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Interviews Reviews

Interview With Notedead

Are you ready? Are you sure you’re ready for this? We don’t think you are, but you better get ready. Switching Styles has the answers you need with this interview with Notedead.

Introductions All Around!

Max Preuss (drums) and Trymer Martin (guitars/vocals) combine to form the band, Notedead. It all started where all great bands start, with a passion for music. The band found their start during the 2020 global COVID-19 pandemic, despite the hardships. Everything was rough. That didn’t stop them. For Notedead, this was a new beginning. The band formed in 2020 and has been rocking the world since.

Q&A Between Switching Styles and Notedead!

In an interview with switching styles, they’ve opened up about their band, their process, and their goals. Read below to get to know Notedead even better!

What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?

 Music emits emotion. I long to feel what the artist felt when they wrote the song and kind of experience it together. Music is also everywhere, from malls to elevators. And rhythm is in footsteps and your heartbeat, it’s everything.

 The emotions a song can put you through makes me feel alive

How did Notedead start and how did the Covid 19 Pandemic impact your band?

 Early on in Covid times when everything stopped and when we couldn’t jam with our bands Trymer started writing his own stuff and asked Max to write drums along with it. We both quickly realized that our writing for our respective instruments clicked together.

We started ripping out songs super-fast, so we decided to continue writing under our own band together which is Notedead.

How is being an Edmonton-based band impacted Notedead?

 It’s funny because only half of the band (Max) is Edmonton based and the other half (Trymer) is from Lacombe so it’s almost a long-distance type band relationship.

 The local music scene in Edmonton has a great group of people who support and encourage us, and we are forever grateful.

What inspired you to start playing and making music?

Trymer:

 Before I got into my own music I listened to my dad’s classic rock/metal, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Foreigner, ZZ Top, etc. Anyways but I’m in grade 5 I had some project to do at school and there was another classmate who did his project, but his was on Sum 41 and it caught my eye, so I got the CD “all killer no filler” at a Walmart in Manitoba, and that cd changed me.

From there I adopted my first taste of music away from my parents and it inspired me to want to play guitar, the ball started rolling from there!

Max:

Rock band. I loved the game because I was able to some of jam along to my favorite songs while simultaneously learning a basic version of the drums. I got very good at that game, and it made my transition into real drums very easy.

My music teacher in junior high band class then asked if anybody knew how and I volunteered to learn some percussion. The rest is history, between drum lessons, drumming for my high school jazz band & winning jazz artist of the year, it’s safe to say I’m a real drummer now

What bands or genres inspire your sound?

 Counterparts, Napoleon, Dance Gavin Dance, to name a few… but it’s really so hard to say what inspires our sound, so many bands growing up shaped us into the musicians we are and what our preferences are as well.

We also use it a lot! Of dead notes haha

Describe your creative process when you write new music.

 We both write our music on Guitar Pro. being as we are far away from each other, and we both enjoy the punctualness we can read. Trymer usually comes up with the first riff and then sends it to Max and Max writes the drums and then we work together from there, writing the song section by section.

Sometimes there will be a pre-discussed idea before we start on our next track, but we always write song by song and never add too much to our plates.

What’s your favorite venue for performing? Why?

 We don’t play shows as we are only a 2 man band writing songs to share with people, but if we could Trymer would want to play the St. Andrews United Church in Lacombe as he used to play local punk shows there growing up (it’s kind of odd I know, but it was so much fun!) and Max wishes we could play at Polar Park Brewery in Edmonton but it unfortunately just closed down.

What are some of your current projects?

 Currently, we have some new music in the bank but nothing to confirm aside from our new album “Separate Paths”. However, Max is in 2 other bands, Withered Days and Sol Runner.

What advice would you give to musicians just starting?

 Listen to music as often as you can. Find something that you wish you could make your own and take that drive to make your own with your inspiration and feelings

 Don’t give up, you’re going to suck at times, but music is a lifelong partner if you let it be.

Is there anything you wanted to mention that I didn’t ask about?

 Yes, our new album ‘Separate Paths’ is out September 9th

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Interviews Reviews

Featuring Notedead

This content was sponsored by Notedead. Thank you for supporting local music blogs like Switching Styles!!

Are you sure you’re ready for this? Are you ready for truly hardcore music? We don’t think you are, but you better get ready. Notedead is one of the most hardcore bands in the province, and they’re not stopping any time soon.

Introductions

The band formed in 2020 and has been rocking the world since. They’ve been releasing music since their debut in 2021 with the release of their Best Wishes EP. Then the single “Labyrinth” was released a year later.

