Taking Care of Business

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

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?

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?

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?

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

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!

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.