Strategy For Writing Melodies

On my music blog I posted about a melody-writing strategy I've used with good results.

There's also a number method I find quite handy when I'm feeling tuneful.

Ideas For Promoting Music On MySpace

New Ideas For MySpace (Relating To Music)


Ideas For Promoting Music On MySpace

Chorus Line: A New Way to Find Music and Promote Unsigned Bands And Performers

I've been thinking recently about the problems and the sheer work involved in finding new music online from new bands, and how solving these problems would also help bands and performers to promote their work. So I've devised this idea and submitted it to the Global Ideas Bank:

Chorus Line: A New Way to Find Music and Promote Unsigned Bands And Performers

The Problem

The problem exists for two groups: music lovers (or music seekers) and unsigned bands/performers.

The music seeker: The problem for the music seeker is a simple one: you want to quickly find lots of new music from new bands/performers but it takes so long to navigate around the different websites and pages.

Bands/Performers: Thus this obviously creates a big problem for bands! -- their music is much less likely to be heard if people cannot access lots of new music quickly and easily.

What’s needed is a quick way for people to hear lots of new music from different bands/performers, and to be able to pick out the music they want to hear more of – to sort the wheat from the chaff, if you like.

The Solution

“The Chorus Line”

In A Nutshell: The Chorus Line is a compilation of many choruses from different songs, and each of these songs is by a different unsigned band/performer.

When a listener plays the Chorus Line they hear ten seconds of a song (the chorus) before the Chorus Line proceeds to the next song and then the song after that etc.

Selecting Favourites: If the listener likes the chorus currently playing and wants to hear the whole song they have the option to either:

Listen to the entire song now

Or

If they wish to continue listening to the current Chorus Line, they can save the song to their favourites to be listened to at a later time.

Chart: Charts would be compiled showing the most saved songs, and the most listened to songs.

A Rough Idea Of How Chorus-Line Could Look:


Note: The "Play" marker can be dragged either backwards (as rewind) or forwards (as fast-forward).

The Winners’ Hierarchy

If there are say, one hundred songs on one day’s Chorus Line and a “winner” is picked (the song with the most entire listens) then that song could be included in a monthly Chorus Line compiled to find “The Song Of The Month”. Thus there could also be a "Song Of The Year" feature.

Where?

Chorus Line could be created on a new website, or an existing site linked with music (such as MySpace or YouTube) could introduce the feature.

Further Options and Possibilities

1) The Band/performer could have options on what part of a song is added to the Chorus Line: they may opt to add just a chorus, or alternatively they could add a verse and the chorus, or the introduction and the chorus, or the chorus and the instrumental etc.

2) The listener could decide how much of each song is heard – for example, they may decide that they’d like to hear ten seconds of a verse of each song, and twenty seconds of the chorus. Or maybe they want to hear more songs in a short time and feel that they could pick out the good songs on hearing just five seconds of each chorus.

3) There could be a comprehensive library featuring all songs that featured on the Chorus Line and all past winners.

4) Statistics (and another chart) could be created about how many people decide to visit a band/performer’s webpage after hearing their song through Chorus Line.

5) Each day’s Chorus Line could be sponsored. Perhaps each day’s Chorus Line could be sponsored by an established band/performer, and a Chorus Line could be created featuring that band’s entire output, to help promote their music.

Different Types Of Chorus Line Possible

1) Individual bands and performers would be able to download the Chorus Line software so that they could make their own Chorus Line but featuring just their own songs. This Chorus Line could be added to their own MySpace page to enable visitors to be able to form a quick impression of the band and, if they decide to hear more, they can choose which songs they like the most to hear in their entirety.

2) A Chorus Line could be created to help choose the shortlist for the Eurovision Song Contest. The public could thus be involved in all stages of the Eurovision selection process.

3) Chorus Lines featuring vocalists could be created so that songwriters can quickly find suitable vocalists for their songs.

4) “A Capella” Chorus Line for songwriters: If someone writes songs and does not have the musical ability or the resources to pay for professional demos, they could sing their songs A Capella to be included in a Chorus Line. Visitors (and statistics) would inform the songwriter which are the best songs to pursue, and also listeners – if they like the song – could opt to assist in making demos.

5) A Chorus Line could be made for the purpose of displaying the talents of musicians. For example, a guitarist could add their work to a Chorus Line and people looking for a guitarist would be able to listen to that Chorus Line to speed their search.

6) Different Chorus Lines could be created for different music genres: eg. one for dance music, one for country music etc.

7) When a number of different artists have covered a song (particularly on YouTube) there could be a “Battle of the covers” – a Chorus Line featuring the chorus of each cover.

8) A Chorus Line could be created for people who have written music but are looking for someone to write the lyrics. Thus lyricists would be able to quickly find songs that inspire them.

