Redbull to some may still just be a high-octane energy drink designed for those who have an intolerance of being half energized. But over the last decade Red Bull has built an empire. Using their fortune they have solidified their reign in a genius way in which their brand has become based in the business of empowering people.
Whether it be an professional race car driver, skateboarder, snowboarder, basketball player, surfer, or even a musician, they have found a way to nurture the power that is held by the most influential people in every discipline and use their passion and grace to empower millions of people. Red Bull Music Academy is a place where fresh musical ideas tend to spark between artists from different genres and generations. The annual workshop is hosted in a different city each year, offering 60 up-and-coming musicians from around the world a chance to participate in workshops with musical luminaries in a custom-fitted complex of studios and workspaces. By night, they perform in the city’s cult venues and concert halls, alongside contemporary and classic innovators as well as heroes and heroines of the local scene.
Last year at the Red Bull Music Academy in New York City, award-winning director Ralf Schmerberg and his Mindpirates team were enlisted to create a film about the electric impulses, inspirations and challenges that comprise a life in music. The result is What Difference Does It Make? — a feature length documentary following a new generation of artists seeking to carve their own path through the music world, guided by the words of iconic and influential artists including Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Giorgio Moroder, Erykah Badu, Nile Rodgers, Rakim, Skream, Q-Tip, Bernie Worrell, Egyptian Lover, Ken Scott, Thundercat, Richie Hawtin, James Murphy, Debbie Harry and Stephen O’ Malley.
Whether you are a musician, a fan of music, or a just interested in delving into the minds of these powerful creators we all give our time and attention to so intrinsically What Difference Does It Make? has a little something for you.
