crescendo: creative brief
DESCRIPTION
The creative brief for Crescendo, a national battle of the bands festival and a graphic design project created during the fall of 2014.TRANSCRIPT
A NATIONWIDE BATTLE OF THE BANDS
CREATIVE BRIEF
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
PHASE 1: WEBSITE
BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
WEBSITE OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
COMPETITOR SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
AUDIENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
BRAND CHARACTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
SITE FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
SITE MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PHASE 2: FESTIVALS
BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
BREAKDOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
DELIVERABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
PHASE 3: CONCERTS
BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
BREAKDOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
CLOSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
INTRODUCTION
Through various sources, I often discover incredibly talented local and underground musical artists
that deserve much greater recognition. The reality is that millions of acts exist and the possibility of
one receiving national attention is slim to none. Since it is incredibly unfortunate for so much talent
to go unheard, I would like to create a festival that allows many the ability to extend their audiences.
CRESCENDO (adapted from the musical term for increase in loudness) is a nation-wide battle of the
bands competition. It allows bands and musicians from across the United States to share their music
while pursuing a momentous prize.
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4
PHASE 1WEBSITE
BACKGROUND
The Internet is the most effective means of spreading information and sharing content. Therefore,
Crescendo begins on and is mainly facilitated through a website. Musicians enter the battle and post
content online, allowing site visitors to vote for talented acts and discover new music. While there are
only a few winners, Crescendo hopes to spread the music of all participants in the competition process.
STATS:
• Over 435,000 composers, song-writers,
and music publishers at ASCAP; over
500,000 at BMI
• Live Nation produces over 20,000
shows annually
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: 42,530 musicians
and singers, 48,321 independent individuals
primarily engaged in artistic performances
• CD Baby music from over 300,000
artists, Next Big Sound data from over
700,000 artists
WITH NUMBERS LIKE THE ABOVE, HOW
CAN AN ARTIST MAKE IT BIG?
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• AUDIENCE GROWTH FOR MUSICIANS
• MUSIC DISCOVERY FOR LISTENERS
• INTEREST IN FESTIVAL’S OFFLINE
PLATFORMS
• NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR
SEVERAL MUSICAL ACTS
WEBSITE OBJECTIVES
The principal goal of the host website is to help local artists from across the country grow their
audiences with the end objective of selecting several of the most talented artists to participate in
live performances. The site needs to succesfully direct users to musicians that they are not familiar
with. A listener may originally visit the site via one local band that he or she supports, but Crescendo’s
website features must prompt users to investigate other deserving musicians based on genre, overall
rating, or similiary to their local artists.
Equally important, the website must prompt enough interest that users will participate in Crescendo’s
offline platforms. This includes purchasing merchandise and attending the festival shows, thus
collecting revenue for Crescendo.
Ultimately, exposure to new music acts as an incentive for users to purchase tickets to live events.
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COMPETITOR SITES
Crescendo’s competition lies in two categories: music discovery websites and battle of the
bands websites.
MUSIC DISCOVERY
Crescendo and its website promote music discovery, as do sites such as Spotify, Pandora, and
SoundCloud. These sites are widely recognized for providing new music, Spotify and Pandora based
on personal preference. They host popular, published music, as opposed to undiscovered artists.
SPOTIFY
LIKEABLE FEATURES
• Uses declarative statements: “Music for everyone,” “Music brings
us together,” “All your music is here”
• Minimal, seemingly bland color palatte (black and white), but pops
of green for important highlights
• Homepage uses deep scroll to relay all necessary info; no clicking
to pages for about, membership, etc.