9) If someone has created a YouTube video, is looking for suitable backing music and wants to encourage unsigned bands/performers, a Chorus Line could be created with music that video-makers can choose as backing.

I would really like to see this idea up and running. What are your thoughts? What don't you like about the idea? What can be improved? Please let me know either by leaving a comment or emailing me.

songwriting
music
music promotion

92 Tips for Improving Your Creativity!

Harvesting the "Hidden" Ideas in Society

I started the following challenge on Imagination Club:

There is a saying "There is a book in everyone". It's also often true that there is "A good idea in everyone". I often speak to people and they tell me that they have a good idea -- often an idea that won't make money for them or anyone else -- but could change the world for the better. Often they add that they don't know what to do about it to get it "out there".

Here's the challenge:

How can we harvest and organise these "hidden" ideas?

and then perhaps...

How could we get some actualised?

It's worth bearing in mind that I'm thinking of an ordinary "person in the street" -- by that I mean someone who probably doesn't think about actively using their creativity or joining imagination clubs! :)


You can join Imagination Club here

and read the club archives here

I've toyed with idea of attempting to find a way to harvest these "hidden" ideas through some kind of project involving the Global Ideas Bank but it will be interesting to see what ideas the Imagination Club members come up with!


imagination
creativity

Flip-flop Technique for Creating Ideas and Fresh, Relevant Brainstorming Challenges

This flip-flop technique can quickly generate a list of ideas and fresh, relevant brainstorm challenges. There are three key stages:

1) I create (or find an existing) brainstorm challenge
2) I create an idea for that challenge
3) (The most important stage) I create a hindsight-brainstorm: that is, I look at the idea created at stage 2 and ask "If a brainstorm challenge had created this idea, what could that brainstorm challenge have been? How would it have been worded?"

Example

Say, for example, I am the boss of a pizza shop and I want to improve my business. I can set the brainstorm challenge:

How can I improve my pizza shop?

It's not too difficult to create an idea for this. Maybe:

Have a varied menu

Now for the hindsight-brainstorm: I ask myself: What brainstorm challenge could've created that idea? Maybe:

How can I attract customers?

The cycle continues and for this I create the idea:

Provide small samples of pizzas

Hindsight-brainstorm: What brainstorm could have created this idea? Maybe:

How can I get people to try my pizzas?

Idea: Go to local sporting events and open a stall with samples

Hindsight-brainstorm: How can I use local sporting events to attract customers?

Idea: Put advertising posters at local sports grounds

Hindsight-brainstorm: How can I use local sports grounds to promote my pizzas?

Idea: Offer a catering service for events/functions held at the sports ground

Problems and possibilities

Problem: Can't think of any ideas?

If my brainstorm challenge is:

How can I make my pizza menu interesting?

and I can't think of any ideas, I can simply ask the question: In what ways is the pizza menu already interesting? One possibility could be:

It has lots of striking colours

which expressed as an idea reads:

Add lots of colour to make the menu more appealing

From this point I can either build on that idea and increase the degree (add yet more colours (maybe to appeal to children?) to the menu) or create a hindsight-brainstorm such as:

What would make my menus more appealing?

Problem: Can't create a hindsight-brainstorm?

If I'm struggling to think of a hindsight-brainstorm for any idea, I can choose one of Kipling's six honest serving men -- what, who, when, where, why, how (here's a mnemonic) -- and pick one random word from the idea to see if I can combine the two to construct a hindsight-brainstorm challenge.

For example, if my idea is:

Provide small samples of pizzas

My hindsight-brainstorms could be (among many options)

(What & pizza) = what can I do with pizzas to attract new customers?
(Who can't create a hindsight-brainstorm for this idea)
(When doesn't work)
(Where doesn't work)
(Why & pizza) = why would I cut a pizza into small pieces?
(How & small) = how can I give customers a sample or "small taste" of my products?

Possibility: Keeping one challenge or idea

Of course, at any stage I can decide to keep using one hindsight-brainstorm challenge and continue creating ideas. If the brainstorm is: How can I use local sporting events to attract customers? My ideas could include:

Sponsor a local sporting event
Start a new sports event -- the "pizza shop cup"!
Put advertising at local sports events
Offer discounts to sports fans who can provide a ticket from the sports event

And I can create multiple hindsight-brainstorms from one idea. If my idea is: attract passers-by by putting special offers in the window, my hindsight-brainstorms could include:

Where can I advertise special offers?
Who would be attracted by special offers in the window?
How can I target passers-by?
Why would I be putting something in the window?

Game/Exercise

I started this game/exercise in BrainReactions' Brainstorming Tool :

Flip-Flop Brainstorming Challenges/Ideas: How Can I Improve My Creativity?

Will be interesting to see how it pans out!



brainstorming
ideas
creativity

More Story-Writing for Brainstorming Ideas and a Possible Method

I've been posting lately about my thoughts on creating ideas for brainstorms by writing stories (and dialogue). One approach I'd like to pursue involves writing a fictional brainstorm, with dialogue created for each of the brainstorm participants.

