Bacterial Orchestra - Public Epidemic No.1

Public Epidemic No 1 from Olle Corneer on Vimeo.

Bacterial Orchestra - Public Epidemic No.1 is a cell phone performance. Cult of Mac reports via iPhonefunaddict Twitter.

It's a music art project slated for the Volt Festival June 6th in Uppsala, Sweden, where organizers hope hundreds of iPhones will communicate through audio - creating a musical organism. The result, according to Olle Cornéer and Martin Lübcke, will be a self-organizing system they describe as intelligent neural music.

Read full article. permalink (May 17th, 2009)

Standford's Mobile Phone Orchestra Shows Us How It's Done

Ge Wang, the founder of Stanford's Mobile Phone Orchestra (or MoPho), shows us how he and his mates make beautiful music in the video above. [via GeekSugar] Related: - Stanford Mobile Phone Orchestra Plays Stairway To Heaven permalink (April 17th, 2009)

Stanford Mobile Phone Orchestra Plays Stairway To Heaven

Stanford Mobile Phone Orchestra Plays Stairway to Heaven from Scott Beale on Vimeo. Here’s The Mobile Phone Orchestra (MoPhO) from The Stanford University Center for Computer Research (CCRMA) playing “Stairway To Heaven” on their iPhones at The Crunchies 2008, a web industry awards ceremony held in San Francisco. Spotted on the Laughing Squid. Related links to other cell phone concert performance. permalink (January 13th, 2009)

‘Vulva String Orchestra’ ringtone

toneShared bills itself as “The world’s most interesting collection of mobile phone tones” and features downloads in MP3 format from a selection of alternative/electronica artists. Pocket Picks reports. "Best of all, you can afford to experiment - all the tones are downloadable for free. Now you have no excuse for not trying out a tone by the wonderfully named ‘Vulva String Orchestra’." permalink (June 29th, 2008)

English orchestra tunes up for virtual concert

Not related to cell phones, but fun. Stuff reports that one of Britain's oldest symphony orchestras is to play a concert in Second Life. "The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is building a replica of its concert hall where it will perform works by Rachmaninov, Ravel and two contemporary composers from the northern English city. After the concert, they can chat to the orchestra's principal conductor Vasily Petrenko and performers in the virtual bar. Michael Elliott, the orchestra's chief executive, said he hoped the September 14 concert would attract a new audience to classical music. "It's a lot of fun and certainly adds a different dimension to the more traditional visit to a concert hall," he said. " permalink (August 15th, 2007)

The Boston Typewriter Orchestra

There's no way I can connect this one to ringtones, unless someone wanted to make a ringtone of it. Just file under fun. There is such a thing as the Boston Typewriter Orchestra (BTO). It's "a collective endeavor which engages in rhythmic typewriter manipulation combined with elements of performance, comedy and satire". They even have CDs, concerts, and television appearances behind them. BTO aims to entertain the masses while providing a creative outlet for the creative urges of its members. [via Neatorama] permalink (December 18th, 2006)

Concertino for cell phones and orchestra

U.S. jazz composer David Baker is encouraging people to use their mobile phones during the debut performance of " Concertino for Cellular Phones and Orchestra" that will open the 20th anniversary season of the Chicago Sinfonietta classical music festival next month. [via Reuters]. "During the 15-minute composition, members of the audience and the orchestra will be asked to use their cell phones at various points throughout the piece with red and green lights telling them when to turn their phones on and off. Baker, who has more than 2,000 jazz, symphonic and chamber compositions to his credit, said people will also be encouraged to randomly increase and decrease the volume of their ring tones and try to recognize familiar tune fragments on the ring tones sounding on orchestra members' cell phones." Dialtones Symphony was the first very ringtone concert. It was conducted by Golan Levin and performed in September 2001 at the Brucknerhaus Auditorium in Linz, Austria. The 28-minute concert was produced through the ringing of 200 visitors' phones. Related: -- Links in Ringtonia to ringtone concerts and symphonies -- An Informal Catalogue of Mobile Phone Performances, Installations and Artworks - through 2002 permalink (September 22nd, 2006)