• Parallax scrolling, transparent boxes; elegant
• Simple, straightforward icons
• Explanations of features very short to not lose viewer’s attention
• Where menus do exist, they only include a few options; easy to
digest, not too much to sort through
DISLIKEABLE FEATURES
• Seems inconsistent in design in community forum; all usernames
not the same color, page overall uses clunky icons, page seems
disconnected from the header and the rest of the site
• Haphazard mashup of album covers; breaks page in strange and
not very smooth way
USEFUL FUNCTIONS
• Simple and clear, clean icons (A)
• Overall dark, sleek, subdued color palette, pops of color to draw
attention to important features (B)
SUCCESS FACTORS
• Partners with range of notable brands, festivals, and non-profits,
including Sprint, Sennheiser, Bonnaroo, and MTV
• Has access to music from all major record labels
• Allows user to follow other users if he or she likes their music playlists
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A
B
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USEFUL FUNCTIONS
• Lists information about artist playing, as well as similar artists (C)
• Navigation through ads; displays several ads at once without being
overpowering (D)
SUCCESS FACTORS
• Uses the Music Genome Project to assign characteristics to songs,
creating a scientific approach to categorizing music
• Allows songs to be more specifically catered to listener
• Allows users to follow other users based on stations
PANDORA
LIKEABLE FEATURES
• Homepage has one feature (to input an artist); very easy for user
to figure out what to do
• Descriptive genre profiling: “...we’ll play a song that...features
basic rock song structures, a subtle use of vocal harmony, repetitive
melodic phrasing, extensive vamping and acoustic rhythm piano;”
puts words to the type of music the listener is drawn to
• Noticeable yet unobnoxious ad placement; ads placed in corner
and displayed as slideshow; very noticeable but still feel like
purposeful pieces of the page
DISLIKEABLE FEATURES
• Too monochromatic; blue is calming but also depressing; could
benefit from another color, a brighter color, or a contrasting color
• Slightly embossed type and buttons, large buttons with gradients;
makes some features seem dated
• Very large, distracting ads seem slapped on carelessly
• Full background ads; after some refreshes, entire page background
becomes ad and is very off-putting
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C
D
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SOUNDCLOUD
LIKEABLE FEATURES
• Declarative statements make it sound like joining SoundCloud will
benefit you: “Get On SoundCloud, make careers happen,” “Get On
SoundCloud, make fans happen”
• Devoted to users; word choice speaks to users, words aim to
appreciate users and cater to users: “...we launched our brand
new iPhone app, and we want to say thanks to all of you who’ve
downloaded it, tried it out, and let us know what you think. It’s
been great hearing from everyone...We hear you,” “today, our
all-new iPhone app is ready for you,” “Congratulations to our
finalists...” “share your thoughts with us...really help us improve”
• Featured song on homepage changes upon refresh; introduces
users to new music, helps promote artists that utilize the site
DISLIKEABLE FEATURES
•“Who to follow” feature is random when logging in, as opposed
to custom based on music preferences; custom suggestions would
make user more apt to check them out
USEFUL FUNCTIONS
• Bright, fun, clear buttons (E)
• Allows users to pin comments in songs, advocating for artists (F)
• Hierarchy on informational pages; bold, clever headlines draw user
in, custom icons draw attention to important areas, different columns
and proportions for different information to avoid redundance (G)
• Links to all artists’ social media platforms (H)
SUCCESS FACTORS
• Provides artists with a free platform for uploading music with
the option to make it available for download, thus promoting to
a broader audience
• Allows users to collect songs they like, creating their own playlists
To meet the demands of established music providers, Crescendo’s website needs to include a system
of directing users to new music based on what they already like. Perhaps a login through Facebook
can assist by accessing users’ “liked” artists. A handy feature may be to allow users to tag bands with
other large musicians they deem them similar to, drawing attention to them by means of “big names.”
Fortunately, in addition to these features, the concept of aiding local artists may alone serve as a
huge drive for users. A sense of hometown pride incites the initial visit, and a thirst for undiscovered
music retains the user’s interest. While large platforms like Spotify and Pandora provide satisfying
playlists, they cannot match fulfillment from participation in the rise of truly undiscovered talent,
or the excitement of rooting for a local band’s success.