One technique I've developed has led to an interesting idea that could, perhaps, increase the output of group brainstorms. With this story-writing technique I choose a character from the fictional brainstorm and imagine that the character is reflecting on the brainstorm at some date in the future. (There are some specific methods I've developed to create the dialogue but I'll describe them in another post in the future). So, for example, a character - say, Dan - reflects:

The first ten minutes of that brainstorm had a lot of stopping!

This functions as a thought experiment, and it led to two ideas:

1) (An obvious idea) Brainstorms have frequent breaks

2) An individual calls "Stop!" at random intervals.

My thoughts on the second idea are: what if...the "stopper" called for a stop when a participant was half way through calling out an idea? What if...the other participants tried to complete the idea? What if...a separate team of brainstormers could read the output of a brainstorm but could only see obscured versions of each of the ideas -- some words would be omitted from either the beginning or the end of the ideas, and the second team of brainstormers would have to complete the ideas? Would they generate new ideas by doing this?

Something like this could be done for a brainstorming tool like BrainReactions' Brainstorming Tool: Instead of accessing a brainstorm normally, you could also have the option to view an obscured version, where words would be omitted from the existing ideas.

Here are some examples of "creative omissions" using some ideas from last week's live brainstorm about plastic bag recycling:

With words omitted from the end of ideas

Use them as...

Grind them up and use them...

Have special lectures or sessions in...

lower the quality of plastic bags to...

Devise machines that...

With words omitted from the beginning of ideas

...that were stuffed with old bags?

...using plastic bags of different colors.

...to raise awareness about the waste.

...use it when you go grocery shopping next time

...in any outdoor park area




brainstorming
ideas
creativity

ThinkCube Competition

Kes Sampanthar of MetaMemes started a competition on BrainReactions' BrainStorming Tool:

Innovation Competition: How can you promote / market a new innovative product?

Generate ideas to promote and market a new innovation product, ThinkCube. More information - www.metamemes.com - Ideas are specific and actionable - Ideas require minimal budget End Date: 10/19/2007


Glitter and I were awarded joint first place. My idea was:

Become a facilitator for live brainstorms on BrainReactions - or in a chat room or a facility on your own site - and, if possible, use the ThinkCube as a guide to aid you in prompting participants. Have a different challenge each week. Log all the best ideas on your website.

and Glitter's was:

Donate ThinkCube to non-profit organizations to help them develop innovative ideas.

In this post on the MetaMemes blog, Kes posts his final shortlist and the two ideas that Sue Sampanthar selected as the winners. Kes goes on to say that he'll be starting the brainstorm I suggested in the next couple of weeks and also starting a brainstorm to select a problem for the brainstorm to address. I'll post news about these events on this blog when I get it.

Can you think of different "angles of attack" for this brainstorm?

I started the following Brainstorm on BrainReactions' Brainstorming Tool:

Can you think of different "angles of attack" for this brainstorm?

based on the brainstorm:

What would be a unique name for a new carwash business?

Obviously the initial approach is to directly make a suggestion for a name. But there are other approaches such as "consult a marketing expert" or "look at existing names for carwash businesses in Yellow Pages for inspiration".

Eventually I'm hoping that somehow I will be able to devise a system/strategy to generate many different ways to approach and solve any problem. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on how this could be done.



brainstorming
ideas
creativity

Story-Writing Used in a Brainstorm and Generating Fresh Brainstorm Topics

In this post I showed how "going into story" can help create ideas for a brainstorm. Here I use that approach again and introduce a new technique that can suggest fresh brainstorm topics. For this post I'll use the following brainstorm:

What would be a unique name for a new carwash business?
Initially this will be a "touchless" carwash, but future plans will include detailing, car care products and other high end features that will make this business the destination for car enthusiasts that really care for their investment.

To "go into story" I set up a simple scenario around the challenge. I'll use this: a man drives his car into the carwash business and the carwash owner starts a conversation.

Again I use a random word and add either an exclamation mark or question mark to suggest a little flavour for my dialogue. The random word is ten

Owner: The sign with the name of my garage is ten metres long!

This may or may not be a good idea, but here's where the new technique comes in: I ask myself : if that idea had been a product of a brainstorm, what could the title of that brainstorm be? Here's a possibility

How can I make the name (or logo) of my business attract attention?

This creates a different direction in addition to the original challenge. I call this technique the hindsight-brainstorm.

Here's another example. The scenario is the same and the random word for my dialogue is mark:

Owner: Can you give the name of my business a mark out of ten?
Driver: Zero!
Owner: I'll change it!

So the idea created here is: ask customers to rate my company name. I can create a hindsight-brainstorm that could have originated such an idea. Maybe:

How can I get constructive feedback on my business from customers?




brainstorming
ideas
creativity