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SPARS SoundBite Columns










	
SPARS SoundBite | Why Participate in NAMM?

	
Jan  1, 2012, 
	By Kirk Imamura and Paul Christensen

	
	

	
	
The National Association of Music Merchants produces two shows annually—the NAMM Show in Anaheim and Summer NAMM in Nashville. This month, the NAMM Show will again take over the Anaheim Convention Center. The mission of NAMM, established in 1901, remains the same: “to strengthen the music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music.” 
...

	





	
SPARS SoundBite | Make Mine High-Res

	
Dec  1, 2011, 
	By David Glasser
	
	

	
	
It’s hardly news that the marketplace for music is much different than it was when many of us started in this industry and built our studios and businesses. Our capability to produce audio to the highest technical standards is easier than ever, even as the trend has been to consume music at low resolution. But this is changing, at least incrementally, as high-resolution downloads are available for sale from several Websites. When iTunes starts to offer 96k downloads, the market for high-quality audio will greatly increase.
...

	





	
SPARS SoundBite | Mentorship

	
Nov  1, 2011, 
	By Sherri Tantleff

	
	

	
	
I was lucky enough to have not one but two mentors. These incredible women taught me not only the logistics of my job and the industry, they also taught me the subtleties of how to navigate through them. I learned  when to react and when to lay low. They gave me tips on how to deal with different types of people and challenging situations. I wanted to be just like them and emulate their style and poise. They were my education after my education, and they appeared at different times in my career. 
...

	





	
SPARS SoundBite | The Future In Numbers

	
Oct  1, 2011, 
	By Kirk Imamura
	
	

	
	
Every organization related to pro audio has been affected by the democratization of content creation. New, powerful tools that aid songwriting, music creation/production and audio recording have opened the doors to many, many more individuals, whether in music, sound design or post. To illustrate the macro effects of this type of explosive growth, let’s look at the recent experience of ASCAP. ...

	





	
SPARS SoundBite | Film Is a Sound Idea

	
Sep  1, 2011, 
	By Jonathan Pekar
	
	

	
	
At Ardent Studios, our job is to create entertainment­—any way possible. While we are rooted in the foundations of rock ’n’ roll from our 45 years in Memphis, we have seen the power of the visual. Sound and picture have gone hand-in-hand since the 1920s, and today the relationship is even closer. There isn’t a music industry or a film industry anymore, and soon there won’t even be a traditional broadcast industry. There is just the entertainment industry. The demand for video content—with superior audio—is exploding with the advent of streaming and downloads.
...

	





	
SPARS SoundBite | What Makes a Quality Recording Studio

	
Aug  1, 2011, 
	By Kirk Immamura, president/director
	
	

	
	
SPARS has embarked upon a quest to seek out recording studios that have not only survived but are thriving today, in an effort similar to what Tom Peters did when he wrote In Search of Excellence. We recently talked to a few studio owners who have done a really good job adapting to the conditions of their respective markets.
...

	





	
SPARS SoundBite | Local Music Communities

	
Jul  1, 2011, 
	By Kirk Immamura, president/director
	
	

	
	
Welcome to the new SPARS column, where we will inform you of what we are doing to move the industry forward. Last month we spotlighted our new Board of Directors, including five newly elected pros representing Los Angeles, the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. The geographic diversity is important, as one of the primary initiatives of SPARS in the coming years will be to bring national focus on each and every recording community.
...

	






            
   



               





			



	

	


		
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
		






		
		
		
		
		

		
		
		
		
		
		    
    

    
      
    
      









    
    

    



		
		
		
		
		
		
		
		

		
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
		



	
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