Today (6/3) a new organization, ChicagoStreetMusicians.org–co-founded by Gabe Chapman and Sarah Barnes–debuts on its website, on YouTube and via links sent to key contacts an ambitious video designed to bring the music of the street to the ears of the general public. For the video Barnes secured the rights to “Sweet Home Chicago,” had noted composer Gary Fry draft a composition and lined up street musicians to sing the song–eight groups, eight locations, one day on the streets of Chicago.
Barnes gravitated to director Mark Schimmel (of production company Once Upon a Time, Inc.) whom she worked with a few years ago back when she was a marketing manager with Discover Card. According to Schimmel, she initially wanted a small student crew to shoot the video. Schimmel related, “I loved the concept and felt that the cause was worthy of my time and I offered to produce, direct and edit the project.”
The fledging organization paid for parking, sandwiches for the crew, and later dinner. Schimmel had several self-described ground rules for the one-day shoot, including the crew and gear had to fit in one large SUV–provided by ChicagoStreetMusicians.org–and all the musicians had to be secured every hour on the hour at the determined location. Schimmel also secured the promise of full movie credits and “the opportunity to create the movie I envisioned.”
He brought cameraman Randy Riesen and sound man John Mathie into the fold. “We hit the streets with a Panasonic 3000, handful of P2 cards, small monitor, reflectors and all of John’s gear in one neat package.” (Mathie provided all of the mics, stands, and critical gear to capture the incredible sounds of the street musicians.)
Schimmel characterized the situation as being “a step up from student film making and a step down from a documentary crew. No electricity–all battery power, God was my gaffer. Something really incredible happens when you are not getting paid to work. You fall in love with your craft all over again. You are not doing this because you have to, you are doing this because you want to, you need to and most of all, you love to. We, all eight of us, were there to create something special and if you believe, magical (me, Randy, John, two helpers, one PA, and the two organization founders).
The weather was cooperative during the weekday shoot as was the City of Chicago, police and the musicians, who were all on time and ready to play.
“Just after lunch,” recalled Schimmel, “I set a shot on the East side of the Art Institute for a young unknown artist named Crystal Bowersox. She arrived in a beat up vehicle with baby in one arm and a guitar in the other…As Crystal pulled up, her rear bumper basically fell off her car and landed on the pavement. I am not making this up. Gaffer tape was used to secure her bumper after her performance. Crystal and all the musicians were the real deal. People who have talent and the gift for creating music. They love to play and share their love with anyone who will stop and listen.
“We shot Crystal on the street corner as my 15-year-old daughter baby sat her son,” continued Schimmel. “Crystal sang ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ as passers-by never gave her a second look. Had they only known that months later she would be one of the most popular new musical talents in America (runner-up last month on American Idol). When Crystal was finished, everyone agreed there was something incredible about her voice and her performance.”
At the end of a long day, Schimmel had a couple hours of footage and 48 music tracks. Schimmel said, “It took Gary Fry over four months to edit the tracks and it took me slightly longer to edit picture to Gary’s brilliance. All of the music is performed by the street musicians. The project had a controlled release in April, only to be pulled (in anticipation of Crystal’s high finish on American Idol).”
Bowersox has proven she’s a primetime talent, and so too are other yet-to-be-discovered street musicians and vocalists. ChicagoStreetMusicians.org hopes its video will spur on that discovery process.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More