Here’s the thing about Canada. We have great music. You can’t deny it! Someone mentioned to me the other day that there must be something in the water here, that allows us to produce so many great musical artists. I thought I’d put together an All-Canadian playlist for iTunes, of some of my favourite (with a “u”!) Canadian artists. Some you’ll probably know well, even if you are from other countries. Some may be new to you, even if you are Canadian. But what they all have in common is they are just simply great tunes. I’ve provided links and background on each artist/song, because I think that knowing a bit about the artists really enhances the appreciation of the music. Here’s the link to the iMix in iTunes, so you can go and download. I’ve included 15 songs, so if you buy them all it’ll only cost as much as a CD. Enjoy! 1. Fly By Night – Rush Now what would an all-Canadian playlist be without a little Rush? Undoubtedly one of the most world-famous Canadian bands of all time, Rush continues to rock hard. What I love about Rush is how just 3 guys can make so much noise (and good-sounding noise at that). And deep down, I’ve always wished I could sing like Geddy Lee. 2. Tango Shoes – Bif Naked Oh, how I enjoy a good Bif Naked song! Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bif is one tattooed rockin’ chick with a great voice. She’s hugely fun to see live, and well, I just like her. I think you will too. 3. Tournament of Hearts – The Weakerthans If there’s truly something in the water that makes Canada have such great musical talent, then there must be a lot of it in Winnipeg’s water. The Weakerthans are probably my favourite Canadian band in the past few years. I love their genuinely Canadian songs about beer, cold weather and this one, which is about our other winter pastime – curling. If you’ve never hung out at a curling arena on a Sunday afternoon, this song will put you right in the moment. Love these guys. They are coming to Ottawa March 28th and I’m sad because I’ll be in Indiana and have to miss them. 4. Forever – Bran Van 3000 I have a confession to make – I’m a closet electronica fan. BV3 is awesome – they are from Montreal and although I don’t know much about what they are up to these days, I can tell you that this is the music I like to dance around the house to. 5. Feel for the Driver – Ron Sexsmith Ron is Canada’s quintessential singer-songwriter. I mean, the guy just oozes talent. You know that feeling you get at a live show when it’s like the whole world fades away and it’s just you and the performer in the room? Well, you get that just listening to Ron’s albums. This is the kind of music where you go and sit in a dark room with the headphones on and just exist with it. Brilliant. 6. Sleepy Maggie – Ashley MacIsaac Ashley MacIsaac is our resident strange guy. He’s kind of a weirdo, but his talent on the fiddle is unmatched. This is an old AMac song from I think, his first album. I love songs in Gaelic, and this one has such a great backbeat I just had to include it. 7. Watching Planes Come In – Hippie Campfire How can you not love a band whose name is Hippie Campfire? I had to include one local Ottawa band on this list. These guys aren’t too well known outside the bar scene in this town, but they have a big sound and their lead linger “Filthy” Rich Rankin has an amazing voice. They are piles of fun and this song, Watching Planes Come In, will stick in your head for weeks, I promise. 8. Excursion around the Bay – Great Big Sea Well, geez, b’ys – ya knew I had to include a Newfoundland band in this list! Great Big Sea is undoubtedly Newfoundland’s biggest export. Aside from being so cute you could eat ’em up, they are exceptional vocalists and musicians. I think they’ve won just about every Canadian music award you can imagine, and for great reason. This is my all-time favourite GBS tune, and again, it’ll stick in your head for weeks! 9. A Case of You – Joni Mitchell Of course, we all know Joni. Not too much to say about her that hasn’t already been said. This is my favourite Joni tune, what’s yours? 10. Democracy – Leonard Cohen A man ahead of his time. A master. A genius. I thought this tune from Leonard Cohen was particularly fitting to add to the list, in light of recent Presidential events in the U.S. Can’t say too much more about Leonard that he hasn’t already been saying in the 40+ years we’ve had the privilege of hearing his music. 11. Innocent – Our Lady Peace I am all about Our Lady Peace.This is my favourite tune, Innocent. But they have so many more. Take a plow through their web site and see what you can find online of their music. If you aren’t already a fan, I bet you’ll become one! 12. Brandy Alexander – Feist Nothing I like better than a good pint of draught beer and a few Feist songs on a Sunday afternoon. Though I admit to being a little tired of “1,2,3,4”, I do love this song, Brandy Alexander. It’s just wispy enough to put me in a great mood. 13. What a Good Boy – Barenaked Ladies Much like I couldn’t not include Rush, I most definitely couldn’t NOT include a little BNL on this list. I’ve been a fan of these guys since BEFORE the beginning – when they were a struggling Toronto band doing the small club circuit and looking for their big break. What
Old Friends. New Media.
