NFO Official press release, Associated Press 6/3/03
Press Release: Associated Press, Carbondale, IL.

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2003.

Local musical artist Jason Dodson from Marion, Illinois has created a project that is the first of it's kind. The music project is titled "The New Funk Order". The NFO is an international music compilation of many different artists that have come together for one common cause- freedom of music. This is the first totally free music project in the history of internet technology. Artists involved in the project agree to "share their music freely because the gift was given to them freely to create it". The original message was first intended as "a rebuttal to the political New World Order that is encouraging corporate globalization and exploitation of all that is good" says Dodson, and secondly, the message of the NFO is "to show that artists can provide free music to the public without the influence of greed". "New Funk" is a music genre that was originally formed by Minneapolis musicians (esp. Prince) in the 70's and 80's, and since the 90's has been a blend of multi-cultural soul music.

The "New Funk Order, Project 1" is available for free download at www.newfunkorder.com. Not only the music is free, but the site includes free downloads of the CD artwork, song previews, and a full-length video from one of the artists. The CD features the work of 18 different artists from different areas of the world, including many areas of the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Sweden, and Canada. Dodson has a song on the CD, titled "Liberation", and also includes 2 other songs co-produced by him. "Project 2 will begin soon" says Dodson, and goes on to say that "record companies, money hungry artists, and artist organizations, especially the RIAA, need to watch and learn from these projects. This is the dawning of a new funk revolution".

Associated Press, Copyright 2003.
Reported by Robert Sanchez, Illinois One Multimedia, Inc.
[This message was edited Wed Jun 4 6:48:40 PDT 2003 by JDODSON]

That's F**KING AWESOME!!!


:HEADBANG:

I second that!

Nice

I must say, that is pretty damned impressive

nice work people!

this is very very good

props to Jdodson and the NEWFUNKORDER.

hey jd. thats hot man!
[This message was edited Tue Jun 3 13:58:28 PDT 2003 by sexaftertaste]

Did this get printed somewhere J?

Keep on rockin in the free world!


sorry i'm in a strange mood 2day


an i'ma download and burn this now edit!
[This message was edited Tue Jun 3 12:32:48 PDT 2003 by Sweeny79]

As far as I know, Robert entered this into the AP wire que, and should be accessible to any newsroom today, just depends on who wants to place it in thier news publications. I know it will be in the Southern Illinoisan newspaper, the Marion Daily Republican newspaper, and a local paper called the Southern Illinois Weekly Review.

If anyone else reads this, feel free to publish it in your local paper also!


Peace,
JD

This is Great!

If they print it with my artwork, I want a copy!

Hell I want a copy anyway!

Oh Man JD!U get multiple stars for this kiddo. Way 2 go!

Now you can take a tear sheet of it, photo copy with cover letter and send to publications that can do a feature story.

Brialliant JD. U rock!

Props JD!

Check this out too, http://www.bandpress.com

Red said:

Thanks! You mentioned that I should get a press release the other day, so I did! LOL!


Peace,
JD

I knew you were listening JD and I knew you were the one to get it done.

Again...well done

Phase I - Begun
GET THE FUNK OUT!

Good work.
Free is good.
Music is the best.

I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but that press release is full of spelling and grammatical errors. Also the quote from JD about "the gift" comes across as a little po-faced (sorry!). Also the comment about "the first totally free music project in the history of internet technology" - this is something I doubt very much - small bands have been giving away their music online for many years.

Sorry to be all negative, but I intend it as "constructive criticism" It is still pretty cool tho.

ian said:

The above press release was a rough draft that I e-mailed to a friend who works with a local media organization who reports for the AP, so any errors were my spelling errors and I am sure that being a 15 year journalist that he would have found the errors. I wish I had the editing skills of a professional, but I really don't have time. Also, from all sources that I have derived information from, the NFO is the first totally free music project, internationally, where all artists are in agreement with the program. What do you mean by "po-faced"? I think that the comment is a very valid comment, because that is how we all feel, and that is how we believe music should be- if the gift is given to us freely to create, then we should in return give it back freely.