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F
E
G
H
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BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITIONS
Nationally recognized battles such as BattleOfTheBands.com, Gorilla Music, and Buffalo Trace
Saloon present competition.
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
BattleOfTheBands.com hosts competitions for already
national touring festivals.
LIKEABLE FEATURES
•“Sneak peeks” of all main information provided on home page;
participating festivals and bands shown immediately with option
to load more or click for more information
• Very photograph-heavy; stresses importance of participating acts
DISLIKEABLE FEATURES
• Tone of information is too formal and serious
• Clicking on different festivals reveals information about each one,
but there is no “master about page” describing the purpose of Battle
OfTheBands.com itself (rules page sort of serves as about page)
USEFUL FUNCTIONS
• Hierarchical grids (A)
• Band statistics (B)
• Sponsors switch from grey to color upon mouse over (C)
• Band sorting system (D)
• Option to view bands as grid or list (E)
• Judge profiles (F)
• Image system for rules rather than text-only (G)
SUCCESS FACTORS
• BattleOfTheBands is sponsored by respectable music industry brands
• Main music festivals look to site to host their competitions through
• Opportunities for small scale and large scale prizes
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A
D
B F
C G
E
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GORILLA MUSIC
LIKEABLE FEATURES
• Provides statistics to back up its success: “A+ rating with the
Better Business Bureau,” “has booked about 50,000 bands,”
“runs shows in over 65 cities and works with over 100 clubs”
• Lists reasons artists should use the company: “We do not require
bands to sell tickets....reward them for selling tickets,” “...our
shows attract huge crowds,” “We have an amazing management
program where any band that wants our help can get it;” portray
the company as a huge asset to artists striving for success
DISLIKEABLE FEATURES
• Many site features flash or use many text effects, giving them
an advertisement feeling
• Too much information falls under an endless scroll as opposed to
columns or separate pages
• Team members offer inconsistent information: some use Gmail
email addresses, others use @gorilla.com; some provide phone
numbers, others do not; not all are represented by photographs
• Photo gallery last updated in 2013; should be to date or removed
• Testimonial page is too text heavy with too much scrolling; could
benefit from separate links or “read more” drop-downs
USEFUL FUNCTIONS
• I admire this website for the strength and thorough detail of its
content but think that it lacks beneficial organization
SUCCESS FACTORS
• Gorilla Music has the ability to book in many cities and venues
across the United States
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BUFFALO TRACE SALOON
Buffalo Trace Saloon is a United States restaurant bar chain.
Its competition offers cash prizes.
LIKEABLE FEATURES
• Style of site matches theme of saloon; provides unified style for
battle features
• Minimal color palette, not too distracting
DISLIKEABLE FEATURES
• One winner each month from January until August, then com-
petition between winners in September; seems to drawn out
USEFUL FUNCTIONS
• Instead of star ratings, users give bands “shots;” unique take on
voting system (A)
• Band statistics, links, and info easily viewable (B)
• Ability to select genre and sorting (C)
• Score sheet (D)
• Ability to log in through Facebook (E)
SUCCESS FACTORS
• As a successful chain restaurant, Buffalo Trace Saloon can afford
generous cash prizes
Crescendo needs to maintain fans’ interest once their local bands are eliminated and spark fans’ interest in
the bands outside of their hometowns. Perhaps an incentive could include voting for other artists
for a chance to win a ticket to the closet regional festival.
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A
B
C
D
E
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PERSONA 2: LOVE OF UNDISCOVERED MUSICIANS
Kate is a 20-year-old music business major at a large university in New York. For years she has been
very interested in unexplored genres and bands rather than widely recognized acts. In high school,
she maintained many friendships with local artists and worked with them to achieve greater success
in their areas. She aspires to aid musicians in growth, beginning at the starting stages and fostering
them to success. Searching for underground talent, she came across Crescendo and was overwhelmed
at the number of musicians involved.
