Inside Indie

Top 5 Reasons it's GOOD to be Indie!

2010-09-28T15:25:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Dana and I recorded an interview for an internet radio show (more info to come on that when available), and it got me to thinking about why it's so great to be an Indie artist right now. So, I decided to come up with MY top 5 reasons it's good to be Indie.

1. There are no RULES: As the Majors have shown us over the last few years, there's really no plug and play, guaranteed formula for success in the music industry anymore. The old way of doing things is dead, especially for us Indies. The standard approach of write music, play shows, build following, get radio play, land record deal, doesn't have to be the path to success anymore. We're only limited by our creativity and our willingness to explore new ideas and forge new trails.

2. Everything you need is at your fingertips: Never before has it been so incredibly easy to make music, record music, and reach and audience with your music. Of course this also means that competition for an audience has increased, making it more important than ever that we be all around better performers with a stronger business savvy. Only the strong will survive.

3. Labels are no longer necessary: Besides funding, what are you looking for in a label? Most labels these days don't put a lot of effort into artist development, and most Indies (myself included) are reluctant to give up creative control to the money men. Unless you just want the bang that having some money behind you could make, there's really nothing that a label offers that an enterprising artist or band can't do for themselves. In this day and age of internet connections, there's really no need for middle men. Why give up your control? Why make money for others?

4. You control your pace: With the increase of internet exposure, it's possible to reach more of an audience without having to kill ourselves on the road, as much. Not to diminish the need for touring, but it is so much easier to build our fanbase now through virtual means, allowing us to choose the pace of our travel, as well as our growth.

5. Releasing music is FREE, or damn near: With the accessibility of quality home recording equipment and the ease and popularity of digital media, we can release as much material as we want, at virtually no cost. Even some Indie labels are embracing the "Digital Only Release" trend. If the majority of our sales are going to come from download, why put the money into CD duplication? If it's for a physical product to sell at shows, there's always drop cards. I'm sure that we could all find better uses for our money than to be laying in a stock of CDs that people are not buying, right?

So, anyway, that's my top 5 reasons. Drop me a note and tell me why you think it's awesome to be an Indie.

Later,

Are you truly Passionate about your work?

2010-08-09T14:31:00.003-05:00

Do you really, I mean REALLY, love what you do? Do you have an unequaled passion for how you spend your time each and every day?

Sometimes it's hard to tell if we really do have that passion. I know I have my moments of thinking, "what the hell am I doing?", but I recently found out that I know exactly what I'm doing, and more importantly, why.

Taking a bit of time away from your pursuits every now and then makes you realize what you've got. It makes you realize how much of a passion you really have for what you do. Or, conversely, it could make you realize that you've just been wasting a boatload of time on something you couldn't care less about. Either way, you've learned some very valuable information.

Also, if you're in a position where you feel you can't take any time off, what so ever, than you definitely need some time off. Step away, even if it's just for half a day and center yourself. You'll probably see that you were overworking yourself on something that really requires better effort instead of more effort.

Take a little time for yourself. You'll be miles ahead.

You Can't Do It All

2010-07-19T14:05:00.005-05:00

Okay, so maybe that's a misstatement. Some of us CAN do it "ALL", but not all a the same time.

The past few weeks have shown me that, despite my strong desire to do so, I can't focus on all of my ideas at one time. I'm a multi-tasking MOFO these days, but there still gets to be a level that I reach where things start to suffer. So, I'm just saying that sometimes it has to be okay to back burner something for a bit. Don't have to totally give it up, but prioritization needs to rule, right?

We've got a lot going on here at Serious Vanity these days, and it's certainly a full time job. So, some of my side projects and hobbies have suffered a bit and I think that I'm just going to have to be okay with that. At least for the time being. Why? Cause I want to succeed with what I'm doing here. I want to turn Serious Vanity into the business I know it can, and should, be.

Focus is the key and I'm there.

Now, on a side note, this is our 14th Birthday this week! Yep, Serious Vanity Music has been around for 14 years. If you're not following our FB or Twitter pages, I'll link them below. We're doing a 14 day Birthday Bash sale. Keep an eye out for our deal of the day. It should be coming to you shortly!

Facebook:
Serious Vanity Music
Serious Vanity Records

Twitter:
Serious Vanity Music
Serious Vanity Records

Social Media and the Numbers Game

2010-07-14T13:35:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I just did a bit of a purge on my friends list over at Facebook. Why? Was it because I've had some sort of falling out with people? Nope. Was it because they offended me? No, not that either.

The fact is that I have a tendency to add people in good faith. Especially if they don't come off as being some sort of cam whore. So, in the course of things, I've added several people who pester me every day with the same request to join their group or "like" their page.

Now, we all have our agendas in life, and we all have our motivations, but if a person ignores my page suggestion, you bet I'm not going to pester them with it again the next day.

You see, Social Media will lose it's magic, the thing that makes it work, so long as people continue to approach it as a numbers game. It's really about interaction and building relationships, not seeing who can get the biggest following. You know, I'm not perfect in interacting with everyone on my lists, but I put in the effort. Just like any other thing in life, or in business for that matter, it's the quality of our lists, not the quantity. It's what we can do for the people we interact with on a daily basis, not what they can do for us.

Come on people! At least have other interactions with people if you're going to bombard them with requests every day. It's the Social thing to do!

What happens to detractors?

2010-07-07T13:35:00.005-05:00

If Leaders lead, and Followers follow, then what happens to Detractors? I guess the simple answer is that they get trampled under the movement.

In every movement there is only room for leaders and followers. The people who try to throw a monkey wrench into our plans, the ones who try to trip us up or bring us down, need to be treated as stepping stones. Trample them. Show no mercy. Beat them down and leave no doubt that they are nothing in the grand scheme of things. Movements can't be bothered with Detractors, and neither can those within the movement.

Of course, Detractors come in many forms too. Family or friends that want to keep us at a certain point in our lives (consciously or un-consiously), critics, rivals, or even just some unhappy asshat that likes to stir trouble. We, the determined, don't have time for Detractors. They are a detriment to our mission, our goal, our movement.

I know, you're going to say, but "family and friends"? Yep, love'em all you need to, but they have a choice. They can follow, they can get out of the way, or the can get trampled under the movement.

We can't let anyone stand in the way of our dreams, and as Artists, our dreams are all we really have. They're all we really are.

Unwavering determination

2010-07-01T11:52:00.002-05:00

It's funny how many ways that our goals in life get challenged. Seems like every turn brings another little barrier to walk around or step over or bust right through. I can't say that it upsets me anymore, really. It's just part of the process.

The important thing is to keep my eyes on the end goal, the pure vision, of what it is that I'm doing in my life. What my destiny is, even if it's a self imposed one. It may be a modest vision, but it is mine and I have to follow it with an unwavering determination.

I guess, truth be told, that there are little challenges like this in every aspect of what we do in our lives. The trick is learning to not be phased by them. Just step back for a minute and look for the quickest and most efficient way back to our path. Whether it means going around them or through them, the important thing is getting back on with the task at hand in the quickest way possible.

When it comes to our achieving our dreams we have to learn how to be machines. Well oiled, fast, nimble, and strong, because you never know when we'll have to sprint, dodge, jump, or bust trough what pops up in our way.

One thing is for sure, stopping and giving up are not options. We're artists and we'll never be happy if we do.

There's no more IDEAL time than RIGHT NOW!

2010-06-21T14:23:00.003-05:00

It's true. There will never be a more ideal time to launch our new projects, record our new album, book our next show, or take over our next town or city, than RIGHT NOW!

A lot of times, as artists, we spend time looking for our opening. We try to build the perfect beast and then frustrate ourselves when it never seems to see the light of day. We toil for our perfection. We destroy ourselves over tiny details that just don't seem to come out right. We fixate, obsess, and dwell.

I do anyway.

So, I'm making the conscious decision to say "Fuck it!" and just make the most out of what I've got.

My new band, Tailhook Echo, the one I've been working on for the past two or three years, finally starts rehearsing this next week. I love the songs, I love the sound, I love everything about it, so long as I don't dwell on the little things. But I'm going to launch it and let it be what it is. I have to trust that others will see in these songs, what I see in them. That they will hear what I was feeling when I wrote them. That my art will translate in a way that speaks to others. But, dammit, I have to put it out there for myself. As long as I like it, and my bandmates like it, then I trust it will speak to others as well.

In the words of Sir Richard Branson: "Screw it! Let's do it!

Daily Creativity

2010-06-14T19:25:00.002-05:00

It's a busy life, you know? Sometimes daily life just gets in the way of creativity. It's not always easy to fit in time to play guitar or drums or whatever we play. It's not always the right moment to put that pen to paper and write that next great song.

It's vital that we do though.

I've gone through HUGE dry spells, where I've just not wanted to do any of it. I've let the business side of things here, the voice over recordings, or the hunt for more clients, keep me from doing what I love best. Being creative. It's not fair to our artist side to deny ourselves this outlet. It's the way to early retirement from our biggest dreams.

I'm finding that if I set aside a little bit of time each day, and just let myself be free to create, it comes in waves. Big, crashing waves. Sometimes enough to overwhelm, but always good stuff.

Leave room for creativity. It's what makes us who we are.

Plant Your Seeds and Move to the Next Row

2010-06-11T12:06:00.003-05:00

Yep, just like in gardening, business is a plant and wait prospect. Not saying that you don't do the tending, such as weeding out the bad prospects, or nourishing the good ones, but once we've picked the spot and planted the seed, it's just a matter of waiting for it to grow.

The size and quality of your crop is dependent on the work you put into the cultivation. Put in the elbow grease early and you'll enjoy a fairly trouble free and bountiful return.

One of the issues that we, as business owners have though is that we're impatient. We plant it and expect it to grow overnight, and it doesn't always work that way. Plant it and move to the next row and plant some more. Keep going and one day you'll look back and see the healthy crops that have sprung up behind you.

Most importantly, we have to be thankful for what we have. Every little bit helps and builds us up to better deal with next season. Here's to healthy crops all around this year!

Scenester Casualty or Rock Star?

2010-06-10T15:00:00.002-05:00

Well, what's it going to be? Are you plugging along, trying to make things easier for others? Make someone else's dream a reality? Are you playing the game, as the industry, or your local scene, dictates it to you? Or even worse, are you just thinking about your next small club gig and what the free drink limit is?

OR

Are you in a constant state of developing new material and planning your next step? Are you looking at the next rung on the ladder out of mediocrity? Are you setting the next bigger and badder goal?

That my friends is the difference between being a scenester casualty and a bonafide Rock and Roll success story.

It really does come down to what you're willing to do to make your way. What you're willing to sacrifice and live without. What kind of effort you're willing to put in, and most importantly, how quickly and effectively you're able to launch your new materials. Launch quickly and launch often. Make people see your dedication. All the rehearsals in the world won't show people how much effort you're actually putting into your project. They only see the physical aspects of what you're doing.

Don't be afraid to take big steps. Take chances. It's only your future. Your success. What are you afraid of?

Why Do We Think There Are Rules In Rock & Roll?

2010-06-09T12:01:00.003-05:00

So last night I was reading an article by a moderately successful rock star from the 80s/90s and he was spouting off about how the music industry has changed and the rules don't apply any more. Um what rules? It's fucking ROCK & ROLL!!!

Rules. Yes, somewhere through the course of it all, rock & roll has lost it's rebellious, fuck the establishment, mentality and set up it's own set of rules and guidelines. There's a certain way to approach labels, there's a certain way to book tours, there's a certain way to make videos, there's a certain way to inject the heroin just right to...............oh, too far? Yeah. What's with cookie cutter rock stars? I mean, Disney owns rock & roll now, for god's sake.

Let's face the fact that Rock $ Roll is a big money proposition for the labels and they will, just like they have for years now, chase the trends rather than cultivate the talent. It used to be that the A & R rep would court the talented and cultivate new and exciting things to give their label a leg up over the competition. Anymore, they're just scouting for the next so and so. No money goes into taking chances anymore. That's the downfall of labels being run by corporations. Risks need to be minimized and profits capitalized. Rules come into effect when money becomes the sole objective.

The unfortunate thing is that the Indie music world mimics that mentality, just on a smaller scale. They may be a little more willing to take the chances but they still try to set up those stupid rules. They still try to tell people how it's done. Dammit, it's ROCK & ROLL, there is no way it's done. Real, long term, breakthrough rock stars don't exist anymore, because no one takes chances anymore. New paths are struck by the bold and the rebellious, not the trend chasers.

Time Limits and Expiration Dates

2010-06-08T12:15:00.002-05:00

It's a cold hard fact of life that we won't be here forever. This never fails to occur to me when I find out that someone I know is sick. It's an eye opener to what I've been letting slide. What I've been putting off. Life is short and if we don't knuckle under, we won't leave a big enough dent in it to matter.

Isn't that what life's about? Making a mark? Making an impact on the world and being something other than just another parasite on the face of the planet?

Laziness and procrastination are not a luxury we really have. The urgency is real, we don't have long here, and there are always things that can shorten that time, so what can we do to maximize out impact?

Sometimes I wish it didn't take this kind of thing to teach me such lessons.

The Prospect of Scaling Back on Prospecting

2010-06-07T14:11:00.004-05:00

Whether you're looking at this from the perspective of an artist, a label, or any other kind of small business viewpoint, the fact remains the same. We spend a shit ton of time prospecting for leads. Our next gig, our next record sale, our next client, our next opportunity, our next.....................whatever. When do we make time to do what we REALLY do?

I know that the argument can be made that the economy has people pulling back on their spending and that we have to work harder to find the next paycheck, but do we really have to? That wasn't meant to sound like a spoiled kid stomping their feet about something they don't WANT to do, but a serious question. Do we REALLY need to spend so much time on prospecting? Of course the answer will be different for different folks, but I've been thinking about this a little bit. Maybe too much, really.

The object of prospecting is to convince people that they need what we offer. Why don't we just call it sales? That's what it is. We're trying to tell people that they need our music, that they can't live without seeing us this coming Friday at 10 PM at such and such a bar. Why are we spending so much time trying to convince people? Isn't that what our music is supposed to be doing? Isn't that what our marketing plan is supposed to do?

What if we just did what we do best? Why not just make what we make, and do what we do, and maybe just talk about what it is we're doing and making? It may take a little longer to reach all the right people, but we won't be wasting valuable energy in trying to convince the non-believers into buying our stuff. We won't be throwing resources into the wind of ambivalence.

There's a lot to be said for the tactic of hard work and diligence. It will be noticed by those who appreciate it and it will be skimmed over by those that don't, but in the long run, you'll have a following of ONLY those who are really interested in what it is that you do. Plus you'll have the added benefit of all that extra prospecting time that you can roll into making what you make and doing what you do.

Don't forget to talk about what it is you're doing though. Set up a twitter account and tweet about what's going on in the studio, or in the office today. Set up your Facebook account and periodically update about what's going on. Let your followers know what's up and they will tell others. Grow your followers organically, it's not about the numbers, it's about the quality. Most importantly, use that time to better yourself and your product. Be worth following and you'll see that people will talk about you. The more that happens, the less prospecting you'll have to do.

One last thing. Too much of a "sales" kind of attitude makes you look like a salesman. What does THAT do for your image?