PLAY.Orchestra

If you go down to the South Bank in London this summer, outside the Royal Festival Hall is a wonderful installation titled PLAY.Orchestra. 56 plastic cubes and 3 Hotspots are laid out on a full size orchestra stage, each cube containing a light and speaker. Sit down on the cube or stand in the hotspot to turn on that instrument and bring 58 friends to hear the full piece. People with Bluetooth phones will be able to receive a ringtone of the piece created, as well as upload their own sound samples in September. Each Saturday from 19 August to 30 September between 11am and 1pm we'll be running live events in the PLAY.orchestra, with live Philharmonia musicians, sound recording equipment and people on hand to help you find Bluetooth on your phone. Record a sound using your phone and send it back to us via Bluetooth - these sounds will enter the sample library and become part of the music in the PLAY.orchestra from 23 September [via networked performance] permalink (August 22nd, 2006)

American Composers Orchestra to Auction Ringtones by Philip Glass and Meredith Monk

The American Composers Orchestra will auction mobile-phone ringtones created by Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Laurie Anderson, and other composers as part of its spring fundraiser, reports Playbill Arts. "Other composers contributing ringtones for the auction include Michael Gordon, Danny Elfman, Marc Ribot, and Randall Woolf. The auction, to take place online between April 10 and May 5. Bids can be made at www.ACOauction.cmarket.com starting at 8 a.m. on April 10. permalink (March 13th, 2006)

Going for a song: one orchestra

Many bizarre items have been put up for sale on the auction website eBay: now someone is selling a 90-strong symphony orchestra. The Guardian reports. "The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is flogging a little of its time, offering a "once in a lifetime opportunity to conduct the CBSO" with a "personal conducting lesson with CBSO maestro". ... The money raised from the auction will go towards the orchestra's community and education programme". permalink (August 6th, 2005)

Cellphones join the orchestra

A German conductor is incorporating mobile phone ringtones into his orchestra's performances. Bernd Kremling, who runs the Drumming Hands orchestra in Wuerzburg, used ringtones ranging from Bach and Mozart to Old McDonald Had a Farm, according to Ananova.

Some phones are set off by the musicians but others have to be rung from backstage at the right moment to set off their sound.

For more on cell phone concerts performed around the world, check out Golan Levin's collection online, called An Information Catalogue of Mobile Phone Artworks.

permalink (August 28th, 2003)

Vodafone Symphonia played on 1000 phones with 53 different ringtones

Vodafone NZ hired a production team to orchestrate cellphones into “playing” Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture. The effort took 1000 phones and 53 different ringtone alerts, synchronized to recreate the famous classical piece. [via Mashable] Watch the video of the performance as well as the making-of in two parts (part 1, part 2) Not a first though, a collection gathered by American composer Golan Levin initiated the first original «Dialtones Symphony», where the 200 instruments played were the audience's ringing cell phones. The first concert took place on September 2nd, 2001, at the Brucknerhaus Auditorium in Linz, Austria during the Ars Electronica's annual festival. Golan Levin performed his symphony again in the summer of 2002, at the Arteplage Mobile de Jura as a production of the Swiss National Exposition. (Ringtonia) More on cell phone and ringtones concerts/symphonies. permalink (October 23rd, 2009)

Springfield Symphony offering free ringtones

Beethoven's ninth is now a ringtone — brought to you by an unlikely source of ringtones, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Springfield News-Sun reports.

"Symphony orchestras can be relevant in the 21st century," said operations director Robyn Zimmann, "and are relevant." What started as an idea by the symphony's audience development committee is now a reality. The SSO is offering free cell phone ringtones — short clips of the orchestra in concert — on its Web site. The SSO is offering four ringtones (plus two phone wallpapers) to start with, but let's be brutally honest here — Mozart isn't Lil Wayne, and "Eine Kleine Nachtmusic" ain't "Lollipop."

permalink (March 27th, 2009)

Dial-a-concert? Japan software turns mobiles musical

According to Reuters, making music has just become easier. A Japanese game maker has teamed up with the nation's leading mobile phone network carrier to enable users to play an orchestra with their fingertips. "Game manufacturer Taito has created the "Chokkan Classic" software for NTT DoCoMo's i-mode Internet service that lets users to pick their instruments and the melody they want to play. To activate the sounds, users must either rub or move a finger infront of their phone's infrared sensor. The sensor can also be used to sync several users' phones to create the myriad sounds of an orchestra." permalink (October 15th, 2008)

