My name is Jackie, and I’m the National MEISA Secretary for the ’09-’10 year. ‘m so excited and you should be too! We have a lot of good stuff coming up for you guys this year!

I really have nothing else to say. . . but if I do think of something, I’ll be sure to post again! )

Starting in the Fall 2009 semester, MEIEA is sponsoring a new line of grant funding for MEISA chapters.  Two levels of funding will be available depending on the host institution’s level of membership.  The funding can be used to support a variety of activities intended to advance student education in the music and entertainment industries such as workshops, guest speakers, networking mixers, community service projects, mentoring programs, chapter membership drives, etc.  MEISA Grants will be awarded twice during the academic year, fall and spring.

For more info on the grant program:
http://www.meiea.org/resources/grants.html

When inspiration hits, this is what happens.

Harry Patch (In Memory Of)

i am the only one that got through
the others died where ever they fell
it was an ambush
they came up from all sides
give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
i’ve seen devils coming up from the ground
i’ve seen hell upon this earth
the next will be chemical but they will never learn

There is not much to say about the song since it speaks for itself. Never mind the commercial validity of the song. One cannot avoid the inspired mind.

You can purchase Radiohead’s new song here.

-Kateri Lirio

Here’s the new news…

Mariah Carey’s label, Island Def Jam, is trying something new—lifestyle branding in an artist’s album. Carey gets to be the guinea pig (although IDJ is looking to work with other major artists in these brand deals). In the creation of this mini-magazine booklet with the release of her latest CD, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel”, the ads included are said to reflect Carey’s lifestyle. It is also going to be available for download for those that buy the album online.

It is obvious that this is an opportunity for labels to cross promote their acts with partnered companies, resulting in a higher revenue stream, but what does that mean for the consumer? Does this mini-magazine-with-CD model equate to an irritating internet pop-up ad? This is why Hulu, TiVo and Twitter were conceived. Now we get to queue up new episodes and watch shorter commercials, record TV shows and skip the commercials ALL TOGETHER, and tell people what we had for breakfast in 140 characters or less. People want to cut out the clutter.

Why does Island Def Jam want to add to it?

-Kateri Lirio

In the first full week after Michael Jackson’s death, total album sales shot up to nearly seven million units, a level not seen since early April. Track sales dropped 1% but had risen 9% the prior week, the first full week after Jackson’s death. Track sales in each of the last two weeks exceeded 23 million units, a level not seen since the week ending April 12.

Surely many of these album sales were titles such as “Off the Wall”, “Thiller”, and “The Essential Michael Jackson”. The funniest part is that although album sales had gone up in titles besides Michael Jackson’s albums, digital sales were not affected in these other titles.

In general, albums fared better last week as Sony Music pushed physical product to retail and Jackson received less media coverage. In the week of Jackson’s death, consumers flocked to online retail but the traffic did not benefit other titles. While digital album sales rose 12% that week, total album sales dropped 8% and sales of most current releases languished. Last week, the rush to physical product appears to have driven total sales and helped other titles.

What a difference it actually makes walking into a physical retailer. Here is where “The Jackson Effect” comes into play.

Scenario 1: MJ Fan #1 is devastated with Jackson’s death but is at work and cannot leave his cubicle to console himself with “Dirty Diana”. Best option? He downloads the song from his iPhone 3G S via Apple iTunes, and the nostalgic grieving can begin.

Scenario 2: MJ Fan #2 is also devastated with Jackson’s death, but she has to pick up the kids from school and make a run to Target for some anti-wrinkle serum and a Jackson album to heal her soul. While the kids are fighting over the Hannah Montana doll in aisle thirteen, MJ Fan #2 sees a “Michael Jackson’s Greatest Hits” in the bins. She grabs that, but right next to it is the latest Jonas Brothers concert CD entitled, “Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience”. She thinks, this would be something fun for the kids to listen to on the way home. And now MJ Fan #2 is walking out with her Jackson album, anti-wrinkle cream, and what seems to be another album that just happened to be sitting in the “J” section at Target.

Apart from our move to digital packaging, the lack of customers at physical retailers have been a contributor to the decline of album sales. It reminds me of the classic loss leader example one of my professors gave to justify The Guns N’ Roses deal with Best Buy. You’d walk in buying the CD, and walk out with the CD AND a new refrigerator.

So will “The Jackson Effect” heal the world of lacking album sales? No, but it is nice to know that the majors and some artists can enjoy a little recoupment for now.

Kateri Lirio (Cal Poly Pomona)

Jonathan Yost - The Emperor

Enter former Cal Poly Pomona alumnus and MEISA member, Jonathan Yost with Racket Magazine. Because paper is expensive and life is too short for Hawthorne Heights, Yost, along with a cohort of fervert writers conceived Racket Magazine (or Racket Mag, for short) in search for the truth…or how the truth seems to be. Racket Mag started out four years ago, mainly focusing on music: the latest bands, shows, cd reviews, and general badassery. The publication has now expanded to movies, art, “skater shit”, and books, to name a few categories.

Whether it’s some seasonal beer from Sam Adams, San Diego’s Comic-Con or some random skate event, we’ll try to keep you up on all the cool shit. Now, this is not to be confused with a promise to keep you hip on the latest trends because frankly, most of lock ourselves in our rooms during the day and don’t get out much.

I think the coolest part about Racket Mag are the band interviews. They have interviewed a wide variety of acts such as Katy Perry, Tech N9ne, Saosin, GWAR, Billy Talent, and the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. The writers tend to take on non-conventional, conversational (which oddly enough should be more conventional) methods in questioning these bands. I figure this because, well, who wants to read the material everyone can find on Rolling Stone or Billboard? Racket Mag’s often hilariously opinionated but informative articles make it a great read for entertainment industry enthusiasts or general do-nothingers.

Send Jonathan your love: Jonathan@racketmag.com

With love from the West Coast, Kateri Lirio (Cal Poly Pomona)

Let us know! Email Chevon Hines: MEISA.NATIONAL.PR.DIRECTOR@gmail.com.

And just a bit of a teaser here…The MEISA executive board has been working very hard to put together something new for you to further your chapters and professional careers!

Stay tuned, and stay cool!

National MEISA