Just a few thoughts I had after a lovely evening with an old friend. Old Friends. New Media. from Sue Murphy on Vimeo.
The Art of Saying Yes
Back in December I wrote a post on The Art of Saying No. It was in response to an overwhelming number of demands and requests I’d been receiving for me to help with this, retweet that, and come to this event, and so on. It helped me set my mind straight on how to make sure I wasn’t overdoing things. While it is true that being able to say “no” in the right way, to the right things is an art, there’s most definitely a flip side. That, of course, is saying “yes”. Yesterday I listened to a fantastic interview on CBC Radio 1’s show Q with The Honourable Pamela Wallin, broadcaster extraordinaire turned foreign diplomat turned Canadian Senator. For those of you who don’t know her, Ms. Wallin is one of our most famous Canadians. She spent much of her career as one of the most prolific journalists and anchorwomen in the country. Following the September 11th terrorist attacks, Ms. Wallin helped to coordinate rallies and events in support of the people of New York City and thus began her foray into diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Chretien appointed her consul general to the U.S in 2002. She’s a recipient of the Order of Canada, and a cancer survivor. A couple of months ago, Prime Minister Harper appointed her to the Senate of Canada. How’s that for a few life accomplishments? On the Q show the other day, Ms. Wallin was asked by interviewer Jian Gnomeshi what she felt was the secret to her success. I loved her response. She said, “I say ‘yes’ a lot.” As much as I advocate balance when it comes to saying “yes” or “no”, there’s a lot to be said for being a “yes” person. Why? Because you never know what opportunities will unfold by saying that one simple word – yes. I get asked to do a lot of things in the course of a week. I offer to do a lot of things too. My rule of thumb is, “If it feels like the right thing to do, then do it.” It might be saying “yes” to someone who’s asking me for help. It might be me, offering my assistance to someone (either professionally or personally). The way I see it, if I don’t take that step, nobody’s going to take it for me. This doesn’t mean you have to say yes to everyone that comes your way and asks for help. Sometimes, delegating is handy for that. Sometimes, what’s being asked of you simply doesn’t fit your schedule or your core values. But more often than not, taking that simple step of “yes” can open doors you never thought possible. If you are going to work on being more of a “yes” person, there are a few critical elements you must abide by. First, it’s vitally important not to over commit yourself. Look at the plan you have laid out in front of you. Do you have the time/money to really give your all to what’s being asked of you? If you don’t, you may have to reconsider the extent of your “yes”. Why? Because of vitally important thing number two. Do not ever say yes, and then back out. The damage that can do will ripple through in more ways than you can imagine. In the end, it’s really about one simple thing, something that’s been true in my life in unimaginable ways. The more you give away, the more you get back. Yesterday, Gary Vaynerchuk posted something on Twitter that resonated with me. He said (and I’m paraphrasing) “6 times a day, people ask me how they’ll know when they’ve ‘made it.’” He posted a link to a video blog he did back in June 2008 on “When do you know you have a community?“. In it, he noses right up to the camera and says, in no uncertain terms (and this is why I love Gary), “You have a community when ONE person listens to you!!”. While that is very true, I would say there’s another aspect to what defines one as truly having “made it”. Some would say Pamela Wallin “made it” when she got her first on-air job at CBC. Some would say she “made it” when she became the first female national news bureau chief in Canada. Some would say she “made it” when she survived colon cancer. Still others would say she’s “made it” now that she’s a Senator. Ms. Wallin and Gary have something in common, and something very valuable to teach us all about success. They are always setting the bar higher. You’ve really only truly “made it” when you’ve accomplished what you set out to do and you’re ready to move on to the next step in your life’s journey. You’ve made it when you’re ready to accomplish the next thing on your path. Getting to that point is dependent on saying one word, and saying it often. Yes.
