For Release: August 18, 2008
Special Events Enhance Exceptional 125th AES Convention
Daily Keynotes, Evolution of Electronic Interfaces, Graham Blyth Recital
SAN FRANCISCO: “Distinguishing ‘Special Events’ from traditional AES Convention activities is like splitting hairs,” remarks 125th Convention Co-Chair Valerie Tyler. “Every element of the program is selected for its relevance and appeal. That being said, our Special Event Committee Chair Chandra Lynn, and Vice-Chair Larry The O have developed an exceptional series for our attendees.”Founder and principal of Glow Marketing, a leading entertainment industry consulting firm, Chandra Lynn’s industry credentials provided her with access to a world-class cadre of keynote speaker options. To take full advantage of this wealth of candidates, the program has been expanded to include daily ‘Lunchtime’ Keynote events.
Thursday, October 2, 1:00PM
OPENING CEREMONY KEYNOTE: THE ARTIST OWNS THE INDUSTRY - CHRIS STONE Record Plant co-founder Stone will explore music industry trends and opportunities, and what it takes to succeed in today's environment. Speaking from his strengths as a business/marketing entrepreneur, Stone will focus on the artist’s need to develop a sophisticated approach to operating their own business, and, how traditional engineers can play a meaningful role in the ongoing evolution of the recording industry.
Friday, October 3, 1:00 – 2:00 PM
LUNCHTIME KEYNOTE: THE WORLD’S FIRST AUDIO RECORDINGS; THEIR RECOVERY AND RESTORATION - DAVID GIOVANNONI, FIRST SOUNDS - An informal collaborative of audio engineers and historians, First Sounds recently made international headlines by playing back a phonautogram made in Paris in April 1860. The discovery established a forgotten French typesetter as the first person to record reproducible airborne sound 17 years before Edison invented the phonograph. Primitive and nearly accidental, these early recordings posed unique technical challenges Giovannoni will discuss their recovery and restoration.
Saturday, October 4, 1:00-2:00PM
LUNCHTIME KEYNOTE: THE MUSIC BUSINESS IS DEAD – LONG LIVE THE NEW MUSIC BUSINESS! - PETER GOTCHER, TOPSPIN MEDIA - A high-level view of the changing business models in today’s music industry. Gotcher will explain why artists can no longer derive their income from record labels providing tiny shares of high-volume sales. He will explore multiple revenue streams for artists; the importance of getting rid of unproductive middlemen; and generating more revenue from fewer fans.
Saturday, October 4, 8:00-9:00PM
ORGAN RECITAL: GRAHAM BLYTH - A highlight of every AES convention at which he performs. This year's recital will be held at St. Mary's Cathedral, a modern structure with a panoramic view of San Francisco. The cathedral's Ruffatti organ was designed for the Baroque repertoire which Blyth will use to great advantage. St. Mary’s Cathedral is located at 1111 Gough Street in San Francisco.
Sunday, October 5, 11:00 – 1:00 PM
LUNCHTIME PANEL: THE EVOLUTION OF ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT INTERFACES; PAST PRESENT, FUTURE: Moderator Gino Robair, editor of Electronic Musician magazine and panelists Don Buchla, Roger Linn, Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith pioneers in electronic/computer music instruments and members of the Dead President's Society. Developing musical instruments based on new technologies and making them intuitive, musically useful and appealing to musicians requires more than just a feature-rich box with a sexy industrial design. This panel will discuss issues ranging from interface design to avoiding the mistakes of the past when designing products for the future.
“The special events committee worked hard to pull together a stellar lineup of keynotes this year,” Chandra Lynn said. “I’d like to thank them, and especially my vice-chair Larry The O, for their hard work and volunteer effort. The keynote participants are first-class and I have no doubt that they will deliver impactful presentations to the AES attendees.”
The 125th AES Convention will be held in San Francisco’s Moscone Center October 2-5, 2008. For information please visit www.aes.org.
Photo: 125th AES Special Event Committee Chair Chandra Lynn. Please credit photo by Alex Storm courtesy of Dolby Labs
###
Currently celebrating its 60th anniversary, The Audio Engineering Society was formed in 1948 by a group of concerned audio engineers. The AES counts over 14,000 members throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Japan and the Far East. The organization serves as the pivotal force in the exchange and dissemination of technical information for the industry. For additional information visit http://www.aes.org.