"Scoregasm" brings musical climax to movie trailers

Not related to cell phone, just uh, interesting. Film score producer and mix engineer Alan Meyerson is teaming with Sony/ATV Music Publishing's Extreme Music to produce "Scoregasm," a series of neo-orchestral music designed for use in movie trailers "Scoregasm" features a 100-piece orchestra and 80-voice choir recorded in Lyndhurst Hall at Beatles producer George Martin's AIR Studios in London. The first release, "Climactic Euphonic Ecstasy," contains 37 tracks, each featuring a choral and instrumental mix, and is scheduled for release during the first quarter of 2008. [via Reuters[ permalink (February 5th, 2008)

AT&T Gives Away Free Christmas Ringtones

AT&T announced today that it is offering Free holiday ringtones to its subscribers along with free Answer Tones and a new mobile game. I4U reports. "The free ringtones for the holiday season include Jingle Bells, The Dreidel Song, and Noche de Paz. Free answer tones include Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Cyndi Lauper, wizards in Winter by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano. The game is called Santa’s Tower Bloxx by Digital Chocolate." permalink (November 29th, 2007)

Playing Cellphones on Stage Has Ring Of Respectability

For some avant-garde electronic artists, cellphones are musical instruments that can be incorporated into rock, hip-hop and even modern classical music. The WSJ reports. "Some musicians have already taken cellphone music to an extreme. -- An Austrian rock band called The handydandy named itself after the German term for mobile phone, handy. The band, which performs at electronic arts festivals in Europe and elsewhere, has done away with ordinary instruments altogether. Each member of the quintet straps a Sony Ericsson handset around his neck like a guitar and taps away on the buttons, making all the facial and bodily contortions of an Eric Clapton or Carlos Santana while producing very different results. Watch a video of their performance, Some aspiring DJs and hip-hop artists are beginning to experiment with cellphone, too. -- In the town of Slough, west of London, a youth center recently began a workshop on "mobile mashups." Using cellphones equipped with special mixing software, students with stage names like MC PanicPhaze learn to splice pieces of existing tunes, add all sorts of electronic effects, and record rap vocals on top. -- The Chicago Sinfonietta kicked off its 20th season last fall with a "Concertino for Cellphones and Orchestra," a piece built around ringtones. There's even a small technology industry emerging, mostly in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, to serve the needs of mobile-phone musicians. The phones and other hand-held devices the Slough youth center uses, for example, come equipped with software called miniMIXA, made by the Tao Group. It turns a cellphone into a tiny sound mixer and recording studi. Above left, classical musician (pianist and singer) Bora Yoon. Click here to hear her playing her song "Plinko" on a cellphone. Related: - Links to other ringtone concerts and symphonies permalink (May 29th, 2007)

A new symphony is music to gamers' ears

There have been several ringtone concerts performed around the world, so why not a video gaming symphony? Well it's happening. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, a "symphony" comprising music from some of the most popular video games will be performed in Sydney next year after sell-out shows in the US and Europe. "The Sydney Symphony will perform Play!, the "video game symphony", at the Sydney Opera House from June 20 next year, under conductor and Grammy award winner Arnie Roth. It includes music from about 20 games such as Final Fantasy, Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, The Legend Of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., World Of Warcraft, Lost Odyssey and Sonic The Hedgehog. As well as a full orchestra, choir and pipe organ, the show will also feature highlight clips from the video games, which will be played on large screens above the orchestra." permalink (December 18th, 2006)

Nokia's New Year global music event

Nokia will welcome the New Year in unique style - by connecting millions of music lovers from around the world as they count down the final minutes of 2006. Phonemag reports and Nokia's press release. "Nokia New Year’s Eve, a global music event stretching across four continents, will feature a number of international artists including The Black Eyed Peas and Scissor Sisters to entertain audiences at New Year’s celebrations from Hong Kong to Rio de Janeiro. Those unable to attend in person can experience the party via television or the internet. To orchestrate this unique global celebration, Nokia has enlisted the services of Harvey Goldsmith CBE, the producer of Live Aid and Live8. ... Nokia New Year’s Eve looks set to be the world’s biggest New Year’s party of 2006 with the five events expected to have a combined attendance of 1.3 million and an anticipated global television and Internet audience of 150 million. permalink (November 16th, 2006)

