MH Resident Invites Musicians Worldwide To Join His Podcast

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

By Tony Burchyns

Morgan Hill - Until a couple of years ago, anyone who dreamed of having their own radio show or having their music heard by the masses would have needed friends in high places.

Now, thanks to the Internet, it's possible for ordinary folks like Morgan Hill resident Tony Butterworth, 39, to reach any number of listeners on his computer using an emergent technology known as podcasting.

Butterworth, a project manager at Agilent Technologies, is one of a few podcasters in Morgan Hill - and one of thousands nationwide - looking to democratize the once-corporate-run world of audio media with a microphone and a Web site.

By logging onto his site, homemadehitshow.com, surfers can hear Butterworth's very own music variety show, spotlighting home-recorded songs from musicians all over the world who all want the same thing - a chance to be heard.

"There's a guy in Lithuania who knows who I am. There's a guy in Sweden who knows who I am," said Butterworth, who records portions of his show during spare moments in his car. "Part of the reason I started doing this is I found 50 to 100 Web sites of people doing the same thing. Some people are expert musicians, but not good a recording. Some are good at recording, looking for ideas or help with music."

Butterworth, himself, is a self-taught musician, with more tech savvy than musical talent.

"I'm barely adequate as a musician," he laughs. "But I can make songs people like listening to."

Podcasting combines the freedom of blogging with the technology of MP3 to create almost endless amounts of content. Anyone with a computer and Internet access can create something like their own radio show, consisting of a series of pre-recorded episodes that others can listen to however they want.

When Butterworth records each 30- to 40-minute episode of his "Homemade Hit Show," he posts it online where it is sent automatically to his subscribers. Others can hear it at the click of a mouse by visiting his Web site.

But many podcast fans prefer to listen on the go. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than 22 million American adults owned iPods or MP3 players last year, and 29 percent of them had downloaded podcasts from the Web to listen to at a time of their choosing.

Over the past couple years, National Public Radio and other large syndicates have jumped onto the podcasting bandwagon, hoping to supplement their broadcast audiences as more and more listeners expand their media horizons on the Internet.

But despite the push by major broadcasters, the vast majority of podcasters are private citizens like Butterworth, who launched his show last November after communicating with other "home" musicians online.

The show features music that is all over the map - literally. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, people send you stuff from all over the world," he said. "I have a dozen people in Sweden (sending me songs), but I would love to have Morgan Hill and Gilroy musicians."

Each show plays six songs, inviting featured musicians to talk for about 30 seconds on what their song is about, how they recorded it and what software they used. Butterworth, a native of England who moved to the United States after his college years, adds colorful commentary on a variety of topics in his crisp British accent. He sounds like a natural deejay.

Oddly enough, Butterworth records his verbal comments in his car because it is more efficient than working at home. Plus, he doesn't have to worry about his wife and two children wondering what he's jabbering on about in the next room.

"I actually used to record my songs in the car, too," he said. "I was too embarrassed to sing my songs (at home), so I would drive down a country lane."

So far, Butterworth's made 33 episodes of the "Homemade Hit Show" - about one a week since he started.

Much of the show's acoustic, folk and rock music are fairly recognizable. Other songs are more obscure, mixing indie genres such as "electronic funk" and geeky rock 'n' roll.

Tony Burchyns covers Morgan Hill for The Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106 ext. 201 or tburchyns@morganhilltimes.com.