SIMILAR PERSONAS:
• Young music lovers
• Music industry students
• Local music supporters
WILL ENJOY:
• Recommendations based on location
• Social media links and sharing options
• Photos, videos, music
NEEDS TO FIND:
• Incentive to vote
• Direction towards artists outside
of hometown
LOOKING FOR:
• Variety of talented bands
• Benefits of voting
• Means of sharing artists
WILL ENJOY:
• Recommendations based on location
• Social media links and sharing options
• Photos, videos, music
NEEDS TO FIND:
• Direction towards artists outside of
hometown by means of genre, age, etc.
• Draw to new music from unfamiliar artists
AUDIENCE
PERSONA 1: ONLY INTERESTED IN ARTISTS FROM HIS HOMETOWN
John is a 17-year-old high school senior in a small town in Pennsylvania. He is a fan of hard rock
and heavy metal music. He was never able to pursue proper music lessons, but his desire to fit in
with a musical crowd keeps him avidly following local bands. He attends many of their local shows
and enthusiastically advocates for them on social media. When he finds out that several of his town’s
bands are entering Crescendo, he throws all of his support at them, voting for every musician from
his hometown and prompting everyone he knows to vote.
LOOKING FOR:
• Means of voting
• Benefits of voting
• Means of sharing artists
SIMILAR PERSONAS:
• Young music lovers
• High school students
• Those involved in local music, i.e.
promoters, managers, venue owners
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PERSONA 3: MAINSTREAM MUSIC FAN, VISITS SITE VIA COUSIN’S BAND
Jennifer, a 23-year-old barista from Maryland, enjoys spending time with large groups of friends at
clubs and bars, often updating her Facebook check-ins. She discovers music through friends and
radio stations. She recived a message through Facebook from her cousin in North Carolina. His band
is competing in Crescendo and he is asking her to help him out by voting through Crescendo’s website.
A fan of folk music, Jennifer is interested to see that the battle will be sponsoring a The Head and
the Heart concert at the end of the event.
WILL ENJOY:
• Pairings with mainstream artists
• Recommendations based on genre
• Social media links, sharing
• Incentives to vote
NEEDS TO FIND:
• Incentive to vote
• Incentive to listen to music
• Direction towards other artists, new music
SIMILAR PERSONAS:
• Young concertgoers
• College graduates
• Relatives and friends of band members
• Mainstream music fans
• People not directly associated with the
music industry
LOOKING FOR:
• Correlation with familiar bands
• Easy means of voting
• Benefits of voting
• Bands’ music
PERSONA 4: BAND MEMBERS
Michael, 26, is an acoustic solo artist. He has been performing in local coffee shops and bars for
about a year. While he is happy with his sound, he worries that it does not appeal to those from his
town that would help spread it around. In high school, Michael was part of a rock band that grew
a large fan base and would like to achieve that status again. While searching for ways to spread his
new acoustic music online, he finds Crescendo.
SIMILAR PERSONAS:
• Newly begun acts
• Experienced musicians
• Solo artists
• Members of bands
• Range of musical genres
LOOKING FOR:
• Fan base growth
• Music posting
• Potential to win
• Ways to stand out
WILL ENJOY:
• Rankings, tips
• Audio live stream ability
• Professional judges, prize
• Social media sharing
NEEDS TO FIND:
• Incentive to participate
• Incentive to stay active on website
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PERSONA FEATURE LIST
SITE FEATURES AVID MUSIC FANS CASUAL MUSIC FANS BAND MEMBERS
Participating band list with
sorting featuresx x
Rankings x x
Participating band info.
(desciptions, music, photos,
vidoes, socials)
x x
Forums x x
Recommendations x x
Audio live streaming x x
Social media sharing x x x
Festival / concert countdown x x
National bands as support x x x
Playlist creation x
Voting x x (once see incentives) x
Prize offers x x x
Festival informationx
x (depending on sponsors and
festival events)x
Final concert informationx
x (depending on
national bands)x
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UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION
“WHERE CROSS-COUNTRY CONTENDERS PROGRESS FROM NEIGHBORHOOD NOISE TO
SWEEPING SUCCESS.”