Amber MacArthur on 12for12k
Check out this video from Amber MacArthur – yet another reason to get behind 12for12k – for the price of a couple of lattes, you too can get involved! www.12for12k.org
What My Students Taught Me About Online Communities
As some of you may know, this semester I’m teaching a course at Algonquin College on Web Media. We’re talking about and doing everything from blogging to podcasting to social networking and anything else that falls under the Web 2.0 umbrella. What I love about this course is that though I was given a basic outline by the college, I’ve pretty much been given free reign to design the course the way I want. This means, not only do I get to come up with all the fun activities we get to do, but I get to hand pick who I’m going to bring in to help me teach the stuff. Today we were fortunate to welcome my friend, Information Architect extraordinaire Jeff Parks to the class. I knew the students were in for a treat, as Jeff is one of the most passionate speakers I know. Perhaps it’s because if his info architect nature, but the guy can analogize like nobody’s business. And, he’s funny as heck, too. Needless to say, the class was enthralled for the whole hour he was with us, as he discussed how people disseminate data into real value and how understanding the way people communicate is absolutely vital to succeeding in the online world. Many thanks to Jeff for his invaluable contribution to today’s class. After Jeff left, we were back to business, and today was the day the students were presenting their second assignment, about online communities. Their task was to work in pairs, and research an online community. They could pick any community they wanted, but they had to explore it thoroughly – what tools were being used, how people were being encouraged to participate, and so on. Well, not only was I extremely impressed with the quality of the students’ presentations, but I was quite pleased to have been reminded of some interesting facts in the process. Social media ain’t the only game in town. So here we all are, us social media types, Twittering and blogging away about Twittering and blogging. Meanwhile, out there (I mean, still in the online world – just outside of the social media bubble) there are communities upon communities chock full of wonderful people connecting in amazing ways. It’s true! Go look for yourselves! Today I heard presentations from my class about online communities that exist around sports (Canadian sports broadcaster TSN is doing some really cool stuff), video games, 3-D animation, local independent music and even candy! Yes, entire online communities exist about CANDY. There are blogs, forums, podcasts, and videos a-plenty in these communities. And most importantly, there are lots and lots and LOTS of people hanging out in these communities. Are they all on Twitter? Well, a few are. Are they all blogging and Facebooking – yep, quite a few, and their numbers are growing. Are they participating in forums and having conversations and connecting? In droves! Go on, go look! Here’s a task for you – take a walk outside the bubble this week. Do some searches for other stuff that interests you besides social media (or even stuff that doesn’t interest you that much). You will be amazed at what you find. The thing is, the candy lovers, gamers, sports fanatics, and musicians that are out there interacting in these communities? I bet if you asked them, a lot of them wouldn’t even know that what they are doing is social media. They are just out there. Interacting, contributing, and connecting, without even thinking twice about how to do it better or more effectively. We can learn a lot from watching what’s going on out there. Ooh! More secret sauce. I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. The answers we’re looking for, on how to build better communities and use social media more effectively? They’re already out there. In the candy community, and the sports community, and the gamer community. Go check! You’ll see what I mean. The thinkers have their place. Now, I’m not trying to say that studying social media, analyzing it like crazy and teaching people how to use social media more effectively is not useful. It’s extremely useful, and not only would I be dead wrong, I’d be putting myself out of a job if I said otherwise. What I AM saying is that we need to remember that the echo chamber is alive and well, and that once in a while, we need to turn our radar outwards. We need to stop talking to each other, and start talking to the communities themselves. So do you still need to be thinking about social media in these terms? If it’s part of your business, then absolutely. Just don’t forget about the Candy People in the process, or your view will be too narrow and too skewed. Why I teach. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Teaching, although it is only a smallish part of what I do for a living, is absolutely one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Why? Because I get to talk to people about things I love to talk about, like video and blogging and writing and geeky tech stuff. But what I also love is that every time I go into that classroom, I’m learning too. Thanks to my class today, I gained a new perspective on my work in this space. And for that I’m very grateful!
