Thoughts from down in LA

Follow my new blog...

2011-04-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have moved my blog to the following address: http://ewjensen.com
Please update your links and let me know what you would like to see on the new site.

Thanks for following me on Blogger. This website will stay up but new posts will spin from WordPress. See you across town! ~ej

Migrating to Wordpress

2011-04-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of migrating my blog to a full-featured Wordpress website. There will be a delay in posting until the new site is finished and all domains are redirected. It shouldn't be long!

Please stay in touch with me via:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/paddlebro

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ew.jensen

Linked In: http://linkedin.com/in/ejensen

Tumblr: http://ericjensen.tumblr.com/ (Extra Sharp and Ultra Fine)

See you soon with a new improved blog! ~Eric

Generosity is the Emotion, Content is the Currency

2011-04-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Creating Effective Social Media Engagement: Generosity is the Emotion, Content is the Currency

Authentic, trusting relationships are fueled by generosity and empathy. While online networks can seem abstract compared to connections in the ‘real world’, the same principles hold true.

Web 2.0 is a conversational environment, not a broadcast channel. This is still confusing for some musicians who use Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc. to talk about themselves (“Oh, did I mention MY gig this weekend, here are some new pictures of ME, I wrote a new song…” etc. etc.). When I get a Linked In or Facebook friend request from a complete stranger asking me to listen to their music or come to a gig I am always amazed. What are they thinking? Eventually I tune out even good friends who I am very interested in, when the only communication from them is pushed PR blasts.

The power of social media is it’s potential for building communities and sincere relationships. The way to do this is to pay attention to everyone else, what their passions are and what they need. Ask yourself what you can share to make their lives a little more wonderful. On the web, the obvious gift to give is interesting content. This could be a helpful blog post or link, some compelling video you have created, a piece of music or a recommendation or referral. The important thing is that you are passionate about what you are sharing and you genuinely want to help your followers.

A great example of this generosity is the blog created by musician Danny Barnes. He has written a number of funny, articulate pieces that are essential reading for any professional musician or anyone with even a passing interest in what it means to be a musician. He has shared many practical insights on how to make a living in music, how to be a successful sideman, how to listen and much more. There is great value and generosity here without a hint of self-promotion. A teacher and fellow musician told me the other day he reads Danny’s posts to his classes!

Check out Danny’s blog and spread the word...

What gifts are you giving to your fans, followers and customers? What's working for you?

Danny Barnes Knows Why You're Not Into Music Anymore...

2011-04-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

I just had to repost this great essay by the wonderful musician Danny Barnes (who also happens to be an excellent writer)..

I encourage you to check out the rest of his blog. Each entry is a gem!

I Think I Know Why You Are Not Into Music Anymore

Quote Of The Day: from Clay Shirky's 'Cognitive Surplus'

2011-03-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

"The dramatically reduced cost of public address, and the dramatically increased size of the population wired together, means that we can now turn massive aggregations of small contributions into things of lasting value." -Clay Shirky, "Cognitive Surplus" p. 161

Just a few Wirechoir pix...

2011-03-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots from the Wirechoir recording sessions this month. Thanks to all the incredible musicians and especially Terry Carter for making it all happen!

Look for the CD and DVD coming soon...

Web 2.0 and The Thank You Economy

2011-03-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to hear Gary Vaynerchuk yesterday, at a Drucker Business Forum event.

Vaynerchuck is a social media expert, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Crush It! - Why Now Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion, and The Thank You Economy. He is a regular speaker at events such as the TED conference and SXSW and consults on social media with companies like Johnson & Johnson, Disney, Pepsi, and Google.

He is best known for building a huge online wine business with his irreverent WineLibraryTV video blog and extensive use of Web 2.0 technologies. Gary is in the top 100 of people followed on Twitter. He is funny, intense, competitive, and has a ridiculous work ethic.

In The Thank You Economy he passionately advocates for the humanization of business by strengthening authentic relationships with customers using Web 2.0 tools and old-fashioned generosity and consideration.

Building strong relationships with customers is a long-term play. Established businesses, particularly public companies, resist investing in this kind of culture shift because they are focused on short-term profits and have difficulty computing the ROI on Web 2.0 engagement.

Vaynerchuk insists that this is the future of business and if companies don’t start caring about their customers and employees they will not survive.

As passionate as this guy is about people, his focus is on making money. He believes that building generous and sincere long-term relationships is the key to success, not because he is Mother Teresa, but because he is driven to compete and create wealth. Many people dabble in social media, but they are not really sure what they are doing or why. After some experimentation they give up. Without a clear business model and a solid understanding of your potential market, tools like Twitter seem scattered and decentralized compared to old-school top down marketing channels like television, print media and radio.

People have a tendency to use social media as a ‘push’ PR broadcast channel, which it is not. I see this all the time with musicians advertising gigs and their latest accomplishments on Twitter and Facebook. This amounts to random electronic direct mail. When I see this kind of communication I immediately tune out.

Twitter and related tools are like a giant cocktail party. This is a medium for listening and conversation. How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t get Twitter. Why do I care what so and so had for breakfast?” People are discussing their passions online. Facebook, Twitter, and mobile phones have become the new barber shop. Listen and learn. We are instinctively afraid to engage with strangers, but stepping into that conversation opens a new door.

The bottom line for business is this: Customers are talking about you every day, whether you like it or not, the good, the bad, and the ugly. You have the opportunity to join that conversation and build genuine, caring relationships. Vaynerchuk believes that unless businesses do just that they will be run over by the empowered consumer and the competition. I think he is probably right..

Bob Baker on the Realities of Making a Living as a Musician in 2011

2011-03-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

Interesting post by Bob Baker today.

The tools and the channels have changed dramatically but artists have always been self-employed and struggled to balance the pursuit of their craft with the economic realities of survival. More of my thoughts to follow...

The Realities of Making a Living with Music in 2011 via music think tank

Are music consumers stepping on us?

2011-02-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

From today's Digital Music News:

Are Music Consumers Stepping On Us?

That was the question posed on Thursday by NPD analyst Russ Crupnick at Digital Music Forum East in Manhattan.

"Consumers are flipping us the bird," Crupnick declared while trotting through slide-after-slide of distressing data. Exhibit A? Crupnick listed a litany of concessions and pro-consumer offers from this industry over the past ten years - all of which have produced few substantive revenue returns. These include:

ubiquity
disaggregation
fragmentation
liberal licensing
disabled DRM
disinflation

"These are great things we've done for consumers, but what have they done for us?" Crupnick posed. Well, the answer is very little, and Crupnick's stats proved it. Over the past 5 years alone, Crupnick noted that the population of buying music fans declined by 20 million, and per-capita spending has dropped by 40 percent. Meanwhile, just 5 percent of US consumers are using subscription services, including free trials. "We're being too liberal," the analyst continued. "We need to demand more from consumers."

But there's a funny twist: among the buyers that remain, a majority are only buying CDs. In fact, Crupnick noted that 55% of paying music fans are solely purchasing CDs, down from 80% percent in 2006. Just last week at New Music Seminar in Los Angeles, Tommy Silverman reported that two-thirds of all album purchases are physical.

And what about the superfan, won't that save us? Well, Crupnick popped that balloon quickly by noting that superfans are also buying less. But, their percentage of overall purchases is increasing as more casual fans leave the building. "Fewer and fewer people are buying music, so the percentage of buying by uberfans increases," Crupnick noted.
=======
My comment:

"I can't comprehend the logic of "demanding more from consumers." Show me a good product manager who agrees with that reasoning.

It is hard to compete with free but that's the reality today for any media business. Consumers have unprecedented choice and an enormous sense of entitlement. If you want to succeed in the marketplace you have to get real about that.

Also, the recording industry was a ridiculous bubble economy for over 20 years. Now it is leveling out and that is painful. The industry will be smaller in the future, more personalized, and consumer driven.

Things will continue to shake out for awhile.

Join the discussion here...

Is Apple Killing the Golden Subscription Goose?

2011-02-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

I have been using Apple's products since the 512K Macintosh. I have immense respect for the company's user-focused product management and business models. However, once in awhile they go too far and do something stupid. Apple's new subscription licensing policy could seriously impact subscription music services, an important developing market. The same is true with the continued market leadership of the iPad. If media companies part ways with Apple on this, everyone loses. Maybe my next phone will be an Android after all...

Apple's New Subscription Model Is Evil - Gizmodo

Rhapsody CEO Blasts Apple - hypebot

New Apple App Rules Could Kill Subscription Music - hypebot

Rethinking Music Pts. 1 & 2 - Creativity, Commerce and Policy

2011-02-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Check out these two excellent podcasts in preparation for the upcoming Rethink Music conference coming up this April in Boston.

Radio Berkman #168 Rethinking Music Pt. 1
Radio Berkman #173 Rethinking Music Pt. 2 - The Portrait of the Self-Published Artist

California Copyright Conference: The Future of the Latin Music Market

2011-02-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

On February 8, 2011 The California Copyright Conference hosted a panel discussing the current state and future possibilities of the Latin music market, organized and co-moderated by Eric Palmquest - Director, Disney Music Publishing and Marissa Lopez, Associate Director, Latin Writer/Publisher Relations at BMI.

The panel featured:

Richard Bull - President of The Sixth House, a management company with touring, label, licensing, publishing, and corporate marketing arms.
Tomas Cookman - CEO, Nacional Records & Cookman International, and founder of the Latin Alternative Music Conference.
Yvonne Drazan - Creative Director, peermusic
Nir Seroussi - VP, Marketing and A&R, Sony Music Latin
Kike Santander - Multi Grammy Award winning songwriter and producer, Chairman of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (LARAS) and CEO of Santander Records.

Marissa Lopez (whose career began as a Latin radio DJ) kicked off the festivities with a mix of regional and Latin music styles. Although the topic of the panel was the decline in Latin music sales, particularly in digital, the panelist were uniformly upbeat and excited about the wide open future for Latin music.

Richard Bull and Tomas Cookman have had strong successes with synch licensing and developing strategic partnerships with other companies both inside and outside of the music industry. The Sixth House’s partnership with peermusic has been particularly rewarding for both parties. A common theme was the need to exchange services and develop diverse partnerships. Each situation is unique in today’s marketplace. Cookman: “There is no right or wrong answer. If it works for you, it works for you.”

Panelists agreed on the need to control master recordings to simplify the process of clearing masters and publishing rights in one shot. Tomas Cookman described his strong relationships with music supervisors as being build on his ability to clear tracks for synch within a few hours.

Technology has created easy access to a global marketplace which raises the bar for music quality...the best music wins. Kike Santander passionately described how his commitment to music drove the decision to start a label at a time when others a running in the other direction.

Except for younger fans who follow edgier, alternative artists, the general Latin market has not been as quick to accept digital downloads. However, this market skews much higher on the use of mobile devices according to Richard Bull.

When asked how to encourage fans to engage in the digital download market, Nir Seroussi stated that the concept of music ownership is going away. Fans want music anytime, anywhere, and labels must think of themselves as service businesses. The future lies in building strong artist brands and alliances with a broad range of business partners.

Global Music Registry Meets Consumer Consumption Model

2011-02-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

A thought provoking post from the Rethink Music blog. The barriers to creating a global music licensing registry are substantial in and of themselves. As consumer behavior shifts away from ownership to an "anytime, anywhere" access model, accurate, streamlined licensing will be key to a great music experience for the public as well as solid monetization for creators.

What do you think?
Rethink Music

When It Can't Be Done, Do It...

2011-01-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

"A new idea can be either unfamiliar, silly, or both. It can't be judged by description. It needs to be done (made) to exist. It is unlikely that anyone will sanction the cost of something they don't understand. Therefore, you have no choice but to do it yourself. At whatever cost."

"Being right is based upon knowledge and experience and is often provable. Knowledge comes from the past, so it's safe. It is also out of date. It's the opposite of originality. Experience is built from solutions to old situations and problems. The old situations are probably different from the present ones., so that old solutions will have to be bent to fit new problems (and possibly fit badly). Also, the likelihood is that, if you've got the experience, you'll probably use it. This is lazy. Experience is the opposite of being creative"

- from Paul Arden's book, It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be

Stefan Sagmeister: The Power of Time Off

2010-12-19T16:45:00.000-08:00

RIP, Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart)

2010-12-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

Captain Beefheart Dies at 69

Iconoclastic musician and painter Don Van Vliet died today after a lengthy battle with MS. Many of his recordings including Trout Mask Replica, Lick My Decals Off Baby, and Clear Spot where game-changers for me. A true original who will be missed.

Check out Van Vliet's paintings here: Run Paint Run

C-SCAPE: Curation, Consumers, Convergence, Content

2010-12-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

""How do you get people who can talk about anything to talk about you? The answer is to offer them something new and interesting to say - to chat about, blog about, tweet about, and spread the word about in all media, new and old and in between."
- Larry Kramer, C-SCAPE

Veteran media executive Larry Kramer's book on the influence of social media and the Internet postulates that today, all businesses are in the media business. He identifies four key trends; the convergence of consumers and media producers, the increasing power of consumers, the need for trusted curators, and the importance of content. These ideas have been explored in depth in many other books (such as the Groundswell series) but I find his writing concise and actionable. His enthusiasm is contagious and many of these ideas are directly applicable by musicians reinventing themselves in this massively disrupted industry.

The John Scofield Quartet: New Morning, The Paris Concert

2010-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

Check out this video by the great John Scofield and a killer quartet. I was very fortunate to know and study with John when I first arrived in Boston way back when. He is a wonderful person and a phenomenal jazz musician and innovator. This is a particularly good DVD with some nice extra footage.