• Crescendo encompasses the entire country and is dedicated to growth above all else
• While prizes are awarded to some, all participating musicians have the opportunity move past a local
standpoint and grow their audiences across the board
• Site features ensure that musicians will be recommended to listeners outside of their immediate hometowns
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SUCCESS METRICS:
• INCREASE IN OVERALL VOTES
• INCREASE IN FORUM COMMENTS
• INCREASE IN SOCIAL MEDIA SHARES
• INCREASE IN BAND REGISTRATION
• INCREASE IN FAN REGISTRATION
• INCREASE IN USER INTEREST IN
BANDS OUTSIDE OF HOMETOWNS
EXAMPLES OF FEATURES
•“Turning up the volume” to vote
• Votes counted in decibels
•“Transmission” as social media feed
• 4 “quads” (channels of sound) for
4 genres
BRAND CHARACTER:
Cresecendo will utilize a positive, relaxed, and joyful tone. As a competition involving many young
people, it needs to present itself as welcoming and inviting, a platform where bands feel comfortable
creating profiles and where fans feel appreciated for participating. It will use many second person
pronouns to speak directly to users and to stress dedication to the bands and the fans, utilizing
jargon that emphasizes the importance of bands’ and fans’ efforts. Individulals appreciate the
knowledge that they have made a difference, so areas of the site will often express gratitude for
fans’ efforts, thanking them for voting, commenting, sharing, etc., and reminding them that they
are carrying the site. To show that its services are devoted to bands’ benefits, Crescendo will offer
bands reminders to stay active on the site and tips for increasing their audiences. Creating this sense
of unity and informing users that they are a direct hand in the success promotes them to continue
their activity on the site and to support Cresecendo’s off-site events.
To iterate an enjoyable user experience, Crescendo’s site theme will correspond to a music player.
Site features will adapt names from music jargon.
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SITE FEATURE LIST
HERE IS WHAT I ADMIRE FROM COMPETITOR SITES:
• Deep, one page scroll for most important information; click to other pages for
secondary information
• Discreet yet noticeable ads that feel like they’re a part of the page design,
slideshow ads
• Declarative statements and second person pronouns
• Interactive / unique means of displaying common features
• Sorting by list or grid
• Unique names / systems for common features (votes = shots)
• Themes
• Featured band / song, randomly changing band / song upon refresh
HERE IS WHAT I DO NOT CARE FOR FROM COMPETITOR SITES:
• Not enough community; too distant and matter-of-fact in tone
• Not enough interest; no linking to bands user might recognize
• Not enough incentive
• No live aspects in online voting; musicians’ performances can sound vastly
different from recordings
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CRESCENDO SITE FEATURES:
ENTER SITE
link to enter site
• Logo / identity + USP
• General info about site & festival
• Participating genres
• What’s in it for bands, fans
link to sign up
• General festival & concert info
link to register / log in
link to festival social medias
HOME PAGE
• News article
read more
related articles
• Highlighted contest
• Daily tip for bands
• Newest acts
Merchandise
(Enter site scoll example )
logo / identity
Where cross-country contenders progress from neighborhood noise to sweeping success.
Crescendo is searching for the greatest local bands, discovering immense hidden talent along the way.
Crescendo invites young local musicians to participate in a competition to achieve recognition across the United States, vastly
expanding fan bases in the process. We welcome community members to select deserving acts and to discover new music.
Here’s a breakdown of the process:
Bands enter one of 4 genres:
Folk description, example
Metal description, example
Rock description, example
Pop description, example
Select bands are chosen to perform in Crescendo in New York, Memphis, Omaha, and San Francisco -map-
and four bands are awarded the opportunity to open live for BAND, BAND, BAND, and BAND.
Join the community for participation in voting, communication, and festivals.