Max Preuss (drums) and Trymer Martin (guitars/vocals) combine to form the band, Notedead. It all started where all great bands start, with a passion for music. Despite the hardships, the band found their start during the 2020 global COVID-19 pandemic. The covid pandemic was a tough time for Canadian musicians. Venues were closed. Live performances were limited. Finances for everyone were rough. Everything was rough. That didn’t stop them. For Notedead, this was a new beginning.

Getting Started.

Trymer started writing instrumental tracks solo during the quarantine. Channelling the pressure, uncertainty, and anxiety into the melodies, he created three of Notedead’s first songs. But something was missing, and that something was Max. As a drummer, Max had felt the impact of the pandemic firsthand. Trymer reached out and Max took to his role like a fish to water. They both quickly realized that their writing was an amazing match. That’s the exact moment that Notedead was created.

You may think you know the post-hardcore genre, but not like this. Max is a drummer, not only for Notedead but also for Withered Days and Sol Runner. His skill combined with Trymer’s artistry makes entirely unique music. This band brings something fresh to the post-hardcore genre. The band is inspired by classic rock and metal legends; Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Foreigner, and ZZ Top. That’s not all. Notedead’s influences also include contemporary bands such as Counterparts, Napoleon, and Dance Gavin Dance. Notedead is breathing a new kind of life into the genre with its music.

“A dynamic, immersive, and progressive assimilation of heavy influences. Rangy guitars work that balances urgent and melodic astutely and a pummeling vocal delivery intertwines deftly with the instrumental unit”

Raves Katie from Carry The 4 PR.

Their Music

This post-hardcore Canadian band is bringing out all the stops in their music. Notedead is bringing forth impressive drums, emotive lyrics, and an emotional connection to each one of its listeners. All their music has such a profound level of depth to it. Each note, each strum, and each word have a meaning and a purpose. That purpose is to connect with the listener within that moment.

Their most recent release is an album called “Separate Paths.” This album of 11 hardcore songs has been available as of September 9, 2022. Not even one of the album’s songs is flat when it comes to emotions. The songs all tell a story of humanity and share a part of the human condition. Pain, anger, joy, rage, and misery, it’s all there in their music.

Notedead is aiming to be one of the greats coming from right here in Edmonton, Alberta. The goal was never to impress people. It never has been. It’s been about the music. The real goal is to write great music that speaks to the human heart. Find their music online on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and Bandcamp.

Check them out and let us know what you think!!
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Reviews Switching styles

Introducing Almost there but not really (ATBNR)

Almost There But Not Really is a Latinx indie group from the Southside of Chicago. With the genres of alternative Spanish rock dream pop indie rock post-punk, these Chicago local musicians showcase what it means to be musical.

They play sad, sombre and sometimes political songs complete with chimney Fender guitars, syncopated rhythms, as well as ambient trails. This Chicago-based band has a range of amazing sounds.

Releasing a collection of demos in the spring of 2021, ATBNR has persevered despite the pandemic impacting the entire world. On their Bandcamp account, they explain that “Emerging out of the pandemic is our first release, a set of our self-produced and recorded demos”.

DEMOS Album Art by ATBNR

Check out the Demos tracklist!

1.South Side 04:43
2.No Quick Fix 03:21
3.Alma 04:15
4.All You Keepers 04:21

All of their songs are available on Spotify. Their release isn’t the only thing that this band has persevered with. As soon as they were able to perform live, they did.

Almost There But Not really Band Members

During the Halloween of 2012, they performed a Halloween show at Magoos Bar and Grill alongside Death of Self, Alive Alone, Punch Club, Nikko Blue, and Sweet Hudson. With more shows coming up regularly, they’re not likely to stop providing awesome songs to their fans. Check out their upcoming shows on their Facebook page.

Learn more about ATBNR right here and on Switching Styles!

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Reviews Switching styles

Reviewing Mary’s Wedding

Switching Styles’ very own Dylanna Fisher is reviewing Mary’s Wedding. Put on by Edmonton’s very own Citadel Theatre, “Mary’s Wedding” is a fantastic and sensory experience.

Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Excerpt From the Charge of The Light Brigade by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Introduction

Emotional. Exhilarating. Immersive. That’s how I’d describe “Mary’s Wedding”. The Canadian classic itself was fantastic. The actors were tugging at the heartstrings throughout the entire play. Tai Amy Grauman and Todd Houseman provided a breathtaking and emotional performance.

The Cast and Crew

“Mary’s Wedding” was originally by Stephen Massicotte and adapted by Tai Amy Grauman, who also plays Mary to bring together a tale of beautifully woven woe.

Jann Rodgers directed the entire play highlighting her strength as a director. Granted, the actors didn’t’ need much directing. As a two-actor play, it was dynamic. With any play with limited cast members, there’s a high chance for a repeated and monotone performance. This was certainly not the case with Tai Amy Grauman and Todd Houseman.