Creativity and the Business Are NOT Mutually Exclusive

2010-06-03T09:53:00.003-05:00

For years we've been fed the idea that we need someone else to take care of the business side of our music careers so that we can focus on being creative. What is non-creative about the business aspects of our career? Now, I'm not trying to say that we should all fire our managers or agents and go it alone, but having a hands on approach to the business portion of our careers can be just as creative and rewarding as the actual creation side of it. Plus you get the added benefit of knowing EXACTLY what's going on with all aspects of your career.

The fact is, there is no such thing as a plug and play plan for success in the music industry. Sure, there are the well used and frequented paths that most all musicians and bands take, but the success level is low. I kind of think of it as there only being a bottle neck opening of success and the more sand you have in the bottle the harder it is to get to that opening. So, why not unleash the creative side of ourselves and make new openings? Why stick with traditional means if tradition tells us we're delusional? Why not apply our creativity to our business plan and our marketing efforts. Why should we should we look at the business side of our endeavors as different than our music making? They are not, and should not be, mutually exclusive.

As technologies and attitudes toward, and about, music change, the industry changes. That's why I find it amusing when I hear people say that "this is just the way it's done". That's like saying, "well, I had success doing it this way in 1974, it's bound to work now". Um, probably not. Times change, markets change, fanbases change, economies change, social outlooks change, public opinions change, so why don't our business tactics change?

If you can't see the path to success over the heads of your competition, you're on the wrong path. Be creative and strike off into the unknown. You'll be rewarded for your efforts.

Does Music Still Stir the Soul?

2010-06-02T08:34:00.003-05:00

Does Top 40 radio speak to you? Does popular music make you feel anything besides confusion as to which sound alike band is being shilled to you? Does music still stir the soul of the masses?

It's no secret that CD sales are way down over the last few years, and while downloads of certain artists are there, does that method really work for the Indie? Is it possible to make a decent living as a touring musician anymore? Is any of that actually the point?

In order for our music to stir the souls of others, it has to stir ours first. We have to have a passion for it. Sure, there's some success associated with the prefab kinds of acts that permeate the radio these days, but what's the shelf life of your throw away pop princesses? The Miley Cyrus's of the world may have the business savvy, or management that does, to build a small empire, but how many songs of theirs can you actually name?

The more I think of the way this game is played anymore, the more I think I'd be much happier writing music that I enjoy and hope that it touches others. If it doesn't though, I'm okay with that, cause at least I know that I love it. In the grand scope of life, that's all that really matters. I'm going to stir my own soul, you can listen in if you'd like.

A Rested Mind

2010-06-01T11:34:00.003-05:00

I've found that I have a tendency to think a lot. Yup, I do. I think about work, I think about play, I think about family, and I think about how tight my jeans are getting and it's time to start running again.

The thing is, I never really take the time to not think. To completely tune out and rest for a while. I mean, even when I'm sleeping I have a tendency to toss and turn because of my mind being in overdrive. It's not healthy. It makes for a bad mental state and an uncomfortable inability to focus.

I think this is pretty common among creative people. Our bodies might be limited in the number of pursuits we can delve into at one time, but our minds are not. I find that it's very easy to get carried away, thinking of future projects, or trips, or events, or whatever. Basically, anything but being focused on what's at hand.

Meditation is one way of bringing ourselves back into focus, but then, how many of us actually take the time to do it? Unless you've got a structured practice, it's not an easy thing to remember to do, not to mention it can be taxing in itself. Being persistent at it brings pretty solid results though.

I just know that, for myself, I need to find time to shut my mind down and spend time not thinking. When I do, I find that my musical abilities are better focused, my writing is better, my ability to stay on task is easier, and my interactions with other people, especially clients, is sharper.

Yeah, I think there's a lot to be said for a rested mind.

Why the big aversion to change?

2010-05-26T14:49:00.004-05:00

Seriously, change is going to happen, whether we like it or not. Musical styles, hair styles, fashions, car designs, technologies, attitudes, climates, and the weather, just to name a few things. Nothing stays the same. Even our bodies are a study in change. Old cells die off, new ones are formed. From moment to moment we're not the same beings. So, why is it that we resist change? Why are we scared of it? What attaches us to a certain moment in time? Are we scared that it will never be as good, or even better than it is right now?

As musicians, we can set ourselves into a style, but that style is going to go out of popularity. Sure, it might eventually come back, but what do we do in the meantime? I mean, you have legacy acts like the Stones, or AC/DC that ride waves of popularity, but can that really sustain an up and coming act these days? What is the aversion to growing as artists? Seriously, I don't understand it? Is it really "selling out" to ensure that you prolong your career? I think I'm okay with being a sell out then.

Purism and Elitism have caused a very real level of stagnation in the music industry. Futuristic Glam Rock bands won't be caught dead using modern equipment to make their music. The same goes for the small scene rock bands that still think you have to sport the "look" of long hair and stained denim. My favorite though, as a sound engineer, are the people who have to have that Analog sound, so bad that they're willing to live with a substandard and dated recording to be "cool". Not that I really have a problem with old equipment and technology being used, but at least do something new with it.

The same is true for the business side of our industry. We're still stuck in the mindset that the only way to build our career is the old "tour till you drop" tactic. While live performance is still an important part of it, there is so much more that can be done to get our names, and sounds, in front of the right people. Why play the game of "this is how it's done", when we can be the innovators of how it CAN be done?

Stagnation is a bad, bad thing. Embrace technology. Embrace change. Quit playing the game and start doing something that hasn't been done before. You might be able to make waves that way.

Build it and they will come! If you do enough leg work to make sure they see you, anyway.

2010-05-24T12:34:00.003-05:00

How many other people do what you do? How many of them do it well? What makes you different from them? What makes you stand out? What makes you outstanding? What makes you special? Are you really special, or do you just feel that way?

Say you are, "that special". What are you doing to make sure everyone knows that you are? How do you draw people to your brilliance? I hate to break this to you, but they aren't exactly like moths to a light. You may build it, but they're not going to break down walls to get to you.

We live in a time where communications with our potential audience, fans, or clients, is easier than ever. But, it's also harder than ever too. Why? Because we, as a society, are jaded by advertising and marketing. We've seen it all before. We've heard it all before, and we have DVR!!! We don't have to watch commercials. We switch the dial on the radio when the adds come on. Well, those of us dinosaurs that still listen to terrestrial radio, anyway. We block pop ups. We drop all the asshat network marketers from our Facebook friends list. WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!!!!

We are in a position though to get back to the real basics of building a following or finding the right clientele. It's communication.

If we do what we do, and talk about what we do, then we're going to start catching the interest of the people who actually give a shit about what we do. Those are the ones we want to talk to anyway, right?

Doing is 100 times better than talking about doing. No, if you build it they will not come. However, if you build it, and talk about building it, and post pictures of the process of building it, and promote the people that are helping you build it, you will see them come. Whether it's in trickles or in torrents will help you determine if you're talking about it in the right ways and in the right places.

Traditional advertising and marketing are becoming less effective. Now's the time to just talk, openly and honestly, about what it is that we do. Don't sell to people, become indispensable to people.

The difference between diversification and chasing too many rabbits

2010-05-20T13:32:00.002-05:00

Have you ever heard the saying "if you chase too many rabbits you won't catch any"? The logic there is pretty sound, no? If you spend too much time chasing odd and varied goals, it becomes really damn hard to accomplish anything with any degree of success.

At the same time, how many times have you been told that diversification is the key to continued success? Sounds like a contradiction, right? The problem with cliche based advice, in any area of your life, is that no one really takes the time to really understand what it means.

There IS a difference between diversification and chasing too many rabbits. A lot of people don't take the time to figure out this difference though.

An example of chasing too many rabbits might be the guy down the street that fixes motorcycles and runs a lawn care/snow removal service. In a situation like that you may have moderate success doing both, but there's no room for growth because there's no room for serious dedication to either one.

Diversification though is a whole other animal. A good example of diversification is the musician who writes, records, and performs music, but finds other ways to make his talent work for him, such as licensing his music to film, tv, or web. He's still working within his field and can fully dedicate to growth and expansion, but is finding other avenues to generate the income he needs to make that growth happen.

It's a fine line between the two, but it's one that we have to find in order to be the best we can be. To grow beyond the normal limitations of our skill or trade.

What can you do to hang up your rabbit chasing ways and diversify?

Be Prepared Part Deux: Curly's Revenge

2010-05-18T10:34:00.002-05:00

So, the other day I posted about the need to be prepared for the flood of new work that can come in from your prospecting efforts. Well, this week has totally shown me the need for another type of preparedness. What to do when you have a critical equipment failure at a very inopportune time.

The fact is that we all have those pieces of equipment (studio, shop, musical, or whatever) that we use, and possibly abuse, on a daily basis. It's the heartbeat of our operation. It's the key to our ability to do what it is that we do. Yet, at the very bottom of it, we have to admit that they are things and they do wear out. The best thing we can do is be prepared for the eventuality and do our best to minimize the effects of it.

Have a back up. Whether it's backing up the files from your computer on a daily basis, or having an extra guitar or mixer on hand, or keeping a daily updated disk of your new book project in the glove box of your car, do what you can to eliminate as much of the pain as you can.

Most of all, keep a level head and know what you can and can't do about it. It's just a part of life and with some pre-planning and a dedicated system of having back ups in place, it won't be a devastation. Just an inconvenience.

It's okay to say NO!

2010-05-17T11:58:00.004-05:00

Every day new opportunities present themselves, and we even notice them if we're looking. The question is though, should we jump on every single one of them? Is it a bad thing to want to be picky and only take on the things that will better us and further our efforts as business folks?

I don't think it's bad at all.

We're in business to make an impact on the world and to be compensated for our time and efforts. Of course, I think it's important to keep it in that order too. It is a big thing to understand though, and it really changes the way you look at opportunities.

Take a careful look at every opportunity that's presented to you, or favor asked of you, and make sure that there is a tangible compensation for the time and effort you're going to be expending, and it should certainly better your situation.

Now, I'm not saying that you should look to get rich off of each dealing, but it should be well worth your time, and if it's not, then there's no shame in saying no.

It sounds selfish, but we have to put our own interests first. If we don't, we're not going to make it. Besides, I've noticed that the more I'm willing to say no, the less often I have to do it.

Do your thing, it's who you are.

Be Prepared: Not Just A Boy Scout Slogan

2010-05-14T14:15:00.003-05:00

Man, it is certainly true that when it rains, it pours. Yesterday I talked about keeping moving and how good things come to those that put in the effort. Today has been a perfect example of the truth in that. It's like the floodgates of business have opened up, which has kind of made me think about how prepared I actually am for this.

Often times, especially when things have been slow, we tend to put all our effort into looking for opportunities. We're on the hunt for new clients, better paying gigs, or bigger and better projects to attach ourselves to, which means that we may not be paying as much attention to how well we can handle the work load that could come from it.

It's not a difficult thing to plan and prepare. It just takes diligence and a realistic, editing eye to what it is that we're doing. Nothing that self starters like us can't handle, right?

What we do here is break down our goals into blocks of time and figure out how many of which types of jobs will fit into those blocks. Then, it's time to figure out your individual rate of conversion. How many bids to submit, emails to send, phone calls to make, or people to visit in order to fill those blocks. By building a plan for our prospecting, it becomes a ton easier to handle the work load once it starts rolling in.

Happy hunting and best wishes for a busy Spring!

Don't Stop Now, It's Just Getting Good!

2010-05-13T12:07:00.002-05:00

Ever heard the sentiment that it's not the end of the journey that counts, it's the journey itself? It's taken me a long time to understand that thought, but I think I get it now.

If we beat ourselves to death trying to reach our end goal, we won't enjoy all the little victories along the way. Hopefully we each have a nice long life ahead of us, so wouldn't it be a shame if we didn't enjoy every single minute of it?

No matter what our direction is in life, or what we do with our time, it's important that we keep working, that we keep bettering ourselves. To stop is to stagnate and who knows what fun, important, and beneficial stuff is yet to come?

It's certainly true that quitters never prosper. It's always the ones that are willing to put in the extra time and effort that see the biggest rewards in life, so don't stop now.

A little single-minded determination goes a long way. Keep moving toward your goals, even if they're nowhere in sight, just yet. You will reach them and you'll probably have a hell of a lot of fun in the process.

When Bigger Is NOT Better

2010-05-12T13:47:00.003-05:00

I've had a rash of Twitter adds recently that I just don't understand. How is it that these folks can have thousands of followers, yet have never posted a single tweet? No, it's not a private account that I just couldn't see. I mean, these folks have NO tweets! What does a person gain from following them, and more importantly, what do they gain from having you follow them? I mean, I don't know if you're following because you have a strong attachment to what I'm doing, or if you just want me to build your numbers. I certainly can't be a fan of what you're doing if you don't do anything.

The really got me thinking about the quality of our followings. I mean, whether you're building a following for your music or your marketing firm, do you want thousands of cold to luke warm followers, or do you want a couple hundred red hot and rabid followers?

Why the rush for quantity when it's been proven over and over again that quality wins out, every time?

Our mailing lists, our Social Media followings, our Fan Clubs, all have one thing in common. They can be a kick ass database of our loyal followers and strongest evangelists, or they can be a boat anchor full of useless contacts that will, at most, only moderately support what we're doing.

Wouldn't it be time well spent to build a following of TRUE supporters and allies? Makes sense to me.

What IS Reality?

2010-05-11T14:55:00.003-05:00

Hey all!

So, a quick question. What exactly IS reality? Isn't it true that the truth is subjective? I mean, my view of the truth will certainly be colored differently than yours, and vice-versa. So, don't we really get to choose what our reality is?

Think about it. Are you a struggling musician, or small business owner, or janitor, or grocery sacker? What makes you struggle? What's the difference between struggling and comfortably making it? What's the difference between having nothing and having everything? Actually, a better question is what would be the common factor? If you were to struggle, every day, to just scrape by, or if you had it all, what would be the one thing that was the same in either situation?

YOU!

Yep, it's our decision how we go through life. I mean, I'm sure that there are some folks who would say, "shut up, it's easy for you to say, you weren't born to nothing, with no prospects for anything better". To that I'd have to say, "SO?".

There are plenty of examples of people throughout the history of this country who have pulled themselves up from abject poverty and even oppression to become successful men and women. Upbringing can no longer be an excuse.

I would go so far as to argue that those of us who know poverty, who have grown up poor, or even middle class in some cases, have even more motivation to live a better life. To make more of ourselves. We have further to go and more drive, in most cases, to do it.

What IS our reality? Are we oppressed and kept down by our economic, cultural, racial, or educational situations, or are we our own people who are free to do whatever we want in this life? What IS your reality?

Content is King!

2010-05-10T14:58:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday!

It's a chilly and rainy day here, but I'm not going to let that keep it from being a good day!

Today I've been thinking about content. Whether it's for your website, your social media pages, or your merch box, the content you have is what's going to bring you more fans or clients. What we provide is what's going to be the catalyst for how many people pay attention to us.

I've already talked about my views on quality, but this has more to do with the one-two punch of quality and quantity. We're only as good as our newest offering. People get bored with us is all we have is that tribute album that we produced 11 years ago. Believe me, I know. New product, news, and content is vital to the growth of our band or our brand.