Influence and the Social Web
I woke up with a word in my head this morning: Influence. I find it’s always helpful to start with a definition. Influence: the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others. Influence is a big player out here in cyberspace (yeah, I know, “cyberspace” – I’m feeling rather retro today). In some ways, it makes the social media world go round. Trends, memes, and buzz, though generated by anyone, are typically proliferated through people who have a certain amount influence in the space. In other words, it’s one thing to have the ability to spread an idea to 100 people. It’s entirely another to have the ability to spread it to 30,000. Too much of a good thing. Is it possible to have too much influence? Well, there is a down side to influence. If you have a community of people around you who are hanging on your every word, waiting for the next stroke of brilliance typed out in 140 characters or through your latest blog or podcast, what happens if one day you wake up and you’re not feeling so brilliant? Let’s say the ideas (or more likely, the time) dry up to the point that your usual prolificity just can’t be maintained any longer? What happens to influence then? Smooch. I have a pet peeve to confess. If there’s one thing that really bugs me, it’s when 80% of the comments in a blog post are “Great post!” “You’re so terrific!” “I agree with everything you say, all the time!”. Why does it bug me so much? Because, while I think there is nothing wrong with commending someone on a post well written, it shouldn’t be the ONLY thing in your comment. The whole idea of commenting is to converse. There’s a lot of virtual back-patting going on out here (and that’s the polite term I’m using – I could call it something else that contains the word “kissing”, but I’m too nice). There’s very little value in that. Influencers are conversation starters. They want your contribution, not your gush. The gold is often in the comments. One of the things that Influencers are particularly good at is getting people talking in a valuable way. There are plenty of great examples out there of the comments being better than the original post. This is what I love about blogging. Even my own less influential blog has been known to have some great comment streams. It’s so fun to get others’ take on things, to see different perspectives presented so well in one place. It’s one of the reasons I read influential blogs. Influence, in this way, is very useful. You can’t please all the people… So what happens if suddenly, Ms. Influential does or says something that is decidedly unpopular? The more influence you have, the more potential there is for having to do damage control. Or is there? The great thing about the Web is that it’s a place where we all get to express ourselves – even if our opinion isn’t the most popular all the time. However, throw influence into that mix and after a while, your audience can start to become a bit fickle. They demand that you keep giving them more of the good stuff (read: the stuff that they agree with). And if you steer off track, and start doing something else? Well, in no uncertain terms, you’ll hear about it. So, is influence a good thing? Certainly. There are many, many people out here doing and saying some really smart, compelling, thought provoking, and industry-altering things about marketing, communications and media right now. It’s important to listen carefully to what they have to say. BUT. At the end of the day, what you see and read and hear out here is mostly opinion. Like this post. I’m no expert on influence. I haven’t done any studies. This blog post isn’t based on anything but my own observations of the space. The beauty of it is, if you think I’m full of crap, you can tell me. Then I can tell you back why I don’t think I’m full of crap. Influencers are vital to the community, yes. But they are people too, and they are entitled to keep doing what they are doing without having to kowtow to the demands of those being influenced. What’s your take on influence? On being influenced? Over to you, in the comments. (Oh, and feel free to tell me I’m full of crap).
Got Community?
