When I first learned of BumRushTheCharts.com (BRtC), I had reservations about the idea. In particular, I wondered if juicing the iTunes charts for an independent artist for one day would actually make any difference - and if it would actually hurt the independent movement.

Perhaps because of the community-centric excitement about the project, I decided to ignore my misgivings and participate. Naturally, I blogged about it. It took a comment from Daryl to make me think carefully about my reasons for paticipating. As a result, I have decided to withdraw my participation in BRtC and take an academic view of the effort, publishing my analysis both before and after March 22nd — zero day.

This is my “pre-analysis”.

The independent community has long complained about the music industry’s approach to signing, developing, and promoting — and its treatment of — bands. Many artists have also cried foul. Some, like the Barenaked Ladies, have done something about it.

Indeed, the music industry is very effective at using its strength to sign bands that will make money for them, and then create buzz and influence the charts to see that the money comes through. They have essentially owned mass distribution channels and apparently enjoy a significant amount of control on how radio stations program their music. To prove their influence, the major labels are managing to stay strong even as the marketplace becomes more agile and adaptive than the industry.

Technology is the differentiator. Besides the hotly debated DRM-related issues, online tools and democratized digital music has made it possible for the grassroots to organize. They have formed communities which have established distribution and promotional channels. Over time, these small communities have connected with other communities to create a strong and far reaching network of like-minded people. It’s the independent and democratized, or open-source, version of the music industry - a welcome change for many who have felt overwhelmed by having their tastes dictated to them.

BRtC is apparently hoping to be the first effort to to leverage the size of this open-source music community and harness its strength to catapult one of its own to the top of one, albeit high-visible, music chart. My sense about this is as follows:

• BRtC is going to be amazingly successful at unifying a community for a common cause. This will be a great moment for the grassroots to demonstrate its passion, connectedness and organization skills. It’s all about people.

• Selecting a single band for a community to prop up is analogous to the industry mass promoting the next big thing and using its influence to drive sales and chart success. This is one of the issues that got us here in the first place. I’d be interested to find out the percentages of those who love, don’t care much for, and outright dislike the song. It’s all about influence.

• The metric that is being used by BRtC is one that the record industry understands well. In this manner, BRtC is playing on the music industry’s turf. This may be because BRtC feels that this is the way to get noticed. It’s all about visibility.

• BRtC risks validating reliance on old-school music industry fundamentals by using the tools of the digital music era. This can be extremely harmful since the industry can then use this as further support in the argument for technology to protect old-school economic models of the industry. And, don’t think that the irony of the new technology won’t be lost on them. It’s all about new thinking and its relationship to old thinking.

I decided to get some industry views on BRtC. The first person I spoke with is Adam Smith of Nettwerk Management - for the Canadian perspective. Their roster includes the Barenaked Ladies and Avril Lavigne. Adam feels that BRtC may garner some short-lived media attention and may inspire some industry types to talk for a few minutes. He claims that the industry is far too fickle to be concerned and there will be no lasting impact.

Miles Copeland, who, among his many accomplishments, founded I.R.S. Records and managed The Police, and susequently Sting, believes that BRtC is sending a mixed message about its views on the majors and it will be of little, if any, consequence.

“The impression given is that the recording industry is the enemy yet you are encouraging them to stay involved in signing more music”, Mr. Copeland offers. “There are many reasons an act gets dropped and just as many of them have to do with the artist as with the label. If the independent music community is so powerful what do they care what the majors think anyway? Just get on with it and sell music and stop complaining about the majors and what they are and are not doing. The initiative you describe sounds just like a promotion for one artist and will be viewed as such, a marketing ploy nothing more. Means nothing to anybody. Getting one act to number one for a day does not mean another will happen the next day or the day after.”

BRtC continues to build strength in preparation for March 22, 2007. Will Black Lab’s “Mine Again” be on the iTunes charts that day? Stay tuned.