Selling the DIY Dream

2010-12-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

The larger music business has always contained a smaller industry focused on selling the dream of success to independent musicians. In the Go-Go record label days, this involved access to decision makers and copious amounts of advice on making your music more “commercial”. Musicians hoped that Mr. Big would hear their amazing song, fall in love with it, and next thing you know, the band is flying around in private jets.

Today's pitch is that relentless, athletic Internet marketing will eventually build a brand and a full-time career. While many of today’s tools are powerful and can be very effective, the business models of these companies are built on selling services to musicians and are not necessarily dependent on the success of the artist.

Marketing is key to the execution of every business plan, but by no means the whole enchilada. Successful businesses create products and services that meet fundamental human needs. DIY Internet music companies are serving the need of the musician to be acknowledged and feel empowered. Are you just as clear about your market and the needs you are addressing? People don’t buy what you do but why you do it. Without a clear vision of what makes your music extraordinary, and who you are serving, all the marketing in the world will not create a mega-successful brand.

Most pro musicians have multi-faceted careers (performing, recording, producing, writing, publishing, teaching, orchestrating, etc.) and have spent tens of thousands of hours developing their craft. If you are seriously committed to a long term career in music, I suggest studying these people as well as general business and marketing concepts. Be very realistic about circumstances that have influenced individual successes and may not scale.

Internet music marketing is powerful and exciting but it is also a huge time suck. If your marketing is not carefully aligned with a larger plan, you may simply be feeding another industry: the DIY Dream Machine.

William Ury: The walk from "no" to "yes" | Video on TED.com

2010-11-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

Very interesting TED Talk by William Ury author of Getting To Yes. He discusses the role of community, the 'third side', in reaching consensus.

William Ury: The walk from "no" to "yes" | Video on TED.com

Why you don't get anything done at the office...

2010-11-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

Take a look at this TED Talk by Jason Fried of 37signals. He argues that the traditional office structure is counterproductive to getting real work done. If you haven't read it yet his book Rework is a must.

You can read my conversation with Jason on entrepreneurship and the music business in a previous blog post.

Another excellent read on productivity is The Way We're Working Isn't Working by Tony Schwartz of The Energy Project.

The amazing Sid Jacobs pays tribute to Jimmy Wyble...

2010-11-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

On April 17, 2010 a host of guitarists paid tribute to the late, great Jimmy Wyble. Sid Jacob's performances particularly hit me. I have the honor to share a chair in the LA Wirechoir with Sid and I am always in awe of his guitar mastery.

Terry Carter documented the concert and you can follow the link to both of Sid's performances here:

Sid Jacobs from the Jimmy Wyble Tribute

Jimmy was an extraordinary musician and human being who deeply touched everyone who knew him. The memorial concert was heartfelt, drawing stellar musicians from all over the country to pay tribute to this wonderful man. Thank you Jimmy!

Enjoy Sid Jacobs' Gershwin medley below...

Social Media Marketing: Is This Really a Conversation?

2010-11-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

Social media is hyped as a powerful tool for ‘connecting’ with your audience. While the technology creates this potential, my experience has been that most social media usage is essentially one-way, direct mail.

There are many people I have relationships with in the ‘real’ world whose communications with me via Facebook, email, Twitter, etc. are unsolicited self-promotion, certainly not a ‘conversation’. This can be annoying, and the net effect is to reduce the level of trust and credibility. When I receive unsolicited promotional material from strangers I immediately cross them off the list.

When we opt-in we intentionally agree to accept ongoing promotional blasts but we can always unsubscribe if these communications don’t add value.

An authentic conversation adds value in both directions. The real question to ask yourself is, “How can I help you?”

If a band or artist I follow comments on a post of mine it means something, and of course it works the other way around.

Before you hit the ‘Send’ button think about what you are really giving to your audience.

Career Tracks: Chi McClean, Part 3

2010-11-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

Photo by Andrew Keller

Chi McClean is an independent singer-songwriter currently touring in support of his 2009 release, Something Out There.

In Part 3 of our conversation Chi discusses music publishing, endorsements, branding, and his next release.

Read Part 1 Read Part 2

How are you handling your music publishing?

CM: I set up McClean Music Publishing. I received my first BMI check a few months ago and it (the importance of publishing) really hit home for me. The more I know, the less I know (about publishing). It’s a labyrinth. I went to a Music Row Magazine awards festival at BMI in Nashville. I also met with Stage Three Music Publishing. (Songwriting ) is huge business down there.

At a certain point whether it’s managers, booking agents, or publishing, it’s about bandwidth and how much you can realistically tackle in a meaningful way. You’re not doing yourself any good if you’re spread too thin.

What’s the timeline on your new record?

CM: I hope to have it out by the holidays. I think it’s going to be more focused on the songs. We were talking earlier about what people react to. I think it will be a simple, honest record. I’ve found my voice a bit more. There are some good songs here.

You have endorsements with Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings. How did you put that together and how have the endorsements worked for you?

CM: Whether I had an endorsement or not, I love my Taylor. (I’ve been playing them) since 1999. I’ve been playing a lot of alternate tunings. On stage it’s a pain to retune in-between songs. So, I put together a kit. You have to have a press kit, a calendar, an album out, and show that you’ve got something going on and you’re serious. (Taylor) has been really helpful, not only with guitars but with career advice. Taylor is very well networked. They’ve got Dave Matthews, Taylor Swift, Jason Mraz, Leo Kotke, and Doyle Dykes Signature models. Through them (Taylor Guitars) I got an introduction to the Elixir Strings artist program.

Do you do clinics for them?

CM: I don’t. I’d be delighted to. They’ve been so supportive to me. I give them a shout out whenever I can. I don’t really have to do anything. At gigs people come up to me, “What kind of guitar are you playing? What are those strings?” “Well, it’s funny you should ask…” (laughs). It just sounds really good.

Whatever you’re doing, it comes back to being in the relationship business. I just think it’s really important to try and stay in touch. Simple things, wish somebody a Happy Birthday… I once saw a quote, something like, “They’re not going to remember your music. They’re not going to remember anything about you except how you made them feel.”

What are your thoughts on the ‘1,000 true fans’ theory? Can you make a living off a dedicated segment of the Long Tail?

CM: I think you can do it but it’s hard. You have to control your expenses at home and be out on the road. If you build that network of places to stay you can make a go of it. 1,000 people is nothing to shake a stick at. If you have 1,000 people you can really communicate with, who will respond to your emails and come to your shows, that’s powerful. I think it’s manageable. You have to control your expenses carefully. I’ve been looking into crowdsourcing. As an independent musician you have to get really creative.

How do think about your brand?

CM: It’s tricky. I come from a marketing background but my focus has been on the music and getting out there. Keyboardist/singer Dave Yaden has been telling me I need to dress like a rock star and walk like a rock star to the point where the first thing that goes through someone’s mind when they see you on the street is, “What band is that guy in?” If you’re a lawyer you wear a suit. If you’re a baseball player, you wear a uniform. There’s a certain look. If you’re a musician, that’s your job. That really stuck with me. Figure out who you are and go for it. Like my music, I just want to be honest and who I am, but in this day and age everything is so competitive, you have to develop a brand that goes beyond your music. It’s a whole marketing package.

I was fortunate enough to work with the Art Director from the last company who did all my packaging design and developed a logo for me. It’s important to think about what you’re saying with your CD cover, your posters, your emails.

What’s your long range plan?

CM: To keep this sustainable. Make records, keep playing. The plan is to develop a plan (laughs)…

You can find out more about Chi McClean and his music at: www.chimcclean.com

California Copyright Conference : “The Music Industry: A Survival Guide for the Future”

2010-10-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Tuesday evening’s panel at the California Copyright Conference dinner in Sherman Oaks was quite upbeat considering the many uncertainties of these times. The panel, moderated by Shawn LeMone, ASCAP’s VP of Film/TV and Visual Media, and Diane Snyder-Ramirez, VP of Royalty Accounting and Administration at The Royalty Review Council, consisted of:

Russell Emanuel, CEO, Extreme Music
Amanda Marks, EVP/GM, Universal Music Distribution
Patrick Russo, Principal, The Salter Group
Kari Kimmell, Recording Artist and Songwriter
Victor Rodriguez, Music Director THQ, Inc.

The theme for the evening was, “synch licensing.” Traditional music industry boundaries continue to blur and each panelist discussed evolving practices from their individual perspectives.

Patrick Russo began the discussion with an entertainment industry revenue analysis. The larger segment is growing and diversifying, although music revenues will continue to decline. The good news is, music is ubiquitous and a key component in a wide palette of entertainment properties. This creates new opportunities for licensing and publishing revenues.

Russell Emanuel described the huge shifts in the music library business. The industry is moving into what was once considered independent label territory. Extreme Music is courting independent, niche artists (mostly songwriters) rather than the more traditional jack-of-all-trades composers.

Victor Rodriguez is producing video game scores with traditional film composers as well as scoring entire properties from music libraries. Music is being licensed for virtual social networks and multiple co-branding opportunities are emerging across media platforms.

Kari Kimmell’s music has been featured in over 100 film and television shows. She controls her catalog and handles the licensing and business development with music supervisors herself. Although business takes up 50% of her time these days, Kari is very excited about the successes and opportunities available to her as an independent artist.

Amanda Marks is anticipating a surge of tablet devices, providing a compelling entertainment experience for consumers. She is excited about the potential of apps to filter music, cutting through the noise in the channel and bringing the cream to the top. App developing tools are becoming more affordable and available to artists. Amanda feels that music distribution will be firmly ensconced in the cloud in a few years. A licensed experience where listeners can get anything, anytime, anywhere, will be a game-changing alternative to pirated music.

Revenue opportunities for creators are a mix of licensing fees, back-end residuals and exposure (the highly coveted “Chyron”). How these trends can benefit musicians working in non-pop genres is not as clear but one thing is certain: The music industry is a moving target, accelerating every day. The keys to “Survival” are making great music, working hard, and staying ahead of new revenue opportunities.

Career Tracks: Chi McClean, Part 2

2010-10-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

In Part Two of my conversation with indie singer-songwriter Chi McClean we discuss the importance of building personal relationships with fans and industry partners and the challenges of doing it all yourself…
Chi is currently recording his second record. You can find out more about Chi on his website: www.chimcclean.com and pick up his music at CD Baby, Amazon.com, and the iTunes Store.

Read Part One of our conversation here...

You are handling PR and marketing yourself. What’s working for you? How do you decide the best ways to invest your time?

CM: I pick my battles. If I’m going out on a tour, I’ll look at those markets, figure out what the weeklies are (and) target the music writers who have been writing stuff I genuinely like. You have to show that you are interested in them. For example, I got this great review in the San Francisco Chronicle. I liked this guy’s style of writing. I liked the artists that he covered. In my email to him I told him, “I really enjoyed (your) article about so and so, I heard him on KFOG, but this other guy (you) recommended I’d never heard of. I checked out his music and it’s awesome, a great find. What other artists could you recommend? Incidentally I just came out with a new CD (laughs). Do you ever write about independent musicians?” Within ten minutes I got an email back. I know that’s a total exception to the rule, because it’s so much about luck, but I think that stuff helps.

You never know what people are going to be interested in. You have to figure out what’s unique and original, and different about you. For me, when I’m going up and down the coast it can be surfing. There’s a guy who has a surfing blog and is also a music writer. We happened to connect through a booking agent. We start talking about surfing and next thing you know he’s doing a feature on me. That helped me promote the shows in the area. It’s challenged me to think about the other stuff I do that might be of interest to people. You have to figure out, what’s the story? Is there something deeper to tell?

Are you using Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch with fans?

CM: Facebook is the most productive for me. I use it for all of my show invites. Sending an email blindly, often times you just get nothing. With Facebook you have an opportunity to re-engage people. I use Twitter. I use Posterous. It’s free. You can set it up to feed Twitter, Facebook, your own blog, any number of social networking sites. I’ll take a photo with my phone of a set list or a marquee. It’s a really easy way to get stuff up there.

Are you blogging? Do you get a lot of comments?

CM: More often than not I’ll get comments on the blog posts on Facebook. I try to do it every day. Sometimes I run out of time, or the surf is really good! (laughs). It’s important to do it every day. You have to give people a reason to come back to your site.

Have you found it helpful to attend industry seminars?

CM: The first time I went to SXSW was really cool. So much of this business is common sense but it takes on a different tone when you hear it from somebody else. There were some demo listening panels that were helpful. The discussions on music publishing and licensing were interesting. I went again last year (and) felt that the panels didn’t change enough. The networking was helpful, not even talking about music. At the end of the conversation you exchange cards (and) both realize you can help each other in some way. I found out about the unofficial showcases. You just have to meet a couple of people then suddenly you’re showcasing SXSW. (It) means a lot when you can put that on your Sonicbids gig calendar.

West Coast Songwriters has been very helpful. They have monthly songwriting competitions. You get feedback from judges and get the temperature of the local songwriting scene. You can see who’s doing what, figure out if there are other people you might want to share the bill with.

How do you update your email list?

CM: I get fans on Facebook or ReverbNation, but mostly it’s going out and playing shows. One of the toughest things, especially if you’re traveling alone, is to pack up quickly and get out there and start working the crowd, selling CDs, giving away stickers, getting people on the email list. If people like you they want to know where you’re playing again. If you go out and talk to them you meet some pretty cool people. That’s the way to build a meaningful list of people that are going to stay your fans.

Are you selling more CDs or downloads?

CM: (Online) I’m selling more downloads than physical CDs. The CD Baby admin tool tells you who streamed (or) downloaded what song from what service, and your net earnings. Whenever I tour I see a spike in CD sales and downloads. I sell CDs on the road when I’m playing.