The cast and crew list include so many different people. Thank you to all of those that participated and gave to this project.

The Soundtrack

There’s such a profound impact that live theatre has on the senses. This is something that can’t be replicated in film or streaming services. I promise you.

Now for one of the most impressive aspects of the play. The audio was fantastic. Each sensation and emotion were multiplied by the audio in the background. Not just the music but the sound effects and background audio created an immersive environment.

The play started with the imagery of a field full of flowers, then a storm. That storm sound effects carried a great deal of symbolism.

Thunder symbolized a flurry of emotions for both characters but more so for [the male]. “One one thousand two one thousand three one thousand four one thousand, five one thousand,” was repeated throughout the performance driving home the symbolism during highly emotional scenes. This symbolism is connected to emotions such as fear, anxiety, foreboding, and panic. This symbolism was continued within the war scenes, flashbacks, and present-day with Mary.

With Sound Design by Dave Clarke and Original Music by Kathleen Nisbet, they combined their skills to make for a beautiful soundtrack to the play.

The Context

Not only was it a quality performance thanks to everyone involved, but it had such a poignant message for Canadians. The context for this play is very sociological and political. Combining the efforts of the cast, the stagehands, and the overall crew, made for an amazing time. The team at the citadel brought forth an emotional love story with a historical context of Canada’s role in WW1.

Charlie wasn’t considered a Canadian despite living in Canada his entire life. He fought and died for a country that didn’t see him as an equal. He fought and died for a country that still doesn’t acknowledge him or his family ties. If that wasn’t emotional enough, it tied into a love story. Arguably, he didn’t fight for his country, at least not really. He was fighting for Mary. That’s what made it so much sadder.

The context of racism was very poignant. Stephen Massicotte wove together a story that won several awards: Alberta Literary Award for Drama 2003, Alberta Playwriting Competition 2000, and Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding New Play 2002.

Logistics Of Live Theatre

The Citadel Theatre provided an amazing experience during a Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout Canada, live performances are struggling to keep afloat. Whether that’s musicians, comedians, lifestyles speakers or actors, it’s been hard all around.

Using the Shoctor Theatre specifically, this two-actor play provided a show full of wonder, sadness, and love. Performing between august 28th and September 12th of 2021, “Mary’s Wedding” was a play to view for sure.

 

Final Thoughts

As with many other performances from  The Citadel Theatre, this was a beautiful experience.  The Citadel Theatre is one of Edmonton’s most prominent live performance venues.

The Citadel Theatre explains on its website that it, “is committed to seeing our artistic community thrive. Learn about our many opportunities through auditions, play development, mentorship programs, and other artistic programming”.

For more information about “Mary’s Wedding” and other performances, check out citadeltheatre.com/.

 

 

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Interviews Remixes Switching styles

Students during Covid-19; Q&A with Nathan Love

Students during Covid – 19; Q&A with Nathan Love Also published on fundyourcollege.com.

Students During Covid – 19 have more than just a full load to deal with. Students have a full load when they take on school; exams, studying, assignments, extracurricular. They do all this while balancing a healthy life, and a job. Add in the pandemic, and it’s a whole new story.

Nathan Love (He/Him) is a 21-year-old student currently taking his Bachelor of Arts major in history at MacEwan University. His Classes are mostly online.

Please describe how your classes are set up.

Some classes have recorded lectures and live discussions weekly, some only have recorded lectures but also offer an in-person class once a week and one class is purely eLearn it yourself but with extensive office hours for the professor.

In what ways has the pandemic improved your learning?

It has allowed me to skip the daily bus rides to downtown that I hated, it has also allowed me more time to relax since I am at home and surrounded by things and people I love

In what ways has the pandemic made learning harder?

I no longer have a “Hook” to learn things, I need to entirely motivate myself and due to my mental health issues, that is extremely difficult.

Are you able to participate in extracurricular activities? If so, what are they?

No.

What advice do you have for other students?

Do something to motivate yourself, whether that’s to make a schedule or have someone check in with you to make sure you are working.

How do you think this pandemic would change learning in the future?

I think more classes will be available online and people will likely attend in-person classes more often since now they know how hard it is to teach yourself without the assistance of peers or your professors.

Here’s the musical element of the students’ experience during the Covid-19 pandemic. Enjoy these remixes for all your studying needs for all students regardless of level from Elementary to a doctorate!

Hip Hop/Trap Instrumental Beats Mix 2020” By Nicop Records

Lofi Hip Hop Shark – Gawr Gura Lofi By Symphonic Brush – Music, Art & Memes

New Best Inkyz Trap Mix 2017 By Inkyz

Suan & Yabøii – Lilith (Feat. Maria Goja) [Bass Boosted] By Bass Boosted

Froto Avicii Vs Nicky Romero – I Could Be The One (Froto Remix)

What Advice do you have for your fellow students during Covid-19?

