Free! Music! Contest Salutes Creativity and Evolution

This weekend, Canada Day, “north of the 49th”, and Independence Day in America, marks the international launch of “Free! Music! Contest 2011”. Organizer Musikpiraten e.V., explains this year’s focus is on “free” as in “freedom” rather than in “free beer”. Considering the strong European flavour to the community involved, though, it’s win-win however you brew it.

"FreeMixter" is the motto of this event and, as that suggests, emphasis is on enabling remixes – via ccMixter, the remix portal where many artists, including such high-profile creators as the Beastie Boys, Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park), and DJ Vadim, release tracks that others can use to make new music.

Allison Crowe’s posted the vocal and piano tracks for "Spiral" to ccMixter, saying:

"Creative Commons is, in my opinion, the best way to license your music!

You can choose what you're most comfortable with, without someone choosing it for you - in a sense rendering it the most personalized, realistic and human way to do things - sharing art, and joining artists, all together from all around the world. That's what it's all about!

All the best with this year's Free! Music! Contest :) Can't wait to hear what happens!"

Allison Crowe is delighted and honoured to be designated Musical Patron for this year’s celebration of creativity – following previous F!M!C Patron, author, journalist and Boing Boing blogger Cory Doctorow, a prominent advocate of Creative Commons licensing, an increasingly welcome alternative to traditional copyright.

Artists, academics, everyone, in today’s evolving environment, can tune in, and turn on to the greater flexibility and compatibility with digital realities afforded by Creative Commons aka CC licensing.

Here’s to “The Power of Open”. Prost!