It's hard to imagine a tune like John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" being written today, even less so something like the '80s classic "We Are the World."
These kinds of heartfelt, big dream, political tunes -- and sit-ins at the Montreal's Ritz Hotel, for that matter -- just don't mesh with contemporary culture. But now, a new kind of inspiring, unite-the-world tune is emerging with the help of the latest technology.
The 1961 Ben E. King classic tune "Stand by Me" has been covered by countless artists over the years, but never quite like the most recent rendition currently making a splash online, created through the growing movement in online musical collaboration. The new version of "Stand by Me" includes musicians of all stripes recorded at sites across the globe -- including New Orleans, Amsterdam, Rio de Janeiro, and the Congo, to name a few.
YouTube is calling for musicians to submit an audition video of them playing sheet music from a new Tan Dun composition. The best entries will be made into a collaborative virtual performance played online, and a group will also be selected to perform at New York city's Carnegie Hall in April 2009.
In some ways, both projects are reminiscent of Matt Harding's tremendously popular globe-trotting dance videos, often called "Where the Hell Is Matt," which have amassed more than 25 million views, and which continue to grow in popularity because they achieve -- with such simplicity -- what the Internet promised to do in the first place: connect ordinary people.
While the Internet has often been criticized for having the opposite effect -- further isolating us from one another -- the Harding videos, and even more so this new kind of musical collaboration, shows us the best of what's possible with online technology.
Related Tyee stories:
- Bad Dancing, Huge Fame
VIDEO: Why an average guy got 20 million views. - Religious Relief
VIDEO: In the political-cultural turf war, humor is in sight. - Humiliation Fatigue?
VIDEO: Unlike most of today's public comedy, Improv Everywhere wants to spread joy.
Read more: Video, Music, Science + Tech
Tyee Commenting Guidelines
Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.
Do:
Do not: