One Night Music

Our First Birthday: A Reflection On The First Year Of One Night Music

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 02/11/10 by   Ryan Andersen

One Night Music turns the big one this week and we celebrate this awesome community.

If I were granted a single wish on this special occasion, I would wish that in the second year of One Night Music I have the honor to continue working with such amazing people to build the community that is One Night Music. Nothing emerges as more of a pleasant surprise to One Night Music's magical unfolding in its freshman year than the way folks have jumped on board to help steer this ship with such enthusiasm and passion into an unforeseen sea of creativity and collaboration.

I had the initial idea of One Night Music in the fall of 2008 and since then it has grown to be cultivated by over 30 contributors who have volunteered their time to bring their own unique perspective to the project. What started out as a fun idea to record some local songwriters in Santa Barbara has grown into a thriving musical community engaging illustrators, photographers, videographers, audio engineers, authors, songwriters, bands, and community organizers from across California, and even as far away as the East Coast, to collaborate and create a new online musical venue of independent music.

What follows are some thoughts and reflections that I would like to share in honor of the one-year celebration of One Night Music.  If you desire to leave us a birthday wish or to share your thoughts on the first year of One Night Music, write a comment to this article at the very end.

The Beginning

In the Fall of 2008, my twin brother Ian Andersen and I began engaging in discussions about creating a website. Ian had been designing websites since high school and we knew that we would work well together in collaboration. We became a bit downtrodden after our first few ideas quickly dissipated. Then one night it hit me. I'd just purchased two very high quality microphones and some recording equipment and I'd always had a passion for audio engineering. I would invite local singer-songwriters to come to my home studio to record a live set of their music and Ian would share it with the world through a website. I was so certain that this was the right project for our collaboration, that I immediately went online to buy the domain. My initial idea was to call it One Night Stand Music. Luckily, that domain was taken and my search for variations resulted in One Night Music. It had a ring to it and I purchased the domain. So began One Night Music.

One Night Music Featured in San Francisco Examiner

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 02/08/10 by   Ian Andersen

Lauren Byrne chronicles her introduction to and experience with One Night Music in a new piece published in the San Francisco Examiner on February 7. She met with founding member and producer Elia Vargas at a coffee shop in San Francisco and ended up following our production crew to the filming of Michael Musika and The Devotionals, which took place on Saturday, December 30 in San Francisco. Check out this great article that gives a sneak peak into what a session looks like for One Night Music. Below is a short video that Lauren captured on her iPhone of The Devotionals performing part of their session.

Read the full article One Night Music: Because of the Internet

Our 12 Favorite One Night Music Videos of 2009

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 01/02/10 by   Ryan Andersen

2009 was an exciting first year for One Night Music: we launched 25 sessions, creating over 100 high quality videos and audio recordings of candid live performances by independent artists.  We have plans to continue the excellent growth of our community in 2010, but first we thought we would reflect back to share our favorite videos of 2009. Selected by the One Night Music Board of Gurus (our version of a Board of Directors), we present them to you here in no particular order.

Download a ZIP file containing the MP3s of our 2009 Favorites

Ellie Fortune, “Summer Fable”

Selected by Megan Sullivan - One Night Music recorded Ellie Fortune (project moniker for Sacramento-based musician Jesse K. Phillips) in Isla Vista, CA on April 4, 2009. Since then, I habitually check Jesse's tour schedule whenever I visit Auburn, my childhood hometown nestled not too far from the state's capitol in the Sierra Nevada foothills. And Sacramento's just close enough to San Francisco that you can catch Ellie Fortune here quite frequently: I sadly just missed his show at Adobe Books on 16th Street, but I'll see him at Li Po Lounge in Chinatown on December 30th, 2009.

Check out Ellie Fortune's full session »

Treesus, “Good God”

Selected by Elia Vargas - In choosing my selections for my "best of" ONM 2009, I considered a few factors. I was not looking to find what I felt were simply the best songs, or the best videos, but rather session picks that most brilliantly illuminated One Night Music's intention. That is to say, those combination of songs, images, and interactions within the environment that highlight the unique and intimate feel of a living room set, or bedroom lullabies. This is truly one of the most wonderful elements of One Night Music. A word between the musician and the videographer, the camera's focus of a hand gesture, an unanticipated note that changes the demeanor of a song...

