A brief reflection, inspired by last night's CMJ showcase with New Amsterdam Records and Canteloupe Music:

Back in January 2008, when we were working on the press release for the launch of New Amsterdam, there was some debate as to how to describe the hybrid scene that spawned the label. In conversations with its founders - Bill Brittelle, Judd Greenstein, and Sarah Kirkland Snider - the term 'indie-classical' came up, and it seemed to capture the spirit of the thing best. Since then, the phrase has gained quite a bit of traction, with some competition from 'alt-classical,' recently used in an absorbing article by Washington Post critic/blogger Anne Midgette.

Whether you love these terms or hate them, two things are clear: the indie-classical approach to developing new audiences - via non-traditional venues and imaginative, cross-genre programming - has become increasingly influential in the concert music world. And in less than two years, New Amsterdam has emerged as the "virtual headquarters" (in the words of New York magazine's Justin Davidson) of this thriving scene. DOTDOTDOTMUSIC is proud to be associated with such a creative and enterprising team - and such outstanding music!

BTW, if you're in NYC on one of several Fridays in the coming months, be sure to check out NewAm's fascinating Archipelago series, presenting cross-genre chamber music at the stunning Galapagos space in Brooklyn.