The Friday Informer: Music by the Numbers

The Friday Informer: Music by the Numbers

17 Days, 75,000 Tracks, 2000 Guitarists, and £44,000

Written By

Molly Sheridan

  • 17 Days: Length of time new music fans had to wait between the September 17, 2005 premiere of Roberto Sierra’s Third Symphony (“La Salsa”) by the Milwaukee Symphony and its release on iTunes on October 4. You can download it now for $3.96.
  • 75,000 Tracks: Selections from the Naxos catalog to be made available via the digital music service eMusic. Naxos also maintains a subscription-based, multi-label digital library (130,000 tracks on 7,715 CDs) and a 60-channel web radio service.
  • 2000 Guitarists: Number of volunteers Hard Rock Cafe Melbourne is attempting to assemble for a charity event on Oct. 29 to break the Guinness World Record for a “Guitar-A-Thon.” They’re slated to pound through Deep Purple’s very dated classic “Smoke on the Water.” Blah. Someone page Glenn Branca, stat.
  • £44,000 (which is to say, $77,922): Portion of their paycheck “music enthusiasts” are likely to drop on concert tickets, recordings, and related gear over a lifetime to feed their habit. The average person is likely to restrain himself to a more conservative $37,174. [BBC News]
  • 20 Percent: Amount music can positively impact athletic performance, according to new research. Band kids and the football team share a group hug. [London Times via huffingtonpost.com]

    I’m seeing wild new commission possibilities here, sponsored by Nike. Discuss.