Getting to Know DOTDOTDOTMUSIC
By: Anna Smith
In this week’s Getting to Know You blog post, we are featuring DOTDOTDOTMUSIC and our interview with them about their mission and how they will continue to reach their future goals.
DOTDOTDOTMUSIC’s website can be reached at https://www.dotdotdotmusic.net/
I began the interview by asking DOTDOTDOTMUSIC’s Steven Swartz about their clientele the memorable experiences they have had working with people.
Can you give us an example of a client that DOTDOTDOTMUSIC had that you thought was particularly meaningful? Why do you think it resonated with you that way?
“It would be very hard to pick just one! On a personal level, there are clients
I’ve admired since my teens, like Kronos Quartet or Anthony Braxton. It’s been an absolute thrill to collaborate with distinguished artists and get to know them as people. And it’s been fascinating to observe their creative processes at close range. But it’s been even more meaningful to help launch exceptional artists like Missy Mazzoli, Jessie Montgomery, David T. Little, Mariel Roberts, and Ellen Reid. To nurture their careers and others’ has been incredibly satisfying — not just for the success they’ve achieved, but the impact they’ve had on the field as a whole.”
What is one word to describe the clientele that DOTDOTDOTMUSIC has and why?
“One word to describe our clientele? Restless. Wherever their explorations
may lead them, they’re never satisfied with the status quo.”
Next, we transitioned to discussing what the future looks like for DOTDOTDOTMUSIC.
What is DOTDOTDOTMUSIC’s longest standing goal?
“While DOTDOTDOTMUSIC’s mission is to advocate for the music of our
time, our longest standing goal is to help people who create, perform, and present new music build sustainable careers. A blaze of hype may be impressive in the short run, but ultimately, it’s thoughtful messaging and intelligent strategy that will best enable long-term growth. When I founded DOTDOTDOTMUSIC in 2007, there was no other PR firm devoted exclusively to contemporary classical music. I felt there was a vital and important story to tell. And decades earlier, when I was starting out as a composer, there was no one to turn to for detailed advice on career development. I’m as proud of our consulting practice as I am of our publicity work.”
I also received some insight from DOTDOTDOTMUSIC’s Kacey Fassett about their achievements in the last year and how they hope to continue meeting their goals in the future.
DOTDOTDOTMUSIC has clearly developed such a loyal following from their clients. In which ways are you excited to see their work grow this year?
“This past year I had the immense honor of working with Gina Izzo aka
ladyybirdd on the release of her debut album, Tomorrow’s Yesterday. While Gina has been developing the sound of ladyybirdd for a decade, this is the first time she recorded her pieces with collaborators in a studio. The PR campaign was quite a success for this release but I feel that it is just the beginning for Gina. I am excited to see her success snowball now that she has positive reviews and great visibility from this release. It is such a pleasure to see a project get the attention it deserves.”
Going back to Steven Swartz, he also gave us his input on this question.
“It’s hard to generalize, since our clients are so diverse. But a mini-trend we’ve noticed in releases by composer/flutist Gina Izzo (aka ladyybirdd) and soundtrack/experimental composer Jackson Greenberg is the use of “old fashioned” analog technology to shape and create their work. Both came to us with projects involving live signal processing via humble guitar stomp pedals, and the results are brilliant! There’s an appealing warmth to those sounds.”
We’re really passionate at LMP about a culture of resource sharing to help uplift entire music communities. Are there any benefits you’ve experienced by sharing your client’s concerts on the LMP Concert Calendar?
Kacey Fassett began with her response to this question, saying, “Absolutely. Live Music Project is unique in its existence as an event site
dedicated to live music events occurring nationally. By posting our clients’ events on the LMP Concert Calendar we are able to access a group of individuals interested in live music not only in the specific community the event is in, but nationally. This is extremely helpful as many events have live stream options or multiple performances in different cities. The national nature of LMP also creates a loyal following as individuals can turn to it for all of their live music needs, whether they are in a different city or just wanting to watch something from the comfort of their couch.
LMP Calendar listings also allow for more information to be uploaded per performances than most other listing sites. I do not know of another music site that allows the uploading of repertoire and performers in an organized, systemic way like LMP does. The inclusion of this detailed information, presented in such a clean, comprehensible way, allows for individuals to learn more about an event and therefore develop a more
peaked interest.”
Live Music Project’s Concert Calendar for the NYC area can be reached at https://www.livemusicproject.org/events/?near=new-york-ny&include=
Lastly, we talked about growing their music scene in NYC as well as Los Angeles.
What are some of the ways that you’d like to see your music scene in NYC grow?
Steven began with his perspective on NYC’s growing music scene.
“NYC’s new music scene is unparalleled in its breadth and vitality. There are
multiple events nearly every night of the year, which is why LMP is so important! I just wish there were more paying outlets for our critics to write for. So many incredible events go unreviewed because informed music journalism is undervalued. How to solve this, I don’t know. But the steady disappearance of sustainable gigs for our well-informed and dedicated writers is truly a crime.”
Next, Kasey told us about the music scene in Los Angeles.
“While I am no longer based in NYC, I do have some comments on Los
Angeles for this question. I would love to see more venues take risks on local artists. While it is incredibly special to see touring artists come through, there is such a wealth of talent right here in this city. I have been encouraged by the inclusive programming I have seen at venues throughout LA in the past year but I would love to see that continue to grow even more! It can be hard for musicians to create when there are few opportunities for them to play their original music locally.”
I learned so much about DOTOTDOTMUSIC’s goals and achievements from Steven Swartz and Kasey Fassett, and even more of their information can be found in their website at https://www.dotdotdotmusic.net/
