68 - The Michigan Daily Weekend Magazine - Thursday, November 5, 1998 0 .W - I 0 m -°=R-The 'rMichigan oAi4seekeAdaa Indy label Gadfly appeals to the strange, unusual 'O Rfao-r of the week A world of art 1is not a world away, By Curtis Zimmermann Daily Arts Writer In the cutthroat and unforgiving music industry, there are few - if any - record companies that can be described as noble. Mainstream labels control most of the popular, market. Many of the nation's small- time ndependent ilabels, however. ofr t l ome credibility to an I iel~rln'to \eiiotha Gadfly Records was founded by Residential College graduate Mitch Cantor. The label started releasing CDs in 1990. Describing his company in a recent interview with The Michigan Daily, Cantor quoted one of Gadfly's more well-known artists, Graham Parker, by stating "We don't appeal to the masses, and they don't appeal to usi" Cantor explained how the labL's goal is simple - it only releases albums that are unique and offbeat. He expressed his concern about the future of mainstream music by rec- ognizing how there is no longer the variety on the radio that there once was. By following this revolution- ary philosophy, even without using a formula for mainstream success, the Gadfly label has managed to grow sign ificantly since its incep- tion. --n Cantor pointed out that the most important aspect of running a suc- cessful independent label is its dis- tribution. He explained how if DNA (a national distributor) hadn't picked up the label in its early years, it would have probably gone out of business. In addition, Gadfly has set up an effective catalog sys- tem that does most of its sales on the Internet at 1,1 gadflv- records1com. Cantor also pointed oat that the best way fr him to set his raeords is by wrd of mouth since the com- pony doesn't have the resources to promote its material to the general public in the same ways the major labels do. Another major d ilemma that the conmpany's artists somctimes face is the high cost of touring. Since no one record released by Gadfly has sold more than 10,000 albums on any one release, many artists lose money while out on the road. The lack of promotional funds hurts the labels and artists and creates a downward spiraling effect. Without the proper publicity people don't hear about the records, which reduces sales and touring opportuni- ties, thus leading to even lower sales. The over-saturation of the music industry by major labels has prompted many of these indepen- dent labels to create their own mar- kets without attempting to gain crossover appeal. Cantor pointed out that success is simply a matter of finding out who your audience is and trying to appeal to it. Cantor has assembled a wide v ar- ely in the Gadfly catalog. The mamn type of music produced I the label is that of singer/songwriters like Parker, Tom Chapin, Kate Wolf and Stan Rogers. Beyond them, Gadfly offers a rather odd selection of nth- nc music and spoken ord. In this realm, Gadfly boasts one of the largest selections of Karelian Folk music, which includes Russia's largest country/bluegrass band Kukuruza. In a time when multinational con- glomerates often control what clothes we wear, what food we eat and what we listen to, it's encourag- ing for young entrepreneurs to see Gadfly, and the nation's thousands of other independent labels, fight this trend. By Alexandra Arch For the Daily The Detroit Institute of Art, the fifth largest fine arts museum in the country, retains a commanding international paint- ing collection ranging from prehistoric to contemporary eras. With special exhibits and an impressive display of all art forms, the DTA can provide something to interest every taste and level of expertise, from the novice admirer to the serious art critic. eginning tomorrow the DIA wil stay open u 9 pm o e rsFra nig F er mm' prOvding another option for p opie -ho are busy or workin, zl 1 week. while the museum is usually open. Vi-itors can enjoy the DI's permanent collection, visiting exhibits, dinners and special activities, including various guest speakers, music and workshops that teach ways in which to examine different forms of art. "A Passion For Glass: The Avia and Jack Robinson Studio Glass Collection," a 78-piece collection of studio glass donated by the Robinsons in 1995, cur- rently is showing at the DIA. This exhib- it offers an interesting insight into glass making's 5,000-year-old tradition, and also has a touch-screen video allowing visitors inside the artists' studio to observe the process of glass blowing first- hand. The exhibit attributes the popularity of glass-making to a man named Harvey Littleton, who brought glass making into an artistic sphere in the '60s. He launched glass-making as a popular