Cellphone Concertino Video thanks to the NY Times

The New York Times offers a video of the Concertino for Cellular Phones and Symphony Orchestra by David N. Baker, held October lst in Chicago and explains just how the audience was asked to participate. "A device similar to a traffic light signaled the audience members to activate their rings — red for the balcony, green for the orchestra seats — at various points in the piece. An assistant conductor, Terrance Gray, followed the score and activated the lights. Four amplified mobile phones were onstage. One, operated by a teaching assistant at Indiana, Aaron Vandermeer, was programmed with Mr. Baker’s main tune and well-known classical themes like the “William Tell” gallop and a motif from the last movement of Brahms’s Symphony No. 4. The other three cellphonists onstage played random rings, sometimes timed to destroy a pastoral melody here or there. Mr. Freeman held a brief practice session before the downbeat. “You may use as much imagination or as little as you like,” he said. ... During the performance, some in the audience held up their phones and waved them back and forth, as if to make themselves heard. Little squares of light from the phone screens studded the hall at Dominican University, one of the homes of the Sinfonietta. But the audience cellphonists seemed to lose steam toward the end of the piece, and the orchestra occasionally drowned out their rings. Organizers hoped that the sound would be better the next night, at Orchestra Hall in Chicago." Just for the record, as this is loudly being touted as the first such performance of its kind, with the audience buzzing "we made history", it was not a first. Dialtones Symphony was the first very ringtone concert. It was conducted by Golan Levin and performed in September 2001 at the Brucknerhaus Auditorium in Linz, Austria. The 28-minute concert was produced through the ringing of 200 visitors' phones. And there have been others since: -- Links in Ringtonia to ringtone concerts and symphonies -- An Informal Catalogue of Mobile Phone Performances, Installations and Artworks - through 2002 permalink (October 4th, 2006)

Chicago Sinfonietta ringtone concert

Karina on mobuzz.tv today mentions the Chicago Sinfonietta's incorporating mobile ringtones into its performance. As part of their ongoing experiment in audience participation, they are unveiling a new work called Concertino for Cell Phone and Orchestra by David Baker. During the performance, different sections of the audience will be asked to play their mobile ringtones at different times. "The grand finale will probably have everyone play their cell phone at once, according to the Director. Other ringtone concerts: -- Rocking the stage with mobile phones - The Handydandy consisted of five media artists from Austria using their mobile phones as musical instruments. -- Cellphones join the orchestra - German conductor Bernd Kremlin incorporated mobile phone ringtones into his orchestra's performances. -- Get 25,000-watt music via your mobile phone - An experimental live concert was held at the annual 2003 Ars Electronica festival where performer Tim Didymus conducted a live concert featuring music and sounds generated entirely on-the-fly from a mobile phone application. -- Radio Ringtone Concert - The Hamburg Kunsthalle was the venue for a musical event dubbed "Wählt die Signale" (Dial the Signals), a radio concert for 144 mobile phones. -- «Dialtones Symphony» - Was a collection gathered by American composer Golan Levin who initiated the first original «Dialtones Symphony» in 2001, where the 200 instruments played were the audience's ringing cell phones. Offbeat: -- Interactive Live Show - A Techno gig using mobile technology in 2001, was broadcast nationally across Japan. -- Ringtone Concert In Estonia - The Tallinn Song Festival in Estonia planed a ringtone concert planned…sorta. -- Cell phones and ringtones play part in new musical comedy - A stand-up comedian and a student wrote a musical comedy where cell phones and ringtones play a part. permalink (June 19th, 2006)

Major ringtone auction takes on classical tunes

U.S.A. first major ringtone auction will put original tunes by classical U.S. composers up for sale, reports Arizona Republic. Organized by the American Composers Orchestra to raise money for its young-composer and educational programs, the auction offers miniworks written expressly for cellular phone by 10 artists. Among them are already established composers such as Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson, Danny Elfman and emerging talent Jason Freeman. Each will conceive one 20- to 30-second ringtone. The bids, which start at $100, may be placed online from April 10 to May 5. "Everyone can get a Beyonce ringtone for a buck or so," said Barbara Burch, director of development at the non-profit group. "But just one person in the world will have the ringtone by Philip Glass. This is a collectible ringtone." "We still see the dominance of rap, R&B, alternative, punk and pop," said Drew Hull, research director of mobile content at NPD Group. "But we are definitely seeing growth in jazz and classical music." Almost non-existent three years ago, ringtones in those genres now make up about 5 percent of the market. The participation of big names in the auction is a sign "that this market is growing and becoming part of the mainstream," Hull added. "You have famous classical composers, whom you won't associate with the teenager market, becoming involved, and it's not looked down upon." permalink (April 2nd, 2006)