Are you giving away music or using freemium strategies?

CM: I haven’t yet and I’m trying to figure out if I want to for this next one. I’m thinking it may be an added value; if you buy the CD, you also get something that wouldn’t be on the record like a solo acoustic performance. I want to get something in return if I’m giving something. I gave away pint glasses at shows if you signed up on the email list. That’s relatively cheap for a good email contact. People want to support you but you have to give them choices.

Are you getting terrestrial and/or Internet radio play? How’s that driving traffic to your gigs?

CM: I’m getting a little college radio through places that I’ve played. There are Chi McCLean stations on Pandora and Last.fm.

Showcase gigs are sometimes 40 minutes or less. You plan something for the day, playing in a bookstore or a radio interview to promote the show that night. Also, rallying the people who are on your email list. It’s about giving people a reason to come back and see you again. It can be hard to find time to really meet (fans) and hang out. When people come out to see your show it means a lot, especially in a town like LA.

Where are you seeing the most revenue, live shows, CD sales, downloads?

CM: It’s gigs. That’s where I connect with people and sell CDs. You drive people to the online stuff when you’re not touring in their area.

Are you pursuing a traditional record deal? What are your thoughts on the pros and cons for your career today and in the future?

CM: It would be really helpful in some ways; a marketing machine to help build a brand identity, (getting) bookings as a supporting act for a more established artist...there is stuff to be gained but you give up a lot in terms of ownership. I’d like to do that but it would all depend on the contract. At the level I’m at right now there is no reason I can’t build my own team. You need to have an established business before they (labels and managers) are going to consider you.

Have you been using online marketing platforms like Topspin or Nimbit?

CM: At the level I’m at ReverbNation is (a good fit). Topspin is really interesting. I’m on all these online sites but I don’t know anything about the person who is streaming or buying downloads. For the physical sales CD Baby gives me an address and an email. That’s great. I can send thank you notes and collect that data. It’s weird not being able to correspond with your customers. With Topspin I think you can. One of the things I’m looking at for this next record is crowd-sourcing.

One of the biggest challenges for me is time management. Where should you be spending your time? I think the answer is, on everything! You can’t afford to not do anything. You need to keep writing music and practicing. You need to book shows with a minimum two to three month lead time. You need to send out posters, make phone calls to confirm, reach out to the press. You need to keep reaching out to your fans and remind the venue that you’re coming and make sure everything’s good. You have to figure out a place to stay and how you’re making money to pay for all this stuff (laughs). None of it is hard in and of itself, but it’s an exercise in time management, discipline, and follow up. It is easy to feel like you’re getting nowhere then when it rains it pours. Somebody you have been contacting for a year suddenly has a slot. You go down, play a gig and establish a (long-term) relationship. The sales pipeline is so unpredictable. One guy said he had 100 MySpace messages a day. Even if you write the best email and your music is awesome, what’s the likelihood that he will even see your email?

What are your priorities in building a team? What questions would you ask to vet potential partners?

CM: Before you do anything with PR you have to have something to talk about. You need a record, then you book shows. The first thing for me would be a booking agent and a PR team to send out posters and contact local press. Booking shows that are pairing me up with people on that next level, bigger venues, getting me more exposure. I’m doing OK on my own but I’d much rather be playing every night.

I’m a lot further along (than a year ago). Exposure will ultimately be the most valuable thing to me in the long term.

Are you going after synch licenses, or writing for other people as revenue streams?How are you managing your publishing catalog?

CM: I went aggressively after music supervisors. “We’ll keep it on file.” (laughs). Who knows? I wish I had bounced instrumental takes of everything from the first record. A lot of places want background music.

I have a song preloaded on a Phillips MP3 player. I retained the relationships I made at Liquid Audio. People get word that you’re trying to do this for a living and they want to help if they can, if they like your music. One friend of mine in that space has been a great supporter of my music. God bless him! You never know. Suddenly you get a phone call, it’s a free thing but there are 50,000 players out there or something. It’s really amazing what some people will do.

Career Tracks: Chi McClean, Part 1

Musician Profile: Putter and VR Smith

2010-09-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

Thelonious Monk, James Bond, and a life of music…

Jazz bassist Putter Smith and his wife, singer VR Smith, have devoted their lives to music and the arts. The music room in their South Pasadena home is filled with instruments, original artwork, and oriental rugs; a welcoming refuge from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.

Putter is a Southern California jazz legend who has worked with an astonishing array of great musicians including: Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Diane Schuur, Lee Konitz, Bruce Forman, Jackie and Roy, Carmen McRae, Gary Foster, Art Farmer, Blue Mitchell, Erroll Garner, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Mason Williams, Percy Faith, Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, The Manhattan Transfer, and Johnny Mathis, to name but a few. He worked steadily in the Los Angeles rock and roll recording scene, playing on classic records by Sonny and Cher, The Beach Boys, The Righteous Brothers and many more. Putter had a brief acting career, playing the villainous, “Mr. Kidd” in the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever. He is highly sought as a performer and teacher and is currently on the faculty at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.

Originally from the now infamous Bell, CA, Putter began playing bass at a young age. “My brother Carson Smith was a famous bass player.” he told me in a recent conversation. “He had gone to New York when I was eight and had left a little half size bass I used to fool around with. By the time I was eleven I was playing along with his records.” Putter’s first paying gig was at the Compton Community Center playing a bass with only three strings. “I think I made three dollars and I was stoked. Making money as a musician!”

VR Smith began singing in the Los Angeles area over ten years ago and has recorded two CDs of jazz standards, 2004’s VR & The Cafe Beaujolais Band, Lost and Found and her 2009 recording, Beautiful Love, both available at CD Baby. VR acted in improvisational theatre for many years before beginning her singing career. “We did workshops in colleges.” VR says. “Robin Williams came out of one of those. He had so much information he could just incorporate into his “in-the-moment” spiel. (We) always felt like we had really done something there.” VR began singing regularly in a band with Putter and guitarist Dave Koonse at The Cafe Beaujolais In Eagle Rock. “We worked there for six and a half years and brought a lot of people in.” VR says. “The food was great and we were in the newspaper every week.” In those days the LA Times reported on jazz in the weekly Calendar section but has since dropped local coverage.

VR’s vocal style is intentional and introspective. “The words have to mean something to me.” she says. “Having acted I learned that you have different choices on how you say a thing. I try to let the tune be the focus and let the words fall into that.”

Putter and VR met when invited by friends to witness the first performance of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. “Neither of us had ever heard of The Beatles.” says Putter. “We were into Charlie Parker!” VR adds.

Putter played bass on many famous rock and roll records recorded in the 1960s, including The Beach Boys', Good Vibrations. “They did something like 25 different dates.” said Putter. Seeking greater musical challenges he turned his focus back to jazz. “I decided I didn’t want to do that any more. That isn’t why I played music.” he recalls. “When you’re a musician it’s because you want to play music. There are so many better ways to make money. (At times) I regretted it because we really scuffled. Then when I was in my early forties it turned around.”
  
Putter’s time spent with iconic jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk has been a cornerstone in his career. “I heard him live years before I played with him and I thought it sounded like (Hungarian composer, Béla) Bártok.” Putter says, “Very modern and at the same time having that old New Orleans background to it. Monk had five-tuplets together. That kind of infuses his time feel. People say he plays these triplets that are dragging, but they’re perfect fives. He was a real intellectual guy. That’s what people miss.”  “I was a young, white jazz musician in the 60s when Black Power was prevalent.” Putter continues. “We had this great history in jazz of what they used to call, ‘integration’, long before anybody else. I’ve always tried to go into any gig with someone who has a rep, with a clean brain. All of the media on Monk made him out to be a mysterious, strange person. But I knew from my own experience that whatever they say in the media is almost always wrong. (Thelonious) was a beautiful person. He was like a fountain of sweetness.”

“I got the call because I had done quite a bit of transcription of his (music). I had about two weeks (to prepare) and borrowed every record I could and went through everything. I flew up there. No book, no rehearsal. I go into the dressing room, twenty minutes before the gig. There’s Thelonious, smoking a cigarette and doing his dervish thing, spinning around, and saying cryptic things. Finally he stops and looks at me and says, ‘Are you the new bass player?’ He had this rough, Hell’s Kitchen voice. I said, ‘Yeah’, and he says, ‘White is right.’ (laughs). I knew at that moment that everything was cool.”  “We got on the stand and the first tune he plays is one he never recorded, a beautiful tune called Ugly Beauty. By the end of the second chorus I had it down because I knew the ‘Monkisms’. I knew his vocabulary. He gave me a few more little tests. By the third night I was in. I wish I could have spent twenty years with him.”

While Putter was working with Thelonious Monk at the famous LA jazz club, Shelly’s Mann-Hole, he caught the eye of the director of the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever. “I got a call about three months later and went down, thinking they wanted a bass sideline.” recalls Putter. “They handed me a script and next thing you know I’m in a James Bond movie. I could not believe it!”

Putter’s bass playing is rich and expressive. He is intently focused when he plays, finding the center of each note and listening deeply to the musicians around him. “Being a musician is something that takes focus, disciple, and regular, unrelenting practice and study.” he told me. “If you want to be an improviser you need to improvise almost every day. To me a performance is 90 minutes of full out playing with someone. It doesn’t matter where or for who. It’s always your full effort.”  “I equate jazz to poetry.” Putter says. “I feel like this music is going to live forever like Bach. It’s a great thing to have in your life, you know, a reason to live.”

Video: Putter Smith, VR Smith and pianist Jim Szilagyi perform George and Ira Gershwin's, ‘Love Walked In’

Career Tracks: Chi McClean, Part 1

2010-09-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

Photo by Andrew Keller

This is Part 1 of an interview with indie artist, Chi McClean, the latest installment in the occasional Career Tracks series of interviews. You can read Part Two of our conversation here.

Chi McClean is a singer-songwriter with an intimate, down-home style and classic California good looks. Originally from New York, Chi moved to California to sample the surf and take a shot at the music business. With the release of his 2009 debut recording, Something Out There, (co-produced by Chi and Boone Spooner) he dove full-time into the indie DIY life, touring extensively across the United States. Chi has performed live on national television (The Early Show) and earned several songwriting and performance awards. He is sponsored by Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings, is touring continually, and in pre-production for his next record. On a recent stop in Los Angeles we had a chance to talk about music, the importance of building relationships, marketing yourself, and the power of the national media.

You can find out more about Chi on his website: www.chimcclean.com and pick up his music at Amazon.com, CD Baby, and the iTunes Store.

Your songs have been described in the media as “Southern Rock” or “Classic Rock”. What do you think is unique about your music and the way it connects with people?

CM: People say that the recordings and the live performances, particularly when it’s just me and a percussionist...it’s an honest and true performance. People like the fact that you can hear the squeak in the guitar strings and some flubbed notes. They identify with that and like that it’s not over-produced.

There’s a directness and an honesty. That’s what I get…

CM: There’s a lot of introspective stuff in there. I think people grab onto that as well.

You have been touring in different parts of the country to support this record. Where have you gotten the best response? How would you describe your audience?

CM: The release at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco was awesome. I find that on the Central Coast of California, the beach towns, people seem to really latch onto the music. Most of the time I’m touring solo. I sell a bunch of CDs. I get radio play.

Are you selling merchandise as well?

CM: Mostly CDs. I have some glasses and stickers. I have yet to design a t-shirt!

You’re a surfer. Do people know that about you?

CM: I think so..long blond hair, flip flops, sunburned (laughs)! On my website (www.chimcclean.com) there’s some talk about surfing. Generally when I go up and down the California coast I’ve got my boards with me. On the blog there’s always a picture of ‘break of the day’ or whatever it is.

Has your ability to do solo gigs given you a better opportunity to build an audience?

CM: Honestly, for me, it’s the only way to really do it. I would love to have a band that was really well rehearsed and play out with them all the time, but it’s just too expensive to do. Logistically it’s really hard. A lot of (industry) people have told me, “If you write something, make sure you can play it solo.” It makes sense now that I’m out there.

You’ve got to be able to stand on the song too…

CM: Exactly.

You worked with independent artists and record labels at Liquid Audio in the early days of Internet music distribution...really the first wave of Internet-driven DIY. You also have a background in sales and marketing. What have you been able to apply to your music career from those experiences?

CM: There are all these one-stop shops. For example, I printed my stuff through Oasis. You print 1,000 CDs, they have a hook-up with CD Baby, within a month you’re up in iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody, Walmart. It’s just so easy to get your music in as many place as possible so people can easily find it.

I’ve got a background in sales, marketing and business development but the most important thing is just being a nice guy on the phone, being persistent but friendly, doing what you say you’re going to do, sending things on time, showing up on time, being honest with people. If you are trying to play somewhere you’ve never played before and they ask you what your draw is, don’t tell them you can bring 100 people and have 5 people show up. That’s going to be catastrophic for you and it’s not going to do the venue any good. Like any business, it’s all about relationships.

Put yourself in their shoes. They deal with maybe a thousand people in a week, just blasting them with music. How do you make your email stand out, and if you’re lucky enough to get the gig, how do you make sure they remember you? Maybe they won’t remember your music but they might remember if you did something nice for them, if you offered to coil some cables at the end of the show, asked how they were, or just said ‘thank you’. Even if the mix wasn’t any good, you say it was good (laughs)! Send a ‘thank you’ note after the gig. I think people remember that. Many of the people who book (venues) are also musicians. Maybe you can offer to book a show where you’re from, or turn them onto some musicians that are hot. Share contacts in a way that builds relationships.