Bands – register for a chance to perform to a crowd of thousands and to share your music
with the country.
Fans – register for the opportunity to help your favorite local rise to success and to unearth musical gems across the United States.
Fans register, vote for favorites, create playlists, and
discover hidden talent, helping foster these artists to
success. Along the way, they have opportunities to
communicate with artists, attend live performances,
and win cool prizes.
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ARTICLE PAGE
• News article
related articles by category
most popular articles
GENERAL INFORMATION
Split between several pages
• How festival works
• Goals of festival
• What’s in it for bands & fans / benefits
link to sign up
• About festival & final concerts
• Other festival events
link to tickets
• National bands at final concerts
link to nation bands’ websites
• About judges & sponsors
link to sponsors’ websites
• Frequently asked questions
dropdowns for categories
SIGN UP
• Benefits for bands
link to band sign up
• Benefits for fans
link to fan sign up
BAND SIGN UP
Split between several pages
•*Band name
•*Email address
•*At least 2 social media links
•*Genre (choose 1 of 4)
• At least 3 similar national acts (will drop down when start typing)
•*Zip code
•*Password
•*Upload song
•*Upload photo
•*Description
•*Number of members
•*Ages of members
(Can add more info after registration)
FAN SIGN UP
Split between several pages
•*Username
•*Email address
•*Password
•*Favorite genre (choose from 4)
•*At least 3 favorite national acts (will drop down when start typing)
•*Zip code
• Option to sign in with Facebook
BANDS LIST
• Sort by grid or list
• Sort bands by genre, location (zip code), age, number of votes,
join date, alphabetical
links to band profiles
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BAND PROFILES
• Band name
• About
• Photos, videos
• Social media links
• Genre
link to search more of genre
• Hometown
link to search more of town
• Songs
• Similar national acts
• Social media feed
share on social media
• Countdown to band’s regional festival, badge if still
participating in competiton (after voting levels)
• Number of votes
vote
STATIC LINKS (MENU, ON EVERY PAGE)
register / log in / profile
recommended band for you
general info
festival & concert info
all bands
festival social media
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SIT
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AP
Belo
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ach
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resc
endo
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ebsi
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PHASE 2FESTIVALS
San Francisco, CA
Omaha, NE
Memphis, TN
New York, NY
BACKGROUND
One of the most important factors in determining if musical acts are truly deserving of recognition
is quality of live performance. Strong stage presence, superior sound caliber, and audience interaction
are all aspects that contribute to an artist’s likeability and potential to attract a crowd. Crescendo
seeks out musicians that excel at these facets to represent talent, appeal, and diligence.
To discern which musicians best exhibit these characteristics, Crescendo will host four live battle of
the bands competition festivals in the United States. Competing bands will be selected by a panel
of judges from sponsor organizations, and will be selected by analysis of online listener voting paired
with evaluation of provided music and descriptions.
Crescendo’s festivals will be held in cities with great interest in music: San Francisco, California; Omaha,
Nebraska; Memphis, Tennessee; and New York, New York. The competitions will be held over the
course of nine days on the respective 2015 dates: July 9, July 12, July 15, and July 18.
• SHOWCASE OF TALENT
• EXPANSION OF FAN BASES FOR
MUSICIANS
• DISCOVERY OF NEW MUSIC FOR
AUDIENCE
• DETERMINATION OF FINAL
DESERVING WINNERS
• PROMOTION OF SPONSORS AND
APPRECIATION FOR LOCAL MUSIC
THROUGH ACTIVITIES
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
July 9, 2015
Golden Gate Park
OMAHA, NEBRASKA
July 12, 2015
Stinson Park
BREAKDOWN
The festival venues are located across the United States, splitting the country into four regions. The
selected bands will compete in the festivals in their respective regions.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
July 15, 2015
Tom Lee Park
Crescendo’s judges, along with the festival creators, will analyze the musicians with the highest
numbers of votes after the online listener voting period ends. For each festival date, they will select
five bands from each genre to compete. (Five bands from each genre for four genres amounts to 20
bands per festival, and a total of 80 bands across all four festivals.)
