Pete Tidemann is the founder of Linear Velocity, a communications company based in Minneapolis. Linear Velocity provides a Direct Line of Communication between cultures using current technological mediums as its foundation. Linear Velocity's mission is to encourage points of intersection between cultures by providing a meeting place for ideas and a fertile ground for combined cultural aspirations. It is LV's deeper mission to greet each culture within its context and provide the support needed to define itself authentically, both locally and globally. Linear Velocity provides both national and international technical and consulting services to the cultural arts and entertainment and corporate industries.
From 1998 until 2005, Pete was the technical advisor and producer for a major international film festival in Zanzibar, East Africa called the Festival of the Dhow Countries. In his work with the festival, he set up an education and training program in stage arts, which led to the development of a technical infrastructure within the festival to build capacities in operation, management and execution of events. Further, his work as a volunteer fundraiser generated a significant amount of money for equipment purchase to be used as a self sustainable tool for the promotion and preservation of cultural heritage through the arts in East Africa.
Through his interactions with the Festival of the Dhow Countries, Pete started a new division of Linear Velocity called artsXchange. ArtsXchange is dedicated to bringing cultures together using the arts as a tool of communication. AXC bridges the gaps in communication by facilitating artist interactions in corporate, non profit, community, academic and special events, seeking common ground through the arts as a communications tool. AXC partners also include Yvonne Owuor, a cultural innovator and writer from Kenya, and Reggie Prim, community programs director for the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis.
Pete is a published writer for magazines in his field, and also a public speaker at the 2004 and 2006 world music conference WOMEX in Sevilla, Spain. He continues to work as a sound engineer for many of the world's top companies; Target, Intel, Nortel, NBA, GM, Macys, Pfizer and many others. Along the way he has also had the meaningful experience to work with entertainers such as Elton John, Tina Turner, Tony Bennett, Diana Krull, Willie Nelson, Minnesota Orchestra, Lyle Lovett and a host of others.