At the most fundamental level you need to have music that people are going to like, but, it really is a relationship business. If you get the call for a local support act when a big name comes through town, they might be thinking, ”The last band was great but they were complaining about the mix the whole time. This guy is really nice. He showed up on time and did what he said he was going to do. He promoted the pants off of the gig and the mix engineer thought he was a nice guy. He was really easy to work with.” They want the easiest possible thing. Have everything lined up so they can just email you once.

How did you build your website?

CM: My friend Boone Spooner is also a web designer. He was really instrumental in getting everything online. He arranged the site so I can add, edit, and create content. Everything is set to go. He was a huge help.

You recently appeared on national television on The Early Show. How did you hook that up and what did the exposure do for you?

CM: A good friend in that business liked my music enough to make some introductions and get my CD into the hands of the right people. It was a really amazing experience. I think I sold, in a day or two, over a thousand downloads, and a bunch of CDs, a big spike for me. It was also a great resume builder. I can say when I’m trying to book a show, “I just recently played on national television, CBS, The Early Show.” That’s a huge help. People start to pay attention. I may have an invitation to come back when this new record comes out which is fantastic.

Career Tracks: Chi McClean, Part Two

Can Positive Deviance identify successful outliers in the music industry?

2010-08-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Positive Deviance (PD) is an approach to problem-solving that has proven to be highly effective at facilitating systemic social change in situations that appear hopeless or intractable. The basic idea is simple: focus on the successful exceptions, not the failing norm. In their fascinating book, The Power of Positive Deviance - How Unlikely Innovators Solve the World's Toughest Problems authors Jerry Sternin. Monique Sternin, and Richard Pascale, present case studies describing applications of PD including; arresting the epidemic of childhood malnutrition in Vietnam, reducing the practice of female circumcision in Egypt, and decreasing infection rates in US hospitals.

"The basic premise is this: (1) Solutions to seemingly intractable problems already exist, (2) they have been discovered by members of the community itself, and (3) these innovators (positive deviants) have succeeded even though they share the same barriers and constraints as others." -The Power of Positive Deviance, Harvard Business Press, Boston MA 2010

PD is a 'bottom up' approach driven by the community itself. Facilitators do not act as experts but ask the questions that will help the community identify its own successful outliers. Once the community has discovered how its own members are able to succeed against all odds, they can scale these solutions and integrate them into their culture.

While the music industry is much too eclectic and broad to apply this approach unilaterally, it occurs to me that a PD perspective can be helpful in identifying successful trends. Clearly, the DIY dream will not replace the traditional record industry, but nonetheless, individual success stories can scale across specific industry segments. Professional musicians continually adapt their career models to accommodate disruptive changes in technology and business.

What’s working for you?

Record Labels & Modern Music Industry Careers

2010-08-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

In the DIY discussions of the last ten years the utopian idea that artists somehow don’t need "record labels" has been promulgated as the beginning of a new era, but how that career management void would be filled has never been entirely clear. In the most general sense, a “record label” is the total, organizing, business entity that markets an artist, directs their career, and distributes their music. Whether a boutique imprint run by the artist themselves, or a larger partner entity or team, the basic model is the same and the need has never gone away.

The downfall of the major record label system has largely been driven by a lack of scalability and a serious loss of the musical vision that started this industry in the first place. In the Fifties and Sixties record labels were more genre specific and run by business people that were fanatical about the music they sold. Years of consolidation and a focus on generating profits by selling new formats, as opposed to creating extraordinary new music, made the industry less competitive in the face of rapidly developing digital technologies. The label business became dependent on creating massive profits from international mega-hits. The ‘middle-class’ models for marketing artists to smaller, dedicated, sustainable audiences fell by the wayside. For example, jazz, roots, or classical musicians who at one time maintained longstanding relationships with independent labels began bouncing from imprint to imprint as these once highly focused companies were assimilated by the corporate borg, soon disappearing altogether.

Today an artist starts as their own label (whatever that may look like), learns the business, and grows into the right partnerships as their career develops. There is a greater need than ever before for independent record labels, that are focused, frugal, and run by smart business people who are absolutely passionate about the music they promote. It takes a strong, dedicated team to build and sustain a music career amidst all the noise of today’s world.

Entrepreneurship and the New Music Industry

2010-07-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

I recently interviewed Jason Fried, co-founder of technology company 37signals for Berklee Today magazine. The article draws parallels between starter companies and music careers. If you haven't done so already check out 37signals' great little business book, Rework.

Thanks to Mark Small at Berklee Today for making this happen...

You can read the full article here:

Entrepreneurship and the New Music Industry

Don't Go For The Masses, Go Direct-To-Fan

2010-07-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

Reblog from Hypebot.com:

Don't Go For The Masses, Go Direct-To-Fan

Author: Kyle Bylin - www.hypebot.com
Major labels are mass marketing power giants; it’s what they do. Before the advent of the social web, they were the only way to reach the masses. Due to their influence on commercial radio stations, big-box retail outlets, and television, much of this remains to be true. If an artist wants the general public to become familiar with their music and know the all words to their songs at the next show, then having the financial support of a major label will help them achieve this feat.

What’s interesting though, is that despite decades of experience in breaking new artists, major labels still have no idea whether or not their mass marketing is working until the end. Online analytics, small boosts in sales, viral YouTube videos, and conversations—these all serve as little cues that something is starting to happen, but there’s no way to tell when the point of reaching critical mass been achieved. That is, until it actually occurs. The blockbuster album.

Now, contrast this with the experience of a direct-to-fan marketing manager and an indie artist they represent. Through its easy for both parties to default into thinking like a major label, to try and reach the masses and put off the moment of understanding how successful their marketing has been until the campaign is over—that’s just not how going direct-to-fan works. From the very beginning, the direct-fan-marketer knows if their promotional efforts are working. Why? Because they must get it right in the small. An email can be sent to 100 fans and if it gets a great response rate, only then can it be mailed off to several thousands more.

“Get it right for ten people before you rush around scaling up to a thousand,”writes marketer and author Seth Godin. “It's far less romantic than spending money at the start, but it's the reliable, proven way to get to scale if you care enough to do the work.” In other words, artists need to remind themselves not to go for the masses, when they can go direct, one fan at a time, slowly scaling up, until their message and their music is truly ready to be hard. After all, a failed marketing campaign is much easier to fix early on. If an artist is trying to reach the masses, then like a major label, they won’t know if they’ve failed till the end.

Author: Kyle Bylin - www.hypebot.com

Using the "IKEA Effect" to connect with your audience

2010-06-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

In his new book, The Upside of Irrationality - The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home, behavioral economist Dan Ariely describes the psychological effects of ownership and creation, what he calls “The IKEA Effect”. In a nutshell, we tend to overvalue what we create or work on. This phenomenon is well documented and anyone who has put together IKEA furniture or lovingly shown off pictures of their kids understands this immediately.

Marketers have exploited this human trait for years. A classic example cited in the book: the instant baking mix products introduced in the 1940s. Initially these all-in-one mixes did not catch the interest of housewives, but when the formula was changed to require adding eggs and oil the market took off.

This effect partially explains the popularity of blogging and user-generated-content on the Internet. Musicians have built strong connections with their fans by encouraging them to contribute, through remixes, blog comments, videos, graphic design contests, etc.

As musicians, do we overvalue our creations? Of course. Music is an extension of who we are and what we stand for. It will always have a unique flavor to its author.

All artists need to put in the hours every day; creating the conditions necessary to welcome The Muse, irrespective of the marketplace. See Steven Pressfield’s classic, the War of Art for the definitive word on this subject. When we change hats to take care of business we must be very clear that making something for others to use is different from making something for yourself alone. Not such a problem when getting paid to write music for a commercial, but a little more challenging when trying to figure out what to do with original work.

Good, objective feedback from trusted collaborators and partners is essential. “Trust" is the key word here. The most meaningful insights come from people who understand business but also truly get your vision and your values.

If we cannot distinguish the two processes we run the risk of compromising our work in an attempt to be more “commercial” or repeat past successes, or we simply give up on taking care of the business side of our careers.

Netflix plan is to stay focused

2010-06-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting slideshow from Netflix (repost from 37signals blog). Their strategy continues to be focusing on their unique niche and great customer experience. Worth a look!

Netflix plan is to stay focused

Composer John Adams on concentration..

2010-06-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice post by composer John Adams on the challenge of Concentration when composing music. From his blog: Hell Mouth.

Enjoy!

Jazz as a business model

2010-06-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

OK, let's face it. It's not easy making money as a jazz musician. As a matter of fact, today it is probably more difficult than it has ever been. The audience is understandably small because the music is sophisticated. It requires the listener's complete attention and an inherent interest in the format. Nonetheless there are two things the mainstream music industry can learn from jazz:

The artist and the music are the central focus rather than the particular revenue stream or distribution vehicle.
The music has to be truly extraordinary to differentiate the artist and attract an audience.

Look at the big guys. I'm sure Keith Jarrett has done very well selling CDs over the course of his career yet there are myriad ways he can make money because it's all about who he is and what happens when he sits down at the piano. No one else can offer the world what he can.

Ask yourself, how many mainstream pop artists pass that test? There are entire genres of music that are intentionally imitative and mediocre; trendy, lightweight, stylized fluff.

Let's get our perspective straight. Sure, if the sugar water industry suddenly collapsed it would be a huge financial adjustment for many people, but let's not forget, this stuff is not actual food. It's unhealthy for regular human consumption.

Since the traditional record industry is collapsing why don't we think about rebuilding our business models on something substantial, something that really matters and adds value to the world.

Taking care of business - We're all self-employed

2010-06-09T07:52:00.000-07:00

Reading Paul Resnikoff's essay this morning it occurred to me that the 'vehicle' for the future of the music business will be a completely individualized start-up mentality. Everything has changed; what it means to be a performer, a recording artist, a songwriter, an instrumentalist, a composer, a music publisher, a record label... As long as we hang on to the old paradigms we won't see opportunities for the future.

Apple dropped Computer from their name because they're about something bigger; challenging the status quo and and building things that empower individuals. They practically own the word, "i". Computers, smart-phones and music downloads are manifestations of their larger identity. Think like a start up or a game-changing company. Why do you do what you do, how do you add value to the world, and how can you make money with the gifts you give?

Professional musicians have always worn multiple hats and been less dependent on CD sales as their primary source of revenue. Ask yourself what your favorite musicians stand for. What is their vision of music and how have they organized their lives around that commitment?

CDs are a by-product of something much bigger. If we continue to focus on the rapidly shrinking 'what' and 'how' of the past we'll miss the opportunity to do something exceptional today. Get back to why you make music. Forget about how the music business is supposed to work and visualize creating something unique, powerful, and profitable.

Alex Ross of Unquiet Thoughts

2010-06-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

A nice interview with New Yorker music writer Alex Ross....

Alex Ross interview

Thanks to the good folks at We All Make Music!

Why Do You Do It? - Pt. 2

2010-05-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

Most record labels were started by people who loved a particular type of music and wanted to share their passion. They liked to make money, but most were driven by a real love for music. Labels had unique identities - Atlantic, Delmark, Blue Note, Reprise, Prestige, Columbia, Nonesuch, Verve, Folkways, Deutsche Grammophon... As I discovered music I felt a clear loyalty to particular labels that has been absent for decades.

As the record business grew the focus shifted to what they did and how they did it - throwing money at radio, creating mega-stars, selling CDs, music video, etc. By the dawn of the Internet age the music business had been replaced by the CD-selling business. Lacking consensus and visionary leadership the industry completely missed the huge opportunity presented by technology companies like Liquid Audio and Napster. Steve Jobs stepped in to pick up the pieces which is pretty remarkable when you think about it. Apple is all about Why and they understand how music works in people’s lives. So what can we learn and what happens next?

Why first, execution 2nd…

The music aggregators of the future may not look like old-school record labels, but I don’t think success will be based on a particular distribution methodology. The opportunity is for smart business people and artists to get back to the Why of music and build from there. Smart execution is key to creating a profitable business and distinguishing yourself in today’s flattened, over-supplied, music world is a formidable challenge. But first you need to know what you stand for and why you are doing what you do. If that starts to get fuzzy, your business will fade into the noise with everybody else.

Why Do You Do It? - Pt. 1

2010-05-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

Reading Simon Sinek’s new book, Start with Why I was struck by his statement that, “...people don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.” Sinek describes a simple formula he calls the Golden Circle. The center ring is WHY, the middle circle, HOW, and the outer circle, WHAT. Most businesses he says, talk about WHAT and HOW, but real leaders start with WHY and work outward. WHY is what creates loyalty whether in business, politics, or the arts. I ask myself why I still listen to certain artists and particular pieces of music after decades. It’s not great technique or a killer sound that brings me back, it’s why they did what they did.

Someone told me a story about Ry Cooder many years ago. I don’t know if this is true, but supposedly Ry showed up at a recording studio for a session, to discover that his favorite recording console had been “upgraded” to the latest and greatest. The owner enthusiastically extolled the virtues of his new board but Ry just shook his head, said, “We won’t be making any music today….” and walked out the door. There’s a guy who know why he’s doing what he does.

When I asked LA indie band, Killola what makes them engaging to fans they said, “We tend to reveal ourselves in more realistic light, and show people that we're just regular folks who just happen to have this outlet for making music in a band. I think that lends to the accessibility.” Sounds like WHY to me.

37signals is a company that is all about WHY. They built Basecamp because it was the product they wanted to use. This flies in the face of conventional Product Management thinking, yet their approach has built a very profitable, devoted, user community.

