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The culture of music with Rise Ashen

Released Tuesday, 20th April 2021

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The culture of music with Rise Ashen

Tuesday, 20th April 2021

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In this episode, I interview Canadian musician and DJ, Rise Ashen. Based in Ottawa, Rise is a 3-time Juno award nominee who has studied music in NYC, Montreal, and who has explored the various sounds and influences of music around the world. We talk about the arts in Canada, the influence of American music, and why online promotion and streaming isn’t necessarily a good model for today’s music artists.

(0:01:00) The many facets of Rise Ashen
(0:01:35) Growing up in Montreal
(0:01:50) Why you should watch the Youtube link before listening any further!
(0:02:10) Surviving as an artist in Canada
(0:02:50) Who has shaped your career?
(0:04:00) Figuring out the code
(0:05:15) Actualizing your childhood dreams
(0:07:10) When the magic shifts
(0:08:00) Rise Ashen's genre of music - the ancient and the futuristic
(0:11:00) The origins of hip hop and its influence on us
(0:11:30) First trip to New York
(0:12:15) Scratching the surface of the history of dance culture in New York
(0:13:00) Why did you never move to New York?
(0:14:45) Times are changing
(0:15:35) The New York Art Scene - making it and the star system
(0:18:39) The star system in Montreal, Quebec
(0:19:30) The Arts in Canada - the differing arts communities
(0:22:46) Technology - changing the fabric of our society, art and how we consume it
(0:25:42) The business of music - the good and the bad
(0:27:17) Self promotion and social media
(0:30:05) The pressure to be polished - self censoring and art
(0:31:25) We are the bitcoin being mined
(0:32:40) Where have all the rebels gone?
(0:34:22) The Fountainhead experience - keeping it pure
(0:35:45) Archie Burnett - making time for your inner child
(0:37:50) Discovering the pulse - finding the unsanitized art now
(0:39:15) After the pandemic - will it ever really end?
(0:39:55) Kickstarting the art scene again - the ideal scenario
(0:42:48) Art and the imposter syndrome
(0:45:15) Kahil El'Zabar of the Chicago Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
(0:48:10) Rise Ashen's family - growing up with art and preparing to live in our society
(0:49:50) Making it rich from art - it won't be the only thing
(0:50:35) Our economic system - breaking out of the imposed box
(0:51:30) Celebrating the joy - home and design influencing your lifestyle
(0:53:01) What's next? Mixed media, storytelling and roller skates
(0:55:06) Build those synapses! Positive aging
(0:55:42) Guarding against the machine - maintaining peace in the rat race