A new digital community offers independent and unsigned bands a revolutionary promotional platform to showcase their talents. urSession.com, gives musicians from all over the world an opportunity to build an audience in hopes of landing a record deal. VOA's Behnam Nateghi recently spoke to the site's founder about this unique Internet portal. Carla Coolman narrates.
The days of aspiring bands performing in relative obscurity waiting to be "discovered" may be a thing of the past thanks to the Internet. Through Internet-based platforms, bands can now share their passion for music with a global audience.
Shavo Odadjian is the bassist with the American band "System of a Down". Formed in 1995 in Los Angeles, in the western state of California, the band is now on hiatus. But Odadjian is staying busy with other musical projects.
One of them is the website, urSession.com, a place where artists from around the world have an opportunity to break into the music industry.
"Artists around the world, around the world, can audition via uploading their audio or video of their act, their band, themselves, and they get a chance to get signed by not only us, urSession Records, but any other record company that sees them on our web site."
Bands and individual musicians interested in cyber jamming can upload their material hoping to make an impact on those scouting for new talent.
"Me and my friend, my partner, thought of the idea saying, 'There are so many great artists out there that have no way of been seen or heard, or have even the money to make a demo because in the world of music today. You know, the dying world of the music industry, we are in the fourth quarter of the industry going downhill, the only way in which you can get signed, get recognized is if you either know somebody or have enough money to get to know somebody."
Musicians aspiring to stardom have their work rated by others on the Website.
Odadjian thinks this creates an innovative way for new talent to emerge. "The best part of it is that I am going to be able to discover a lot of good artists that would have never gotten the chance to do it."
Odadjian looks forward to hearing new bands that could rock the world just like "System of a Down" has for the past 13 years.
