As heard on Benji B’s most recent Radio 1 programme – a Jamie Woon special.

more over at http://www.jamiewoon.com/

It’s been a long while between posts on this blog… but all for a good reason! I’ve been busy producing a big event at work, so my days were reduced to wake / eat / work lots / eat / work lots more / eat / sleep – repeat. Not that I mind at all, it was the most exciting project I’ve worked on since I started at the BBC.

So, the context is – my team at the Beeb have a quarterly ‘knees up’ to share ideas, projects & new developments. The last one was a bit ‘death-by-powerpoint’, so this time, I suggested we shake things up a bit. The new rules? no powerpoint, a theme (this time = innovation), lots of opportunities for staff to interact &  feedback via social media and a working group of staff to pull together the content for the day. And it all worked out beautifully.

The meeting was a lot more open than usual, with staff encouraged to tweet or text their feedback while the event was taking place. We put a big plasma screen on the left of stage, and via the genius of Richard Morland and Steve Bowbrick, a hashtag for the day #amint and visible tweets, the virtual conversation kicked off and didn’t let up until well after the event. There were about 400 comments over the course of the day, and many more after the event had ended. Lots of people shared their thoughts, observations and links about innovation through our (very innovative) virtual live conversation.

Guest speakers included Vicky Williamson talking about having an #earworm (check out http://earwormery.com), Tom Taylor talking Newspaper Club, Alastair Dant on how The Guardian visualised tweets for the World Cup (waaay more entertaining to follow than the onscreen commentary methinks), and Michelle You talking all things Songkick. We also sent staff off to see how they innovate at Absolute Radio Labs, the Media Trust, and the Telegraph; and to talk about innovation with our friends from PhD, Poke and Somethin’ Else.

Thanks to all who volunteered their time & effort, especially Nigel Smith who came up with most of the suggestions and organised the guest speakers – I’m so pleased with the way things turned out. Read more about the event on the BBC Internet Blog.

Red Button masterclass with Jac P

Right. So I don’t usually talk work on here, but I am aware of the guidelines for communication and talking about the BBC in public, so here goes. I’ve been working in Audio & Music Interactive for the last six months, it’s been such a fascinating experience, I felt I had to write about some of it. Soon I’ll be producing an internal “knees up” event and the plan is to do something around the theme Innovation.

Preaching innovation to a bunch of very talented interactive producers is going to be a tough one. The stuff they create each and every day is about the most innovative stuff out there – to name a few – the new Radio 1 Chart, Glastonbury website, and Big Mexican Wave (a much nicer way to celebrate the World Cup than those stupid Vuvuzela things – yes, I’m on that team).

Some things that have crossed my path while doing research have reminded me just how much more I’ve got to learn – and that’s exciting. I’ve seen some very cool stuff like this walk, IDEO, Engine, or this great talk by David Byrne over on the TED website. These might not form part of our final event, but it’s good to see so many possibilities. I hope to report back later on how it went and what else we discovered along the way.

p.s. I’ve been listening to these great mixes by the healing arts while researching… checkit.

they’re making this girl feel better after what has been a very intense week. It’s all over the news, but in case you missed it, read all about the Strategy Review on The Guardian website here.

From the trusty RBMA blog - my only advice would be to DO IT!

In conjunction with the Student Radio Association, the Red Bull Music Academy is offering ten pairs of trips to London for British students working in radio, to get involved with the RBMA Radio team for a unique broadcasting experience.

Working with a team of seasoned radio professionals during the Academy through February 7 to March 12, 2010, you’ll be able to take your production skills to the next level, while getting must-listen content for your own radio shows. Get all the application details here.

The RBMA Radio team is made up of an international cast of top broadcasting professionals from across the board. Producers from BBC Radio 1 and 1xtra for the likes of Gilles Peterson, Tim Westwood, Scott Mills and Mary Anne Hobbs, to Sony Gold Award-winning podcasts, and Radio 1′s Newsbeat, these people know radio like the back of their hands. Completing the team will be members from RBMA Radio’s HQ in Cologne, bringing a distinct international vibe to the station.

During the Academy event, RBMA Radio will also be syndicating shows for FM stations in over 30 countries, as well as NME Radio in London, so this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about new forms of radio and syndication networks. But not only will you get to pick the brains of broadcast and music industry professionals, you’ll also have access to musical legends of yesteryear and pioneering producers of tomorrow – in lecture sessions, exclusive one-to-one interviews, and at the concerts and parties that will complement the daytime activities at the Academy.

All you have to do to apply is:

- Download the Application Form
- Complete the Application Form – please make sure you’ve answered all the questions and include all your contact details
- Send an email to sra@redbullmusicacademy.com, complete with the duly filled-in Application Form, plus a direct link to your show online, or a download link for a sample radio show/feature you’re proud of producing/presenting via Yousendit, Megaupload, Rapidshare etc (duration: up to 60 minutes)

Get your application in by January 31st 2010!

If you have any further questions just email sra@redbullmusicacademy.com

15 minute LORN mix on the Brainfeeder website from Mary Anne Hobbs show on BBC Radio 1.

DOWNLOAD MIX HERE

bloody hell. i’d just come back to london from a week (holidaying?) in russia and sat down at my desk at work and thought “how the hell do I do this work thing again?!”. I’d arrived late, forgotten the password to my pc, realised i’d left heaps unfinished before i’d gone and somewhere in there was a bit of jetlag.

but, i got a great big cup of coffee, said hello and gave the headlines of my trip to the people closest to me, then settled in with my giant headphones on and opened up safari to find something to listen to on the BBC iPlayer while i got stuck into doing some work. I came across a Gilles Peterson show featuring a special Floating Points live session, recorded at the BBC studios in Maida Vale.

Oh. My. Gosh. it is brilliant. You can hear some bits of it on his myspace page, but I seriously hope this gets a proper release as it’s just about the best thing i’ve heard all year. dude is a genius.

and I had a moment of real pride for where I work.

This is a great night out, if you can bear dealing with a hangover at work the next day… 

More info at the Deviation blog

The 2009 BBC Urban Music Talent Scheme launched in May and for the first time, the scheme is open to everyone rather than selecting applicants via nomination. The initiative calls for aspiring performers, producers or promoters aged 18 to 30, who are active in the urban music scene, to apply for bursaries and support. Many previous winners (including thecocknbullkid) have moved on to great things. The purpose is to help musically-talented young people take that next to develop their career.

£10,000 is up for grabs… visit the BBC website to find out more or check out Ras Kwame touting it in the video below!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the new Dizzee Rascal tune!