By Mary Oishi, Development Director
Once or twice in a lifetime, something comes along that raises the consciousness of an entire generation. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was one of those catalysts, almost singlehandedly birthing the Environmental Movement.
In November of 2006, two deeply-devoted music fans released a documentary, “Before the Music Dies,” in the hope of raising a dialogue among American music fans about the current state of the music industry and of commercial radio. The effect of this movie may not be so strong as to totally change the music industry or the consciousness of the entire culture, but it certainly could help us all to understand why it is so important to fight to keep community public radio (as well as live streaming on the internet) as a viable option.
Narrated by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, “Before the Music Dies” pulls back the curtain on corporate radio and record label consolidation—in short, on the megalithic corporations’ obsession with youth and beauty and their stifling effect on music as art. It includes a stunning animation that shows Clear Channel’s stations prior to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and what has happened since then. Most of us know about this, but somehow it’s much more striking when you see a map of the country completely peppered with stations homogenously programmed and controlled by one corporation with profit as its singular motive.
The other scene that will astound even the most well-informed music enthusiast is that of a tone-deaf teenage model being turned into a music pop star. This jaw-dropping segment leaves one wondering if anything that comes to us from mainstream pop culture is authentic.
“Before the Music Dies” features powerful testimony and performances by some of the biggest names in music: Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Branford Marsalis, North Missippi Allstars, Billy Preston, Ray Charles, Les Paul, Hubert Sumlin, Erykah Badu, Doyle Bramhall II, Calexico, Questlove, My Morning Jacket, Michael Penn, and Widespread Panic. L.A. Weekly calls it “stinging but hilarious.” Lee Abrams of XM Radio dubbed it “The most important film a music fan will ever see.”
So we at KUNM contacted the distributors and are bringing this provocative film to New Mexico. As a member, we have sent you a voucher for a FREE PASS to come to this special screening. You have FIRST CHOICE to see “Before the Music Dies” absolutely free—as our way of saying thanks for being a contributing member—but YOU MUST RETURN THE VOUCHER IN THE REPLY ENVELOPE SO WE CAN PUT YOUR NAME AT WILL CALL FOR YOUR FREE TICKET—AT YOUR CHOICE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE OR SANTA FE VENUE.
The Albuquerque screening will be at the historic KiMo Theatre on Friday, June 29th at 7 pm. They will be playing the music through their brand-new 20-speaker surround-sound system, so the music segments should be magnificent. As of this writing, we are still working on the details of the Santa Fe screening, but your envelope will contain all of the information you need. Again, YOU MUST RETURN YOUR RSVP VIA MAIL no later than June 19th to claim your free ticket. If there are any unclaimed MEMBERS ONLY free seats after June 19th, they will then go on sale to the general public. So it’s very important you watch your mail and send in your reservation right away. The envelope will say:
Claim YOUR FREE TICKET to an important and riveting movie! KUNM Members ONLY! Details inside…
I hope you’ll take advantage of this MEMBERS-ONLY offer. I need to caution you that, although “Before the Music Dies” is not rated, it is uncensored and does contain some strong language which may not be suitable for children.
We encourage you to proudly wear your new (or old) KUNM t-shirt to the screening. We have a hunch you’ll be even more proud to wear it after seeing “Before the Music Dies,” knowing that KUNM 89.9 FM is one place on the dial with the conviction that artistic freedom is absolutely essential, whether it’s for our DJs who select the music you hear on KUNM, or for the talented but little-known, independent, and local artists who only need the chance to be heard. Your contributions help us to sustain that freedom. Thank you!