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Switching styles

Don’t Be Trashy at Music Festivals

Guest Written by Barbara Joens
“Music festival Spain” by Marko Radosevic

Are you one of the many people planning on returning to music festivals?  As COVID-19 recedes, music festivals will make their exciting comeback.  Fans from all across the globe have been anticipating the joy and excitement brought by these special events as a way to unwind and connect with others as we once did pre-pandemic.  There is no doubt that as the pandemic comes to an end, these events will attract large crowds of enthusiastic music-lovers.

Music festivals are a great chance to enjoy your favourite artists, discover new music, and party with old friends and like-minded strangers.  After the hardships people around the world have suffered since the beginning of the pandemic, music festivals will be a welcome return to normal.  Many popular music festivals have been rescheduled for later this year and early next year.  Tickets have already been purchased by music fans excited to see their favourite world-famous performers, such as Travis Scott and Megan Thee Stallion at Rolling Loud (scheduled for July 2021), and Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers at Summerfest (scheduled for September 2021).

In spite of the positive aspects of enjoying live artists and gathering with fellow music-lovers, there is a dark side that will undoubtedly cause major issues for the environment once festivals resume.  While wrapped up in the fun of an event, people may forget to be mindful of their negative effects on the environment.  This is a problem that must be addressed by environmentally-conscious individuals.

“Washboard Music Festival” by Dan Keck
What role do music festivals play in pollution and climate change?

An unwanted consequence of music festivals is the massive amount of waste that they generate.  The total waste comes from various sources: plastic pollution, energy and water consumption, overuse of resources, and more.  According to a report by Powerful Thinking, based on 279 summer music festivals in the UK, the industry is responsible for producing 23,500 tons of waste (Powerful Thinking, 2015).

It is easy for concert-goers to fail to see the consequences of their behaviour.  Someone might not see the long-term effects of throwing a plastic bottle or food wrapper on the ground, but over time, that waste begins to accumulate.  This litter either has to be properly disposed of, or it accumulates and degrades the environment.

Attendees are not always at fault for not properly dealing with the waste that they generate, given that many trash bins are either inaccessible or already crammed with refuse due to their inadequate size and distribution.  Toilet facilities are also oftentimes inadequate for the number of festival-goers and the waste they produce.  Therefore, the waste generated in toilets often accumulates and becomes an issue.

Some of the trash at music festivals comes from the attendees while other trash comes from vendors.  Some people bring equipment, such as tents and mats, that they fail to properly dispose of after the festival is over.  Other times, trash comes from food in plastic containers, drinks in plastic cups, and plastic cutlery.  People do not want to take their trash home with them or go through the extra effort of properly disposing of it, so instead, they leave it on the ground, contributing to plastic pollution.  These plastics are hard to break down, often get eaten by animals who then become ill or die because they cannot properly digest them and damage the soil and surrounding plant life.

Another form of waste that must be taken into account is that, due to the majority of music festivals being located in remote areas, there is a reliance on the importation of power rather than being able to connect to an already-established energy grid to power these events (Baker, 2019).  In order to provide power, diesel-fueled generators are brought in.  These generators can supply the music festival with sufficient energy to support several days’ worth of sound systems, lighting, RV power, and more.  The non-stop burning of diesel fuel as the power source for these off-the-grid music festivals generates harmful particles and carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to global warming.

It is significant to note that travel and transportation are also major sources of festival-generated pollution.  Transportation involves fossil fuels.  These fuels produce large amounts of carbon dioxide, leading to increases in temperature across the planet.

Performers, management, and vendors also travel to music festivals, along with their equipment.  Since these festivals draw crowds from around the world, some festival-goers must travel long distances to see their favourite artists perform live, which contributes to their carbon footprint and impact on the environment.

“Lake Rupert” by Dan Keck
What can be done to limit this impact at music festivals?

While some festivals are already taking steps to be more eco-friendly, the attendees at these festivals also have a responsibility to minimize pollution.  Festival-goers are aware that some of their habits have had to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  These changes relate to being mindful of others, such as wearing a face mask in public and practicing social distancing guidelines.  If we can change our habits in response to the pandemic, then we should be able to make similar changes to minimize the harmful effects of pollution from music festivals.  With the threat of global climate change, the accumulation of plastics in the environment, and the overuse of resources, it is important to do what we can to reduce our carbon footprint and minimize other forms of pollution when music festivals open up again.

There are several reasons why altering behaviour may be difficult.  First, people are not always willing to change their old ways.  Second, it may seem overwhelming to want to undertake such a big task.  Finally, it may seem like the effects of one person on the environment are small.  People find it difficult to realize that small acts by a large number of people can lead to major effects, either positive or negative.