Think about this. How many times have you gone to see your favorite live band and heard the same set? Now, how many years have they been around? See what I'm saying. The bands that survive and thrive are the ones who are constantly churning out new songs, new albums, new merch, and new ideas. The same can be said for small businesses. It's an ever changing environment and we need to grow with times or fold.

Music and small business are very similar. They're both creative endeavors. The question every day should be, "what am I going to make today"?

What are you going to make today?

Setbacks and Persistence

2010-05-07T11:43:00.002-05:00

Road blocks are a part of life. Every day deal with little things that crop up that take focus away from our goals, and every day we swat them away and get on with the task at hand. No big deal, right? What about those major setbacks that really put a kink in your plans?

There are always things that are out of our control, that really throw a monkey wrench into our well laid plans. Hell, sometimes they're IN our control, we just didn't factor them in or give them due consideration.

The important thing is how we deal with the setbacks. I mean, some of them can be pretty devastating. We can let it ride us, driving us into the ground, or we can pick ourselves up and look for alternatives. What kind of person we are will shape how we react to these situations. Are you a positive, persistent kind of person, or are you a negative, "the whole world is conspiring against me" kind of person? Are you going to let setbacks ruin you or shape you? The simple fact is that this part is ALWAYS totally in our own hands.

Persistence pays off. Taking the negative route just makes you look like a whiner.

Resistance: A Nasty Little Time Waster

2010-05-06T12:42:00.002-05:00

Ever notice that it's the most important tasks that seem to take the longest? The ones you have the most passion for? The ones that will make the biggest impact on your life or your career? If this sound familiar than you're a victim of that nasty little time waster, Resistance. Yep, I touched on that a little bit yesterday.

The more we love something, the more we invest in it and the harder it is to let it go and be part of the world. We won't have it all to ourselves anymore. It won't be as perfect as we had envisioned it, as we built it up to be. In short, we start to over think it and we let little things pop up and take the attention away from it. We're scared of it. It becomes way easier to check our email again or go and revamp our filing system, or anything else that takes us away from delivering the goods.

Resistance is a nasty little time waster. It's a bastard. It's a part of all of our lives and it can only be expelled by diligence and force. Only by finding ways to keep ourselves on task and working toward our end goal can we beat it. Setting deadlines for ourselves, finding accountability partners, creating work hours and sticking to them, and making the conscious decision to focus on the big, important tasks first. So what if the filing system is a little weird? Who cares if the desk is cluttered? What matters is that we are doing what we do and making what we make and delivering to the world, for better or worse.

In the words of Richard Branson, "Screw it, let's do it!"

Quit Over Thinking and Deliver Already

2010-05-05T13:33:00.002-05:00

Happy Wednesday Heroes!

Hey, are you like me and have a hard time letting stuff be what it is? I mean spending too much time over thinking and rethinking every little detail? It's a wonder ANYTHING gets done, right?

What is it that makes us want everything just perfect before we share it with the rest of the world? Are we worried that people won't like it? Are we scared that we'll fail? Shit, all of that is inevitable. Not everyone will like what we do, and not everything we do is going to be a rousing success and bring us millions of dollars, so why not just let it be what it is?

That's the million dollar question right there, isn't it? I mean, I know that this probably seems a little bit at odds with what I talked about yesterday, you know, Quality and all, but it's really not. It's about getting your product, your song, your album, your video, or whatever out for others to benefit from. You can always tweak later. You can record another "better" version later. You can enhance, sharpen, brighten, clarify, or whatever, LATER. But what's wrong with getting the idea out there for people to benefit from NOW?

It's really all about killing the resistance that is keeping you from sharing yourself with the world. Think of how you're robbing the world of your gifts by not sharing them. Quit being so selfish already!

The High Price of Low Quality

2010-05-04T12:11:00.005-05:00

Hey Heroes!

The Web 2.0 world is in full swing now. Even the most die hard traditionalist CEOs and purist Hipster bands are realizing the power of YouTube. What was once a burgeoning but isolated means of standing out has now been flooded with crap from every glory seeker with a camcorder looking to be the next viral video success story.

Where does that leave those of us who see the opportunity that video and audio products can afford us? How do we get our stuff noticed in the vast sea of mediocrity?

One way that comes up for us, time and again, is quality. Look at it this way. Every single person on the web is using low quality video products. Sure, there's a lot to the argument that timeliness is more important than quality and I do agree with that to a point, however we all have projects that are not hinged on taking advantage of today's news stories. I mean, come on. The video for our new song, the live performance video from last week's gig, the trailer for our new album or book or art exhibit, or whatever. Think how putting in the extra effort in can make the difference between catching the eye or being skimmed right over like the rest of the Internet video chum.

The same can be said for our recordings, bands! What sets your album apart from the rest of the late night discount recording sessions with the local caffeine zombie of an engineer? What does sounding average cost you? What does looking average cost you? The best written song in the world still struggles to be noticed in a bad recording.

A little quality goes a long way and skimping always shows.

Building an EMPIRE off of your left overs.

2010-05-03T13:43:00.004-05:00

So, I've been reading a really awesome book and I'm going to have to insist that you read it. Okay, I guess that really won't make much difference, but I do highly recommend it. The book is called Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. Check it out for yourself!

It's a great look at taking the bullshit out of business. Awesome read, but what really stood out to me was the section on selling your by-products. It's an idea that is WAY under used in both Indie Music and the Indie Business worlds.

Whenever we create a new product we inadvertently create by-products. If we record a new song, clips can be cut for other purposes (web audio, jingles, background music for commercial use), hell you can even create your own album trailers from it. What else can you use your creations for? What can you do to multiply the impact without multiplying the effort?

Do you film your recording sessions or demos to spread as viral marketing pieces? Acoustic demos can be a great free bonus to your diehard fans, or even as a way to generate more fans. Who doesn't love the intimate nature of seeing the creation process, up close and personal like?

Challenge yourself to find ways to utilize the by-products of your creativity. It could just be the foundation of your success.

New Look!

2010-05-03T13:38:00.003-05:00

Hey all,

I've been threatening it for a while now, but I've finally changed the look and focus of the blog.

I've been wanting to start reflecting a focus on how Indie Music and Indie Business have collided and they way they play together. I hope you all enjoy.

No one can sing your praises if you don't hum them the tune

2010-04-15T11:08:00.002-05:00

No one can sing your praises if you don't hum them the tune!

This is a funny little phrase that I came up with a couple of years ago, but it's stuck with me.

When I came up with this phrase, it was as a way to remind myself that it's ok to talk about what I do. In fact, it's more than ok to talk about what I do and to even be proud of it. To go even further, it's essential to doing business or making music or whatever I put my efforts into.

I've never really tried to be egotistical, though I've certainly been accused of it. It's not a matter of ego though, to have a high level of excitement about what you do. It's a sign that you have a passion for your work. So what's more natural than wanting to talk about it? To share it with the world? To scream from a mountain top that "This is what I do with my time and I'm totally and madly in love with it!"?

Let's face it, no one will pay any attention to our efforts at all if we're not proud enough of them to shine a big old spotlight on them so the world HAS to take notice.

I love what I do, I'm good at it, and I'm cheating the world if I keep it under wraps. There, I said it!

New look, coming soon!

2010-04-07T12:07:00.003-05:00

As you may have noticed, I've been kinda talking a lot about business lately. Well, I guess I just realized that being an Indie musician is just as much an Entrepreneurial effort as any other small business. With that in mind, I'm going to be redesigning the blog to reflect my interest in, not only Indie music, but Independent Business as well.

Please bear with me, and stay tuned! It's an exciting time for us here at Serious Vanity Music and I hope you'll all be a part of it!

Get on with getting on with it!

2010-04-07T11:50:00.003-05:00

Pop Quiz hot shot! What do you do when you've planned everything into the ground?

You get on with it and just do it already!

Yep, this last week has been an exercise in getting on with it. It's one thing to think about your growth potential, to talk about how you want to reach new people and make new connections, brag about how you're going to rule the freakin' world, but it's a whole other thing to just shut up and do it.

The best laid plans are nothing but scribbles on paper unless you take the steps to initiate them.

I don't know how many others may do this, but I have a tendency to analyze things to death before I act on them. I guess it's from being raised by parents who were anything but risk takers, so I like to make sure that everything is well thought out and risks are minimized before I take any leap. This isn't always the best way to be though, because I've ended up missing out on some really great opportunities because of a fear to leap.

So, I guess what I'm trying to get at, is that while it's never a good thing to leap before looking, it can be just as bad to over plan and over analyze.

Write that plan well, but then get on with getting on with it, already.

Ingeniously Genuine

2010-03-25T15:17:00.004-05:00

I was out just a little bit ago and saw a bumper sticker that kinda stuck with me. It read "Smile...it confuses people".

My first reaction was a little chuckle because it reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite TV shows, NBC's The Office. There's a classic line delivered by the character Kelly Kapoor (played by Mindy Kaling) that went something like "He's so complicated. Who says exactly what's on their mind?"

The more I got to thinking about this, the more I realized that we, as people, have a tendency to over analyze and over think every situation we're in. We've become so accustomed to the idea that people are going to double talk us, cheat us, stab us in the back, or use us that we often times DO get confused when we see that smile.

We live in a world were Business, especially at the corporate level, is assumed to have an agenda to take advantage of anyone and everyone. So, what can we, as Independents, and small business Entrepreneurs do about it?

I know that my own personal solution is to learn a little lesson from those quotes up above. Smile and mean it and always say what I mean. Treating our connections, clients, customers, friends, family, neighbors, and the security guard at the grocery store with the friendliness and respect that they are due is the best, and surest way to build trust and respect from others.

That's my opinion anyway and I think my plan of action too. I do pretty well being my genuine self. Give it a shot!

Being the best you can be, OR Supporting your industry not devaluing it.

2010-03-24T14:57:00.003-05:00

One thing that's been a major stumbling block in the Audio/Multi-Media industry in recent times is a huge influx of amateur talent that has started to devalue the industry as a whole. This is being seen in Voiceover, Content creation, Audio, Video, and just about any other creative field.

Why is this, and what does it really mean? Well, here's my take. Right or wrong.

Deep down, we're all creative beings. At our very core, we're all artists, musicians, writers, poets, and visionaries. Some of us just recognize this while others stifle it as, what I've been told time and time again, childishness and pursuits of selfishness rather than beneficial skills.

So, in a down economy, like we've been experiencing and when it's hard to keep a job, let alone find a new one, it becomes more tantalizing for us to start looking for creative ways to make money. We've seen a flood of this in the Voiceover industry in particular. People get wind of someone who makes a good comfortable living doing voice work and think "How hard can that be, you just talk into a microphone, right?".

What's the problem with that, you ask? Well, nothing, as long as they take the time to research the industry, build quality demos, get to know the equipment they need to be using and how to properly use it, learn some basic editing skills, and hone their voice delivery to match the expectations of the industry. That's not what normally happens though.

The norm has become the amateurs who pop up on lead sites and start bidding $25 for a voicemail message or IVR. Now, I'm not saying that rates should stay constant, or even consistently GROW, but there needs to be a connect with companies looking for voice talent that you're not going to get the same product from a $25 talent as you are a professional voice artist. Conversely, you're not going to land a professional talent for $25.

What is the difference you ask? Isn't it all just voice to microphone to computer? Nope, sorry, but it's not. The professional has invested money in quality equipment, to maximize sound and minimize noise. The professional is going to converse with the client about delivery, inflection, pace, and format. The professional is going to provide finished, edited, and enhanced product. The professional is going to guarantee his/her work and still be there when it's time for updates and enhancements. The professional has an overhead, as we do this as a business and not just a weeknight hobby.

As a professional, I feel it's my duty to encourage everyone who has an interest in a specific industry to study that industry. Get to know it, and learn to value it and put your best foot forward. Yep, there will always be a market for cheap, but keep in mind that if you undervalue your work, your clients will undervalue you. It's a guarantee.

Be the best you can be and charge what you're worth, not what you think you can get.

A Time for Growth

2010-03-17T14:03:00.002-05:00

A time for growth. Yep, personal, financial, and business. Now that I've got a grasp of what's held me back over the years and I've taken a good hard look at where it is that I want to go, I've decided that it's time to jump feet first into the mix.

It's a really good feeling when you finally realize just how good you are a what you do. Conceited? Not a bit. I fully understand that I'm still very much a student of my Art and have so much that I can learn, and so many great Artists that I can learn from. I don't take anything for granted. It never hurts to have a healthy sense of accomplishment in what you're capable of though.

I'm finally in a head space where I feel like I can move forward in my career and with my business. I know what I want and I'm making up for lost time in figuring out how to get it. I mean, come on, we're never too old to stop learning, right? We're never far enough ahead of the game to take a break and let the rest of our industry catch up. I'm finally starting to grasp the concept of working smarter instead of working harder.

It is time for growth. It's time to be what it is that I've always wanted to be. It is time to realize that I'm capable of it and I'm deserving of it. It's never too late to start growing.

My True North OR Follow the Compass, Dummy!

2010-03-10T14:17:00.002-06:00

So, last time I talked about how, with the aid of my wonderful new Anti-Anxiety med, I've rediscovered my focus, drive, and ambition. Such a great thing, right? Yep, it was, but I quickly discovered that now I don't know what direction I'm going. Ain't that a kicker?

One thing about not having my direction in place has been that it's been way too easy for me to follow tangents. To jet off on a high speed chase after something that seemed like a good idea, whether it would benefit me in the long run or not. Focusing in on one little facet of the diamond that is me instead of stepping back and appreciating all the little things that combine to make me who I am.

It's kept me from really knowing who I am. For way too long now.

Even my time spent in meditation hasn't really shown me the big picture, the way it should have. Why, because even in the one place where it's supposed to be easiest to find yourself, I was still hiding. Hiding my self, not just from the world but, well, from myself. Too scared and too accommodating to really delve into my own desires for my future. Too empathetic to put myself first in my own life.

Now that I've got a clearer picture of where I'm at, it's time for me to really decide where I'm going. It's time for me to take a long hard look at my inner compass and trust that it won't get me lost.

Finding my voice

2010-03-03T21:08:00.005-06:00

In my last post I talked about my Anxiety problem and how it had manifested itself into a roadblock in my career, but I didn't go into any real details. I thought I'd talk about that a little bit. Why not, it's my blog, right?

My Anxiety was a result of growing up in an often stressful, and certainly chaotic environment. I felt that my best way of coping was to just be as accommodating and quiet as I could be. Often times, denying my own desires and ambitions, to "keep the peace". As I grew up, it showed itself in an unwillingness and even fear of pursuing ambitions or goals for fear of rocking the boat, or bothering someone, or even being denied what it was that I wanted. Better not to try than to try and fail, right? Well, let's just say that that lead to a very unfulfilled life.

There's nothing like having a crippling panic attack in the middle of an intimate acoustic set in a small coffee house, or having to ingest enough beer to be able to even step on the stage that it ended up causing conflicts with other band members.

Worse yet is not knowing WHY. Not knowing what the cause is or if it's just a personality quirk or if you're just really an asshole and you never noticed it before. It's always easiest to blame others for it though. "I couldn't hear the monitors", "The lead singer is just a dick!", "I was just nervous", or a host of other such nonsense.

It also breeds indecision. I've spent years second guessing every thing I've ever done. Is my voice good enough to do lead vocals? Am I really a good enough guitarist to pull off this part live? Should I play punk or should I try to be the next Foo Fighters? Always questioning, always trying to figure out what others expected of me, always looking for why.