Sinek talks extensively about Apple and Southwest Airlines. I recently booked air travel to a city that Southwest does not reach with direct flights. When I realized this I very, very, reluctantly switched airlines. Why this loyalty? Air travel is not a big deal for me one way or the other, but something about my experience with Southwest over the years has made them my default choice. WHY explains it.

Last month, Mark Small wrote a great article in Berklee Today speaking with a variety of Berklee alums about why they make music. When I hear great musicians it is food for my soul largely because there is absolutely no question at all why they are doing what they do. I talk about business models, marketing and all the rest, but let us not forget WHY. If music inspires and deeply moves us, that is the true compass we need to follow. The HOW and the WHAT will fall into line...

The Judson Studios

2010-05-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

The other day an architect friend took me to The Judson Studios in the Garvanza (Highland Park) neighborhood of Los Angeles to view a project in progress. I knew a little about the building but had never had the opportunity to meet the artisans or see their stunning stained glass work up close. Everything about this place exudes a deep love of beauty and an attention to detail that makes no compromise. It’s hard to believe this Southern California gem is only a few blocks away from Penny’s Hamburgers and the T-Shirt Warehouse.

William Lees Judson settled on the banks of the Arroyo Seco in 1893 and quickly became a driving force behind the Arroyo Guild of Craftsmen, fueling Southern California's Arts and Crafts movement. In the late 1890s he founded the Los Angeles College of Fine Arts at this location. In 1901 his art college became USC’s College of Fine Arts and remained in Garvanza until moving to the central campus in 1920.

Judson’s stained glass studio remains in the family to this day, producing profoundly beautiful work in a tradition unchanged by time. Horace Judson told the Highland Park News-Herald in 1940: “Here there is no rush. We work slowly and for perfection as they did six centuries ago.”

As I watched the artisans work I marveled at the way architects manipulate light to create beauty and a sense of well being. When we look away from a painting it is gone, but when the light has been channeled in our living and working spaces, it continually changes our experience whether we are aware of it or not. Stained glass transforms itself with the seasons and the daily cycles of light and dark. The tradition captures icons that surround us with the things we value most.

This beautiful place reminded me of music, which also shifts space around us, creating a dimension of beauty and a sensual aesthetic that goes beyond words. Enjoy these images from The Judson Studios web site.

Career Tracks: Killola

2010-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

Photo by Thaddeus Bridwell

I recently had the opportunity to speak with the excellent folks in Killola, a four piece “Hardpop Altcore” band formed in 2003 and based in Los Angeles. Consisting of Lisa Rieffel (lead vocals), Mike Ball, (guitar), Dan Grody (drums) and Johnny Dunn (bass), the band’s indie work ethic and unique blend of garage rock, punk, and pop/electronica has created a devoted international audience. The band tours regularly in the US and UK and has a strong Internet presence.

Killola were early Myspace adopters; they had songs posted on the site in late 2003. They have been consistently on the front edge of digital distribution and marketing, successfully deploying many innovative strategies including free tracks, USB flash-drive bracelets and Dog Tags, and a diverse, synergistic media presence. Lisa Rieffel is also an actress appearing in the upcoming feature film/rock-musical "Girltrash: All Night Long" (all the film's music by Killola) and an original cast member of The King of Queens. In 2007 Lisa and Johnny began hosting a weekly radio show (on Dave Navarro's personal Internet Radio Network 'Spread Radio Live') featuring a mix of music, interviews, fan interaction, and general mayhem.

The band’s first 4-song EP was released for free on stencil-screened CD-Rs packaged in hand painted sleeves. Their first formal record, "Louder, Louder!" was released in January 2006. It was recorded frugally and sold well on both and 7” vinyl, particularly in the UK. They released a live DVD/CD, "Live in Hollywood" in October 2006 and self-booked a UK tour in the summer of 2007. Their second album, "I Am The Messer" was released in April 2008 on CD and USB flash-drive wristbands which also included extra songs, photos, videos, and hidden 'easter eggs'. The album was made available for free download in August of that year through sponsorships with DW Drums and Skullcandy. The band has self-funded their own videos and has a killer iPhone app. Their website, blog and mobile presence are all seamlessly connected, keeping the engagement with fans strong. Their new album, "Let’s Get Associated" was announced in March 2010 and is available on USB flash-drive Dog Tags which include their entire CD back catalog.

Thanks to Wikipedia for parts of this history. You can read the full entry here.
Oh... did I mention that their website kills?
----------------------------------------------

Tell me a little about your musical background.
All 4 of us are all self-taught from a young age. And Dan (drummer) attended the LA Music Academy. We learned songwriting by trial and error, gauging what works through incessant home-demoing - and re-demoing, and rehearsing. We like a brisk pace... for us, Songwriting Faster > Songwriting Slower. Less time to question things.

Can you describe what makes Killola’s music and vibe so engaging?
That's probably better answered by fans/listeners...I suppose we try to be personally accessible, and 'real'…. A lot of bands really try to shine themselves up, in their bios for example, to be angelic or plastic, and that truly comes off holier-than-thou. We tend to reveal ourselves in more realistic light, and show people that we're just regular folks who just happen to have this outlet for making music in a band. I think that lends to the accessibility.

How would you describe your fans?
Our fans are unique. Snarky and sharp, and dependable. We do a weekly radio show (Monday nights, www.killola.com/radio), and while the weekly listeners flux and grow... we can always depend on the core-group of listeners to be there, hanging in the chat room, reliably for years now. 
You’ve been doing innovative DIY marketing since 2003. Your first EP was delivered in hand painted sleeves and you gave away copies. How did that work to for you?
 I mean, it was rough guerilla distro of a realllly-rough DIY demo... there was no way to precisely track anything. We'd leave stacks of these cool-looking, hand-painted CD packs in various places around LA... we'd often get curious, and come back later that day and the stack would be down to 1 or 2... sometimes gone completely. And the boring-looking CDRs that were there next to our stack would still be there, untouched. That was at least indicative that ours were standing-out from others. And when we had an upcoming show in town, we'd tuck a flyer inside... and sometimes we'd meet a few people at the next show who mentioned the demo they'd picked up that week at Amoeba, or somewhere else.

Are giveaways driving fans to your shows and triggering sales?
Absolutely. We gave away our last album (digitally) to more than ten thousand people. Within 6 months, our CD inventory was totally depleted from online sales. We toured to cities that we had never played before... and people were there, singing along. I have to assume that's at least partially due to all the freeleased music. 

Is the business picture different in England and Europe?
Totally different. People buy singles there, physical/tangible singles, in anticipation of an album... and those purchases vault bands into the mainstream. Also, rock music still dominates a large portion of the industry.... and the radio plays a lot of rock music there. Also, newspapers/magazines still trump blogs... and on and on. Its a highly media(magazine/newspaper)-driven industry there. Plus, touring an album through the UK is a piece of cake, compared to the US. The entire UK is about the size of Oregon, so you can loop the entire UK, many many times, in a few weeks. One US tour takes one month, minimum... and that's a long, hard drive.

How often are you touring?
We do a west coast/Southwest tour every couple months... a full US tour every 12-18 months. We've only done the UK once, however we are needing to get back there again, badly, soon.... 

I love the USB flash drives. How do your fans like them? Are they making you money?
We decided to 'pre'-release our new/latest album via USB Dog Tags. So, this currently is the only way to get the new record. Obviously, the biggest fans are going to jump on this, in order to get the new music right away. However, I'm certain that CDs are still preferred, because of car stereos, and the nostalgic vibe of the new-CD-process (open, listen while reading liner notes, a defined listening track-order, etc). So, there's a lot of people asking for the new album on CD. Are the USBs making us money? Oh yes.

How important are mobile apps?
I don't know how important they are... but they're awesome, that's for sure. The internet is a wide open click-a-thon.. stream of consciousness, and unconfined, distractions abound. Good apps are internet-based, but they keep you 'focused' on a task. I love that. Want to browse for pets? Open the PetFinder app. You're going to see the same pets that you would see on their website... but that's it. The URL bar isn't lurking there, temping you to read The Onion... I like having that focus as an option sometimes.

How many people do you typically get at shows?
Depends on the city, and what day of the week... LA is packed. NY is packed. In-between is a toss-up. Tuesday night in Lincoln, Nebraska... hm... not sure. 

How big is your mailing list these days?
Above 7,000. The only reason I know that is because we recently had to upgrade our mailing-list provider to the next tier in monthly mails-allowed... it costs us more now to send-out one newsletter. Yay?

How have you funded the band as you have grown?
Basically, if its gonna cost us... we need to learn how to do it. That outlook saved us 90% of the costs that most bands just swallow. Learning exactly what outsourced-services DO gives us more insight into the cogs of this machine... and also makes us keen to what price we WOULD pay, if we were to outsource. We have lots of music in TV and movies... and that's a fantastic way to raise money for the stuff we wanna do.

Your web presence is really strong. How much of your biz is coming from web sales and how much from live gigs?
Our online store is pretty deep, so its a steady well. There's enough variety on there to pretty much please anyone, so I'd say that's the lion's share of income... unless we are out on tour. On the road, the gigs pay, and the merch sells at the gigs, so its a self-fueling machine.  

How much music and merchandise do you typically sell at your shows?
I have no idea. We have a dedicated merch guy, and a credit-card machine, and he has a computer there to track it all, so I imagine all that stuff is called-for.... I just try to mention the merch-table from stage one time per show, and we try to hang out there for a while, post-gig. There's usually a group of people picking stuff out throughout the night... and I know we're constantly re-ordering new merch, because I design the artwork. So I guess it moves steadily.

How have you learned the business side of music? Did you take classes, read books, talk to people in the biz?
There's no better way to learn it than getting out there and doing it. We manage ourselves (something that we are more and more eager to offset), so we've dealt with 7 years of business/issues first-hand. We've skinned our knees on contracts, and fended for ourselves in negotiations... and we all fairly headstrong in both business, and common sense. If something smells strange, 99% of the time its because it IS strange... don't be afraid to ask the difficult questions and usually the source of the odor is revealed. We also picked a lot of people's brains over years of coffee.  

Who are your partners? Mob Agency handles your bookings... How about personal and business management, attorneys and music publishing? Are you handling the Internet marketing drive yourselves?
We work heavily with Aderra (a digital/music technology company), on both strategies and tour-support. And MOB Agency is a fantastic company for booking those tours. We will soon be putting out feelers for a good manager, because we have a full movie coming out next year (a musical, in which Lisa is the lead-role, and Killola wrote all the songs... Lisa and I co-produced). And so far, we are self-published. All marketing has been from within, however we did work with a PR company (Reybee) on this last tour they were great. We will be sticking with them for future press campaigns.

How did you vet your partners? How did you know what questions to ask?
If you're friendly to people, they'll introduce you to their friends, and so on... for years. In 2008, we played the 'wrap-party' for a big movie (hint: Nakatomi Plaza part 4)... a guy we met in 2006 (who worked on our video for "I Don't Know Who") did special-FX for this movie, and he asked us to play. People from MOB Agency were there, and a few weeks later MOB contacted us for a few shows... we hit it off with them as people, and have worked together since. We didn't have a TON of questions for MOB, because their work ethic and track-record spoke volumes. Similarly, we met Aderra through a friend of the band, and Killola ended up as the first band Aderra ever recorded live. Aderra now tours with some of the biggest bands in the world, recording live shows. We've worked with them since that first show. We want to work with people who 1) we get-along-with as human beings, AND 2) they do good work in the music business.... This industry is saturated with people who are only good with one or the other.

How much of the web and app development do you do yourselves? It all feels really well integrated and personal.
I'm a web designer by profession, so everything you see out there is all from within the band. The Killola iPhone app was built by an app team, but we designed the graphics/skin so that it rightly matched our existing look. 

How much time do you spend each day communicating with fans and updating your social media network?
We're mobile as crap. So our iPhone keeps us socially synced throughout the day. All the sites are tied-in together, allowing one single update to propagate throughout our network. But sometimes we just turn everything off for a day or two. That helps with sanity. We stream live video from our phone, to the web, from rehearsal, from the van, from parties... anywhere. It keeps us connected to fans, and keeps it fun.

How do you balance practicing/writing/recording, etc. with the business stuff?
Usually (when not on tour) we get together once or twice every week or two, just to hang out, and we often do that at our practice space. Music often ensues. Things were super hectic earlier this year, as we shot a full-length feature movie for nearly 3 months. This took us out of our 'normal' band mode, and sort of inserted 40 new band members into our life... there was no balance, just two gears: Learning, and Go.

How would you chart your growth? In other words, when did things kick in and what was the sequence; gigs, Myspace, YouTube, CDs, website, giveaways?
I'd say we were adolescent at the exact time Myspace hit adolescence, in late 2007... our numbers and fanbase popcorned in parallel with that site, and we sort of rode the Myspace mechanism into 2008 with our first full US Tour. Once that site starting losing efficacy, we had already rendezvoused with our fanbase at more intelligent websites, we had tours in place, and were able to convert the web-presence into real-life encounters on tour.

demo>Myspace>giveaways>CDs>website>tours>other_sites That formula lacks the underlying "extremely hard work" ingredient, but that's to be assumed. :-)

In what order did you add partners, and why?
MOB (booking) was our first partnership. Good booking is the only situation that is almost entirely shut-off to independent bands. Clever and hard-working independent bands can do 'almost' anything that labels can do... however booking agents are still absolutely powerful and necessary. Aderra offered an outlet to technology that no other company offered; we wanted to work with them because it's a fresh, new medium (live recording distro) and the people behind Aderra are fantastic people and smart cookies.