How can festival attendees minimize damage to the environment?
  • A great way to reduce your carbon footprint is to plan your transportation carefully.  If there is a bus that can take you to the festival, consider taking it.  Carpooling may also be an option.  If no one in your personal circle is attending the festival, see if there are people online that are looking for other festival attendees to carpool with by searching hashtags on social media.  Be sure to be careful when choosing who to go with.  Additionally, when carpooling, plan the route you are going to take and aim for one that minimizes the amount of driving required.  In addition to reducing harm to the environment, you will also benefit by saving money on gas.
  • Body glitter is often viewed as a fashionable must-have for music festivals.  However, it can be harmful to the environment.  When rinsed off, the microplastics contained in glitter can end up in waterways and take many years to degrade.  However, some make-up brands are moving towards biodegradable glitter, which has a less harmful impact on the environment.  By opting for an eco-friendly brand, you can reduce harm to the environment while still looking as festive as ever.
  • Festivals are a great opportunity for brands to host giveaways.  However, some people take items just because they are getting something for free.  For that reason, many give-away items, such as bracelets, lighters, and fans, end up as trash once the festival is over.  Although it may seem like just a few small items, the contributions from all the attendees adds up and contributes to pollution. Make sure to dispose of any items you don’t want to bring home with you.  Additionally, if you don’t need the item, don’t be tempted into taking it just because it’s a freebie.
  • Opt for recyclable and/or reusable items, including packaging.  These are a more sustainable choice than petroleum-based products.  There are many eco-friendly alternatives to plastic products, such as all-natural bamboo toothbrushes.
  • Tents are a festival staple.  However, it is not uncommon for tents to end up as waste after the festival is over.  Knowing that people want to enjoy festivals while also keeping the planet clean, some brands have started to offer recyclable cardboard tents that can even withstand bad weather conditions.  If you use a non-recyclable tent, ensure that you do not leave it behind.

The future of music festivals can be both cleaner and more sustainable.  However, in order to achieve this, everyone must be prepared to make environmentally responsible decisions.  Although it may take some time to adjust, small individual actions and urging others to do the same will lead to a cleaner environment with fewer hazards to humans, animals, and the planet.  With persistence and mindfulness, this future can become a reality.  By keeping the environment clean, we can ensure a future where the following generations will enjoy music festivals as well.

References

Baker, B. (2019, November 2). How Music Festivals are Destroying the Earth. EDM.com. https://edm.com/opinion/environmental-impact-festivals

The Show Must Go on Report. (2015, November). Powerful Thinking. https://www.powerful-thinking.org.uk/resources/the-show-must-go-on-report/

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Remixes Switching styles

Pokémon Go Tips; Top 5 Walking Trails for Hatching Eggs

Although it is not the first of its kind, Pokémon Go has made an augmented reality in video games at the forefront of everyone’s mind. This means that through your phone, you can have the Pokémon universe shown in your world.

Catching Pokémon that appear in your living room or playing with your Pokémon buddy out in the park, there’s a lot of ways that the game interacts with reality. One of the elements is walking to hatch eggs. Each egg requires a certain number of kilometres to hatch an egg ranging from 2 km to 15 km.

Photo by Anton on Pexels.com
What is the best way to hatch an egg?

Walking! It’s the simplest way to do hatch your eggs. Whether it’s a simple walk to the store or a long Sunday stroll, it all adds up to hatch your Pokémon. While the app is on and even when it is off, the app tracks the distance that the player walks to track the progress of the egg. Altogether, players have walked over 23 billion km as of March 2019 (Games Radar). In 2016 alone, players walked 8.7 billion km (Inverse). That’s enough to get to the end of the Solar System.

Here are some, YEG locations to walk to get your hatching started!

  1. Walking Down 124th
  2. Alberta Legislature Grounds
  3. Sir Winston Churchill Square/Jasper Ave
  4. Whyte Ave
  5. The River Valley

Why do you have to walk to hatch eggs in Pokemon Go?

It encourages players to get out in the world and walk. It’s inspired many to increase their physical activity. Thus, hatching more eggs and bringing in more exercise. Below we’ve got some musical suggestions to get you in the walking and hatching mood.  

“Viridian City“ by Jonathan Young feat. 331Erock. Check it out on Bandcamp.

“Pokémon Theme“ by The Holophonics. Check it out on Bandcamp.

“Pokémon Theme” By Leo Moracchioli Feat. Truls Haugen. Check It Out On iTunes.

“Pokémon Theme Cover + My Pokémon Rap“ by Myrtle Sarrosa. Check it out on Spotify.

Johto Journeys“ By The Covers Duo. Check It Out On Link tree.

