The face and direction of the music industry is changing rapidly. Physical records and CDs have been replaced by digital, online, cloud-based solutions. Live performances at indoor and outdoor venues have been cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. In our current situation, we strive to produce a paradigm shift away from passive observance at a concert to an active event where the public and artists are joined together to form an interactive, artistic experience. So how is this possible? Take our personalized bulashirt as an example. Using a direct to garment printer (DTG) we have participants submit transmediaphotos. It might be a person, place, or text that elicits a response. On the shirt, these images serve as doorways to another world. In our clothing, we have infused NFC tags that can be used to embed memories in the form of photos, videos, and music. In the age of pandemic seclusion, we are able to interact with artists via remote connections such as Zoom, telepresence technology, and social networks. Since many of the events are stored in the cloud, the consumers have the ability to directly write the links to the online sessions onto our NFC-tagged clothing. At a later point in time, they can touch the surface of the shirt with an NFC phone to retrieve, display, and share their artistic experiences. The creation of physical memorabilia reinforces the value of the music community and creates another channel to gift and share brief moments in time. Consumer-based advertising is the new wave of the future. It is the ability to share your story in a mobile setting, in a secure environment.