How involved are you in music publishing? Are you making money with synch licenses, and performance royalties?
For non-radio-bands, and independent acts, music publishing and synch licenses are the quickest way to BIG checks in this business. Placing one song in a movie or commercial can totally change your entire year/decade. And the pretense factor in music licensing is surprisingly low. Record great songs... movies don't seem to care what band you're in, what label you're on, or what blogs are saying... they tend to buy music that works. Which is refreshing.

What are your thoughts on making a living in music?
All the successful musicians I know are a highly skilled jugglers, in the professional sense. If you want it bad enough, you can make art/music work without a 'day job'. I wouldn't recommend trying it outside of a major metropolitan area... but if you're smart, and flexible... and humble... it works because there's always a need for determined artists.

Are you interested in moving to an indie or major label? What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of working with a record label?
Certainly. We've only gotten to where we are by listening to reason. If a label provides something desirable, then there might be reason to work together. A record label has the built-in power of a catalog. If Label X has a successful back-catalog of great releases.... that label's 'newest' artist is almost immediately granted 'credit' based on the past-successes of that label's catalog. Labels can mean great exposure in the proper scenario.

Thanks for sharing all of this great stuff!

Nonesuch knocks it out the park with Brad Mehldau's 'Highway Rider'

2010-05-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

Nonesuch Records is doing some very cool stuff with their promotion of the extraordinary Brad Mehldau recording, Highway Rider.

The website is engaging and features an innovative scrolling musical score and a fascinating story book (with streaming audio) that takes the listener/viewer through the programmatic trajectory of this unique project.

Highway Rider is available on CD for and for download in audiophile quality 320 kbps MP3 format (with bonus tracks). Nonesuch has created a compelling online campaign. The website alone is a real trip! I’ve been listening on Rhapsody and ordered the CD as well. One of the drags about downloads is losing the direct segues between tracks and of course, I want to hear this in highest audio quality available.

Kudos to Nonesuch for supporting such great music and creating an awesome promotional campaign.

Making a profit by adding real value..

2010-05-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

If we learn anything from the Wall St. crisis it should be this:

Sustainable businesses make a profit by creating and adding value to the world.

Windfall “paper” transactions are unsustainable and eventually lead to financial disaster, and/or the degeneration of industry.

Take a look at this heated debate between 37signals principal, David Heinemeier Hansson and Mahalo founder Jason Calaconis. The good stuff starts 47 minutes into the clip. Calaconis represents the classic tech approach to business: raise capital, build your model, and sell for a huge windfall...if you don’t go under first. Hansson tears his argument apart and advocates building sustainable businesses that generate real profits. He describes profit as: “A measure of success of the impact you are having on the world…”

Jason Calaconis vs. David Heinemeier Hansson on This Week in Startups

What does this have to do with music?

Well… In the early days of the record industry the business was much smaller and broken into niches that served specific audiences. Music was served up in neighborhood clubs and record stores. Impresarios and label owners were hardcore fans who understood music and their audience. Sure, they wanted to make money, but they did it by making great records.

In the sixties people got greedy and very quickly the business became about selling as many records as possible to the lowest common denominator. The huge sales generated by international hits underwrote the enormous losses created by bad business practices, greed, and stupidity. Large labels were more concerned with grooming an “overnight” show-biz sensation, than discovering and developing the next Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Joni Mitchell or Emmylou Harris. It’s always been a tough racket, but the business people with a true passion for music, who have made this their work, keep pushing to stay afloat and find the balance between profit and value.

Many professional musicians have felt disenfranchised from the “music business” for years. It has about as much to do with their day-to-day work as the dry-cleaning industry. If this is any kind of benchmark, we’re not in good shape.

The business is collapsing because the big money train crashed...with considerable help from illegal file-sharing and the general disruption of the Internet. The good news is, people love music as much as ever and there is great stuff being created every day. There are many label folks like Glen Barros, Bob Hurwitz, Manfred Eicher, and John Virant who know how to add value and turn a profit in this industry. I would love to hear what they have to say.

...and definitely check out Rework, a great little book describing the business philosophy that has made 37signals so successful.

Audio quality in the digital age

2010-05-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

10 years ago with the introduction of audio compression technologies such as MP3 & AAC, it became possible to shrink digital audio file sizes and enable distribution across the Internet. While there was a distinct loss in audio quality (file sizes were typically one tenth of the original), the average music fan didn’t seem to mind and convenience ruled.

At the same time, sample and bit rates for digital audio recording were expanding as hard drive prices dropped, giving engineers and musicians the ability to work with higher quality digital audio. Since the early days of digital there has been ongoing debate in the professional audio world about the loss of ‘warmth’ inherent in analog recording technologies. Higher digital bit and sample rates make it possible for engineers to approach the sonic ideal, bridging both worlds.

As hardware storage continues to shrink and broadband speeds increase, music providers have increased file sizes, enhancing audio quality for portable and computer devices. Bringing back high quality audio to consumers can create scarcity in the marketplace, which music creators sorely need. A bootlegged MP3 can’t compete with an audiophile, metadata rich, listening experience.

The question is: “Will consumers support higher quality audio?” Engineer, producer, and musician Cookie Marenco, founder of Downloads NOW! says 96kHz downloads (super high quality) are outselling 44.1kHz downloads (CD quality) by 10 to 1 at her artist’s download stores. Last Sunday’s New York Times article, In Mobile Age, Sound Quality Steps Back examines this issue.

What do you think?

Has the appreciation of nuance and dynamics been lost to the generation that grew up on iPods, and what does the future hold?

Indie music mogul: The net's great for us.

2010-05-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

A nice interview on the state of indie labels and the future of the business with Martin Mills head of Beggars Group.

Read the full article here.

A few quotes:

“The internet has improved things radically for independents...There's fewer gatekeepers now. We don't have to knock on a TV station's door or a radio station's door and it's made us far more competitive”

“The 40 per cent of the industry that has gone is almost entirely the cream at the top.”

“We have to make licensing easier and faster, not necessarily cheaper, but easier. We'd like to see some kind of short-term government-endorsed trial structure that we could experiment with for 12 or 24 months, and see the impact of it.”

- Martin Mills, Beggars Group

Music brings authenticity to HBO's ‘Treme' - latimes.com

2010-05-01T11:44:00.001-07:00

Music brings authenticity to HBO's ‘Treme' - latimes.com

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Innocent When You Dream - Celebrating the Music of Tom Waits

2010-04-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Innocent When You Dream - Celebrating the Music of Tom Waits

Vocal music connects with listeners through lyrics, melodies, and arrangements. Instrumental improvisation is rare and usually serves as a device for building the energy of the song. The mystery of a magical pop or rock tune lies in the mix of lyric, melody, and presentation.

Jazz on the other hand is about virtuosic instrumental performers composing in realtime without a net. The soloist’s ability to spontaneously create, usually on top of complex, rapidly moving harmonies can take the audience on a powerful and unexpected emotional journey. This stripped-down, solo-driven intensity can lend a static quality, a kind of esoteric minimalism to what many people think of as “jazz”.

Just as jazz harmonies and styles have evolved over the years, restless jazz musicians have explored new approaches to making their music, mixing improvisation, ensemble writing, and genres not usually associated with jazz. For me, this pursuit of innovation has always been key. I love music that balances the direct emotion of pop and roots styles with the freedom and sophistication of contemporary improvisational techniques.

I was very excited to hear Brandon Bernstein’s new CD, “Innocent When You Dream - Celebrating The Music of Tom Waits”. The band, Brandon Bernstein (guitar), Aaron Shragge (trumpet, shakuhachi), Matt Otto (tenor sax), Greg Leisz (pedal steel and dobro), Ryan McGillicuddy (bass), and Jason Harnell (drums) take an ensemble approach to the material. The group’s sound is wide open but still deeply connected to the core of each of these songs. While there are solos throughout, this is not a blowing date, but a conceptual work, merging the skills and personalities of these fine musicians with the unique songwriting of Tom Waits.

Choosing Tom Waits as the starting point for this music is quite ambitious. Waits is a multi-faceted, iconoclastic artist, from his powerful voice (and Radio Shack bullhorn), to his theatrical song-cycles, dramatic arrangements, physical presence and deeply emotional songwriting. Rather than trying to capture the ‘Big In Japan’ totality of Waits, the band has taken an approach similar to the traditional jazz read on Tin Pan Alley tunes. Some of the tracks are true to the tone of the Waits originals and others use his version as a springboard for something fresh and unique to this band.

A few highlights…

The album, opens with ‘Good Old World’ originally done as a waltz. Matt Otto has arranged the song in a somewhat brighter 4/4 meter, opening up new possibilities. Brandon Bernstein and Otto contribute thoughtful, melodic solos, and Greg Leisz adds a touch of mystery and a hint of Robert’s Western World. The arrangement teases the listener, playing with new directions, but staying close to the introspective emotion of Waits’ original. Jason Harnell’s fills are free and colorful, letting us know that the band is listening and ready to let the music go where it will. The opener tells us that these musicians are quite comfortable exploring this unique mix of musical styles.

Aaron Schragge’s modal arrangement of “Blue Valentines” drops the slight tongue-in-cheek, noir jazz vibe of the original, favoring the bones of the song itself. The band treats it as a pensive jazz ballad with introspective solos by Schragge and Otto over Brandon Bernstein’s hypnotic chordal vamp. Jason Harnell’s out-of-time fills add color and dynamics, pushing and pulling the mood.

The title track, “Innocent When You Dream”, arranged by Brandon Bernstein, artfully mixes the melancholic melody (Schragge and Otto) with pedal steel guitar, creating a blend of country longing, and “last dance of the night” bar room glow. Harnell paints fills and colors on the canvas of the song. It works.

“Flash Pan Hunter” always reminds me of some sort of demented Max Fleischer cartoon. William Burroughs’ lyrics conjure up images of grainy, distorted, psychopathic, vegetation and mechanical contraptions going about their daily business. Schragge’s treatment takes a different look at the song, bypassing the wackiness and playing the tune as a rubato ballad with a long free introduction. Schragge plays shakahachi flute on this track which clearly sets the tone for the arrangement.

Berstein’s straight forward arrangement of “The Long Way Home” features Greg Leisz and almost hints at a Caribbean feel. Cowboy jazz with a light touch.

The record also features performances of “Picture In a Frame”, Frank’s Theme”, “Can’t Wait To Get Off Of Work”, and two original group improvisations, "Orphan” and “Fishbone”.

You can catch the band (with Doug Livingston substituting for Greg Leisz) performing a free CD release concert at 7:30, Saturday May 1 at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, CA. You can find this music in the iTunes Store, at Amazon.com and at CD Baby. You can also purchase CDs by contacting Brandon Bernstein through his website.

David Pakman on the decentralization of the music industry...

2010-04-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Check out this excellent analysis by venture capitalist and former eMusic CEO, David Pakman...

The Sad State of the Old Music Business

The Real World...

2010-04-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

“The real world isn’t a place, it’s an excuse. It’s a justification for not trying. It has nothing to do with you.”

- Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hanson, "Rework"

What Musicians Get Paid In The Digital Age

2010-04-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

An informative visual map breaking down online revenue streams for musicians...

(Infographic) What Musicians Get Paid In The Digital Age

Information Is Beautiful: How Much Do Music Artists Earn Online?

Shadow Language Electric Guitar Quartet at The Electric Lodge

2010-04-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Shadow Language Electric Guitar Quartet

Ken Rosser's Shadow Language Electric Guitar Quartet is playing a show at The Electric Lodge in Venice, CA Thursday April 22 at 8 pm. In addition to the repertoire from their premier performance (see my interviews with Ken) they will be performing a piece by Nick Didkovsky and a world premier, Rooms of Marble and Red Grass by composer Stefano Giannotti.

If you are a fan of modern electric guitar music be sure to check this out. SLEGQ is pushing the boundaries of the electric guitar and contemporary chamber music. If you think “it’s all been done” on the electric guitar... think again!

Guitarist Ken Rosser

Listening to music in the age of digital abundance….

2010-03-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

A recent tweet from @slainson, and an LA Times post from Steve Almond has me thinking about how we experience music in this age of digital abundance and endless entertainment choices. Music is everywhere today and largely functions as sonic wallpaper. The stuff is inescapable, whether you like it or not.

I often think about how music was consumed 100 or 200 years ago. The composition and production of classical music was highly specialized and funded by the church or nobility. Only the most elite aristocrats had the opportunity to hear it. It was fancy. It amazes me to realize that people would routinely get dressed up to sit in a room and listen to live performances of music they had never heard before! Keep in mind that the composers of the era (Beethoven for instance) were continually pushing the envelope and writing music people found challenging or disturbing. The premier of Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’ caused a riot. Contrast this with life today where you can’t even sit at a stoplight without being bombarded with some distorted sonic artifact. It’s everywhere and we have became anesthetized. As if that weren’t enough, music is continually competing for our attention with countless new forms of digital novelty and synoptic stimulation.

When I was growing up in late 1960’s Chicago, music was the cultural meeting place for an entire generation. There was no Internet, no video games, computers or video. Listening to music with rapt attention was the Big Thing. I remember a company that sold stereo equipment...the last item in their catalog was a roach clip! Music discovery for me involved running up to my room after dinner, putting on these clunky headphones and listening to “underground radio”. There was this DJ who called himself Scorpio and whispered into an echo chamber. His programming was personal, iconoclastic, and would make KCRW look formatted. I would take notes. I remember one night hearing Savoy Brown back to back with Freddie Hubbard ('Straight Life'). I was blown away. This was the first time I had really heard George Benson. I had no idea it was possible to do what he was doing on the guitar and the soul/funk polytonality of Weldon Irvine’s ‘Mr. Clean’ sent me on a musical quest.