“1・2・3” By Silver Storm And Meka Imperfect​. Check It Out On Spotify.

“Pokémon Medley“ By Mohmega. Check It Out On Patreon.

“Gym Leader Battle“ By Richaadeb. Check It Out On Spotify.

“Sinnoh Trainer Battle Medley” By Sinnoh Fusion Ensemble. Check It Out On Spotify.

“Pokémon“ by PhreniaBand. Check it out on Spotify.

Get everything you need for hatching your eggs but with a switching Styles Twist!! Buy Switching Styles merch now!

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Covers Remixes Switching styles

Pokémon Go Statistics & Techno Remixes

Switching Styles has collected a list of Pokémon Go Statistics & Techno Remixes to show off whenever it comes in handy.

Niantic launched Pokémon go in the July of 2016. Since then, its popularity has grown exponentially. After only three months following the launch, the app had 500 million downloads. This increased to 1 billion in march of 2019!

We’ve found some numbers that are sure to blow your mind!!  
  • The US accounted for only 19% of Pokémon GO downloads over 2019 (10 million, up from 16% in 2018). (Sensor Tower)
  • Brazil accounted for 10% (5 million) of the downloads, while India accounted for 6% (3 million). That’s a lot of downloads! (Sensor Tower)
  • Most of the users (69%), a whopping 38 million in 2019, use the app on Android, and the remaining 31% (17 million) iOS (Sensor Tower)
  • US was the top country for Pokémon GO revenue in 2019, contributing $335 million – or 38% of the total. Japan was second, with $286 million (32%), followed by Germany, with $54 million (6%) (Sensor Tower)
  • Although downloads have grown exponentially doubling from 500 million to 1 billion in less than 3 years, the in-app spending has not increased that much. It started at 832,000,000 in 2016 and increased only to 894,000,000 in 2019 (Business of Apps)
  • Between android and apple, the in-game spending is a bit more even. Android has 54% of 2019 Pokémon GO revenue ($482 million), while the apple revenue coming to $412 million (46%) (Sensor Tower)
  • Pokémon GO was fifth in terms of global mobile game revenue over 2019 (Sensor Tower)
  • Over the year 2019, there were 2.7 million attendees of Niantic live events (Niantic)
  • Here’s one for gender, as 59% of Pokémon GO users are men and 41% are female (Inc.)
  • In the first month of release in 2016, nearly 300 UK crimes were connected with Pokémon GO (BBC)
  • A study from Purdue University found that the game could be dangerous as there are two deaths, 31 injuries, and $500,000 in vehicle damage that could be blamed on the game in a single county in Indiana (Purdue University)

Where did I find these Pokémon go statistics? Check the links for my references!

Check out these Pokémon go remixes while you share these fun facts with your friends.

“Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire Music Medley“ by Dr. Pez – VGM. Check it out.

“Pokémon Dubstep Remix“ By Lindsey Stirling And Kurt Hugo Schneider. Check It Out On Youtube.

“Gym Leader Battle Music“ by The Musical Ghost. Check it out on Spotify.

“Pokémon Theme Song“ by FallenSuperheroSG. Check it out on SoundCloud.

“The Medley of Pokémon“ By Hapinano. Check It Out On SoundCloud.

“Route 24 “ by xKito Music. Check it out on SoundCloud.

“Pikachu Use Thunderbolt! “ By Asher Postman. Check It Out On SoundCloud.

“Pokémon – XY Theme “ by NateWantsToBattle feat. RichaadEB. Check it out on iTunes.

“Pokémon Lo-fi Music“ by GlitchxCity. Check it out on Soundcloud.

“Pokémon Dppt: Sinnoh Trainer Battle Medley” By Sinnoh Fusion Ensemble. Check It Out On Spotify.

Want more of these fantastic remixes and fun facts? Support Switching Styles to keep the content coming your way!

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Covers Remixes Switching styles

Top 10 Parks in Edmonton For Pokémon Go Picnics

Do you know what goes together? Pokémon Go and picnics.

Out in nature, or as in nature as you can get in the heart of Edmonton, the engagement and immersion of Pokémon go is much improved. With the open space, it’s a lot easier and more fun to use the augmented reality (AR) aspect of Pokémon go. Anyone who has played Pokémon Go during the covid pandemic knows how hard it is to use the AR function inside.

Edmonton Parks perfect for Pokémon Go and picnics
Photo by Kristina Paukshtite on Pexels.com

Within Edmonton, there’s a great deal of beautiful nature that shouldn’t be forgotten about. Here’s a list of amazing open areas that are fantastic not only for Pokémon go but also for their view and availability for social distancing. Once you have a chance to check each of these picnic places, share it with us @switchingstyles!