It's funny that a little 20mg pill, once a day, has completely changed my life. I no longer have fear and I no longer doubt, and most importantly, I no longer care what others expect of me. I have my focus and I have my drive. I have my ambition and I have my voice, and goddammit, I'm going to use them.

Anxiety and Depression are not things to play around with. If you feel that you suffer from either of these life destroying conditions, please seek help. Tell the people who love you and let them help you help yourself. Your life depends on it.

Fuel for the Muse, or a mental roadblock in the making?

2010-02-23T12:38:00.004-06:00

As Artists we sometimes rely on our pasts and past experiences to fuel the creative drive of our Art, but what if those past experiences are holding us back as well?

For me, this was really brought home over the last few weeks. Since as early as I can remember I've been an anxious kind of guy, and over the years it's caused me some problems and it's held me back from doing some of the things that I really want to do with my life.

It's a tough thing to admit, sometimes, that the very experiences that shape who we are may have, in some way, damaged us as well.

If pressed, most of us would agree that we Artist types are a sensitive lot from the get go. We're brooding, quiet, and reclusive as well as creative. Some folks are better able to push that side down and get on with their dreams than other. Those of us that aren't that fortunate tend toward booze or drugs, or for some of us (my hand reluctantly held high), we end up with emotional or mental problems. Anxiety, in my case.

The important thing is to recognize when things like this become a road block to our success and take the necessary steps to change it, whether it's a 12 step program or my, once daily, dose of medication. I've known too many good Artists lost along the way because they couldn't overcome their obstacles. I'm glad I had the kind of support that allowed me to put myself first and take the steps I needed to to get the help I needed.

It's not selfish to put your own interests and ambitions first. That's the lesson that I learned from this situation.

Holidays, a break, and a new lease on life!

2010-01-19T10:57:00.004-06:00

Hola Heroes!

It's been a while! I thought about apologizing for that, but it's been a good break for me. I've been weeding out the unnecessary and figuring out what is important in my life and career. Yep, just like the year, out with the old and in with the new.

It's a great thing to take a long hard look at our own actions and agendas sometimes. To question our intentions. To make sure that we haven't bitten off too much or if, just maybe, we're being too cautious. To make sure that our plans still reflect that burning belief that formed them in the first place.

Are you spitting your truth, or are you playing a game? Are you living your dream or are you playing pretend? Life gives us little hurtles and road blocks sometimes as a reminder to check our course and make the needed adjustments. To get us back on task so that we can accomplish what it is we've set out to do, and friends, I'm back on course.

How about you?

I know that I've talked about this idea of self diagnostics before, but I can't help but be a firm believer. To borrow a phrase from Russell Simmons, make 2010 the year that you "Do You!"

Later,

Not a face value kinda guy..............

2009-10-21T16:16:00.003-05:00

Hey Heroes,

It's true, you know. I have a hard time taking anything at face value. I don't know if it's my Buddhist leanings, or if it's my Punk Rock background, but I question everything. That's right. EVERYTHING.

I've held the belief, for as long as I can remember, that in order for a person to honestly believe something, they have to completely deconstruct the belief and analyze it from the bottom up. In essence, blind faith is for the weak minded who can't think for themselves. Harsh? Maybe, but that's how I feel.

So, you're asking yourselves, "Paul, what the fuck does this have to do with music?". Well, everything actually. How do you know that the latest trend in PR is right for you if you don't question the motives, actions, and tactics necessary for pulling it off? How do you know if the record deal you're contemplating is right if you don't question how many hands are in the pot and where the incoming money is going to? You see, questioning things can make a big difference in the outcome of our efforts.

It can also play into who we surround ourselves with, what venues we play, what sponsors we align ourselves with, and much more.

It's all about being aware and knowing what it is we're signing our names to. It's all about taking responsibility for the outcome of our efforts. It's all about understanding the consequences of our actions.

Leave the blind faith to the thoughtless masses and question what it is that's shaping your life and and your future. What could be more Rock and Roll than that?

Later,

Show up and see what happens!

2009-10-08T15:56:00.003-05:00

Hey Heroes!!!

Ever wonder why things may not be going as smoothly as they could, or should be? Ever wonder why our successes seem to be so choppy, uncertain, and certainly unpredictable? I struggle with that on a daily basis sometimes, but I think I may have found a bit of the answer. I don't always show up to work. Yep, sometimes I'm here, but I get caught up in the wrong things. I'm busy following that funny-ass thread on Facebook, or I'm busy restructuring my plan of attack for the 15th time, or I'm just wallowing in my lack of forward momentum. So, what's the cure?

I was just re-reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and right there at the beginning of the book he spells it out in crystal clarity. The Artist has to SHOW UP every morning, without fail, whether we feel like it or not, whether we want to or not, whether we're scared to or not, we HAVE TO DO IT!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who's aspiring to do anything in their lives. It may be the only true instruction manual for success.

Ok, so back to showing up. Whatever it happens to look like for you, do it! I'm about to sit down and make up a sign that reminds me to show up. I'm going to pin it to the bulletin board above my desk, in the inspiration corner that I look at every morning. It will occupy space with Buddha (who reminds me to not be too attached to any outcomes), Keith Richards (who reminds me that success is a long, long road of ups and downs), and Boba Fett (who reminds me that music is a Mercenary business and we have to take what we want). I'm going to put this sign there, where I can't miss it, and then I'm going to steel myself to the idea that I'm the one who will either show up or not. It's up to me, and it's up to you too.

Time for work.

Later,

Less talk, more action

2009-09-30T10:05:00.003-05:00

You know, sometimes the hardest part of being an artist, in this day and age, is that it's so easy to get caught up in the promotion, marketing, blogging, and talking about what we do that we sometimes forget to do it. Make art that is.

For the do-it-yourselfers, there is a lot to do ourselves and if we're not careful we can end up chasing the wrong rabbit. I mean, it's great that we learn how to market the art that we make, in fact, it's a necessity. Have you ever caught yourself relating more to marketers than artists though? I know I have. That's why I've taken the last couple of weeks off from, not just this blog, but most all of my non art related pursuits. It's part of the self evaluation process I talked about a while back.

What am i doing right? What am I doing wrong? What's working and what's not? Am I digging myself into a hole or am I getting done the things that are important. I mean, the last thing I want to do is look up one morning and realize that I don't have anything to market.

Yep, sometimes it's good to just shut up and plug in the guitar, set up the easel, wet the clay, or fire up the forge. You know, whatever it is you do to express your inner god or goddess. Your tribute to the Muse. Your own unique view of the world and it's inhabitants.

It's important to talk about what we do, but it's soooooo much more important to just do it.

Later,

Are you standing in your own way?

2009-09-03T17:28:00.002-05:00

What's up, Heroes?

Do you ever feel like no one is listening to you when you talk about your music? I know I sure do. Sometimes I feel like I talk about it all day long and people just don't give a rat's ass. Now, I know that's not necessarily the truth, because other days people are all over it and I really feel the love that folks have for what I'm doing.

This got me to pondering what it is about my message that's different from one experience to the next. How am I relating what I'm saying that makes the difference between a good response and a bad one?

First off, if you don't love what you're doing, no one else will either. It's just a fact. If you act like you don't care if people listen to your new track, chances are they won't. I mean, why put in the effort to listen to something the creator doesn't give two shits about? Get excited about your product! Love your music, it is your creation, right? You wouldn't have spent all that time making it if you didn't love it, right? Make people see how much you love it! I know I love my music!

Second. Never apologize for your music. Seriously, it doesn't work. If you don't like the way it came out, start over. Don't present things you aren't happy with to others and expect them to be happy with them. Stand behind your work and don't give time to the people who don't like it. It just means that they are not your audience, and it's ok.

Third. Never compare yourself to anyone else. Not everyone is going to make the same connections as you do. This is something that's really struck me about other peoples thoughts about my music lately. I never would have seen the same comparisons. It's cool though because you can learn things about yourself that you never knew.

Fourth. Never be too moved by someone Else's critics of your music, good or bad. If people like what you do, that's real good, but it shouldn't shape how you make your music in the future. Make it for yourself, not for others.

If we stay true to ourselves and get genuinely excited about what we produce, that will shine out to the right following, but "genuine" is the key word.

Let's stop standing in our own way and let our music shine!

Taking Care of Business

2009-08-27T11:26:00.003-05:00

Just a BTO song? Hardly. It's just a fact of life for the Indie musician, especially the DIY types. Every day is a work day and there's never, REALLY, any time off. It's a constant plugging of, well, ourselves.

There are almost as many plans for marketing your music as there are dollars in the deficit and Social Media is time consuming, not to mention confusing as all hell. So, how do we balance the time spent marketing ourselves with the time spent making sure there is an "our self" to market? This gets even more confusing for the ones of us that have to hold down a "day job" to keep our dreams alive.

It even seems like there's a new "Ultimate Marketing Tool" being introduced every day.

How's this for a little secret? We don't have to reach everyone with our music. We just have to reach the right people. I'm finding that the amount of time I need to spend sending out my messages is drastically reduced by the simple task of locating my specific, targeted demographic beforehand. Once you've done that, it's really easy to schedule the messages to go out and get a maximum result with a minimum time expenditure. In other words, quit wasting your ammo with a "spray and pray" tactic. Set your sights and become a marketing sharpshooter. You'll hit fewer people, but you'll also be getting better results.

Sum Of Our Parts

2009-08-18T14:08:00.003-05:00

Hey Heroes!

It's been a busy week here at the Serious Vanity Music compound, but we're happy with that. It means that the actions we've been taking are starting to pay off. Gotta love progress!!

In addition to it being a period of building and growing, it's also brought up a lot of thoughts that require some serious reflection. Where do we, the we that we become, come from? In essence, to be the sum of our parts, we have to understand what those parts are.

It is a given fact that we cannot change the past, and dwelling there certainly hampers our future, but we can't change the reality that those things helped to shape who we are today.

How can we use that information to help propel us forward in our music careers? I mean, beyond using it as a never ending source for our angst ridden lyrics? How can we tap into the SOUL of our past experiences and make it work for us now? Are we comfortable enough with our past experiences to be open about them and use them as a connection to people with similar life stories, or are we using them as a measurement to know the kinds of people we're trying to escape from?

Either way, coming to terms with the past can help to build a solid foundation to build your future from. It's up to us though. Are we going to be the sum of our parts, or are we going to be the victims of our past experiences?

One way is very beneficial, the other certainly destructive. It seems everything in life presents a new choice to make, and a new road to follow. Even the past.

Active or Passive?

2009-08-05T13:54:00.004-05:00

What's up my Heroes?!?!?

Hey, I was doing some new publishing research yesterday and got to wondering, how many Indies take a little bit of time each week to stay on top of the industry topics that can affect all of our careers? It's an easy thing to let slip, for me anyway.

Do you get bored with reading about download trends, or the newest and greatest marketing plans? Does it make you roll your eyes when Trent Reznor starts spouting about his brilliant new way to talk to his fan base, or who's selling advertising space in their cd liner notes, like this?

What do you do, on a weekly basis, to ensure that you're taking advantage of every possible opportunity to get your music in front of the right people? Are you keeping track of how well your current marketing plan is working? Are you distinguishing between natural sales lulls and fading effectiveness?

It's a constantly changing landscape for musicians these days, and staying on top of trends is just as imperative as creating new ones and it certainly is no time to let the guard down, even for a second. It could be the difference between spending your day in the studio or at the fry station.

So, that's what I've been thinking about.

Oh, and if you're interested in being a little more interactive, even if it's just to tell my how full of shit I am, add me on Facebook. Hope to see you there!

What is your value?

2009-07-22T10:58:00.003-05:00

Hey Heroes,

So, here's a little something that's becoming quite an issue for me. The issue of personal worth and value.

Musicians, in particular, seem to be really bad about valuing their product. Is it because no one ever told us that our Art has merit? Is it because we've all been told that we can't make a living by making music? Is it because the competition for opportunities is so stiff that we're willing to cut off our own noses to get the chance?

Do we, as musicians, not understand that if we don't place "Value" on our product, we are undervaluing Indie music in general?

Let me ask you this. How many hours did you spend recording your song? 8? 10? More?

Say you ended up with 8 hours invested in writing, arranging and recording your new track. What is that song worth?

You know, I've actually seen my fellow Indies license a fully produced song for $25.

$25 dollars. That's $3.13 an hour. I hate to break this to you, but you could make more working backline at McDonalds.

There are those that say, "Hey it weeds out the chaff so that the experienced musicians can have more opportunity". There are those who say that "you'll make up for it in exposure". There are those who say that "it's just a hobby anyway, I don't expect to make any money".

Let's take a look at each of these, one by one.

- It weeds out the inexperienced and makes more opportunity for others.

That would be awesome, except that it also trains the potential licensee to think that if one person can do it for so little then we all can. I've also actually seen licensees state that "it's only going to be an hour long, you can do it for under $50". I mean, anyone with any experience knows how much time goes into creating 1 hour of finished audio, and I would hope my time is worth more than that.

- You'll make up for it in Exposure.

What does that mean? How many commercials or TV shows (MTV and VH1 excepted)do you see songwriting credits on, I mean unless you want to count the quick rolling, micro print credits at the end of a TV show, that have just gotten shorter over the years. How exactly does that give you "Exposure"? I've actually seen people say "you could promote it on your website". Yep. You give the show/commercial free advertisement and still only reach your mailing list.

- It's just a hobby, I don't expect to make money anyway.

The problem with this attitude is that it's harmful to other Indies. In fact this is the most harmful attitude. It's a case of the bitterness of a few being employed to bring down the rest. If you only consider yourself as a hobbyist, why are you dabbling in areas where people are trying to make their livings? To make a little side money? See the McDonalds reference above.

This brings us back to the mindset of feeling that what we do doesn't have value. If music didn't have value companies wouldn't be searching for it for their adds. If music didn't have value, that kid at the guitar store wouldn't shell out $15 for a Nirvana Tab Book. If music didn't have value, you wouldn't drop $7 to sit in a smokey club and have your eardrums battered every Friday and Saturday night.

It is possible to make a living at music, but we have to value what we do.

What is your time worth?

What is your soul worth?

Later,

Do you treat it like a business?

2009-07-15T10:54:00.005-05:00

Hey Heroes! It's Wednesday again! I hope you're all having a wonderful week.

I'm all about the quotes these last few weeks, so let me share this one with you. It comes from John Assaraf, author of "The Answer".

"If you treat your business like a business it will pay you like a business, if you treat your business like a hobby it will cost you like a hobby."

Now, I honestly can't remember if I've used this quote before or not, but if I have, it's still worth repeating.

This is the point where the Pro gets separated from the Amateur. This is where WE have to decide if we're in music to make a living, or if we buy into the "Weekend Warrior" ideal. So, what's it gonna be?

Music is supposed to be fun, but I guarantee there isn't a successful band on the planet that doesn't look at the business side of their Art with as much respect as the fun parts. If there are, they won't have any long term success. I've seen it happen. I've been in those bands. Too much time partying, not enough time working out songwriter shares, or funds distribution, or..............

