Before the Music Dies
Encyclopedia
Before the Music Dies is a 2006 documentary film
that criticizes the American music industry and the increasing commercialization of the art of music over the past thirty years. The film features interviews and performances from such musicians and groups as Doyle Bramhall II
, Erykah Badu
, Eric Clapton
, Dave Matthews
, Branford Marsalis
, Elvis Costello
, Bonnie Raitt
and My Morning Jacket
. It was directed by Andrew Shapter
, produced by Joel Rasmussen
, and co-written by Shapter and Rasmussen. The film premiered on March 12, 2006 at the South by Southwest
film festival in Austin, Texas
.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that criticizes the American music industry and the increasing commercialization of the art of music over the past thirty years. The film features interviews and performances from such musicians and groups as Doyle Bramhall II
Doyle Bramhall II
Doyle Bramhall II is a guitarist and vocalist in his band Smokestack and was also the second guitarist in Eric Clapton's band from 2004 to 2009.-Discography:with Arc Angels*Arc Angels...
, Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
, Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...
, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
and My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
. It was directed by Andrew Shapter
Andrew Shapter
Andrew Shapter is a Texas-born filmmaker, writer and photographer. He directed and co-wrote Before the Music Dies, a documentary that examines the homogenization of the American music industry...
, produced by Joel Rasmussen
Joel Rasmussen
Joel Rasmussen is a Montana born filmmaker, writer, and producer. He produced and co-wrote Before the Music Dies, a 2006 documentary, narrated by Forest Whitaker that examines the homogenization of the music industry. Rasmussen and the film's director, Andrew Shapter spent a year traveling across...
, and co-written by Shapter and Rasmussen. The film premiered on March 12, 2006 at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
film festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.