  1. The River Valley
  2. Broadmoor Lake
  3. Griesbach Community
  4. Alberta Legislature Grounds
  5. William Hawrelak Park
  6. Griesbach Barracks
  7. Sir Winston Churchill Square/Jasper Ave
  8. Edmonton Valley Zoo
  9. University of Alberta
  10. Queen Mary Park
Music for the Pokémon Go picnics

Now don’t think we forgot about the music element. Every picnic needs music and we’ve got you covered. Below here is our favourite list of Pokémon go covers in different styles for every kind of picnic.

“The Pokémon Theme” By Jonathan Young & Jason Paige. Check It Out On Spotify.

“Pokémon Theme Song“ By Chris Villain Ft. Jason Paige. Check It Out On YouTube.

“Pokémon“ By NateWantsToBattle Feat. Mat Pat Of Game Theory. Check It Out On iTunes.

“Advance Adventure“ By Jorporxx (Mark De Groot). Check It Out On Soundcloud.

“National Park“ By The Consouls. Check It Out On Spotify.

“Pokémon X/Y Elite” By Littlevmills. Check It Out On YouTube.

“Battle! Battle Tower“ By Falkkone. Check It Out On Spotify.

“Pokémon Theme“ By Scott Bradlee Feat. Sara Niemietz . Check It Out On YouTube.

Hop Final Battle Theme“ By Xenobii Piano Covers. Check It Out On Music score.

Pokémon Center Theme“ By Ascendancylf. Check It Out On YouTube.

Get out there and enjoy that sunshine and vitamin D! Tag Switching Styles with your Pokémon go selfies!!

Don’t forget to bring some Switching Styles merch with you!

Categories
Interviews

Music piracy amid a pandemic; Interview with Cody Blakely

Cody Blakely is a local musician and recording engineer, who has seen the impacts of the pandemic firsthand from finances, to live music, to a lack of both.

This Corona pandemic has also made music at the media forefront. This includes getting music online both from streaming and illegal services and encouraging a conversation on music piracy.

Below is an interview between Blakely and Dylanna Fisher from Switching Styles.

Do you think Covid-19 has impacted the conversation about pirated or downloaded music?

That is a whole conversation that will get my blood boiling. I get right now it would be foolish to assume everyone has extra money they can spend buying records. I haven’t purchased a record myself in a bit and I subscribe to a streaming service. I am not exactly helping the situation, but I also feel like I buy a lot of music right from the bands.

Plus, with record shops being closed down or having limited access it’s tough to acquire music. It’s a tough situation. Some people haven’t felt a loss in income and if they can help support a local band by buying some of their merchandise, it would mean the world to them.

But I don’t think people understand exactly how much money musicians invest into their own music, or how much money is invested. I say money, but also at the same time, becoming a musician that people, care about is not an easy thing.

It’s a 10,000-hour job. It’s just like any other trade anything like that just even the way record labels and whatnot sort of conduct their contracts and why not it borderline in a lot of ways makes it impossible for musicians to make money. For every, every Platinum-selling artist that you have, there are 10 million bands that are rubbing pennies together try to afford to make a record.

I think a lot of the problems with pirating a lot of it just kind of comes from people not necessarily, thinking about essentially what goes into making a record or being a musician and whatnot. But I also think that the record labels themselves they’re not helping the cause. Even if pirating wasn’t the thing, I still don’t think that there’d be a tremendous amount of wealth shared with the artists

Why do you think that that kind of sentiment is there in the music industry?

The economic aspect of that alone, why there’s not any sort of laws against pirating or anything like that is crazy. And a lot of people say they pirate movies and whatnot. And that’s true. I do. I do agree with that. However, when people are not understanding how a record deal works, versus like a movie studio or anything like that, they’re going to be making billions of dollars potentially off of a movie where, you and I both know, what’s a record. The amount of record sales that it’s actually going to take for the artist to make a profit, is it you need to sell like at least eight times what the value or how much you invested into the record just for anybody to make money.

People often overlook when it comes to paying artists is, even sports, you can put as much work into being a musician as you do to an athlete. And these I mean, there are people dropping 1200 dollars for one night just to go to like a hockey game or something like that. Like I was mentioning earlier that Derek filled a brand or whatever his name is. He can’t be bothered to pay $3 to support 10 bands.

I don’t understand why there’s such a lack of faith in the music community is as a form of entertainment.

Maybe people just haven’t done the research. Maybe they just don’t understand.

But when it comes to music, it’s almost like people the wallets immediately put away And I’ve never personally understood why. I’m the furthest thing from a social expert but it’s definitely something that I’ve noticed, and I hope that it goes away, record sales are back up with vinyl. But how many people are shopping, right from the band or going to a record store and purchasing vinyl? Either way, most of the money’s just going to go back to the label and not back to the artists.

