BY CEVAT BARIŞ YILMAZ (CS/II)
baris.yilmaz@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
This week, I’ve made a small list of music channels on YouTube where new music recorded in unique formats can be discovered.
Sofar Sounds: Sofar Sounds, whose channel is probably the best-known one on this list, has been arranging secret gigs in the living rooms of volunteer
hosts since 2010, and currently has a presence in 310 cities around the world. Sofar Sounds’ main goal is to provide a respectful environment for both audience and artists. It’s forbidden to use cellphones or to talk during the performances. They also announce the artists only when the gig is about to start, so that all the performers get the same attention from the audience, whether they’re a famous band or a little-known one. The other main feature of Sofar Sounds is the quieter style of their gigs. They ask bands to use mostly acoustic guitars and small percussion sets at lower volumes, instead of amplified electric guitars and full drum sets.
At half of the gigs, they record a video for a song chosen by the artist and upload it to their YouTube channel. They already have 8,000 videos and more than 250,000 subscribers. Moreover, they’re active in three cities in Turkey: Ankara, Eskişehir and İstanbul. Although they rarely organize new gigs in Ankara and Eskişehir, they’re more active in İstanbul.
MyMusicRx: MyMusicRx is a Children’s Cancer Association program, whose goal is to help children and teens facing cancer and other serious illnesses. The program teaches kids how to play instruments, gives music lessons, provides online resources and arranges mini-concerts to reduce stress, anxiety and perception of pain. Last November, they held their online festival BedStock for the third time, with 54 bands/artists participating. The festival’s premise is simple: “Artists play in bed for sick kids stuck in theirs.” The 2016 lineup included Norah Jones, Warpaint, Lizzy Hale (from Halestorm), Rodes Rollins and Sarah Bettens (from K’s Choice). You can watch BedStock on MyMusicRx’s YouTube channel or BedStock’s website.
A Red Trolley Show: A Red Trolley Show also has a simple format. The producers invite a band to San Diego, get on a random trolley in the city and record everything while the band is playing in an uncontrolled environment. It’s different and 
exciting each time. Sometimes the trolley appears to be completely empty, with the performers just playing for themselves; sometimes the trolley is full of people and everyone gets involved in the performance; and sometimes no one really seems to care about the band – everyone just keeps looking out the window.
Jam in the Van: Jam in the Van is world’s first and only solar-powered mobile music-discovery vehicle. It travels throughout the United States to find amazing new bands and record jams with them. You can watch some of the jams live on YouTube. If you like discovering new music based on guitar riffs, you’ll like Jam in the Van.
Cardinal Sessions: Cardinal Sessions offers outdoor music performances, in which environmental sounds are included as an integral part, by talented indie folk musicians from Europe. The visual aspect is as important a part of the sessions as the music, since most of the recordings are made in silent forests, beautiful landscapes or quiet European streets.