The name of the game around this online space is community. Well, it’s some other things too, but mostly it’s about community. Creating them, building them, sharing them, participating in them…if it wasn’t for communities, it wouldn’t be much fun out here on the Interwebz, in my opinion. Community these days seems to be a tricky thing for some. I feel that the concept of community is way over-analyzed in this online world. People are trying force communities into existence, then keep them afloat through tactics that are sometimes questionable. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not out to slam those whose job it is to build and manage communities. People like Scott Monty and Keith Burtis are excelling in this area right now. Why? Because they get it. They do it well because they understand how communities work, and how they need to work within them to make them succeed. What I’m saying is that communities can’t be forced. Whether you want to create, join, lead or participate in a community, there are a few fundamental principles to abide by. I’ve been involved in communities all my life. Perhaps it comes somewhat naturally to me because I grew up in small, isolated towns. Perhaps it’s because of the influence of my parents, who were both active participants and leaders in the communities in which we lived. Perhaps it’s because of my experience working in community television – where it’s ALL about being part of a community. I suspect it’s a combination of these. Regardless, here are a few things I’ve learned about how to succeed with communities. I’d love to hear your tips in the comments too. You can’t force it to be the way you want it to be. I know this is the third time I’ve said it, but communities cannot be forced. They can be facilitated, to be sure. Most communities begin with an idea. That idea gets spread around to a few people, and they tell two friends, and so on. Before you know it, you have lots of people communicating and collaborating and making things happen. The key is that communities are created by unique, individual people. Those unique voices are what creates the dynamic of the community. Different voices? Different dynamic. You can’t change that. The community evolves into what it will be. You can guide it along the path, but ultimately, you can’t (and shouldn’t) control everything about it. To lead, you must listen. The brilliant thing about communities is the way the participants shape the community. Communities never work when they are top heavy. When the leaders are the ones dictating the way the community should run, what the community should talk about, and what the community should accomplish, then people lose interest really quickly. A community works when all of the participants have an equal opportunity to have their ideas and opinions heard. This takes listening, and listening closely. Danny Brown does this exceptionally well. Since he started the 12for12k project, he’s been listening intently to the ideas that people have put forth to him. He’s accepting of people’s opinions and thoughts, and is happy to work with community members to help make their ideas come to fruition. He’s doing more listening than talking. And as a result, he’s doing more leading, and his community is succeeding in amazing ways. Once a community evolves, it won’t need you as much. Every year at the community TV station, I’d get one or two more new studio shows put on my plate. New shows were a lot of work. I was responsible for creating them from the ground up – building sets, designing the lighting, finding hosts, creating the elements (opening, titles, etc.), and figuring out the concept and content. I was also in charge of finding my volunteer crew and training them. At first, I’d be doing everything. I’d be writing the show, coaching the hosts, training volunteers on how to set up the studio, light it and do all the technical production. When I wasn’t training someone to operate cameras or clip on microphones, I was editing all the pre-taped segments. The first show day was usually about an 18-20 hour affair. I would have to answer about 5000 questions a day and fight about the same number of fires. At the same time, I’d also have to make sure I was paying individual attention to my hosts and crew. I’d have to make sure they were feeling happy and challenged and engaged. Building, designing, creating. Individual attention. Answering questions. Happy, challenged and engaged. Kind of like a community manager, eh? Each week, we’d do another show. And each week, the community (i.e. the crew) would become a little more independent. Eventually it got to the point where I only had to roll in about an hour before the show went on, and roll out an hour after. My 18 hour days were now 3 or 4 hour days. The community had taken over. I was now just a guide, a facilitator – a listener. I would provide coaching when needed, and fight fires if they occurred (but my community even got good at that!). The show continued to improve, got more viewers, and most importantly, the community was strong and vibrant. Don’t feel bad if your community doesn’t need you much after a while. It means you’ve done your job. And, hey, it frees you up to go build another community! There you have it – my tips on building healthy, strong communities. But I want to hear from you. Many of you are experts at this, too. Please add your thoughts to the comments, I’d love to hear what you think.
Making a Difference
OK. I am so NOT a video post kind of person. (Ironic, considering I work in video). But today, I just felt that I wasn’t able to say what I needed to say in text. So here you go. I hope it’s clear. Making a Difference from Sue Murphy on Vimeo.
