BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY

Submitted Image Anything Goes Event Series

info@anythinggoeseventseries.com

On October 1, the Cranbrook Gravel Grind (CGG), proudly presented by the newly created Anything Goes Event Series, will shed light on the world-class gravel riding that surrounds Cranbrook, BC.

Welcoming any and all riders to the first ever event, the 65 kilometre ‘Gold Rush Loop’ will showcase the Cranbrook Community Forest, Chief Isadore Trail Network and Mount Baker Forestry Service Roads. The CGG offers an incredibly unique experience for new and experienced riders with a course that is designed for cyclists with physical impairment in mind, suiting cyclists of all abilities, hand-cyclists and tandems included.

Visit ccnbikes.com/#!/events/cranbrookgravel-grind to register, and follow @AnythingGoesEventSeries to stay up to date on upcoming events. Submitted Photo

ET Hair Salon

462 2nd Ave 250-423-4813

ET Hair Salon is excited to welcome Nancy Doucet to their team.

After graduating top of her class at the College of the Rockies in 2021, Nancy set off to start her career at Chatters Hair Salon in Cranbrook. She was very lucky to work with an amazing team who helped her gain even more experience and confidence as a new hairstylist. As well continuing with Redken education and pursing Redken’s color specialist certificate, Nancy is very excited to bring her passion for blonding, colouring and haircutting to ET and is looking forward to expanding her client base and coming back to Fernie.

Call or stop by their downtown location to make an appointment, and follow them on social media at @ethairsalon on Facebook and @ethairsalon97 on Instagram. Kael Klassen Photo

Fernie Mountain Bike Club – Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam

After a two-year hiatus FMBC is happy to announce that the Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam will be back on September 3, 2022. Once again, it will be featured as a Bronze level Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour Event.This year is extra special because for the first time ever, the event will not only showcase the next up and coming men, but also women. It should be exciting to see how far the sport has come for these women and hopefully help inspire the next generation!

The Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam is also featuring some local run bikers, little rippers and young talent. Please keep an eye out for online registration as well as for volunteering opportunities.The FMBC Team looks forward to seeing you to help cheer on these riders and close out the summer with a BAM! fmbc.ca

Submitted Image Three Pines Electric

threepineselectric.com

Three Pines Electric is the Elk Valley’s newest electrical contractor specializing in residential, commercial installations and troubleshooting. With over ten years of experience, they offer reliable and professional services to ensure that you are completely satisfied. Three Pines Electric is fully Licensed, Bonded, and Insured, so that you can rest easy knowing you are in the hands of a professional.

Some of the services they offer are:

• Free Estimates and Consulting • New Build Wiring • Installations • Renovations • EV Chargers • Hot Tubs • A/C Units • Panel and Service Upgrades • Mobile Home Inspections • Home Automation … and so much more!

Contact them via email at Peter@threepineselectric.com, phone 250-278-8887 or visit their website for more details.

Digital Disruption: The Rise and Fall of the Recorded Music Industry

by BRAD PARSELL

Remember vinyl records? Cassettes? CDs? I sure do! My basement is full of them. Living rooms and dens around the world used to be bursting with these, with audiophiles boasting about their expansive collection of physical media. Now, every track or album you ever would want to listen to is in the cloud and can be streamed on to your mobile device with the tap of a button. Countless physical collections were relegated to the thrift store with the rise of Napster and LimeWire, then the ability to burn CDs, then iTunes and iPods, and now Spotify and other streamers. Over the past decade, the physical music collection has seemingly become a thing of the past (outside of hardcore music nerds) thanks to these digital disruptions and the complete upheaval of the traditional recording industry.

Some folks may not realize that I started my career working in the Australian music industry. My first real job was working part-time in a record store and by the age of 19 I was managing one. This was right around the turn of the millennium as the ability to download and share music (legally and illegally) was beginning to take off. After years of working in music retail, I ended up working as an account manager at a record label. I had a front row seat to watch the rise of the internet and technology completely turn a half-century old industry upside down. When I first started, it was still the tail end of the golden age of CDs. CD sales peaked in 2000, when nearly a billion discs were shipped in the US alone. Record companies would put on lavish album launch parties for industry insiders. Free albums and concert tickets flowed like wine, while record company executives and sales reps were paid handsomely.

That all collapsed very quickly. Some suits over at Apple decided a song was now only worth $0.99 and this ushered in a new reality of artists making next to nothing from recorded music sales and streams. Physical music retail chains and record labels also felt the pain, and belts were tightened across the board as physical stores began to shut everywhere. Musicians either fought kicking and screaming (i.e. Metallica!) or tried to embrace the new reality. This meant touring and merchandise were now the primary revenue sources for artists – and that continues to this day. You can imagine then the impact and undue hardship on musicians globally when the concept of mass gatherings at concerts was restricted under the pandemic for almost two years. It’s so great to see concerts and festivals return to our lives finally. I had the opportunity to see Bob Dylan in Spokane back in May and it was transformative and life-affirming. Live music – long may it reign!

But from the ashes of the physical recorded music industry, something interesting has started to happen. All of a sudden, vinyl is cool again and is being sold in numbers not seen in decades. In the US, the resurgence in vinyl records sales continued for the 15th consecutive year, as revenues grew 61% to $1 billion in 2021. The last time vinyl records exceeded $1 billion was in 1986! Despite the sweeping and destructive effects of digital disruption on this massive industry, and in the face of all odds – physical music sales are on the rise again and showing that an industry once thought to be on death’s door is surprisingly resilient. And as a total music nerd – this makes me super happy!

Beat Street Records in Vancouver, Brad Parsell Photo

“Over the past decade, the physical music collection has seemingly become a thing of the past (outside of hardcore music nerds) thanks to these digital disruptions and the complete upheaval of the traditional recording industry.”