Title: Music Lineage

One Sentence summary/abstract: This would be an art piece in which musicians could share the timeline of their musical ventures.

Visuals: what will the project look like when built…give 2-4 images:

Simple mock up of what Music Lineage homepage would look like:

Example web page 1 for artist Gregory Alan Isakov:

Example for year 2001 web page when clicked:

These are the audio files that would be on the page starting from the top down:

Example web page 2 for band The Head and the Heart:

Example for year 2006 when web page clicked and expanded:

These are the audio files that would be on the page starting from the top down:

Background: this gives any brief info the viewer needs to better understand the project; e.g. what is the issue you are addressing.

As a lover of music, I always want to know and hear more about musicians that I admire. Being a musician myself, I’m very selective as to what I share with the world, as are most musicians. I feel embarrassed about old recordings from when I was younger, as well as rough recordings of me humming and playing mediocrely. However, I love to hear these recordings of other musicians, as it helps me better understand the process of a musician’s work, as well as seeing their progress. So, although most musicians probably aren’t going to be crazy about people hearing crappy old recordings of them, perhaps if it was presented in a way that shows a story and a progression, it could be a very insightful and attractive piece.

Imagine if you were able to see and hear the development and growth of some of your favorite musicians. It would be amazing. Not only would you be able to see the progression, but you would be able to better understand the influences that affected the musicians. In the end, it would give anyone who is a fan the of musical artists who participate in the piece a greater appreciation for the artists and songs they already love so much, understanding the work required for the completed product.

Explanation: while the project should be able to stand on its own, this section allows you to give any brief info for the viewer.

The idea for this project would be an interactive art piece in which artists would be able to share their story in a timeline through audio. The medium for this piece would simply be a website.  This timeline would include text and images, sharing part of the story through words and sight. However the emphasis of the piece would revolve around audio clips (old recordings, voice memos, rough recordings of old songs, etc). These audio clips would be placed in the timeline and could tell a musician’s story, as well as show their development throughout their life and career.

For one month out of the year (Every July), this website would be visible to the public, allowing fans across the world to search their favorite artists, who participate in this piece, and see their timelines. Artists would have the ability to customize their timeline’s to their own stylistic preferences, but it would always be a timeline that shared previously unshared audio. These audio clips would be imbedded in a manner that users could not download them.

Credits: who was involved, or what sources or inspirations you had for the project. Mention specific classmate feedback, for example.

I knew I wanted to do something with audio, and I was trying to think of what would mean the most to me from my favorite artists. In a conversation with Evan Loignon about the topic, he nudged me in this direction.

Simple budget for estimated cost.

Custom web design: 12-24 weeks to complete – $5,000 – $10,000

(Website would need to give artists ability to put own creative touches on their timelines, thus giving a large amount of freedom, which requires a lot in design aspect)

Web Host: $120 annually

Some marketing could be paid for, but artists participating would be encouraged to promote, so I don’t think it’s really necessary.