Classical Music: Rings

Everyone from Madonna to hip-hop star Kanye West has been selling portions of their songs as cellphone ringtones. Now, some less likely names are joining them -- like the early 20th-century Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The WSJ reports. "Orchestras and classical-music publishers want a piece of the increasingly lucrative ringtone business -- which saw about $600 million in U.S. sales last year -- and they're rolling out their own music for cellphones: -- Boosey & Hawkes, a major classical music publisher, offers more than 300 songs from its catalog as $2.99 ringtone downloads on its Web site. -- The New York-based American Composers Orchestra is auctioning five exclusive ringtones online that it commissioned from composers like Philip Glass and Danny Elfman. -- And the London Symphony Orchestra now sells ringtone versions of its concert recordings for European cellphones on its Web site for about $5.20 each, and plans to start carrying ones for U.S. phones this year." Related articles on Classical Music and cell phones: -- In celebration of Mozart -- Missed the concert? Get the ring tone -- Nokia announces Ryuichi Sakamoto phone -- Teenage violin virtuoso to launch ringtones -- The Royal Opera of London offers ringtones -- Classical Tones -- Playing classical ringtones are music to his ears permalink (March 18th, 2006)

In celebration of Mozart

SignOnSanDiego.com reminds us that next Friday is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "Even those who have never attended a classical concert or purchased a Mozart recording have heard Mozart's works. They're everywhere – on cell phone ringtones, TV commercials, movie soundtracks and in shopping malls, where "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" may serenade shoppers." "Mozart is one of the few great masters who has truly penetrated pop culture," says Syracuse University professor Robert Thompson. ... Monks in some French monasteries have found that cows who listen to Mozart produce more milk. An Italian winemaker insists that piped-in Mozart makes his grapes ripen more quickly. Whether the claims are bogus or not, there are also many who believe that Mozart's music has distinct benefits to people. His works have been touted as a means of boosting intelligence, treating illness and disabilities, and enhancing creativity and mental health." So in honor of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, here are a few places online where you can dowload his music onto your cell phone: -- Ringophone Mozart page includes Mozart's Requiem - Confutatis, Rondo alla Turca, Turkish dance, The Magic Flute, The marriages of Figaro, Piccola serenata notturna. -- RingTone JukeBox offers 3 Mozart ringtones: Mozart's Classic Symphony, Figaro and Rondo A la Turca. -- Classic Cat has one of the largest selections of Mozart ringtones, from the Magic Flute to Symphony No 40. -- Real Mozart tones can be found on Jamster, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No 21, Marriage of Figaro, Sereneade No 13 and more... permalink (January 22nd, 2006)

'Note'-worthy contest seeks new ringtones

Professor Tod Machover of the Media Lab is creating his own buzz with an MIT make-your-own-ringtone competition using Hyperscore, software developed at MIT that allows composers to write music with computer graphics. The contest started on Monday, Jan. 9, and entries will be accepted until midnight Saturday, Jan. 21. "The original version of Hyperscore -- part of our Toy Symphony project -- allowed kids to compose music for orchestras around the world," Machover said. "Now you can even carry your masterpiece with you, right in your cell phone." Ringtone submissions will be judged by a panel that includes Machover; David "The Edge" Howell Evans, guitarist for U2; MIT Professor Marvin Minsky; and award-winning Hyperscore inventor Mary Farbood, a Ph.D. student at the MIT Media Lab. Participants must have an MIT e-mail account. For more contest information and to enter, visit www.h-lounge.com. [via MIT news office] permalink (January 11th, 2006)

First ringtone related garment?