CRESCENDO’S JUDGES:
TOM WHEELER
Author of Fender’s Custom Shop
DAN AKYROYD
Founder of House of Blues
CRAIGIE ZILDJIAN
CEO of Zildjian
KEVIN LYMAN
Founder of Vans Warped Tour
JULIE GREENWALD
President of Atlantic Records
NEW YORK, NY
July 18, 2015
Randall’s Island Park
Each festival will include four stages (one per genre), and musicians will perform 40-minute sets. Stage
acts may overlap slightly to assure no dead time. Crescendo’s judges will observe a portion of each set.
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SILENT DISCO
Sponsored by Beats
30 MINUTE LESSON SESSIONS
Sponsored by Fender
Guitars will be provided and professionals will teach
short, private or group lessons.
TIP SESSIONS
Sponsored by Guitar Center
Professionals will conduct short sessions advising on
music promotion and steps for achieving success.
CONNECTION SPACE
Sponsored by Converse
Participants choose either a “band” or a “fan” pin and use
the area to promote in person and meet new fans or bands.
LOUDEST CYMBAL CRASH COMPETITION
Sponsored by Zildjian
BRING BOTTLED WATER
Sponsored by charity : water
Guests may receive first priority sign up for one music
or tip session if they donate a bottle of water upon
entering the festival.
STREAMING SCREEN
Sponsored by Ustream
During the festivals, posts and photos uploaded to
Twitter and Instagram with a certain hashtag may be
displayed on a large screen at the festivals.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
While the main goal of Crescendo’s festivals is to focus on the artists, showcasing talent and determining
winners, Crescendo offers additional activities at each competition to provide variety in the event,
and to encourage attendance of music lovers not familiar with the performers and of fans located
far from the festival locations.
ACTIVITIES MAY INCLUDE:
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OTHER ASPECTS MAY INCLUDE:
• Merchandise
• Food Vendors
• Lost and Found
• Information / Medical / Security
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DELIVERABLES
The following may be produced for use in Crescendo’s competition festivals.
• Tickets
• Stage passes for musicians
• Schedules for each festival
• Posters
• Signage
wayfinding, stage, festival tents
• Food vouchers, coupons
• Merchandise
2 shirts, drawstring backpacks, hoodie
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PHASE 3CONCERTS
BACKGROUND
The most effective way to bring recognition to new artists is to pair them with artists that already
receive national attention. Crescendo’s grand prizes for the festival competition winners is an
opportunity to open live at one performance for a popular band of their respective genres. These
performances will be stops on existing planned tours; the winning bands will perform at the tour
stops closest to each of their hometowns. Each concert will be at a large venue in front of a crowd
of thousands, an opportunity to share music with ample new fans.
• EXPOSURE TO FANS OF GENRE
• DISPLAY OF SKILL
• POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH
POPULAR MUSICIANS
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BREAKDOWN
Crescendo’s judges will observe a portion of each set at each festival. After the last festival, they
will determine one overall winner from each of the four genres, folk, metal, rock, and pop.
The winners will join the tours of the following bands on the dates and at the locations closest to
each of their hometowns:
THE HEAD AND THE HEART
Folk
ARCTIC MONKEYS
Rock
THE AMITY AFFLICTION
MetalCHVRCHES
Pop
Crescendo’s winners’ final concert performance dates will be announced with the announcement of
the winners.
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CLOSING
Through this process, four highly deserving musical acts will receive an opportunity they may never
otherwise gain the means to achieve. The aid of these musicians is a truly rewarding experience for
all involved, as the path to their success is accomplished by the efforts of bands and fans alike.
Furthermore, all musicians involved will spread their music across the country, and listeners will
discover music they enjoy that could have been impossible to discover elsewhere. Crescendo unites
the country in music and proves that true talent can pay off.
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