded together for benefit concerts and radio marathons to raise funds for the relief effort, and with extraordinary results.
06/04/2013 | Comments 0

Progress in Color — Get Well

It’s been a long, bumpy ride for Glenpool’s Progress in Color, which saw a record deal with Epic evaporate before even one record could come of it, but it’s led the outfit to where it was supposed to be.
06/04/2013 | Comments 0
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Music

It’s who you know


ACM@UCO CEO Scott Booker’s industry connections help students get ahead in the music biz.

Matt Carney May 9th, 2012  

An eerie, ambient musical drone hung above the inside of the ACM@UCO Performance Lab, interrupted every so often by an alien voice warning that five minutes were left in the session.

Scott Booker and Ben Folds
Matt Carney

“Brian Eno sent that over for Booker,” assured a tall, bearded man monitoring the space, in which five music industry professionals — whose experience ran the gamut from big-name booking agent to major-scale event production — were in conference with inquisitive students of ACM@UCO, aka the School of Rock.

“Booker” is Scott Booker, ACM’s very well-connected CEO; and the gathering, Industry Link, connects the school’s pupils with working professionals.

“It’s kind of like speed-dating,” explained David Goad, who leads the local post-punk band Of the Tower.

Nashville singer and voice coach Jaime Babbitt met with Goad and about half a dozen other students during a recent event.

“David was looking to eradicate the mix area of the voice,” Babbitt said. “I told him to build up his strength in a way that would allow him to sing more strongly, and to belt in a way that isn’t going to harm him. He mentioned that he screamed a bit, too.”

She offered Goad a few proactive exercises that hopefully will improve his singing voice, while also sustaining it for a long career. She also encouraged him to continue listening to a wide range of artists while still in his formative years, a creative notion she feels ACM supports.

“I think [the students] are encouraged to be open thinkers,” Babbitt said.

“And they get to explore different aspects of their creativity that may not be encouraged by other universities.”

Cameron Neal, who sings for psych-rockers Horse Thief, said he’s participated in Industry Link each semester.

“We’re looking for some business advice — learning where we can fit in and what sort of opportunities our sound affords us,” Neal said.

Launched in 2009, ACM@UCO offers college instruction on various aspects of the music industry.

Hey! Read This:
Horse Thief CD review
Of the Tower feature

 
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