Check out Treesus's full session »

Alex and Janel, “I'm Your Man”

Selected by Ian Andersen - The Alex and Janel session was particularly significant to me because it was the first where I stepped out from behind the computer and filmed (with my brand new Canon HV30!). As we began the session in Megan's overgrown, lush backyard garden I thought that Alex and Janel must be the perfect duo to be singing for us on a Fall afternoon in San Francisco. It was a great experience and this specific track is simply one of my favorite.

Check out Alex and Janel's full session »

Adam Bianchi, “Loomings”

Selected by Ryan Andersen - This is the third song from Adam Bianchi's session filmed on Valentine's Day 2009.  As soon as he hit his first note a silence blanketed the room that I have not witnessed at any other session we've recorded.  It was a silence nourished by pure awe at his music.  Adam's music comes from an old soul, a reincarnation of an artist seasoned with decades of heartache.  I still find myself at awe when I listen to Adam's music, and he very deservingly earns my pick as one of my top three songs of 2009.  

Check out Adam Bianchi's full session »

One Night Music Featured in The Chico News and Review

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 12/10/09 by   Ryan Andersen

Back on November 18th, 2009 Skylar and Josh at The Frame filmed a live performance of Mark Growden for the first One Night Music session from Chico, CA.  Jason Cassidy, the Arts Editor of Chico News and Review, found himself in attendance.  After the performance I conversed with him to find that he had already done his research on One Night Music and had taken a liking to the project.  A month later, Ken Smith, an arts and music writer for the paper, has created this excellent article on One Night Music. The article begins (quoted from The Chico News and Review article by Ken Smith):

Today’s efforts to consolidate communication, art and technology are too often misdirected. Emphasis is placed on creating the latest, best-selling, hyper-charged sensory assault rather than to preserve, enhance and share the human experience, which is presumably why we figured out how to do these things in the first place.

Ryan Andersen and his cohorts at One Night Music, a Web site dedicated to showcasing live performances, seem to understand this well. Each session presented on the site is filmed, recorded and displayed on the Web accompanied by still photos, illustrations and written commentary about the artist and performance. The effect is to place the viewer as close to being there as possible.

Read the rest of the article at The Chico News and Review >>

A New Look For One Night Music

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 08/31/09 by   Ian Andersen

As One Night Music continues to evolve and grow in the number of independent artists we record, the number of contributors that volunteer, and the momentum we gain, I constantly consider how to improve the website and give you a better way to experience the music that we wish to share.

Recently I rolled out the first major design improvement to the website since we launched in February of this year. The focus of this improvement was on the session page where you watch, listen to, and download the music of the artists we record. The videos, which are the heart and soul of a One Night Music session, have been made more prominent and easier to use; the audio is easier to stream and download; and the page should be generally easier to enjoy.

This design improvement incorporated changes into the session page that took into consideration months of feedback from users, analysis of how thousands of visitors have used the site, and discussions regarding how we at One Night Music want to refine your experience when visiting. Hundreds of small changes were made that you wont see, but that will lay the groundwork to quickly build and expand the awesomeness of One Night Music. Because of this, you will see cool new features launched incrementally over the next few months.

I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments.

Viewing Our Vimeo Videos in the Best Quality

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 06/19/09 by   Ryan Andersen

Howdy!  If you're reading this, it's probably because you're having trouble viewing the videos on our website. We apologize for this and we understand how frustrating it can be.  That's why we've put together some suggestions that might help you out.

Turn HD off.  HD (high definition) requires a fast internet connecting.  If your video is skipping or jerking or taking a long time to buffer, check to see if HD is on.  If it is ON turn it OFF.  You can check this by clicking play on the video and then hovering your mouse over the video.  When you hover over the video you'll see some buttons appear in the upper right of the video.  If the HD button says "HD On" that means HD is on and you need to click it to turn HD off.  When HD is off, it will say "HD Off."

Upgrade To The Latest Version of Flash.  It's important that you are using the latest Flash version.  Vimeo has a handy dandy flash checker.  Visit this link and it will tell you if you need to upgrade your flash.  

Javascript Enabled.  You need to have Javascript enabled on your browser to view Vimeo videos. 

Technical Difficulties fom Vimeo. Sometimes Vimeo experiences temporary technical difficulties that cause problems with playback.  If this is the case, they will usually post something to their help forum to indicate this problem and give an idea to when the problem will be fixed. 