art form, sub- sequently perpetuating a fascinating his- tory of glasswork. This diverse exhibit illustrates the dif- ferent styles and techniques used in mak- ing glass. Pieces by Littleton are included in the exhibit along with those of several other principal artists working in the stu- dio glass movement. Each piece is classi- fied by size, appropriation, nature, abstraction, color, and functional value - such as its use as fuiture or baskets. Objects on display in "A Passion For Glass" explore color and light. These pieces are visually stunning and must be obsev ed from al angles in order to appreciate the entirety of the artwork. The ass wdork wt 1ss and use space to defne hwthe color, shape arid texture interact in each piece. The exhibit is supplemented by fantas- tic permanent coliction housed in the DIA. Highlighting the permanent collection are the Rivera murals. In 1932, Diego Rivera, an internationally renowned Mexican muralist, was commissioned to paint a room now called the Rivera Court. The DIA hails this spectacular room as one of its most popular attractions. Diego Rivera's fresco murals span an entire room conveying a special significance to the city of Detroit. With laborious atten- tion to details, Rivera creates a dynamic room that features Detroit's industry in the '30s. Additional highlights of the DIA include a substantial Italian art collection, an American painting collection and the French impressionist collection featuring works by Monet, Van Gogh, Manet and Cezanne. In addition, there are Flemish and Dutch paintings, Native American Art, African American Art and a large Asian Art collection. These diverse col- lections offer something to satisfy almost every artistic taste. "The DIA is a world-class museum, rated in the top 10 of the country," said volunteer tour guide Judy Knowles. "In addition to its encyclopedic collections, the DIA also represents the diversity of art from all time periods." Knowles not only cites the vast and impressive collection of the DIA, but also mentions the unique way in which the art is arranged and the collections are housed in the architecture. Renovations to the DIA enhance the idividual collctions and offers a simulatig atmosphere Knowles also pointed out that conm- bicaii with the neighboring African American museum, the Science Museum and the Historical Museum, the DIA is situated in the cultural center of Detroit. Nov. 5: Motown /What: The Detroit Instit /Where: Downtown Detr /How: Take I-94 East pa 215C at Woodward Aven Detroit's city hail and oth /How Long: 45 minutes /What's There: The DIA, of fine arts, tomorrow wi it open until 9 p m. every to attract would-be musE ing during the day and d( a lttle culture - or stud make a trip to Detroit in for one reason only, go ti murals, located in the CE Court, or experience one only $4 for hours of visJ GRADUATE PROGR SCHOOL OF EDUC Want to make a difference in the lives of you undergraduate degree or will you have one by month Masters' Degree AND certification to t School of Education is now accepting app Elementary MAC, which begins in July 1999. during 1999-2000 school year in two urban schools; academic courses integrated with ea ence. Some fellowship support is expected for quali For applications, contact Office of Stu( soe.oss@umich.edu or phone 764-7563. For Professor Stuart Rankin, email srankin@un (Mention you saw this ad in the Daily.) Vienna Virtuosi Principal Members of the Vienna Philharmonic Thu, Nov 5 .8 P.M. Rackham Auditorium - - - - - - - - - 1 N II'1 U I t __.= L w .:._ or*T :1 1-1 s l =f-A =90 Ann Arbor m 241 E. Liberty Ann Arbor 998-0008 Fax 998-0303 Mon.-Sat. 11-12 AM Sun. 12 noon- 10 PM i .- I f u jj' Plymouth 447 Forest (Behind the Mayflower Hotel) 459-3332 Fax 459-3113 Mon.-Sat 11 AM-11 PM Sun. 12 noon-10 PM 1) Value Meals Only 3.99 Soup or Cold Drink, Egg Roll, Entree & Fried Rice Lunch Only I I- I 1 1 2) Buy one dinner entree and get a second at half priceI 3) $2 off for purchase of $10 or more 4) $5 off for purchase of $25 or more Jazz Tap Summit: An All-Star Celebration of Tap Dancing Sat, Nov 7, 8 P.M. Hill Auditorium American String Quartet Beethoven the Contemporary Series Sun, Nov 8, 4 P.M. Rackham Auditorium Mitsuko Uchida, piano Wed, Nov 11, 8 P.M. Hill Auditorium L. I I I a Limit one offer per visit. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase, expiration 11/30/98 . um == = ..s . .. .m.... ..... ,.. te. r LYMOUT I - 7 i tr AM5O 1 1I Central Campus Rush Outlet Michigan Union Ticket Office on the day of the event, 9 A.M.- 5 P.M., Monday through Friday (Friday for weekend events). University Music --I +' i' ''r 'o. t V ! rt i #+ n, . f .4 & # d it v f,,:" at. i 4 .,% 4 a A 6 4 a . *E i.: ".. '4 A i i-l-f k-4,..} ..$.