Peace,
JD

I just edited the release myself to more match what the AP release might have looked like yesterday. lol.

JDODSON said:

Sorry mate, it was just a bit of constructive criticism. If you can't take a bit of criticism now, how will you feel once people start checking out your music and reviewing it

Spelling and grammar - cool, I'm glad that is just a rough draft. It would look very unprofessional to release a press release like that. I'm sure your journalist friend will sort that out. I merely assumed this was the final press release, because you posted it as if it was. It doesn't take much effort to get someone to proofread it for you - in fact if you posted it on the Org first, there are plenty of spelling pedants here that could correct the mistakes for you no doubt

As for being the first, I'm pretty sure you aren't. Sorry. Bands have been collaborating over the net for years and years and years. In fact, I remember very clearly in the early days of the web, seeing sites of bands with international members collaborating over the net and putting up their music online. Still, it sounds cool to claim it, and hopefully no-one will look into it enough to prove you wrong. Not that it matters.

As for the comment I said seemed "po-faced" - by this I meant "pretentious", "arrogant", "head up your own arse", "full of yourself" etc. I'm not saying you or NFO or like that, but when I read the post I got that tone from it. Sorry for any offence caused, but I'm just being honest with ya

Here is a copy of the e-mail I recieved from Chris Wissman early today after he received the press release. Chris is Senior Editor of Nightlife Magazine, a regional musicians magazine here in Southern Illinois.



J:

Drop off the CD at the address below, and I'll try to put together a
writeup withing a couple weeks. Let me know where the disc is
available,
and if you'd like an MP3 or two placed on our website (and if so, which
songs).



Thanks!


Chris Wissmann,
Editor-in-Chief
NIGHTLIFE

701 West Main
Carbondale, IL 62901

A lot of people feel like music is a gift that is given to them from God and they are appreciative of it.

VinaBlue said:

I'd agree. However saying that your musical talents are a gift can sometimes sound like saying you are gifted, which can sound a little arrogant IMO.

ian said:

I guess so. I for one truly feel that music is the most magical, beautiful thing that has ever exsisted. Therefore, when I am given a melody, baseline, lyrics, whatever, I feel like I've been given a prescious gift. If that's the definition of being gifted, then so be it.

We are not being arrogant. In fact, if you read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, she states that we are all gifted and have creative abilities. There are also plenty of people who have very little creativity and they are SUPER arrogant. So I guess it all lies in the eyes of the beholder.

ian said:

No offense taken, Ian. I didn't mean to make us sound arrogant to you. I am actually just trying to let people know about the real meaning of being "free" and trying to let people understand that "gifts" are from a higher positive power, and those that seek other things from music besides joy (like money and extensive fame for selfish reasons) should not do so. That is all I mean by "freely given gifts" and "totally free" website is that it is free from corporate strings, free from creative blocks, and, financially free also- and, there is no limits to the freedom. There are no "ask to buy" situations, no bulls**t advertisements on the site that "have to be there to make money", and, there is no other cause involved in the site other than "freedom of music".

Oh, and I corrected my rough draft a bit in the first post up there. If you see anything a little off in grammar and spelling let me know, because until the article hits this might be the only copy I will have for a couple days.


Peace,
JD

JDODSON said:

Hey, I know you guys are cool people and not arrogant at all, I just want to make sure other people reading that press release know that too

Anyway that's cool about the magazine that contacted you... fame at last!

ian said:

Ian - you're wrong man, I'm arrogant as hell.

I think you and JD are both right - bands have been collaborating globally on the internet for free releases, but at the same time, I don't know how many compilations have come about where all thirtyleven artists agree to put it out there for free... a single band collaborating yeah, but bunches of bands? I spose that's what mp3.com is, right?

And in the end, does it matter? Not really. We're the latest one. If there are others before us, well, they weren't as good... yeah. add that line in the press release jd.

Amazing works being done y'all.