So, how do we strike that balance of Business/Casual? For myself, it really helps to set a daily schedule. I have hours. I have a start time, a lunch time, and a quitting time for my business day. I split the day in half. The first half is the business end (licensing, registrations, web work, email,etc.), the second half is for writing, recording, and rehearsing.

The point is that, showing up and treating it as a work day creates a structure that helps me to take it more seriously and to look for the kinds of opportunities that will grow my Art into a successful business. It also allows me to focus my efforts and accomplish more.

So, do you treat your Art like a business?

Beginner's Mind and the Musician

2009-07-07T22:31:00.005-05:00

Hey Heroes! Happy Wednesday!

I was doing some reading this week and came up with a little quote that really spoke to me.

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few" - Shunryu Suzuki

Kind of backwards from what's taught here in America, huh? I mean, we're always taught that there are no possibilities open to us till we've built seniority, paid our dues, put in the hours, or gotten our degree. That's just the way it is right?

Right?

I think what Suzuki-roshi was saying is that, when we feel that we have become "expert" in something, we close our minds to possibilities outside of our "expertise". The more we know, the less we see, kind of thing.

That got me to thinking. I know, dangerous isn't it? But, what if there's some truth to that. What if we close ourselves to options as we progress? In his book (Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind), Suzuki-roshi is talking about a concept known as Beginner's Mind, approaching each day with the open wonder of the beginner.

Do you remember when you first heard a tune? You know, way back in the day! As I reflected on Suzuki-roshi's words I came to the realization that the darkest times in my musical life have been when my desire to excel in a certain area kept me from exploring everything that music has to offer. Those times when I locked myself into a style and wouldn't open the door to anything that didn't come stamped with the Punk Rock Seal of Approval.

My challenge to myself, and to you too should you choose to accept it, is to try to approach each and every day with the wonderment of the Beginner's Mind, and keep myself open to all the possibilities that Music has to offer. We may just come across that ideal sound we've been searching for, or that perfect marketing plan that no one else has thought of. We may even find that, in diversity and openness, our true path to Independence and musical freedom opens before us like a super highway.

Later,

Celebrate your Indie-pendence!

2009-07-01T11:42:00.004-05:00

Cheesy? Yeah, probably, but who cares. The fact is that you can't be extraordinary if you're normal. That's right, average people are average. Does that hurt your feelings or does it make you want to look at what makes you, you, and revel in it?

To really stand apart in this world you can't blend in with the pack, you have to have something about you that draws the attention of the average joe, to make them want to know more about you. To make them want to delve into anything you do, just to find a little glimpse of what makes you shine.

A perfect example of this is Michael Jackson. The Dude was different, from a very early age. He stood, head and shoulders, above the crowd from the time he hit the stage. He could sing, he could dance, and he could write. Most importantly though, he had the determination and drive to capitalize on those abilities, and a lack of concern about what the general public thought of him. He dared to be different, and it worked for him.

I just recently read a quote from a fella by the name of James Ray, that said "If you stand 10ft in front of the crowd, you are a leader. If you stand 10 Miles in front of the crowd, you are a target." That's probably a little paraphrased, but I'm going on memory here, cut me some slack. His point is valid though, it's one thing to be a leader, but to be a legend sometimes you have to make yourself a target. You have to draw that attention, and it's not always going to be positive because, let's face it, people like to tear down those they don't understand.

One thing that you'll find in the history of any "Legend", is that they were independent spirits. That's right, they marched to the beat of their own drum, they followed their gut instinct instead of the latest trend. They created markets for their art, they struck their own path in the wilds of Pop Culture and found that their path was the straight line between point A and point B. They reveled in their independence.

As Indies, we have the luxury of not having a label exec standing over our shoulder telling us how to write, how to stand, how to dress.............but, that means that if falls squarely on our own shoulders to make sure that we conduct ourselves in a manner that is going to intrigue, and attract the numbers and types of people that we need to help elevate us to the place we want to be. Art is not a game of chance, it's a game of strategy. We need to celebrate our Indie-pendence and put it to work for us.

Be Yourself

2009-06-17T15:20:00.004-05:00

Hey Heroes,

You know, this last week has been a study in knowing my Self. It's a funny thing that a lot of the time we just run on auto-pilot, just reacting to situations as they arise, rather than shaping the situations that we're in. I know that I'm guilty of that a lot of the time.

Part of really getting on top of ourselves is to really know who we are, what we're willing to do, what we're NOT willing to do, what we'll compromise on, and what we're unmoveable about. To be able to enter any situation with a solid faith in ourselves to be able to handle whatever comes.

This has been a big problem for me in the past. It's a real easy thing, when we're in this state of mind, to feel that the actions of others are meant as a direct slight toward us. It's hard for us to grasp that, as worried about our own interests as we are, everyone else is in the same boat.

By being on top of our game, and having a strong sense of self, we can steer the course of any situation we find ourselves in, and in most cases we can steer it in our benefit.

Use every moment

2009-06-10T16:17:00.003-05:00

Hey Heroes,

So, I've talked before about taking every opportunity, and making the best of it. Let's talk a little bit about taking a moment, just every now and then, to evaluate our own progress and make the little tweaks needed to get ourselves steering true.

The greatest thing about having come out of a punk background is the solid need to question everything. Couple that with several years of Buddhist study, and I've also developed a strong need to question even my own motives. Kind of a constant self diagnostic test. What do I really think, and why? Does my answer hold water with me, or have I been fooling myself again? Yep, it happens. A lot, sometimes.

What it comes down to, for me, is the need to evaluate where my activities have lead me and determine if I'm on the road to where I want to go. It takes just a little bit of time each day, and yes, it's another EVERY DAY thing. In case you haven't figured it out yet, all of my solutions are a never ending, every day, necessity.

Take just a minute to really look at your progress. Are you reaping the benefits you expected? Is there one aspect of your plan that's keeping you from achieving your goal, or is the plan even working at all? By doing this daily evaluation it allows you to realize any shortcomings early in the process, and make the changes you need, and it might even save you a lot of wasted time and money. Resources that most of us don't have a lot of.

So, make your plans and check on them often, make changes as needed and save yourself time and money. I like it.

Stand out!

2009-05-18T14:16:00.006-05:00

Hey Heroes!

Do you ever get the feeling that you're drowning in a sea of competition? I mean, there are millions of bands all over the US, all looking for recognition from the same finite grouping of reviewers, and magazines, and websites........right?

What do you do to make yourself stand out? In what way do you ensure that your band isn't just another white t-shirt an ocean of white t-shirts? How do you plan to avoid the feeding frenzy and make yourself stand alone?

I'm pretty sure just following the established way of doing things isn't going to do it. I talked with a guy the other day who told me the way an Indie tour should be set up and carried out. The unfortunate thing is that this same guy was also telling me how he just didn't want to do it anymore because it doesn't work. Hmmm......imagine that.

So, what are you willing to do to stamp your tag on the world? Are you just going to do the spray and pray tactic of finding fans, or are you going to really nail down who your ideal fan is and target market, directly to them? Do you even know who your ideal fan is?

Why should you care? In music, isn't the idea to sell your music to whoever likes it? Yep, but I bet if you took a long hard look, you'd find that the biggest portion of your followers fit into an age/gender demographic, at the very least. You could even go further and pick out lifestyle characteristics, favorite haunts, favorite foods, movies..........get the picture?

It's time to get smart about it. Think of it as a race. Think of it as a game. Think of it however you need to think about it to make sure that you stay motivated and THINKING when it's time to market your music. Oh, and don't think you're too good to market your music. That bullshit about "build it and they will come" is just that, bullshit. They won't come unless they know about it, and a little bulletin on your Myspace page isn't going to cut it. Hell, the old flier on the light pole trick does a better job.

Figure out who your ideal fan is, find out where they are, and make yourself interesting to them, but don't hound them! Converse with them, get to know them, make friends with them.

It doesn't have to take that much time either.....................................

What IS Freedom anyway?

2009-05-13T16:16:00.007-05:00

Hey Heroes,

There's been this thought running through my head over the last few days, and today I got another reminder of it and I thought I'd share.

The original quote that I'd heard is "Be free of the good opinion of others", and I heard it in a seminar given by Dr. Wayne Dyer. The meaning behind it is to not be concerned about what other people think. Live your life to your expectations and don't get caught up in the opinions of your critics. This is especially important for us sensitive, artistic types. : )

Today, I watched a great piece (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1314973523&ref=profile#/video/video.php?v=82764303769&ref=mf) by a fantastic artist named Kirk Nugent, and in it he has a line that goes something like "Someone else's opinion of you is none of your business". What a great thought!

Now tell me, is there really anything more freeing than that?

Someone else's opinion of you is none of your business.

Who cares if the critics, reviewers, the boss at the day job, or your Dad don't like what you do? As long as you love it with a passion, it will come across that way to the people who listen to it.

That is success right there, and that is Freedom. So find your Freedom, find your peace, and use your gifts to make the world a better place.

Later,

Cause ya gotta have Faith

2009-05-07T14:17:00.004-05:00

Hey Heroes, sorry for the delay on getting this one out to you all.

This time around I promised to talk about finding our faith in who we are and what we do. This is the hardest part for me, and may have lead to dragging my feet about making this post, only slightly less important than having faith in oneself, is having personal responsibility, and I promised. : )

So, how do we find the faith within ourselves that may not have been instilled in us growing up?

How do we overcome the lack of faith that may have been instilled in us as we were growing up?

Well, the fact is that many people turn to religion, some feeling that that is the only way to find TRUE faith, and others just because it's easier for them to let go to a concept like God than to face their inner power. I would argue that the inner power that most of us have a hard time facing is, in fact, God. It's just easier to put it all on the Great Bearded One In The Sky, than it is to accept that we have all the power of God right inside of us. I'm not going to go any further on this course though, because we all have differing ideals about God and Religion and all that stuff, and to be honest, I think we all should find whatever path takes us to the place were we feel the utmost faith that we can do anything.

The fact is that Faith is nothing more than the knowledge that things will be just as we feel they will be. 100% Guaranteed. No doubts.

The processes I've talked about the last few posts can all help get you there. Visualize where you want to be. Attract into your life the things needed to accomplish it. Act on those things when they manifest themselves. Be grateful to God, The Universe, and Yourself for making it happen. Don't forget Yourself. Opportunity shows up every day, in every way, but if you don't make the conscious decision to look for it, it will go on to the next person who may well be looking for it. Think I'm wrong? OK, but how many of you have seen someone else capitalize on an idea that had crossed your mind last year and you just let it go because it would cost too much, or it would take too much time, or, or, or? Yeah, we've all had those moments. Those moments when we didn't have enough Faith in ourselves to be the success that we want to be.

By visualizing the things we want, and affirming to ourselves daily, that we can have them, we can make big things happen in our lives. I'm here to tell you though, it's a never ending process. You can't do it once and expect it to work. You can't get to the point of feeling "oh, I've got this", because the moment you let it go, it goes. It has to be a daily process. But, I'm also going to tell you that by keeping up these processes, you're building yourself, and your Faith in yourself, and a person who believes in themselves is unstoppable.

Do you want to be unstoppable? I know I do.

Fake It Till You Make It!

2009-04-15T16:46:00.007-05:00

Hey Heroes,

So, we've been through how our environment impacts our mindset. We've decided to change our minds about how we're going to look at our situations. I think it's time to talk about a couple of great tactics to help us hit the mental "Reset" button so we can get on with achieving our dreams.

"One may conquer a million men in a single battle; However, the greatest and best warrior conquers himself. Conquest of one's self is the greatest victory of all." - Buddha

One thing that we have to look forward to, every day, is a fight. Yep, and epic struggle with ourselves. We are the only thing in this world that can stand in our way.

Every morning our mind tells us that we have to go to work and listen to that co-worker who's hell-bent on pointing out how we're a "lifer" with the company and we'll never take the step into the world of our dreams. Every morning our mind tells us that it's no use getting started right off, we've got an appointment in a couple of hours. Every morning our mind tells us that our back hurts a bit too much to carry that amp into the practice space. Every morning our mind tells us that no one likes our music anyway, so why make more of it? Do you know what? Our mind is absolutely right. If we listen to it.

What we're doing is rationalizing to ourselves. As one of my mentors, John Assaraf, is fond of saying, we are telling ourselves "Rational Lies". These things are only true if we accept them, because we are capable dismissing those thoughts and creating the reality that we want.

Here's where you throw out that "Bullshit!" again, and you're right. That is, unless you can convince yourself otherwise, because these tactics will never work if you don't give them an honest chance.

Our beliefs are nothing more than an established series of neural pathways in our brains that are used to firing in a certain way, but the cool thing about it is that we know that our beliefs are learned traits. Yep, that means that we can learn new beliefs, and replace the old ones. Sounds simple doesn't it. I'm not going to lie to you. It's not. In fact it's one of the hardest things I've done in my life, and it's an every....day....process.

Step one. Affirmations. Yep, there's that Stuart Smalley image coming into your head again! I can assure you that if you give this a chance you'll be amazed at how well it works, but be warned, it does take time. I think I was told that it actually takes 90 days of daily affirmation before you've created a solid, new belief. Yep, three months. This is what I call the "Fake-it till you make it" phase.

Affirmations are nothing but a series of statements that you would like to hold as beliefs. Every morning find a nice quiet place and read these, out loud to yourself, then repeat before bed. If you're really adventurous, record them in your own voice and listen to them while you work out, or drive to work, or sit in the park watching the ducks, or whatever. The point is that you need to tell yourself these things until you believe them. At first it's going to seem like you're lying to yourself, and guess what! You are!! So what? Within a few days to a week, I've found that I start asking myself, why not? Why can't I have these things? That leads to the certainty that you, in fact, can have the things in life that you want, but how?

Step two. Visualization. Yep, like I talked about last week, visualize yourself doing the things you would do if your dreams were realized. If it's playing a certain venue, close your eyes and picture yourself looking out over a sold out crowd. Visualize yourself playing your music and seeing the crowd go crazy. Use this technique after your affirmations, in the morning, and again at night.

Step three. Meditation. Despite my Buddha quote up above, I'm not advocating any religious practice here. Meditation is nothing more that clearing your mind and allowing your energy to flow. Hell, you should be doing this to facilitate songwriting anyway. Simply close your eyes and clear your mind. Pay attention to your breath. If any thoughts come up, and they will, just gently put them aside and go back to following your breath. 15 minutes to half an hour a day.

The three of these things combined will help you see that you are worthy of the things you want in life and open you up to seeing the opportunities to make those things a reality.

Try it a while and see what it does for you. If you stick with it and don't talk yourself out of it, you'll be amazed at what it can do for you.

Here's some suggested reading if you want to dive a little deeper into HOW it all works:

The Answer - John Assaraf and Murry Smith

The Success Principles - Jack Canfield

The War of Art - Steven Pressfield

Later,

The Six Letter, Four Letter Word

2009-04-08T11:08:00.008-05:00

Hey Heroes!

This week let's take a look at "Change", and what it really means.

Last week we looked at some of the negative influences that pushed us into our current mindsets and I issued a little bit of homework. Did you really look at what you consider "Success" to be?

The first step of course is to figure out what success is to you. Some Indies I've talked with are happy if they get a decent cut of the door and have a floor to crash on before heading out to the next gig. Some still see that multi-Million dollar contract with a Major Label, complete with the private jets and diamond watches. Then there is, of course, everything in between.