Don't Forget to Take time for YOU
Just a quick word before I head out to Bob LeDrew’s place for a house concert tonight. Life is crazy. There’s a lot going on, between balancing work, family life, and all the daily tasks that keep me occupied. Tonight I’m going to enjoy a terrific musical evening with some of my favourite female musicians, Ana Miura, Amanda Rheaume, Rhonda Stakich and Janine Stoll. It’s also a benefit for Breast Cancer Action Ottawa. The last house concert I went to at Bob and Cathy’s place was a moving, energizing, inspiring and fun-filled evening. I expect tonight will be much the same. Don’t forget to take time for yourselves to do things you love doing. I LOVE music. Listening to it, watching people perform it, and performing it myself on occasion. I know that because of this few hours I will awake tomorrow refreshed and ready to take on anything. Have a great evening and I hope you get some time to focus on you, too! Suze. xoxoxoxo
Confessions of a Media Junkie
My business partner and I negotiated late into the night last night and we’ve come to a very critical decision. It wasn’t easy to do, but we know it’s the right thing for us. We’re totally getting some ShamWows. The first step. I have a terrible addiction to media. All kinds of media. Yes, even ShamWow commercials. Now, you may be thinking “Suze. The ShamWow commercial is advertising, not media. You, of all people, should know this.” Yup, you’re right, it’s an ad. But the ShamWow commercial that we all know and love is 2 minutes long. By today’s short and sweet YouTube standards, it’s a flippin’ documentary. And, it’s because of my obsessive consumption of media that I even know about the super absorbency power and the 2 for 1 deal if I call within the next 20 minutes, anyway. ShamWows aside, I’ve consumed more media this week than I think I’ve consumed in 6 months. Today, I’m thinking about why that is, and how new media is changing the game at a pace that we can’t even fathom. That’s news to me. Like everyone else, I was glued to my media on Tuesday as the inauguration of the U.S.’s 44th President took place. I even put it on during my Web Media class, using the Associated Press’ Ustream feed. It was remarkably appropriate timing, as we not only watched the proceedings via the Web, but we followed along with the millions of streams of conversations people were having online. When I watch world events taking place, I am not typically one to get sucked into the emotion of it. I am a complete and utter TV Geek, so what I’m watching is how the news outlets are weaving the stories. I watch what camera angles are used (yes, I was counting how many cameras they had on Capitol Hill!). I think about how they set up the gig, where the production trucks were, and how the journalists prepped. I look at the graphic elements, and think about how they help the story. This time around, I was also completely fascinated with the new layer of media that appeared on top of the traditional coverage. The addition of the Facebook feed on the CNN Live web site actually gave me butterflies. The steady stream of iReports intrigued me. The way that the whitehouse.gov site flipped over the SECOND Obama was sworn in amazed me. Convergence is here, my friends. And it’s here in a big way. Hey! I know that expert! Mainstream media always has a steady flow of experts on their roster to drop by and talk about marketing, technology, media trends and whatnot. Usually these people are called in from universities or huge marketing agencies or giant corporations. Well, times are most certainly changing. These days it seems, the experts that are being called in are the same guys I hang out with at Podcamps, and the same guys that come to speak to my college classes. Just this week, I watched with glee as CC Chapman interviewed on CNN Live about the impact of social media on coverage of the inauguration. I then listened intently as both Mitch Joel and Andy Kaplan-Myrth talked technology on CBC’s Spark. Mainstream media is catching on to the fact that the true experts are the ones that are out here, living, working, breathing this new media space. And that is a VERY good thing. Conversation is king. Perhaps the most fascinating thing to me about all of this media/new media convergence is that the foundation of it all is the conversation. It’s worldwide, and it’s going on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I am riveted as I watch how people react to the things that are happening in the world today. Remember what I said above, about how I’m not one to get sucked in? That’s getting more and more difficult, and it’s BECAUSE of the conversation. Even from up here in Canada, I can’t help but get caught up in my American friends’ hope for the future and sense that big changes are coming. I look around me and I see emotional responses coming from my fellow Canadians, as they fully embrace a leader that isn’t even our own. These strong emotional reactions are only heightened by the fact that all of these conversations are going on. It’s community to community, person to person. It’s a chain reaction, and everybody is now part of it. Media is no longer passive. It’s active. It’s now. And it’s changing the world’s perception of major events at lightning speed. Final Word. Being the media junkie that I am, I could go on all day and night about this stuff. I get so excited about it that my mind races with all of the possibilities that exist. If Marshall McLuhan were alive today I think he’d be giving us the big ol’ “I told you so!” right about now. The medium IS the message. This new medium called the World Wide Web is affecting our planet in a society-altering way. And it’s going to continue to affect us in ways we haven’t even imagined yet. Oh. One more thing. Want proof that I’m truly a media junkie? The bulk of this post was tapped out on my little iPhone keyboard at 2:30am, lying in bed in a dark room. Why? Because I woke up out of a dead sleep with this stuff swimming around in my head. It’s entirely possible I’m going to need an intervention soon.