I would sit in front of the stereo listening to LPs until the grooves wore out (despite my best efforts to keep them pristine with various exotic accessories). I studied the liner notes obsessively and when I heard something I liked I would track each of the sidemen, trying to find everything they had recorded. I was fascinated with musical family trees and communities. The LA country rock scene took me down a long and winding road and one exceptional musician could lead to a whole string of new discoveries. I moved through the musical channels of LA and New York to Nashville and back. Meanwhile I continued my education into jazz and contemporary classical music. I was learning songs and solos by rote and it wasn’t long before I started doing transcriptions. The convergence of artists like Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Buck Owens, Captain Beefheart, The Flying Burrito Brothers, McCoy Tyner, The Beatles, David Bromberg, Ry Cooder, Randy Newman, Bartok, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Stravinsky, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Debussy, etc., etc., seemed like the most natural thing in the world to me.

When I went to college in Boston I discovered the Harvard Coop record department and thought I had died and gone to heaven. They had these big Schwann catalogs on pedestals where it seemed as if you could look up anything in recorded history. The Coop had shelves of sequentially numbered record label catalogs, big and small. As I discovered new jazz and ethnic musicians I could look up everything they had recorded as leaders or sidemen and 9 times out of 10 find the treasure on these shelves.

I was working for Internet music pioneer Liquid Audio when everything shifted toward the Web. The company was founded and largely staffed by audio pros and musicians and was truly innovative, using the AAC codec (which sounded noticeably better then MP3 and would later be adopted by Apple) and developing a very flexible music player with a full array of metadata, including album credits, an unfortunate casualty of most current digital distribution schemes. It was a very exciting time. It seemed as if the vast expanse of musical possibilities would soon be available to everyone with the click of a mouse. Interestingly enough I was never really motivated to buy digital downloads because the audio quality was inferior to CDs which were in themselves an old technology at that point. I liked the idea of subscription services because they reminded me of my hours spent at the Coop. I could find anything I wanted and if the music stuck I would buy the CD.

Today we are exposed to new music through an exhausting number of channels including web sites, Internet radio, video games, television, film and advertising placement, retail sponsorship, and terrestrial radio. We listen on our phones & iPods, in our cars, and on our computers. I haven’t owned a traditional “stereo system” in years. The time I spend listening to music under ideal conditions with my complete attention has become increasingly rare. Of course I’m not the typical consumer. Being in the business you listen to (or play) so much music that peace and quiet is cherished. One of the barriers to focused listening is consolidating all of your music sources. Sonos has a great solution that integrates home theaters, digital music collections and streaming music services in one simple, multi-room user interface. I hope to see more growth in this area of consumer electronics.

Here’s my advice for those who love music and want to cut through the noise and bring back the full experience:

Make a special place to listen.
Get the best sound system together you can. You can pick up powered studio monitors that don’t sound half bad for as little as a few hundred bucks. Listen to the highest quality audio available to you.
Make a plan to discover music that’s new to you….Perhaps checking out a new artist or exploring a musical genre that is unfamiliar. Find your favorite music discovery channels and support them.
Set aside time just to listen with your full attention.
Turn off your phone, log off Facebook, etc.
Give it up to the journey the music takes.
When you hear something that moves you, listen to it over, and over, again.
Find out everything you can about the musicians you like and follow their creative path to discover new artists.
Go out and find the music live.
Write about it...talk about it...support the artists...spread the word!
Repeat….

Jensen-Macchia-Lockett-Briggs at The York 3-21-10

2010-03-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

I played a very nice gig at The York in Highland Park Sunday night. The band consisted of yours truly on guitar, Frank Macchia on bass flute and tenor sax, Tommy Lockett on bass, and Frank Briggs on drums.

...a mix of standards and my originals...

Great players, friendly staff, and a good crowd at this hip, neighborhood bistro....

Brandon Bernstein pays tribute to Jimmy Wyble...

2010-03-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Guitarist Brandon Bernstein pays tribute to the late, great, Jimmy Wyble in this beautiful version of Sammy Kanh's, I'll Be Seeing You.

Brandon has a new release coming out featuring himself, Aaron Shragge (trumpet), Matt Otto (tenor), Greg Leisz (pedal steel/dobro), Ryan McGillicuddy (bass), & Jason Harnell (drums) playing the music of Tom Waits. Look for a full review here. Enjoy!

Rizzo, Breadman, Oles - March 5, 2010 at The Blue Whale, Los Angeles

2010-03-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

At The Blue Whale in downtown Los Angeles last Friday night I was reminded of the spirit of openness and musical invention I experienced as a music student in Boston. I was quite fortunate to stumble into a very inspiring, wide open, musical community. Gary Burton’s groups included groundbreaking guitarists Mick Goodrick and Pat Metheny and featured new composers like Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, and Michael Gibbs. The music was crossing boundaries, exploring approaches beyond the language of bebop and post-bebop traditions. Manfred Eicher’s ECM records was a rising force, bringing European classical harmony and a lush sonic palette to the mix, and ‘world music’ influences were making deep inroads into the American improvisational tradition. Some of the most influential guitarists in the last thirty years passed through Boston during this time; John Abercrombie, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Mike Stern, and many others less well known. It was an exciting time when anything seemed possible.

Tom Rizzo (Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen) guitar, Scott Breadman (Jose Feliciano, Lindsey Buckingham, The Rippingtons) percussion, and Darek Oles (Brad Mehldau, Billy Higgins, Pat Metheny) upright bass, brought their unique, collective sound to this intimate venue. After warming up with their take on a couple of classic tunes (including a beautiful version of Bill Evans’ “Time Remembered”), they dug into their own material, primarily composed by Rizzo.

Rizzo is a seasoned writer and his strong compositions focused the band’s identity and sound. His guitar playing has a playful, uplifting feel. He is a modern, straight-ahead guitarist with fluid single note and chordal chops. His lines are melodic and he builds his solos well, developing thematic ideas and directing the energy of the band. I enjoyed his use of harmonics and at one point he played a comping figure that sounded like a Brazilian berimbau. It was great. Rizzo’s “straight into the amp” tone was warm and present. His sound sat perfectly in the room between the bass and percussion.

Darek Oles is a powerful, emotive bass player. His time feel and intonation were dead on, laying down a solid foundation for the trio’s explorations. His solos were melodic and passionate. Rizzo’s light touch and sensitive, conversational accompaniment was the perfect compliment.

Breadman has mastered a multitude of percussion styles from around the world. He seamlessly integrates a variety of techniques across his unique setup: congas, tablas, cymbals, hand percussion and various miscellaneous noise makers including a frying pan. He is very sensitive to dynamics and at one point laid down a solid fatback groove with only a shaker and a few accents...Right in the pocket...Breadman moves effortlessly across his array of instruments, following the ebb and flow of the music.

I saw this group several weeks ago and they sound more comfortable and adventurous with each gig. I look forward to hearing this band develop and grow...Perhaps extended compositions, grooves, free improvisation..Who knows? With musicians of this caliber anything can happen.

The Blue Whale is a great new music room in downtown LA. It’s comfortable, hip, and has an excellent bar...see Mitch for his special concoctions. The proprietor, Joon Lee is committed to showcasing the best musicians in LA. They are continually expanding their music nights. Check the online calendar and Facebook page for updates. The club is a little off the beaten path, on the top floor of a mall in Little Tokyo, off of East 1st between Grand and South San Pedro. Drop in for a drink and enjoy the great music...then tell your friends!

Rizzo, Oles, Breadman at The Blue Whale

2010-03-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

I'll be at The Blue Whale in downtown LA Friday March 5th (9 pm)...Tom Rizzo (guitar), Darek Oles (bass), and Scott Breadman (percussion). I hope to see you there...check back for my review!

(Re)Defining Music as Business

2010-03-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

The Internet has made music creation and distribution available to everyone, processes traditionally handled by record labels. The responsibility for managing marketing and music publishing now fall squarely on the artist. Because of the massive amount of material on the Internet it is very challenging to rise above the noise and distinguish yourself. While running a business is creative in it's own way, thinking of oneself as a brand is very uncomfortable for many creatives. Jacob Detering has written a good blog post about this subject.

(Re)Defining Music as Business

Another good read on this subject is Fans, Friends and Followers by Scott Kirsner. Scott interviews several artists working in a variety of mediums, who discuss the successes and challenges they have had as they figure out how to promote themselves and choose the right business partners.

Stay tuned to this blog for tools, strategies and success stories...

Tongue and Groove LA - Feb 28, 2010

2010-03-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

I caught up with Conrad Romo last night at his monthly spoken word and music event Tongue and Groove, one of the real gems of the LA spoken word scene. Conrad has been producing T & G for six years. Shows happen on the last Sunday of the month at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood from 6 to 7:30 pm. Conrad has his finger on the pulse of the LA literary scene and always puts together a great mix short fiction, personal essays, poetry, spoken word, and music.

Last nights show featured Brendan Constantine, (Letters To Guns), Antonia Crane (Tales of a Sexual Outlaw) Rob Roberge (Working Backwards From the Worst Moments of My Life), Patrick O'Neil, and the "cowpunk" band, Speedbuggy.

Conrad says:

"Brendan Constantine holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is currently poet in residence at Loyolla Marymount University Extension and the Windward School.

His work has appeared in numerous journals, most notably Ploughshares, Ninth Letter, The Cortland Review and RUNES. His collection, Letters To Guns, was released in 2009 from Red Hen Press. He lives at Bela Lugosi's last address.

Antonia Crane is a freelance journalist, editor and sex worker from Humboldt County. She has been a sex educator and harm reduction counselor for at-risk youth and women in SF and LA. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch, edits the on line journal, "The Citron Review" and is a contributing columnist for "The Rumpus." Excerpts from her forthcoming memoir "Tales of a Sexual Outlaw" have been published in the Black Clock Journal, Coachella Review and the Sylvan Echo. She can be spotted hanging upside-down in precarious positions from stripper poles in L.A. and New Orleans.

Rob Roberge is the author of the upcoming book of stories, WORKING BACKWARDS FROM THE WORST MOMENT OF MY LIFE and the novels More Than They Could Chew and Drive. He teaches writing at the Antioch MFA in Creative Writing, UC-Riverside's Palm Desert MFA program and the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. His stories have been featured in ZYZZYVA, Chelsea, Other Voices and Alaska Quarterly Review, to name a few. He plays guitar and sings with several LA bands, including the punk pioneers, The Urinals. He also works with JAIL GUITAR DOORS, a program to bring music and therapy into prisons.

Patrick O'Neil is a former junkie/bank robber, turned writer/teacher. He received his MFA from Antioch University Los Angeles. His first book of memoir is titled Opacity. His essays have appeared in Word Riot, SoMa Literary Review, Blood Orange Review, The Citron Review, Sunsets and Silencers, The Sylvan Echo, Nouveau Blank, and AUDEMUS. "

The readings were captivating. The general tone of the evening was a bit dark, but with compassion and humor. The four piece band (2 guitars, bass & drums) sounded great; an update on the classic Bakersfield country sound. It felt like they hit the stage straight out of the van after a twelve hour drive from their last gig. Strong songwriting, dynamic vocals from frontman Timbo, and solid support from the rhythm section.

Check out the T & G website and shoot Conrad an email to be added to his mailing list. To find out more about these artists dig into the links above.

Tongue and Groove is one of my favorite Hollywood hangs and always full of surprises. Maybe I'll see you there next month.

Review of the Bob Sheppard Quartet at Vitello's, Feb 25, 2010

2010-02-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

Last night I caught Bob Sheppard’s quartet upstairs at Vitello’s in Studio City. Bob is one of the best saxophonists in Los Angeles and this was a particularly exciting band; Steve Cardenas on guitar, Jeff D’Angelo on bass, and the remarkable Steve Hass on drums.

Bob is a versatile player with a beautiful, rich and detailed sound. He has absorbed the music of the jazz masters as well as pop styles, and created a strong personal voice. He burns without overwhelming the band, leaving plenty of space for musical conversation. The interaction between these guys was remarkable. It was a pleasure to watch them listening to each other. At times the exchanges between Sheppard and Cardenas were reminiscent of the classic Sonny Rollins - Jim Hall quartet.

Bob pulled up a mix of standards, originals and lesser heard jazz tunes including two delightful Thelonious Monk compositions; “Green Chimneys” and “San Francisco Holiday”. Of particular note was his gorgeous rendition of the Jimmy McHugh ballad, “Say It (Over and Over Again)” perhaps best known as recorded by John Coltrane on the classic “Ballads” album.

I first heard Steve Cardenas many years ago in the San Francisco Bay Area when we were both playing with trumpeter Jeff Beal’s bands. Steve’s playing knocked me out back then and today he has become one of the premier voices in modern jazz guitar, performing with a wide range of artists including: Paul Motian, Norah Jones, John Patitucci and Ben Allison. He is an esteemed educator and is in town for a guest semester at CalArts. Besides his brilliant guitar playing, Steve is an expert on the music of Thelonious Monk. His book, The Thelonious Monk Fakebook is the definitive collection of Monk’s compositions. Steve’s playing is fluid and musical, moving seamlessly from muted two and three note voicings into perfectly voice-lead chords and flowing single note lines. He was always listening, responding to the music around him, developing motifs, and continually surprising with his ideas. His tone was warm with just a bit of edge. He has a slightly bluesy, behind-the-beat time feel which compliments his melodic phrasing and contrapuntal lines.

