Media Meditation #2: bring on the noyes!

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I have recently been spending a good amount of time with a recently acquired friend, Nick Noyes (pronounced noise). Over the summer, we were part of a small group that went to a number of concerts, on some hikes, and a couple crystal shows together, in addition to just hanging out, and making art. It was during these times that Nick would whip out his guitar and play.



Because he does so much outdoors, like mining crystals, going on hikes, and traveling cross-country, I have him fairly separated from the media in my mind. But even something as simple as listening to his CD, or examining the type of music he plays (loop recordings), shows that he, as a musician at least, is very involved in the media. Additionally, he has his music on Facebook, videos up on Youtube, and posts his tour dates in multiple places online.

This has been a really effective way of him getting his name out in the world of music, as it has done with many other artists. For example, The Mclovins, a jam band comprised of three 16 and 17 year olds from right outside of Hartford, CT. Two years ago, they posted a video of them in a basement, playing “You Enjoy Myself,” by Phish on Youtube.



It quickly blew up, getting thousands of views, and in the past two years, they have played over 125 shows, including a number of festivals, like moe.down.X., Nateva, Mountain Jam, StrangeCreek, Gathering of the Vibes, and Wormtown.


It is amazing how much of a role the media has played in the publicity of hundreds of independent artists, and has allowed for music to be made and become popular without the confines of main stream music.