What if I told you that any of it could be achieved? What if I told you that you were the only thing stopping you from achieving anything you want?

I know that some folks would say that I'm delusional. OK. One thing I know for a fact though is that everything that I have ever truly wanted, and refused to let anything or anyone interfere with, has happened. If you have in your head that the best you'll ever do is drag ass from club date to club date for a low guarantee and maybe a meal, then my friend, that is all you'll ever accomplish.

The other side of it's true as well. The Major Labels are full of acts that, talent wise, are nowhere near the caliber of a lot of Indie bands I've seen, but they got exactly where they were going, because they believed that they could and refused to hear anything to the contrary. Think I'm full of shit? OK. Take a look at the next MTV music awards though and tell me how much true talent you see there. What you're seeing isn't the best that music has to offer, what you're seeing are the ones that were the most driven to succeed.

What I'm saying is that only you have the ability to dream your dreams. Only you have the power to achieve those dreams. In contrast, only YOU have the power to kill those dreams, it's up to you.

In Quantum Physics there are two Laws that apply themselves to this situation.

First is the Law Of Relativity. The Law Of Relativity says that your situation is only what it is, as compared to something else. Meaning that, you are only poor as compared to that guy that has thousands of dollars in his account, and likewise, you are rich compared to the guy whose sleeping in a cardboard box under the overpass. Remember this when you're evaluating your situation. Too often we only look at how bad off we are and seldom do we look at our successes.

Second is the Law Of Attraction. The Law Of Attraction says that what you think about most you attract to yourself. This means that if you worry about your money problems, you're attracting more money problems. Likewise, if you're focused in on, and constantly visualizing the success you want, you will start attracting that success to you.

I know, this is where you check out and say "what a bunch of airy-fairy bullshit!". I hear ya, just hear me out.

Let me explain how this works. Have you ever focused on something so hard that you realize that that object suddenly appears everywhere? Example. You've always wanted a goldtop Les Paul. You think about them every day. You can see yourself on stage wailing away on one. It's your greatest goal and your biggest dream. Have you noticed that they keep popping up at shows, in magazines, hanging on the wall at the pawn shop or guitar store you run into a couple of times a week looking? It's not that they've become more plentiful, it's that by focusing so much on them you've retrained your subconscious mind to seek them out.

It works that way for anything, so use it to your advantage. Get a clear mental picture of where you want to go in your musical career. Picture it down to the shirt on your back and sweat on your nose. Hold that image. Visualize it. Love it. Let it go. Don't think about it, just wait for the opportunities to get you heading in the right direction to start appearing and take advantage of them. Repeat the process every morning.

Most importantly, be clear about what you want, and don't let anyone tell you it can't be done. Once you let doubt in, you've got to regroup and get back on track.

It's all on you. It's you're responsibility. Only you can decide to change your mind.

The Effects of Negative Input

2009-03-31T11:03:00.011-05:00

Hey all,

As I said last week, my topic for today is the negative input that we are subjected to on a daily basis.

It's my contention that from a young age we are inundated with negativity. In fact, it's become a Social norm and I don't really think that anyone thinks anything of it. The reason for that is that it's super easy to rationalize the tactic as a benefit. Let me explain what I mean by that.

Parents feel that it's their responsibility to shield us from the hurtful things in life. It's instilled in all of us that our children are the most important things in our lives and must be protected. It's mandated by Society and Church, and it upheld by the Law, but it's also a broad and sweeping demand of people who really have no idea of what it truly means. One of my favorite sayings is "Babies don't come with instructions!", and it's true. This leads most parents to rely on the example their parents set, whether right or wrong.

When you decided to be a musician, were you encouraged to run with it and be the best you could be? Were you, like me, discouraged, or encouraged to "make sure you have a back up plan, because you really can't make a living being a musician"? I think the answer is pretty telling seeing the relative small numbers of "Successful" musicians in the world as compared to the number of bands beating themselves up in small clubs and bars every night for free drinks and cut of the door. But Mom and Dad did their job, they planted that seed in your subconscious that said "I'm going to have to have a back-up plan, because I'm not going to be able to support myself with music alone". Did they mean to? I'd say in most cases, no. Most parents truly do want what is best for their kids and don't realize the harm they're causing.

Parents aren't the only well meaning negative influences though. Our friends, our band mates, our teachers, our....................................yeah, you get the point.

So, what does this do to us? Well, I guess that depends on our mindset. Do we have the single-minded determination to pursue our dreams at any cost? Are we willing to find new friends, fire band mates, and limit time spent with family? Are we willing to find tools to help "re-train" the brain into positive and beneficial thinking? Are we really ready to start working for what we want? Or, is that just too much to ask of ourselves?

Take a little bit of time and really challenge what you think about success and see if you're working on negativity or if you're really positive you can make it. Next week I'm going to talk a little bit about making the commitment to changing you're mind about what success means.

Later,

It's a new day!

2009-03-24T11:22:00.008-05:00

Hey all!

I've been doing some thinking since my last post and I think that I've nailed down where I want to take this blog.

Something that I've struggled with for years, is Mindset. Being in a solid, positive, motivated, and open mindset, is the key to being able to proceed in life with confidence and certainty, and it's up to us to make sure that we are in that mindset.

Society has become geared to work against us in this process. From an early age we are taught the kinds of limiting beliefs that form the basis of our belief structures.

"We don't have enough money for that."

" Money doesn't grow on trees."

"It's a tough industry, maybe you ought to think about a backup plan. Just in case."

"You can't make any money as a musician!"

Heard any of those? I thought so.

Well, in the next few posts I'm going to talk about some of the tactics and techniques that I'm using to erase and re-record those mental tapes. Maybe they'll help you as well. I hope so anyway. : )

I'm going to call this series "Exploring the Power of Affirmations". Now, before you start fixating on that mental image of Stuart Smalley, the old SNL character, do us both a favor and keep an open mind. This is a technique used by professional musicians and athletes every day.

In the first installment, I want to discuss The Effects of Negative Input.

In part two we'll go over Taking The Step of making the conscious decision to change your beliefs about success.

In part three we'll tackle how to Fake It Till You Make It.

In part four we'll wrap it up with Discovering Your Faith. And no, I'm not going to be breaking out any one's "Good Book" to try and convert you, though I may use some quotes from various religious texts to illustrate that this principle has been used world wide and over the span of history, by some of the greatest people to have ever graced the planet.

So, if you're still with me, join me next week and we'll start exorcising those limiting beliefs so that we can get on with getting on.

Later,

Beware The Undertow!!

2009-03-18T11:21:00.005-05:00

It's funny how you can set out with a really great agenda, I don't know, something like just do a weekly update about the state of the music industry and what it means to Indie musicians, maybe. Then you get out in the deep water of it and the undertow just sucks you under and you resurface ten miles down river. I hate swimming.

This week EMI did something. They're still fighting Pirates in some bay in Sweden. Bob Lefsetz is still trying to save face from his thrashing at the hands of Gene Simmons. Metallica, the gods of Thrash Metal and fan abuse, are being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Iggy Pop is getting older while, for some odd reason, Paul McCartney is getting younger. Chris Brown and Rhianna have gotten back together and are singing about it. Diddy continues to be on the right side of awesome. And last, but certainly not least Britney's p&%*y is hanging out. However that happens.

Yep, stuff keeps happening in the music world, but this week only one thing really stood out to me as REALLY cool. The members of Blur reunited for SXSW. How cool is that?

The thing I like about Blur is that every member of that band seems to personify the passion of music making. It exudes from their albums, and you can hear every laugh, every tear, and every bit of tension that took place in the making of it.

That bit of news this week was the branch overhanging the river for me to grab onto and pull myself out of that mess a couple paragraphs back. It was also the mirror to remind me of why it is that I love making music so much.

So, I've been doing some thinking. I really appreciate the feedback that I've gotten from some of you and hope to continue that relationship, but I felt the need to start guiding this blog in the direction of more of a chronicle of the time I spend in the studio making music. After all, isn't that what we're all about? I hope you all continue on with me, but I understand if you decide not to.

Love and Rock n Roll!

Paul

Couldn't have said it better myself.

2009-03-09T17:51:00.001-05:00

In the end, isn't this really what it's all about?

http://blog.copyrightalliance.org/2009/03/what-copyright-means-to-me/

Ah, the 360 to save the day.

2009-03-09T11:03:00.005-05:00

So the Majors have a backup plan, good for them. If I'm getting this right, the plan is to wait until all of their acts are contracted under 360 deals and then they will help force the demise of the CD and fully embrace a free file share market, making all of their revenue.........................whatever.

It's plain and simple. For the time being, it's more lucrative for the Majors to sue the innovators than it is to be the innovators. When it gets to the point where it's more lucrative for them to embrace the innovation, then that's what they plan to do. It's business, they go where the money is.

So, what does all this have to do with us Indies? Probably not much. I mean, we're all free. We have the ability to build our own plan, to embrace whatever technology we choose. We can build an entire following in Second Life if we want. We can tour relentlessly, or we can couple with other media. The fact is that true freedom means that no one can change your mind. So, as long as you have a vision and pursue it to it's fullest, you'll be as much of a success as you want to be.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/08/big-music-will-surrender-but-not-until-at-least-2011/

Later,

The New Standard Bearers

2009-03-02T12:31:00.005-06:00

What is the one thing in life that is certain? I mean besides death and taxes. : )

Change. Yep, the one thing that most people fear more than death or taxes, but what if I told you that change was the catalyst for growth?

It's becoming more and more apparent that there's going to be a major meltdown in the music biz, and it's not going to be pretty. The major labels are pursuing a "Growth By Division" strategy and, as much as it pains me to say it, there are quite a few indie labels jumping on that band wagon. The kicker is that they're all sitting around pointing the finger of blame at each other and waxing nostalgic about the good old days of sold out stadiums and multi platinum sales figures.

Now is the time for change.

Now it the time for growth.

Now is the time to take control of your own destiny and create your own music industry.

In the article that I have linked at the bottom here, it goes on about how technology is progressing faster than the PROs can handle. They're not sure how licences should be applied, and by the time things get ironed out the next technology is sitting on their desk and begging that same question, and all the while you have about 20 hands out waiting for their share.

Is that how we want to operate?

I guess that while they all sit around and talk about it, it's going to be up to us to fix it.

Innovators and Risk Takers, now is our chance! While everyone else is locked up in fear, fear of change, let's make the most of it and use it as an opportunity to set the new standards for the future.

http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/03/musics-copyright-battle-made-worse-by-the-fear-of-change.ars

Later,

Crack in the foundation, or beginning of a new era?

2009-02-23T13:20:00.002-06:00

Here's an interesting idea. The Minister of Education in Norway is wanting to legalize file sharing.

I've been guilty in the past (and still am, a little bit) of being the type of artist that has cringed at the thought of free file sharing. I mean, honestly, as Indie musicians, we really do depend more on music sales to keep our heads above water than the Majors do, and we don't generate near the numbers in live performance revenues.

However, I do have to admit that the whole issue of file sharing does remind me of the old Tape Trade argument from the 80's. Trading tapes then didn't kill the music industry, and sharing files now probably won't either, though the Major Labels (and some Indies for that matter) are going to do their best to alienate their potential customers by fighting them so hard.

I think it's time for a new plan guys. The public has spoken and they want to be able to share music files with each other, and the more we fight against it, the more we'll have to fight against it and let's be honest, do we really want to build a divide between those of us that make music and those that like to listen to it?

I have to admit that, when I find out that people really like my music it makes me happy. I didn't write it to store in my basement. I didn't spend money on duplication to have CDs set on my shelf, or to hand out to friends and family for validation of what I do. I want the world to hear what I have to say and the best, most effective way of spreading the word about my music is to get people excited enough about what I do that they want to call a friend and tell them. Word of mouth, it still works.

Now, lets talk about revenues. How does this REALLY effect our bottom line? This is still a business after all. I, of course, don't have all the answers but I do have a couple of strategies that I feel we should be employing anyway.

First, there are no rules anymore. It's becoming an "every man for himself" kind of industry and the old rules that were set up by the Major labels don't work anymore. That's ok though, because it's not the first time it's happened. Motown is a prime example of building a new plan and running with it, and I highly recommend reading up on Berry Gordy and his empire, it's fascinating.

What new ways can you create value to keep people coming back for more? What new products can you add that will offset monies that may be lacking from music sales? What exciting ideas can you come up with to bring more and more people to your live performances? As my business coach is fond of saying: "If you treat your business like a hobby, it will cost you like a hobby, but if you treat your business like a business, it will pay you like a business." Like I've said before, if you're trying to make a living from making music, you are in business. Get used to it.

Second, take advantage of anyone and everyone who wants to share your music with others. Let them be your Evangelists! You don't have to give everything away for free, but why not treat it a bit like a Radio Single. Make money off of it where you can, but use it to spread the gospel of you!

The fact is we should be looking for any angle to get ahead and to monetize our efforts, but it's only good business to not alienate the customer in the process. We need music listeners. Without them there's no point in making music.

Read more about Norway's plans here:

http://torrentfreak.com/norwegian-minister-wants-to-legalize-file-sharing-090222/

Later,

And the Grammy Goes to.......................

2009-02-09T08:56:00.005-06:00

So, last night was the Grammy awards. Yeah, I'm more than a bit disappointed that Coldplay walked away with the "Song of the Year" award, and I'm still laughing over NARAS president, Neil Portnow, standing up on that stage and blithering on about how NARAS will continue to fight copyright infringement, but on reflection of the situation as a whole I'm disappointed by other things as well.

I understand Satch's lawsuit, I really do, but in the grand scheme of things how much does he really stand to make following that course of action. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way saying that Coldplay should be able to get away with stealing someone else's work, but are there other ways that Satriani could make even more off of this situation than a lump sum settlement from a long drawn out, and expensive lawsuit. I mean, I can assure you that Coldplay and EMI are going to use all their power to fight this (for right or wrong).

This is the age of the Internet. Information, placed in the right place, at the right time, can travel the world in a matter of hours, and with viral marketing being what it is, with little effort Satch could reach millions of people with his message. What message? Well that depends on how he really wants to play it.

Remember the Dani California situation that the Red Hot Chili Peppers ran into a while back? By Tom Petty making a simple statement about it being the best version of Last Dance with Mary Jane he'd ever heard, he saw a spike in his own sales and public awareness. I'm just saying that I think Satriani has a rare opportunity to really bump up his following and, in the long run, could benefit far more than just a lump sum from litigation. Instead of butt heads with Coldplay fans, court them, friend them, convert them.

The fact is that, in this day and age, the Court of Public Opinion is much more powerful than any other court in the land. Sometimes you can use that fact to make more of an impact than all the money in the world could achieve.

Just a thought.

Later,

You got Served! Hopefully.

2009-02-05T09:10:00.004-06:00

Let me ask you this. Should it really have to get to this point? The latest on the Joe Satriani v. Coldplay copyright infringement case is that apparently Coldplay has been slinking around trying to avoid being served papers, but good ol'Joe isn't going to let it slide.

He's made it very clear that he's hired an "Army" of process servers to work the Grammy's, with the intent of finally getting those papers in the hands of his adversaries.

You have to admit that it would be awfully sweet if they waited till Chris Martin and the boys were on the podium to accept "Song of the Year" and then rushed the stage in mass. Harsh you say? Not hardly.