The previous post on a symphony orchestra up for bids, made me curious as to what ebay was selling related to Ringtones. There's actually quite a bit, mostly ringtone software, ringtone CDs, and interesting, even a commercial ringtone website is up for sale. But this item for kids caught my fancy: A A Crazy Frog hooded top. "Official Licensed Crazy Frog Ringtone Baggy Fit Hoody featuring the Crazy Frog and his most annoying 'A Ring Ding Ding..........' catchphrase (The catch-phrase also appears on the reverse of the garment). A garment related ringtone is a first, I'm pretty sure. permalink (August 6th, 2005)

Sale Away

Sale Away, passers-by can conduct an "orchestra" of household devices via their mobile phones on a display window. The mechanical orchestra consists of flute, organ and brass playing vacuum cleaners, rattling kitchen mixers, buzzing ventilators, radio playing toy trains, wobbling jigsaws, dancing tumble dryers, humming refrigerators and other misused household utilities. The conductor is a big refrigerator. This fridge is also the explanatory interface. To start the orchestra and wake up the shopping windows you have to dial the number and follow the commands displayed on the window. This call opens the door of the fridge, giving free the image of its explanatory interface, the "mobile phone robot person". The robot will explain and invite you to act. By pressing keys on the phone you can let all different instruments play along with the melody. You can set some single voices or the whole orchestra tutti. reBlogged from networked performance permalink (June 22nd, 2005)

Teenage violin virtuoso to launch ringtones

Nicola Benedetti, the teenage violin virtuoso from Ayrshire, is to launch a range of mobile phone ringtones to tap into the youth market, reports the Times Online. Samples from three tracks on Benedetti's new album — Havanaise by Camille Saint-Saëns, Méditation by Jules Massenet and Contemplation by Johannes Brahms — have been sampled for the ringtones, which will cost between £2 ($3.80) and £3.50 ($6.70) to download. Her recording company expects to sell thousands of the samples. Classical ringtones are becoming increasingly popular. In February, the London Symphony Orchestra, which performed on Benedetti's, became the first classical ensemble to record a range of ringtones, from which it hopes to make £20,000 a year. Julian de Ste Croix, acting chief executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, added: “Nicola is just the right person to help take classical music to a younger audience and the fact that she is launching a range of ringtones can only be beneficial.” Related: -- Missed the concert? Get the ring tone - The London Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1904, has become the first orchestra to record and sell ringtones, -- The Royal Opera of London offers ringtones Themed around particular operas and ballets. Along with a text messaging campaign, the Royal Opera aims to broaden the appeal of opera and ballet and attract younger people. permalink (April 25th, 2005)

Nokia announces Ryuichi Sakamoto phone

In what I believe is a first, a new phone, the Nokia 8801 includes a signature ringtone "Dharma", by an award-winning composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto. “...the Nokia 8801 features exclusive audio accompaniment, including all ring tones and alerts, by award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto." Award-winning composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto was commissioned to compose the ringtones and alerts. Throughout his distinguished career, Sakamoto has crossed musical and technological boundaries, experimenting with different musical styles and making a name for himself in popular, orchestral and film music. Inspired by its modern lines and organic curves, Sakamoto has produced a musical accompaniment for the Nokia 8801 that captures an essence and emotion that touches both heart and mind." More poetry in Nokia press release - but no picture or audio files... via Joi Ito. Update Click here for picture of handset posted by Engadget permalink (April 7th, 2005)

Missed the concert? Get the ring tone

The London Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1904, has become the first orchestra to record and sell ringtones, reports the The Times Online. The orchestra has created tones for 54 well-known classical themes that can be downloaded onto a mobile telephone, including renditions from Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Beethoven and Vaughn Williams. All tunes are samples of the orchestra's recordings, either as a realistic “true tone” sound, or simplified “polytone” or “monotone” adaptations. The commercial venture is the latest money-making enterprise for the orchestra, which began its own label in 2000. If you can make classical music everyone wants on their telephone then that is excellent,” he said. “We want to make classical music part of life. Even if we make a loss we feel it will have been worth it.” - Clive Gillinson, the orchestra's managing director. Related: -- The Royal Opera of London offers ringtones Themed around particular operas and ballets. Along with a text messaging campaign, the Royal Opera aims to broaden the appeal of opera and ballet and attract younger people. permalink (February 28th, 2005)

Ringtone halts Ravel concert

Ananova reports that French conductor Marc Soustrot stopped a Danish Symphony Orchestra performance of Ravel's Daphne and Chloe, in Copenhagen, when he heard a ringtone from the seats. He waited for the ringing to stop, then asked his musicians to begin the performance from the start, making them repeat a large section of the ballet score. permalink (December 1st, 2004)