One thing that a lot of artists that I’ve talked to mention is ways that online music services can help. Watching it or listen to music on Spotify.

What are your thoughts on that?

Streaming services are an incredible discovery tool.

I think we can all think of a band that we had no idea existed before. And then when Spotify or whatever streaming service you use came into play, the amount of music we’re able to consume is, it’s overwhelming, almost, especially considering where we are in Edmonton. It’s no, it’s no secret that we’re not a major tour stop.

That’s the best way to discover bands. And if you discover a band that you like, if you reach out to them, and you ask them to buy some of their merch, they absolutely crazy to turn that down.  It happens all the time where we’ll have people from like Poland discovering us. We’ve said that merch overseas before and it’s extremely appreciated.

You do make a tiny bit of money and that’s nothing you can obviously live off of, but it’s a fantastic tool for discovering new dance music.

Why would you want music lovers and musicians to kind of know about the topic?

I think the important thing to realize is that even with standard 12 point deals that Generally the artist, their record is going to need to usually make eight times what the budget is for the making of the record, just for the artist received a pennyworth of royalties.

I’m the worst at math. I like to use basic numbers. If you’re working on a $100,000 budget for the record, for an artist to receive a penny, they’re generally going to need to make $800,000 on album sales.

And I can’t think of a single industry where it’s like that. If you went and bought a car and they told you that, yeah, we can get you a $20,000 car, but you’re going to have to pay $160,000 for this car. Would anyone seriously consider purchasing that? Personally, I don’t want to believe that there are people that are purposefully pirating music.

I just don’t think that there’s enough education that goes into exactly how much goes into making a record. The lack of education is a big one. That’s also not just with music lovers,  musicians as well. There need to be better resources for them to understand how much they should be investing in their own music as well. If they’re wanting it to be commercially accepted.

What kind of resources?

Alberta music, that’s kind of the first one. If you want to know the information, it’s easy to find on the internet. Like there are many sources out there.

[Check out some financial aids for Canadian Musicians]

People, just from my experience, need to take a little bit more initiative and perhaps creating education for those musicians. I find you can Google for an hour and the amount of information that you’ll learn is astonishing. Oh, well.

With people not having extra, spending cash if they’ve been laid off. It is going to affect pirating music. I mean, there’s still there are still records coming out. And if you’re not part of a streaming service, well, the only way that you can really, listen to that now is going to be pirating everything. I do understand And I am sensitive to that, that, there’s I don’t think that there’s a single record out there where it’s, missing all your bills for. I totally respect and understand that.

There’s a lot of bands that are starting to stream them play shows and whatnot. I think there’s a lot of steps in the right direction. , and until, there’s going to be a lot more people normally losing their income. It’s going to it might be the norm for a bit, unfortunately.

Streaming services before COVID-19 were Increasing quite amazingly, it seems to have kind of plateaued, not decrease, not increase just stayed the same. Right after COVID-19, What do you estimate will happen with streaming services?

Wow, that’s a really good question.

It’s always going to be used as more of a discovery tool. I can’t see a way for streaming services to get any bigger. Even TV streaming services and they’re in the same boat, they’ve kind of plateaued as well. I don’t necessarily see them getting any bigger. That there’s only much you can do with a streaming service. If you’re using it as a discovery tool, please be my guest. But at the end of the day, if you want music to join and new music to be made, you got to invest in it.

Provincially something’s going to have to change during COVID-19 preventing us to stay alive realistically

It’s a satellite business astronomy map between, people going to shows going to restaurants before the concerts. If you have somewhere like starlight room, for example, that’s hosting multiple 500 plus shows a week. , bringing that money downtown. People coming from out of town and bringing money into Edmonton to let something like that go, while we’re investing in pipelines that are still not going to go through,  is incredibly short-sighted. That’s pretty much how you turn Alberta into a corporation.

The big thing that I find is that a lot of people, we can just be honest, a lot of people in Alberta. I don’t think cultures are overly grasped by the arts or take too much interest in it. And it very, very quickly becomes something that people need to realize that it does no matter what you do. Everything about your life is going to be affected by some sort of art. , whether you’re watching TV, whether you’re watching a movie, wherever you’re, you’re throwing on the radio, the clothes that you wear, those were made by a designer. Even if you’re watching the Oilers play someone had to design that logo. For people to overlook the arts as not a major industry, just because it wasn’t anything that you can, drive your car with or anything like that. It’s not oil.

Alberta music needs to do a little bit of tightening up. That there needs to be more education for musicians to they don’t, they don’t get taken advantage of because I feel like a lot of musicians get taken advantage of.

To be totally honest with you. I see nothing but potential for Alberta music.

Comment below your thoughts about the pandemic’s impact on our musicians!!