I have to say that, as Indie musicians, I feel that our intellectual property is our single greatest product that we offer. It is the foundation of our business plan. It is the flagship of our merch table. It is what makes us who we are, and to have someone else steal your hard work and parade it around the world as their own, and more sickeningly, be nominated for a Grammy for it is just the height of disrespect and elitism.

Coldplay, I'm sure, is just following the advice and direction of their label, EMI, but what does that say about the practices of Major Labels if they are openly advocating the theft of other peoples music. Is it really any wonder that EMI is losing money?

Anyway, I hope that the whole thing erupts into such a big deal that everyone in America sits up and takes notice. We can't make it OK for people to walk all over the Copyright Laws, they're one of the few guarantees we have.

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/coldplay%20to%20get%20served%20at%20the%20grammys_1093915

Later,

Well how about that!

2009-01-29T18:35:00.004-06:00

Right on. My last post about Simmons Records made it to the front page of their website, http://www.simmonsrecords.com/.

Mr. Simmons, it's quite alright that you don't know me, or my accomplishments, and you certainly don't need my advice, but hey, at least you didn't have to pay for it. : )

I do, sincerely, wish you all the luck in the world in your endeavour and do, in fact, admire the empire you've created.

I stand by my assessment of the music industry though. Change is inevitable and those that don't roll with it will be left behind. Now is the time to be on the bleeding edge of innovation and not relying on the "tried and true". When we stop looking forward with an eye to make new paths, we get tangled up in the weeds where we stopped to nap.

Our Savior!! Or Canada's maybe????

2009-01-28T15:02:00.004-06:00

So, Gene Simmons from Kiss has decided that he's what the "talented" but neglected Canadian music industry needs, so he's forming Simmons Records.

It appears that, in a serious bid to jump start the ailing music industry, Ol'Gene is fully embracing the standard business plan of the 20th Century record label. Seeing as how the same old tactics and such are garnering such stunted sales in most categories these days, it should work really well for him (/sarcasm).

In all actuality, I wish him luck. He's not a dumb guy, a little set in his ways and unable to cope with a changing musical climate maybe, but not dumb. Maybe he has come up with a plan that the Majors here in America are not willing to try. Maybe he's got a secret weapon that is going to convince millions of music listeners around the world to buy more CDs and stop sharing music files. Maybe he really can take the "superior talent" of Canadian musicians and turn them into the next Beatles (or since they're Canadian, maybe the next Glass Tiger, or Loverboy), or maybe he just plans on trying the same thing again, and again, and again, and expects a different result. I truly hope not.

Mr.Simmons, if you find this, as you appear to be awfully adept at sniffing out criticism, please understand that the game has changed. If you expect to come in and do things the way they have always been done, you are not going to succeed. Use that Entrepreneurial spirit that got you where you are to innovate a new plan and a new path. The Old Road is overtrafficed.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/27/gene-simmons-starts-canadian-record-label-hates-on-the-doubters/

Later,

Dealing with the "Change" -------- Music Edition

2009-01-09T13:43:00.012-06:00

I'm back!! I hope the New Year is finding everyone well.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Music Industry is changing. No way around it, nothing we can, or in my opinion, should do about it. It's going to get bumpy, but it's high time that we, the artists, take back control of our futures.

Gone are the days of the multi-million dollar deals and the diamond encrusted advances. We're in the "Final Days" of an evil empire, and we're witnessing the death throes of an industry unwilling to change with the times.

We have to start taking responsibility for our own successes and failures. We're coming up on a time when we will have to start doing whatever it takes, again, to be heard. We thought it was tough before, but we won't be able to ape the last band to draw a decent crowd and get away with it anymore. We have to develop a plan and be willing to implement it. It never takes as much courage to jump on a trend as it does to speak with your own voice.

We can't deceive ourselves in thinking that it's enough to just be ourselves, though, and we have to get real inventive when it comes to funding our pursuits. Every band does the typical swag. T-shirts, cds, buttons, sticker, blah, blah, blah. The fact is that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over and over, always expecting a different result, and the truth is that the "typical" has been oversold. There are millions of bands out there trying to get noticed and every one of them is using the "tried and true" formula that every other struggling artist is using. If we continue to emulate the "struggling" what do we expect to achieve? "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" folks, and conventional wisdom dictates if you're not getting the results you want with the process you have, it's time to change.

Here's and interesting approach. (note---this isn't an endorsement, just pointing out that people are looking for alternative means to accomplish their goals)

http://www.thelicensingplate.com/musicians-and-performers-invite-fans-to-invest-in-their-success/

Or you could try the Sebastian Bach approach to protecting his income.

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212202294.shtml

I wonder how that's working for him.

Later,

Keep Good Council

2008-12-29T13:42:00.003-06:00

This is probably an understatement, but there are a lot of negative and jaded people in the music business. "No, really?" says you. : ) Yeah, and we've all dealt with their undermining little comments, and backhanded compliments. It's hard to stay motivated and positive when you're frequently surrounded people who would probably take a little bit of pleasure in seeing you fall.

It's essential for us to keep good council. To be choosy about who we hang with and especially who we share our visions and goals with. Our very success depends on who we surround ourselves with.

All endeavors start with an idea. Ideas bloom into a vision. Visions lead to plans, and with implementation and a healthy amount of effort and will power, plans become the reality that we envisioned. That is, IF we do the work needed to accomplish the goals and don't let the little needles of doubt get in the way, and unfortunately more times than not, those needles are delivered by the people we trust most.

It's not that they are always intended, in fact they're usually meant to be of help. The well meaning family or friends that want to help keep us "grounded" or "looking at the reality of things". As they say "The road to ruin is paved with good intentions", so how do we avoid this catastrophe? Of course the simple answer is to just ignore anything that doesn't fit into your plans, but saying it is infinitely easier than doing it.

I suppose it might be a little easier if we kept in mind that, while our friends and family may have our well being in mind, they probably don't have the experience or knowledge to make judgement calls on our visions. It's important to have a person or group of people to touch base with every now and then, who is completely impartial to your success. Folks who are not on the payroll, who don't have a stake in your success or your failure.

In business circles this is called an Accountability group. A group of people who's only objective is keeping each other on task and accountable for their successes or their shortcomings.

From personal experience, I can tell you that this is a very effective tool for keeping you on course with the plans that you've created for yourself, and if you find the right group of people they can help you work around the little needles of doubt that inevitably find their way in. By being on the outside, they can see the silver linings on those storm clouds, or they can tell that maybe they're just clouds of smoke that are hiding the road your traveling, and can help navigate you through and get you back on course. I highly recommend the process.

Good luck with your path and I hope everyone has a Happy and productive New Year!

Later,

Perfect Example Of How The Majors Just Don't Get It.

2008-12-17T22:21:00.005-06:00

So, even more on the whole Coldplay plagiarism deal. Apparently, EMI has had some of the comparison videos pulled from YouTube because of copyright infringement. Uh, hello, it's your artist that did the infringing!

That, of course, doesn't stop the arguments from running rampant through the comment sections of videos that have found their way back up. Coldplay fans versus Satriani fans, ripping each other apart as if they're mortal enemies. Stupid really.

The fact of the matter is that the songs are similar enough that you can actually overlay the recording and it's like they're part of the same song.

It's going to be interesting to see how this pans out. What is at stake is the value of Intellectual Property. If EMI pulls this out and wins this law suit then it basically says that Major Label artists can steal any of our music and get away with it, and the legal precedent will have been set.

I saw an ad earlier saying that Coldplay was re-releasing the album with new mixes and new tracks. Twice the insult eh? It will be a sad day when Joe Satriani has to watch Coldplay win a Grammy for a song he wrote.

A couple of posts back I said that there have been times that I've realized that some of my stuff was similar to other artists material. I, of course, wouldn't release something like that intentionally, but if I missed something and wound up involved in a situation like this, I wouldn't hesitate to make it right with the other person. At the very least, Coldplay should give him co-writing credits on future pressings, and cut him in on the publishing so that he can make some money off of the deal.

It's these kinds of dealings that make me glad I'm an Indie.

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/121608coldplay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLE5t1cl7sw

Have a good one!

To Thyself Be True!

2008-12-15T12:34:00.004-06:00

You know, I've been struck recently by how samey so many bands are these days. Well, it may not just be "These Days". It's been like that for as long as I can remember. One group starts to get a bit of a following or has a decent radio hit and then there are 10 Million clone bands the next day.

It's kind of like there's some mass production mold somewhere on the Labels lot where they take a stock 4 guys who can hold their instruments in a proper Rock Star pose and stuff them in the sausage grinder of current trend. They come out the other end with the current hipster hairdo and a stock, trendy sound.

Maybe we should thank the Labels for doing this. It makes it easier for someone with their own ideas, sound, and image to stand out in the crowd. But, keep in mind, this is easy to do to yourselves too. It's easy to over rely on your influences when creating your sound. It's even Super Easy to rely on too few of your influences when creating your sound. You don't want all of your songs to sound like Billy Corgan covering Tool do you?

Be well rounded. Don't listen too much to one thing. Create a healthy relationship with genres outside what you play. Network with other Indies from other markets and scenes. Be yourself and put your personality into your music, and you can't help but stand out. Unless, of course, you don't have a personality. ; )

In the immortal words of Russell Simmons: Do YOU!

Have a Happy and Productive week. Oh, and feel free to stop by http://www.seriousvanity.com/12SongsOfChristmas for some free Holiday tunes! While you're there sign up on the mailing list and see if you can beat Simon!

Later,

Way to go Coldplay!!

2008-12-11T09:47:00.005-06:00

Best selling Pop act of the year and it seems you couldn't do it without Joe Satriani!?!

You know, I've had moments when I've played something that I found running through my head only to be reminded later by way of the background music at the mall that, oops, that was just a Hall and Oates line that I picked up subconsiously. Stuff like that happens. I mean, maybe ol' Chris Martin was just standing at the Jewlry counter tapping his toes to the background music while he shopped for a new pair of earrings for the misses. It's plausable. But check out the similarities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ofFw9DKu_I

Now, Coldplay has made their official response to the allegation of plagiariasm.

"If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental, and just as surprising to us as to him," "Joe Satriani is a great musician, but he did not write or have any influence on the song 'Viva la Vida'. We respectfully ask him to accept our assurances of this and wish him well with all future endeavors."

Wow, I guess that's one way to handle it.

Let's look at the track record of people who blatently rip off another artist. My personal favorite is how the Rolling Stones all but destroyed the Verve for Bittersweet Symphony. Does the Verve even get any of the royalties for that now?

When was the last time you heard Duran Duran's Do You Believe In Shame on the radio, or at one of thier shows for that matter? I bet John Fogherty wishes you would.

Who knows, maybe Mr. Satriani will play it like Tom Petty who called The Red Hot Chili Peppers Dani California one of the best covers of Last Dance with Mary Jane he'd heard, but left it at that. Maybe?

Oh, he's suing? Good luck guys.

The fact is that a really great, catchy, earworm kind of melody can really make a band, but make sure it's your own.

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/120908coldplay

More decline in the market for Physical Media?

2008-12-02T14:29:00.003-06:00

Well, well, It seems that the decline in CD sales is starting to effect retailers as well. In fact, Border's Books is reducing their floorspace for Music because of lower demand. It's not just Border's though. I was in Best Buy the other day and their CD section was about half of what it used to be.

Anyone remember when Best Buy had an Import section?

While retailers like Target have never really been a music emporium, their CD selection is still getting smaller at the same time they're offering more in the way of Drop Cards.

Even the used CD outlet chain of CD Warehouse stores here in the Kansas City area have gone out of business.

Have you noticed that the cost of duplication is dropping too? How hard is it getting to get people to drop the cash for a CD at one of your shows? How long till we, as Indies, are dealing in an all Digital world, and would that really be a bad thing?

Check out the links below, it's pretty interesting.

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/120108borders

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE4B10CI20081202?feedType=RSS&feedName=internetNews

2008-11-05T14:44:00.004-06:00

It's a new frontier for the Music World. Almost daily we're seeing new innovations, issues, technologies, and lawsuits in the digital music world. The funny thing though, is we're also seeing greater and greater sales figures there as well.

I'm starting to think the long life arc of the CD is going to be cut short for this ever growing, and always controversial medium. We're seeing a larger number of artists being thrust into the spotlight by more unconventional methods. Whether it's my "favorite" Disney creations like Miley or the Jonas Bros and their TV shows, or Fiest and her huge iPod ad, or MTV's Making the Band series, we're seeing the new music moguls always reaching ahead for the new technologies, the new marketing ideas, and the next best way to stand out and at the same time lower their costs.

Face it, more can go into promotion and marketing if you don't have to pump said money into duplication and production. It's a different world now, and we've got to roll with the waves or be drowned in the surf.

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/mp3-compatible-music-campaign-unveiled-481711

It's a matter of Auditude

2008-11-04T13:40:00.004-06:00

Here's an interesting file sharing idea. Auditude has developed a plan that would decriminalize file sharing by turning each file into an advertisement for the publisher. Now granted, I'm not familiar with all the fine print of this thing, but it appears that both MTV and MySpace think it has some merit, as they have both signed on.

Now, as I looked over the blog that I've linked below, I got to thinking about how something like this might work.

How would the artist have to innovate to still be able to make money under a business plan such as this? Even with the ad embedded in the file, the song is now totally free. Would it then mean that you'd go with a lesser quality file and then offer an "ad free" higher quality file for a download fee? Would it be advertising for your CD, a medium I see fading fast? Would it throw the artist into having to rely on merch and live performance monies to survive? Would it lead to an over saturation of music availability making it that much harder for people to find you?

It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out, and it certainly demands more looking into.

Read more here, http://government.zdnet.com/?p=4160

Don't take YOU for granted!

2008-10-23T12:25:00.005-05:00

Hey all,

After being down sick for the last week, I came to the realization of just how important it is to make sure your health is a priority.

How many of us, as Indies, hold health insurance on ourselves? Do you set aside a portion of your earnings to cover yourself and the other members of your band? Do you just wing it? Leave it chance?

I know there are many Indies (probably more than not actually) that hold a day job to "pay the bills" and "cover insurance", but there are a large number of us that are out here on our own without the safety net to make sure we don't fall, and health insurance is expensive.

The good news is that there are people looking after us.

As a member of ASCAP I have access to their insurance pool, a great pool of other working musicians and songwriters and publishers that band together to get decent pricing on health insurance. I'm sure the other PROs have similar deals.

All I'm saying is, that when you depend on yourself to stay afloat, don't take yourself for granted.

Take care of yourselves and stay healthy.

Doom, Despair, and Agony on me..........

2008-10-07T17:15:00.004-05:00

It's been pretty Doom and Gloom in the media recently. Hell, even the music news outlets are talking about economic recession and the failing economy, and by the way Wall St. is acting, the $700 Billion Bailout didn't ease any of the panic.

People want an escape. They want to be able to run away from the negativity and just get out and have a beer.

I'm not sure how, but gasoline has actually dropped in price. $2.99 a gallon here in Kansas City this morning. Now, I may be way off, but I would think that this might actually be a grand time for enterprising young touring bands. Load up the old van and hit some regional clubs. Play up on the escapism branding in your marketing and draw out the people who want to run away from the hype for a while.