How Ring Tones Work

Gareth Marples for SalesMastersWorld has written up a simple explanation of how ring tones work. Monophonic tones vs. polyphonic tones Let's look at a couple of the major manufacturers of cellphones, Nokia and Samsung. They both carry a variety of monophonic and polyphonic phones. We'll explain the difference using these phones as an example. Nokia developed SMS (Short Messaging Service) technology so they could send short text messages between cellphones. The system went on to be the carrier for non-text information like ring tones and logos. Nokia and Samsung monophonic ring tones are short tunes played with simple tones – the tones we've been used to hearing when a cellphone rings. These tones are made up of single notes. Nokia polyphonic ring tones are the same as regular, or monophonic tones, but they can play several notes and sounds together, sounding like harmonized tunes, or normal music. Polyphonic tones differ in levels of quality, and the better ones can sound like a small orchestra. Samsung polyphonic ring tones use MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology. This format creates polyphonic musical compositions with different sounds, which come out sounding more like music. Polyphonic means that multiple tones can be played at the same time, using actual instrument sounds like guitars, drums and electronic pianos. The result is much more harmonized tunes. Samsung also has what they call a Poly 16 that can play 16 notes at once – definitely a superior sound. And if you think that's good, check out their V200 model, a Poly 40. This phone can play the most natural sounds – human voices, jazz rhythms, and classical music – perfectly, because it actually reproduces the instrumental sounds. Some Samsung phones have a built-in composer, so you can “write your own music”, directly from the keyboard, and create your own unique ring tones. Polyphonic tones have other uses, too. Besides being used for ring tones, they're also used in message alert tones and as sound effects in cellphone games. You can personalize your cellphone with unique ring tones With all these options available to you, there's no doubt you can make your cellphone exclusively different, especially if you make up your own ring tones. There'll be no more wondering when you hear a cellphone ring – you'll know for sure if it's yours or not. You can make your ring play Beethoven, or you can make it play 50 Cent. You can program your phone to play classical, rap, jazz or pop. You can give your phone a personality of its own – which of course, reflects your personality. “It becomes a fashion accessory at that point,” says James Ryan, vice-president of data product management at Cingular Wireless. For the younger set, hip-hop music is the popular choice. Seven out of ten ring tones downloaded in 2003 on the Cingular Wireless network were hip-hop songs. The most popular ring tone downloaded in 2003 was taken from the song “In Da Club,” by 50 Cent. This year's rapper of choice is OutKast. One reason why this type of music is so popular, besides the music itself, is the strong beat, which translates well to the high-pitched tones of cellphones. Michael Gallelli, director of content acquisition at T-Mobile, puts it like this: “Because of the very rhythmic nature of the music, it just serves itself very well in the form of ring tones.” And personalizing your ring tones doesn't stop there. You can identify your caller by setting a certain song to play when they call. For example, if your loved one calls you, you'll hear their favorite song when your phone rings. And if it's your boss calling, you can program your phone to play the theme from “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”…or maybe not. And if it's your teenager calling, you can identify them by rap music. The possibilities are endless. Ring tones boost the recording industry The latest innovation in downloadable ring tones is available in a variety of brands – super tones, TruTones, Real Tones, and many others. These advanced tones are actually MP-3 files that can only be played on newer-model phones. By the end of the year, probably all the major cellphone providers will carry these advanced models. Right now, about 40 million phones in the U.S. are capable of accepting ring tones. Of course, when you're dealing with artists, royalties come into play. Legal permission is required to sell these new tones. Therefore, the music industry has a new, much needed source of income. The major carriers have agreements with vendors that license, format and support ring tones to sell to their wireless customers. Moviso, a division of InfoSpace, sells downloading services to AT&T Wireless, T-Mobile, Cingular Wireless and Virgin Mobile, as well as handset makers Nokia, Motorola and Samsung. Once the rights to a song are secured from the music publisher (and the artist, if it has any vocals), Moviso's developers format the song into 24 digital formats, allowing the ring tone to be played on one of 300 handsets that accept ring tone downloads. The price of the ring tone is split between the carrier, the ring tone vendor and the owner of the music copyright, with the carrier getting half. So ring tones are a bright spot for the music industry, especially with declining CD sales, and the ongoing mountain of lawsuits over file-sharing. According to the Arc Group, a London-based telecommunications consulting firm, ring-tone sales accounted for more than 10% of the $32.2 billion in music sales around the world last year. And that's the most refreshing news they've had for a long time! Ring tones are available in many places There are a variety of sources for downloadable ring tones. Cellphone users can buy them from their provider's website, or go to various other websites that offer a variety of downloads, including ring tones, games, screen savers and wallpaper. If you have Internet access on your cellphone, you can download ring tones directly and put them to use in about a minute. If you have an older phone, without Internet access, you can still use ring tones – they're sent to you as a text message. Ring tones haven't finished yet So you thought cellular phones were advanced? Well, there's much more to come. Cellular long distance has been available for quite some time. And phone cards have been around for a while, too. And now we have ring tones. And just when you thought they'd reached their peak, more advances are in store. Somewhere on the horizon, you'll see “ringbacks” – bits of melody you can program your phone to play, instead of the ordinary ringing signal, when you call family members, friends or business contacts. The engineers of cellphone technology are sitting back, thinking, “The world is our oyster!” And you'll probably feel the same way when you program your cellphone with your exclusive ring tone. And then you'll know, when everyone's phone is ringing at the same time, which one is yours. And perhaps, soon, you'll be using your cellphone as an alarm clock. Then you'll indeed have “a musical awakening”! About The Author - Gareth Marples is an experienced freelance copywriter providing tips and advice for consumers about purchasing cell phone comparison, prepaid cell phone and free cell phones. His numerous articles offer moneysaving tips and valuable insight on typically confusing topics. permalink (August 25th, 2004)

