 C.W.
Metcalf gave a keynote address on July 24 in which
he offered several life skills. Metcalf, who has recovered
from two life-threatening brain surgeries and a bout
with leukemia, chided those who take a “realistic”
view toward life’s challenges, saying it places
focus on what one can’t do or what can’t
be done. “Take yourself lightly and your work
seriously,” he said, noting that “terminal
professionalism” — overcoming one’s
fear of foolishness, embarrassment and failure —
must be overcome because it prohibits people from
taking the necessary risks to succeed.
Earlier in the day, former Saturday Night Live cast
 member/writer
and renowned actor Harry Shearer served as a last-minute
replacement for keynoter Arianna Huffington at the
Jacobs Media Rock Summit. The talented voice actor,
whose credits include Mr. Burns, Smithers and Ned
Flanders on hit animated sitcom The Simpsons, kicked
off his speech with a dead-on impression of Huffington
apologizing for not being able to make it to the convention.
Shearer addressed the difficult situation in which
creative people find themselves due to the indecency
flap and recalled his own run-ins with censorship
as a performer. He also took a jab at big media saying
that the idea of companies wrapping themselves in
the First Amendment is as silly as record labels campaigning
for artist rights. As for Janet Jackson’s breast-baring
incident at the Super Bowl, Shearer placed the blame
on CBS President Les Moonves for not accepting responsibility
and for feigning ignorance of the plans for Jackson’s
performance.
Also on June 24, panelists at R&R Convention 2004’s
webcasting panel, called “Know Your Competition,”
took turns identifying new opportunities and challenges
for broadcasters and the music business. Yahoo! Launch’s
Jay Frank cut to the chase, saying, “I’m
tired of all of us [in new media] being blamed for
the problems of the industry. The No. 1 threat is
crappy music; it’s not technology.” U.S.
Coding Technologies David Frerichs remarked, “I
can’t wait for the day when Napster and Apple
sign bands directly and cut out the labels.”
Live365’s David Porter expressed excitement
about the advent of wireless broadband, saying, “We’re
probably two to three years from infiltrating car
stereo. We’re the biggest threat to terrestrial
radio.” PD-turned-Napster executive Michelle
Santosuosso also sees how new media will compete for
listeners, adding, “Radio has lost its ability
to engage the listener on a music experience.”
More from the webcasting panel and the Jacobs Media
Rock Summit — as well as a roundup of all of
the individual format sessions and exciting performances
by Abenaa, Rhian Benson, Katrina Carlson, The Dresden
Dolls, Qadeer, Rick Springfield, Tears For Fears,
Temmora and more — will be covered in future
issues of R&R. Click
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