Blessed Red Bull, the stimulant of champions. Long noted for its healing properties when drunk solo or with vodka, it’s beloved by many. Savvy promoters, they’ve put their money into everything from roller derby on ice to parties at carnival in london. But their biggest investment in getting their name out there has to be the Red Bull Music Academy.
Unlike most beverage corporations, Red Bull has taken their support of art and culture steps forward with the establishment of the Red Bull Music Academy. A yearly educational session from musicians around the world, thousands of whom apply to attend (Including Vancity’s own Piper Davis), the RBMA has taken it a step further; by letting loose a ton of mixes and podcasts via their RBMA Radio site for those of us who didn’t get accepted this year.
The real gold mine is the RBMA lecture series, where various artists from around the world are brought in to speak with young musicians.
Genre be damned, RBMA has throw out conversations with everyone from the legendary Chuck D of Public Enemy and German Techno pioneer Wolfgang Voight to legendary mastering engineer Stuart Hawkes and Warp Records founder Steve Beckett. Add to this their fireside chat interviews that take you back to the roots of an artist and you have a plethora of stories to teach you about the music industry right at your finger tips.
Education is a beautiful thing but you can’t forget the entertainment as well. With recordings of all sorts from across Europe ranging from hip hop to house, there’s a little something there for everyone.