Best True Music Ringtone award

Retro Ringtones LLC picked up The Best True Music Ringtone award at the first annual Mobile Music Conference in Miami, Florida Saturday night. The award was presented by Devo's Jerry Casale to Thomas Dolby Robertson for his self-produced ringtone 'Sendo Spaghetti'--commissioned for the upcoming Sendo X smartphone--which features Sergio Leone-style horns, orchestral stabs, and a dramatic whip-crack sound effect. The award was a fitting end to week in which Retro Ringtones launched its premium 'digital' ringtone library on two of Europe's top wireless carrier portals, O2 and Orange. (Thanks Hugo!) Last month, "Rap Artist 50 Cent of Interscope Records was honored with the first ever «Ringtone of the Year Award» on October 22 in Las Vegas, during the CTIA event. cf First «Ringtone of the Year Award. permalink (November 17th, 2003)

Ringtonia Spammed or not?

Ringtonia is either plagued by a spammer (yet every e-mail is from a different person) who posts a request in the comment section, for an «A.R. Rahman» ringtone, hoping to boost ringtone sales, or, these are genuine requests for a very popular musician. I must get five such comments a day:

- plz send me airtel ringtone which composed by A.R.RAHMANA

- pls send me airtel ring tone which is composed by A.R Rahman my mobile no is ...

- plz send me airtel ringtone which composed by A.R.RAHMAN.my cell number ...

Anyway, I looked him up, he's often referred to as "the new millennium composer". First a keyboard player in classic orchestras, he was then part of local Indian rock bands (Roots, Magic and Nemesis Avenue) before he started to compose ad jingles. He also did a couple of film albums.

And just for the record, Ringtonia is not a ringtone provider, only a blog reporting about the ringtone industry.

permalink (November 2nd, 2003)

Get 25,000-watt music via your mobile phone

An experimental live concert was held last week at the annual Ars Electronica festival, in Linz, Austria where performer Tim Didymus conducted a live concert featuring music and sounds generated entirely on-the-fly from a mobile phone application.

US-based Tao Group is behind the technology, called Intent Sound System (iSS), a suite of audio technologies that makes it possible to relay music composed live and in high quality through a mobile phone. [Economic Times] via [Moco News]

Cell phones have joined the orchestra before. For more on ringtone concerts around the world, cf Ringtone Concerts category.

permalink (September 13th, 2003)

Real music as a ringtone

Reuters reports on a small California company called Xingtone.com which has developed software which converts MP3 files to ringtones and enables users to make thier cell phone ring with any piece of real music or any voice or recorded sound. A favorite tune can play as a ringtone or someone's voice message can play for instance, "answer the phone!". For now, the technology works with the following phone models: Samsung A500, Samsung N400, Sanyo 4900 and Sanyo 5300, but more should be compatible soon. What's left to be seen is how the music industry will react to this technology which goes way beyond polyphonic ringtones, already a great improvement over the existing metallic tunes we are used to, sounding more like a small orchestra with several different instruments and sound effects. Click here to listen to a polyphonic ringtone. permalink (March 7th, 2003)