View Our Videos on YouTube

If you are still having trouble, try viewing the videos on YouTube.  We post all videos on YouTube eventually - usually several weeks after we post on Vimeo.  We may or may not have the video you're trying to watch on YouTube, but it's worth checking.  YouTube generally has lower video quality and therefore will play smoother if you have a slow internet connection.  Our YouTube channel is www.youtube.com/user/OneNightMusic

We hope this helps!  If you're still having trouble viewing our videos, please let us know at info (at) OneNightMusic (dot) com.

One Night Music Continues in Santa Barbara

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 05/15/09 by   Ryan Andersen

In one week from today, I will pack my belongings into the back of my brother’s pickup truck and leave Santa Barbara for Paradise.  Paradise, CA that is – a town located 8 miles from Chico, CA (about 1.5 hours directly north of Sacramento).  There I will spend the summer and fall in a small cabin.  My hope is to cultivate my own music and spiritual growth within the context of solitude.  I am also excited to start an awesome garden, ride my bike, read, and build a community of friends.  After my stay in Paradise, I intend to move to the Bay Area to be near my father, brother, sister, and girlfriend.

Recording the Music of Mike Conway and Adam Bianchi

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 04/14/09 by   Ryan Andersen

Three of my favorite people in my life packed together in a car to drive from San Francisco to Santa Barbara for the One Night Music Valentine’s Day Launch Party on Saturday, February 14th, 2009.  Needless to say that when my brother tried to coax me to the park with him and my great friend Mike Ballan and my girlfriend Ildiko that evening for a glass of wine and a round of bocce ball, I couldn’t say no.  We walked to the park together laughing, smiling, and talking about the activities yet to transpire for the evening.  At the park we shared a toast and began a game.  It was amid this air of friendship that I interrupted them: “I have to get home to set up.”  It was time for business, not fun and games.

Setting up for a One Night Music session is not something to be taken lightly.  Sure there are easier sessions than others to produce.  A single singer songwriter is going to be easier to set up and record than a guitar, two vocals, a Wurlitzer, and a drum kit in my tiny bedroom studio.  The only predictable factor in this comparison, however, is the amount of time each will take to set up.  The latter will take longer, obviously. 

However, most of the other factors for each session are completely unique to the individual session.  Each session has its own character and intricacies that must be addressed anew, without precondition to how it should be approached. It’s in this mindset that I feel each One Night Music session will be produced with the integrity that each individual artist’s music deserves.

One Night Music Celebrates Two Months of Local Santa Barbara Music

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 04/06/09 by   Ryan Andersen

One Night Music celebrates its two-month birthday this week!  We’ve now recorded the music of 24 artists, a number far beyond what we originally thought we would achieve by this point in time.  The reason for this number is a result of the great interest in One Night Music from the community and the efforts of Megan Sullivan and Elia Vargas in booking the artists.

The reason that only 8 sessions are currently on the website, when we have so many recorded, is because of the amount of time that post production for each session takes.  Each session takes approximately 15 to 20 hours of combined work in postproduction.  Given that everybody involved in One Night Music is a volunteer, this means that we are only able to launch new sessions every two weeks.   However, we are going to start to try to launch sessions every week, seeing that we are refining our postproduction processes to be more efficient. 

Since we launched the website, there have been several new developments with One Night Music.  First, two new Contributors have joined the team of Ian Andersen, Molly Hahn, Elia Vargas, Laura Birhsan, and Megan Sullivan.  Karen Nedivi is now filming and illustrating for us and Candice Davantzis is writing for us.  It’s only with the help of One Night Music’s contributors that we are able to sustain this project, so I send a very grateful welcome to both of them.

New Music in Santa Barbara - One Night Music Launch Party

View full post   |   Leave a comment

Posted on 02/14/09 by   Ian Andersen

The Valentine's Day One Night Music launch party is happening right now with about 25 of our friends at our studio in Santa Barbara, a new music venue where we've been recording local artists for the past two months.

To help launch One Night Music and make the night one to remember, we've invited Michael Conway and Adam Bianchi to record live sessions in front of our friends for an intimate living room concert. These will be the first two sessions recorded outside of the normal studio and in front of a larger audience, something that we are looking forward to doing more often.

Right now Adam Bianchi is wrapping up his set of four songs. Here's a short preview of the session recorded a few minutes ago. We'll have the full, high quality session up in about two weeks.