The thing is, no matter how hard things have been for me in the past, I've always felt that a cover charge, a CD, or a beer or two with the guys are luxuries I couldn't live without. I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only guy in America that feels this way.

If you play it right, you may just be able to make a bit of money, and you'll be doing your part to pump money back into the economy. Win/win, and you're a true American Hero.

More on the CD Baby buyout front.

2008-10-06T18:32:00.005-05:00

Linked below is an article from Moses Avalon's website. For anyone who doesn't know who Moses Avalon is, he's the author of such books as "Confessions of a Record Producer" and a long time critic of Derek Sivers and CD Baby.

I won't even begin to go into his credibility, mainly because I don't put a lot of faith in people who hide behind a pseudonym, but his math in this is pretty intriguing. I do find it funny though, that for someone who has made it one of his missions to cast doubt on Derek Sivers, he sure does stroke him there toward the end.

It does seem that Discmakers are going to have their hands full doing damage control for some time to come.

Again, if any of this is true, which I'm sure it would be pretty easy to verify, then I truly hope that Discmakers does the things that they are promising and lends a little of their credibility to the situation.

http://www.mosesavalon.com/mosesblog/

Talk about Smart Marketing!

2008-09-18T12:26:00.004-05:00

I make no bones about the fact that the new crop of Disney creations are not my thing, but I do find it interesting the lengths that Disney will go to to capitalize on them.

Take for instance this newest bit I got this morning from Digital Music News. It seems that you can now get Free download cards for Jonas Brothers songs from your morning breakfast cereal packs. These "kid friendly" packs contain a single serving of your favorite breakfast cereal, a juice drink, a snack, a spoon to eat it all up with, and now even your favorite empty calorie music to go along with it all!

I won't go into how wrong I think it is that the record label is getting benefits from this thing being supplied to our nation's school children (I'm sure at tax payers expense), but from the commercial stand point it is a stroke of pure brilliance.

Talk about targeting your ideal audience!

Joint Venture ideas like this could be an outstanding marketing goal for Indie artists as well. What if you were to combine your music with the products of others? Licensing opportunities are everywhere these days, and maybe your favorite up and coming Designer, Artist, Writer, or whatever, could be your future business partner.

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/091708jonas

The One Thing Labels Don't Want You To Know!

2008-09-11T13:59:00.006-05:00

If there's one thing the Record Labels around the world do NOT want you to know it's that, YOU DON'T NEED US.

That's right. The Record Label as it's been known is going extinct.

We're living in an exciting time when everyone has access to the same quality of services. We as Indies may still have to work a little harder to get the same kinds of notice, but for the first time in history, you don't have to rely on the Middlemen. Of course, it means that you have to familiarize yourself with so much more information, but each and every one of us has the ability to create our own organizations, and our own futures.

We're artists right? Do we need corporations like Disney, Sony, or Virgin to "create" us. If you're serious about wanting to make the Music Industry your life, then you have to approach it with commitment, and not mere interest. You have to live it like your life depends on it.

I'm shocked at the things the average musician doesn't know. From the working composer that doesn't know how to register his creations with his Performing Rights Organization, to the cover band down the street, plastering their versions of other peoples songs all over the place without the slightest clue as to what a Mechanical License is.

There is a lot that we as Indies should know about the processes our music goes through in order for us to bring in the kind of income that we would all like to see. You have to commit to learning something new every day, and to being the best you can be at what you do. Let's face it, even if you are one of the few that does get signed, you're still responsible to understand what it is you
are legally responsible for and entitled to.

If you are going to build a team to take some of this stuff off of your hands, then make sure that the people you hire to represent you know what they're doing, because if they don't, you may end up paying the price for their incompetence.

Traditionally it is the Label that takes care of the legal and contractual responsibilities for the artist, but with the right information and the right level of Commitment you can go the distance and still retain the control over your own destiny.

Get clear!

2008-09-04T19:10:00.004-05:00

Last post I mentioned having a clear vision of where you're going in your race toward success, but I wanted to kind of revisit that again. It's a hard thing to get that vision and hold onto it, in fact I struggle with it daily. So I thought I'd mention some of the little tactics we use around here to keep it in the forefront of our minds.

1. Our Mentor board. We have a spot in the studio here where we've placed pictures of all of our favorite Producers, and if we get stuck on something, we just wonder out loud what would Quincy Jones do?

2. For Christmas a couple years back Dana made a box of cards for me. The cards are a series of ideas, tactics, and tricks created by Brian Eno. His thing is that if you don't know which way to go, just pull a card and do whatever it says, even if it means scrapping the last two days worth of work. What this does is makes us remember that it's the process that is important, not the destination.

3. We use lots of photos. We hang them on the bulletin board in the studio to remind us of the great times we've had along the way, which in turn reminds us of why we're doing what we're doing.

4. We've framed up copies of all of our releases, you know, like Gold Records, to remind us of our successes and our passion for making great music.

5. This one is my favorite. Dana wrote and printed out a mock Rolling Stone interview with her at the height of her success. Nothing like just looking up at the bulletin board and reading about how you're already where you want to be, and the wonderful things you're able to accomplish with your success.

It's our imaginations, as artists, that separate us from the average joe at the grocery store. Use that imagination, get clear about who you are and where you're going, and see your future. Just remember to have fun along the way.

Be the Change You Want To See

2008-08-28T22:08:00.004-05:00

How do you label success? What does that word mean to you? Is it the diamond encrusted Rolex? Is it the Bentley in the driveway? Maybe you're not that Material. Maybe success for you is having Power or Prestige or Acclaim.

Maybe you're like a lot of Indies who have a really hard time picturing anything more than a van that doesn't leave you stranded on I-70 halfway across Kansas, or even enough money from your gig to put gas is said van.

There are virtually thousands of resources out there that can give you every tip you would ever need to reach the success you want, but they won't help one bit. Why? It's not because it's not good, or even Great advice. It's not because you're too dumb to get it. It's not even because you sleep in too late and drink too much to do the work (my personal, former excuse).

The reason that all that great advice won't help you is because it's incomplete. That's right, it's missing a step. What none of it shows you is how to leap the biggest hurtle in your path to success, yourself.

You see, from an early age we're all programmed with default settings. These settings are programmed into us from sources such as Parents, Teachers, Friends, and that weird uncle you really don't like but who scores pot for you. You get accustomed/programmed to make a certain amount of money, to drive a certain quality of car, to eat a certain type of food (I lived for many years on the Ramen diet). The conditions that you're raised in, and the people you associate with help shape your comfort level/programming.

What does this mean? Well what it means is that all the good intentions, and all the willingness, and all the wanting to change your condition are blocked by you and your own comfort level.

It's not enough to change your mind, you have to change your habits. They say that if you can do something for two weeks straight, then it becomes a habit. So, where do you start? Sorry, there's no one magic change you can make to turn you into a Multi-Million dollar recording artist, but if you take a nice hard look at how you're approaching things daily, and decide daily to change a habit that's leading you nowhere, then daily you will be getting closer to your end goal.

But wait! That's not enough. Before you can do any of that, you have to have a CLEAR goal in mind. Start with the end in mind and work back. Wanting change is a great first step, but it's a daily practice to keep it going and you have to make that commitment to yourself to put in the effort.

In the end it's worth any effort, but keep in mind that, as with all things in life, at the very core is personal responsibility. No one will do the work for you. No one will hand you your dreams. You have to be the agent for your own desires. You have to be the change you want to see.

Nameless faceless masses, or your very own evangelists?

2008-08-18T16:41:00.007-05:00

Before I jump in, I would like to thank Tony Van Veen of Discmakers/CD Baby for his words regarding Discmaker's recent acquisition of CD Baby. Here at Serious Vanity Music we are not only users of CD Baby, but part of the Discmaker's Studio Partners program as well, and plan to stay that way. I know that, for our part anyway, we are looking forward to seeing what new benefits this change in ownership will bring to the CD Baby family.

So, let's talk Evangelism. I'm not referring to the Fire and Brimstone type, I'm talking about your fan base/customers/clients.

Are you content with having people like what you do, or are you ready to have them start spreading the word about you? There is a difference, you know. It's one thing to have the regulars show up at your weekly gig at the local club, but are they following you to that show 100 miles away? Are they on the Internet for weeks leading up to that show telling everyone they can about you and what they can expect if they show up?

People don't preach your message unless you give them a reason to. What benefits do you offer that will make people stand on the mountain tops and scream your name?

In this situation "benefit" is the operative word. People don't do anything is this world without a perceived benefit. They want to feel that they are getting something with enough value that it makes it worth their time to tell others about it.

New operative word "value". The American Heritage Dictionary (sorry, I couldn't find my copy of Websters) says Value is "an amount considered to be a suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return for goods or services". This doesn't have to be a monetary or even a physical investment on your part. Often times it comes down to just simply making a person feel that they are are a part of your team.

I know, Street Teams are nothing new, but that's not exactly what I'm getting at. I'm talking about community. To give an example; If you do a Google search for Duran Duran fan communities you will find that there are hundreds of them online. These are communities where it's a major pastime for the participants to just share their love for their favorite band. This may be a rather large example, with a couple of decades head start, but I think it's still the ideal example of what can be accomplished by making people feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves, and believe it or not, it's the quickest way to get your news spread about.

What are you willing to do to add value to your fan/customer/clients experience?

Only a matter of time?

2008-08-14T10:47:00.005-05:00

Discmakers isn't wasting any time. Within a week of announcing their purchase of CD Baby, they're now in the process of launching Elite Artist Services, a nice little place where established acts can go when their tired of playing the Major Label game.

Offering services like Duplication, Merchandising, and DISTRIBUTION, it may well be just a matter of time before, like MP3.com, the Indie artists at CD Baby are completely overshadowed by the likes of NIN and Radiohead.

What could this "potentially" mean for Indie artists? The Worlds only Indie distribution company being flooded with the NEW Indies, former Major label acts that want to have more say in their music? Well, it could mean that, as Indies, we'll have to start stepping up our game. Or, it could also mean that the playing field just got leveled. I guess it depends on how you approach your music.

I'm not trying to hate on any artist who wants to have more control over their work, in fact I think that it'd be awesome if all artists had complete creative control, it would do away with the "Disney Creation" acts like Miley Cyrus and Vannessa Hudgens. We could stand to weed out the fodder a little bit.

The wheels of progress never stop.

Really CD Baby?.................Really?

2008-08-06T12:09:00.005-05:00

So, the big news today is the surprising sell of CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/) to Disc Makers.

This comes as quite a shock to a lot of people in the Indie world, as founder, Derek Sivers had once proudly stated that he would "NEVER" sell CD Baby.

I understand that all things in life change, and seeing as Derek says he's not even been involved in the day to day operations of CD Baby since 2002, it's probably a good thing that he's passing it on to someone who can give it the attention needs for it to grow to new levels of success.

My only question is why Disc Makers? They hardly have the best reputation for customer service and reliability, so how are they going to improve upon the existing system? Besides the Face lift they've already given the CD Baby page, what are they going to do to increase sales for their artists?

Ahhh, the times, they are a changing.

Read more about it here:
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/081508disc

Authenticity

2008-07-16T17:54:00.005-05:00

Having been in many bands over the years, one of the things that always sets funny is the need of so many bands to immulate their "influences". What inevitably happens is a set with a song that sounds just like AC/DC followed by a song that sounds just like (insert the name of your next favorite band). It comes down to a lack of a true authentic vision, or maybe even a lack of self identity.

Is it any wonder that you can turn on the radio right now and here 10 bands with the same exact vocal style and delivery of Blink 182? Hell, even they stole it from Screeching Weasel.

This is what separates innovators from followers. The innovator makes a statement, the follower apes it and jumps on the "bandwagon". Innovators have staying power, followers have their successes as long as the style stays in fashion and then they fade away. 80's Hair Band package tour anyone?

It took me a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time to realize that as much as I love Punk Rock music, I can't embrace the ethic, I feel like a clown in studded leather, and PBR is nasty. Let YOUR light shine through and you will qualify your ideal fans. If you like Lee Greenwood and Motorhead, your fans will hear both in what you do. The best part is that you won't sound "just like" either.

Be your own person, it feels good.

What do THEY know anyway?

2008-07-09T14:37:00.003-05:00

I found this to be pretty interesting. It appears that music fans just don't really care what the critics have to say anymore.

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories_old/070808critics

What does this mean for us? Well, it means that nothing has really changed. I believe that most Indies have always held the belief that our music speaks for itself, we don't really need the approval of music critics or reviewers to help move people to listen to us. Leave the pandering to the Major Label acts, we have a better tactic.

As "small time" acts, we have the opportunity to connect with the people who love our music in a way that Major Label artists can't. One on one. As is mentioned in the article above, a grassroots approach can be just what the doctor ordered. Though, with the ability to market via social networking sites, such as Myspace and Facebook, it has become not only easier to build fanbases, but also harder to stand out from the crowd. We need to innovate new and better ways to be noticed, and heard. What will you do to stand apart?

The Power of Everpresence

2008-07-01T13:52:00.005-05:00

This week I'd like to talk about one of the greatest marketing tools we as Indies have, Everpresence. I know, it's really not a word, but I think it sums up a great deal. The best way we have of making a name for ourselves is to put ourselves out there and in the spot light as much as possible.

We could definitely take a lesson from the hip hop community on this one. Take the success of Lil' Wayne, in the last couple of weeks. While certainly not the best rapper on the planet, he has saturated the Internet with his name, his songs, and his "brand", and it's garnered him huge success. Shouldn't we then take examples such as this and dissect them and find the formula for our own successes?

In a world that is becoming increasingly media based, why not take advantage of every possibility to put your name, and your face, in the minds of any and every prospective fan available? Buy an inexpensive video camera and create a YouTube account, Start video podcasting from your website, be creative and come up with ways to "be everywhere" that no one else has thought of.

It's a fact that, in this day and age, anyone can be a musician, and anyone has access to all of the same marketing outlets. It's become a game of who can do it most frequently and who can do it the best. What are you willing to do to be the best?

Now does this sound like jeopardy?

2008-06-25T10:04:00.005-05:00

Hello Indies!

There has been a lot of talk in the music industry about illegal downloads and the impact they are having on the industry as a whole and, as a label owner and musician, I've been following it with what can only be called "rapt" interest. In many areas direct sales of recorded media seem to be in a slump, leading many people to worry about the future of the music business and, in the case of Gene Simmons of Kiss, to even declare that the music industry is "dead", and that it is all the fault of the fans.

So, imagine my "surprise?" when I started looking through the last weeks sales totals for acts such as Lil' Wayne and Coldplay. Last week Lil' Wayne broke a staggering One Million units, and after only six days on the US charts, Coldplay has already broke 720,000. The impressive part, for me anyway, is that both of these albums had been available for complete download prior to release, and both had been heavily pirated prior to release, yet both are selling phenomenally well in conventional (legal) channels.

Is this just a fluke? I don't know, but it does seem to me that by embracing the fact that their fans want access to as much of their material as they can get ahold of, and putting in the extra effort to provide it, they are still able to monetize the support of their fans.

It makes me think that the more you include your fans in the process, the more you make them part of the process, the more they emotionally invest in you. Emotional investment usually leads to financial investment, and all of a sudden you have found a way to innovate your marketing plan.

It really is an interesting time in the music industry.