I had not heard Steve Hass play live before but was immediately enthralled. He has enormous energy, rock solid time, and swings like a master, incorporating Cuban, African and Middle Eastern influences without ever losing the groove. At times he played with his hands, brushes or mallets (in combination), moving back and forth in response to the other musicians. Steve is an exciting inventive player, not afraid to take chances. He grooves hard but never overpowers the rest of the band. He has worked with a myriad of top artists including The Manhattan Transfer, John Scofield, Art Garfunkel, Billy Joel, George Benson and Ravi Coltrane. It was a real treat to discover this fantastic drummer.

Jeff D’Angelo is one of the most sought after bass players in Los Angeles and has a longstanding musical relationship with Bob Sheppard. He sounded particularly good last night, holding down the center of this four-way conversation. His sound was rich and warm, he contributed some excellent solos and really hooked up with Steve Hass.

The folks at Vitello’s have created a comfortable, intimate environment for this great music. They are aggressively booking outstanding musicians and have established several regular events including John Pisano’s Guitar Night and Larry Golding’s Organ Night, both featuring a revolving door of great guest artists. The Tiramisu is good too!

Keep your eyes and ears out for this quartet. If you have a chance, check out Steve Cardenas while he’s in town, and please support Vitello’s and live music in LA.

Sid Jacobs demonstrates Jimmy Wyble's Two Line Improvising techniques

2010-02-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

Master guitarist Sid Jacobs demonstrates two line improvisation techniques developed by the late, Jimmy Wyble. Jimmy's contributions to the art of guitar playing have influenced guitarists around the world, but particularly in Los Angeles where he was best known. Sid is a world renowned performer and teacher who has incorporated Jimmy's wisdom into his own amazing style. He will be part of a tribute to Jimmy coming up in April at Vitello's in Studio City.

Look for Sid at upcoming Wirechoir gigs and on the LA club scene. Enjoy!

Part 6: SLGQ Interview - Ken explains 'Parallels' and demos wild and crazy Ebow techniques...

2010-02-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

OK, Ebow fans...this is the clip you've been waiting for. At about 1:10 Ken demonstrates the prepared guitar techniques involved in Rob Wannamaker's piece, 'Parallels'...slides, Ebow, hair scrunchies, and BBQ skewers...I love it!

Heading into the clip I had asked Ken about the meter and tempo of the piece. To the listener it appears to have no time; a floating continuous ensemble chord; the inner voices gradually shifting the tonality. Check this one out...

Part 5: Shadow Language Guitar Quartet interview

2010-02-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

In Part 5 of our conversation Ken Rosser describes each of the pieces from the Shadow Language Guitar Quartet debut performance...

Follow Me by Paul Lansky

American Thighs by Betsey Biggs

Time Enough by Mick Goodrick

Parallels by Rob Wannamaker

and finally...

Motormouth by Fred Frith

Ken describes the musical character of each composition and the unique challenges presented by the performance techniques.

Part 4: Shadow Language Guitar Quartet interview

2010-02-19T21:52:00.001-08:00

In this clip Ken Rosser describes how he picked the program for the Quartet's debut performance...

Part 3: Shadow Language Guitar Quartet interview

2010-02-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

In part 3 Ken describes how he came up with the name for the group...

Part 2: Shadow Language Guitar Quartet interview

2010-02-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

In this 2nd chapter of my interview with Ken Rosser we discuss the unique requirements of an electric guitar ensemble and the strengths each of the other players brings to this group.

Shadow Language Guitarists:

Ken Lasaine

Kevin Tiernan

Andre LaFosse

Part 1: Shadow Language Guitar Quartet interview

2010-02-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

The Shadow Language Guitar Quartet is an electric guitar ensemble organized by guitarist Ken Rosser. This extraordinary group of musicians recently debuted at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts in Los Angeles, performing pieces by Paul Lansky, Betsey Biggs, Mick Goodrick, Rob Wannamaker, and Fred Frith.

Electric guitar ensembles are something I have always been involved with. The instrument's iconoclastic nature makes it a versatile tool in the hands of a skilled composer and an exceptional ensemble.

In this chapter Ken discusses his longstanding interest in guitar chamber music and the origins of this group. In the chapters that follow he discusses the other musicians and the repertoire of their debut gig. In the final chapters Ken demonstrates some of the unique techniques involved in Rob Wannamaker's piece and gives us a taste of Mick Goodrick's music.

Dave Holland..a true jazz legend..check out his new website!

2010-02-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

Dave Holland, the master jazz bass player, composer, and band leader has a new website:

http://www.daveholland.com/

Check it out. Take a look around. There is some great stuff here. Extra kudos to Dave for kickin' it on the web and really digging into the power of social networking...

Ken Rosser's Shadow Language Guitar Quartet

2010-02-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

Performing tonight (2-7-10) at The Eagle Rock Center For The Arts...7 pm. Here's a clip of Ken checking out my Ransom Tele at today's Wirechoir rehearsal...

Updated 2-10-2010: The concert was fabulous. Stay tuned for an in-depth video interview with Ken...

Independent Music Publishing: What's Working, What's Ahead?

2010-02-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday evening the California Copyright Conference (CCC) hosted a lively panel of independent music publishers discussing the current state of their industry; what’s working, the challenges ahead and opportunities for innovation. The panel was moderated by Eric Polin, Sr. VP, Music Publishing, Universal Pictures, and Jonathan Rosner, President of the CCC and co-President of Bicycle Music.

The panel:

David Hirshland - President, Bug Music
Kathy Spanberger - peermusic, President, Anglo American Region
Kenny MacPherson – President, Chrysalis Music Group
Randall Wixen - President and Founder, Wixen Music Publishing
Ron Sobel - President of North Star Media; Partner at Winogradsky/Sobel; and Chair/Music Business Division, McNally Smith College of Music

The companies represented range in size and manage a mix of established and independent artists. Most are grounded in traditional catalog administration, but North Star Media in particular partners with unknown artists without mechanical or performance royalties and is primarily focused on artist development and leveraging innovative revenue streams and new media opportunities.

The panel felt that this was generally a good time to be an independent publisher. David Hirshland discussed the dangers of complacency and the need to repurpose catalogs and encourage writers to work in new, creative ways. Randall Wixen said that his company is being approached by many new artists who are looking for more attention from publishing partners due to shrinking or non-existent advances from record labels. All the panelists emphasized the importance of quality and focusing on great music. David Hirshland: “It’s still about being moved by what you hear…” Kathy Spanberger discussed the importance of partnering with artists who have a strong work ethic because of the demands of social media and the exploding opportunities provided by the Internet.

The panel discussed “360 deals” and the trend for publishers to expand their services beyond catalog administration. While none of the speakers would consider their services truly “360”, they are all innovating aggressively, seeking out new revenue streams and pushing artist development as mechanical royalties decline.

Ron Sobel threw down the gauntlet (at one point donning a referee’s shirt), opening an energetic discussion on the practice of issuing minimal or “free” synch licenses to build and artist’s brand. He shared the story of an unknown artist who approached him to manage his catalog. Sobel was appalled to see that he had issued a synch license to MTV for $1 until he saw his ASCAP statements which had generated a living wage for eight years and helped the artist build his career. The idea of “free” was discussed quite passionately, particularly by Kenny MacPherson, who was strongly opposed to lowering the bar for synch licensing fees. All the panelists shared a concern for the de-valuation of music catalogs but acknowledge the need to examine each deal on a case by case basis.

Ron Sobel discussed his role as a teacher and asked where this industry will be in 2020. “If we don’t innovate I think we lose.”

For more information on the California Copyright Conference and their monthly panels see their website: www.theccc.org

Mike Clinco Quartet at The Oyster House

2010-02-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

I caught guitarist and composer, Mike Clinco with his quartet, at The Oyster House in North Hollywood Monday night. Mike is a fluid, melodic player with a warm, open, sound and a great relaxed feel. He has worked with many extraordinary artists including: Bo Diddley, Bobby McFerrin, Ella Fitzgerald and Henry Mancini. Mike has composed music for film and television, including underscore and source music for ‘Big Shots’, ‘Outer Limits’, and ‘Sex in The City’.

Mike’s group featuring Jeff Driscoll on tenor, Adam Cohen on bass, and Bob Leatherbarrow on drums, played a mix of originals, jazz standards, and tunes by John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi, Vic Juris, and Marc Johnson (“Union Pacific” from The Sound of Summer Running...a great record featuring Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell and Joey Baron). Singer Janelle Sadler and trumpeter Ron King sat in for a couple of tunes adding their magic to the mix.

The sound of the group was conversational, chamber jazz with a swinging groove and a deep pocket thanks to Adam and Bob. The melodic interplay between the guitar and sax was super musical and sensitive. The rhythm section listened hard, provided solid, energizing support and contributed some nice solos.

Mike and I both studied with the late Charlie Banacos, legendary jazz educator. In one way or another, Charlie’s influence touched many of the musicians who were there last night.

Great players and a wonderful night of music. Thanks Mike! I’m looking forward to the next gig...

Are you ready for Telegigging and Songles?

2010-02-05T01:53:00.000-08:00

Computer scientist, musician, and philosopher, Jaron Lanier, has created a fascinating, intelligent, critique of digital collectivism in his new book, You Are Not A Gadget. This is not the cynical rant of a Luddite, but a serious examination of the dehumanizing potential of technology. Mr. Lanier compares the impact of Web 2.0 paradigms on humanism and individuality to the relationship between MIDI and music. He makes convincing arguments questioning the rhetoric of the digital gurus, and proposes several fascinating new approaches to the cultural and financial conundrums presented by the explosion of the Internet into our lives.

Building a personal music brand with blogs and RSS...

2010-01-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

Blogging is an indispensable tool for building a personal brand online. RSS feeds provide a slick way to manage blogs and stay on top of your online community. Here are a few things musicians may find useful:

If you are using a Mac, as many musicians are, you can add a folder to your Bookmark Bar for your favorite music related blogs. When viewing a site in Safari, click the RSS button in the URL address field. The page will change into a list of all blog posts for this site. The view can be customized with the tools in the right sidebar. Add a bookmark to the folder you have created for this page. When new posts are added, a number indicating new posts will appear to the right of your bookmark (as well as the Bookmark Bar folder). You can do the same thing with any RSS reader, but this is particularly easy with Safari.
Review your favorite blogs each day and add comments to posts you are interested in. Be sure to direct folks back to your blog or website to keep the connection and conversation going. This is a simple, effective way to stay connected with like-minded musicians and industry bloggers.
You can use RSS feeds to deliver customized content in any number of other ways as well. For example, if you are looking for a job, you can create a custom search at Indeed.com (or any number of other sites), view as RSS and bookmark. This is much more efficient and manageable than sorting through piles of daily email notifications.
Make sure that your website and blog are set up for RSS so that your community can follow you and easily engage in the conversation.
If you visit topical websites that are not RSS enabled (for example, local live music listings wherever you may be), let the site owners know that you want to subscribe to an RSS feed.

RSS is a powerful tool that will help you to keep your blog current and communicate with your community, whether you are at home, on a laptop somewhere, or using a mobile device.

Just remember, always be authentic in your communication. Before you hit the 'post' button ask yourself if you really have something to say that is adding value and coming from a deeper personal place.

Support live music in LA...

2010-01-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

One of the things I have really enjoyed since moving to Los Angeles a few years ago is the incredible wealth of skilled musicians living here. The boom years of the recording industry attracted and developed a remarkable pool of talent. One could work in music in this town for decades and still not meet half of the great players and writers.

The live instrumental music scene in LA is perplexing. Any night of the week you can hear world class musicians that would be A Big Event anywhere else, particularly outside of the United States, yet the local scene never seems to take off. I would love to do my part to instigate change. One of the best ways to start change in a difficult situation is to figure out what's already working and do more of that. On that note I have some ideas to start a conversation with local music fans:

CD release parties and special gigs always seem to be well attended by friends who generally spread the word. Even if you don't get out to see all the shows you would like, keep track of what's happening each week in the clubs and post upcoming gigs by your favorite artists on Facebook, Twitter, your blog. It only takes a minute.
Email artists you like. Get on their mailing lists. Ask them what they are doing to promote local music and what you can do to help. Are they using social networking and the web to it's fullest potential? What clubs do they like best and where do they see the most potential growth? Let them know you're a fan!
Become a fan of local musicians and venues on Facebook, etc. Comment on gigs you like and let the club owners know what's working.
Blog about local music. Spread videos and recommendations.
If you don't know where to find great live instrumental music contact me and I'll share what I know!

Any other ideas?

Music and The Curse of Knowledge

2009-11-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest sources of alienation and disillusion for professional musicians is the profound sense that their deep love of music and lifelong commitment to developing their skill, is completely invisible and unappreciated by non-musicians. It’s easy to becoming bitter when you see a crowd jump out of their seats for ‘The Chicken Dance’ at a wedding, yet the original piece of music you have rehearsed for weeks is completely ignored and/or misunderstood by the few people that hear it (often friends showing up out of sympathy for the disenfranchised artist).

There is a tendency to try to balance this phenomena by dumbing down the music, making a more ‘commercial’ record, hiring a mediocre singer simply because they look good on stage and bring in a crowd. This only leads to furthering the distance between musician and listener, deepening the cycle of bitterness and isolation (“...nobody likes my stuff anyway, so I’ll just climb into a hole and write really weird music…”).

We want others to be as moved by music as we are. Why is this so difficult for many of us to achieve? The explanation for this phenomena, and the way out of the artist’s conundrum, is understanding The Curse of Knowledge. This principle is well articulated in Chip and Dan Heath’s book, “Made To Stick”, which I heartily recommend. The idea is that, once we know something, it is very difficult to imagine what our experience would be without that knowledge. A professional musician has spent years developing their ability to hear, perform, and understand music. The simple act of listening to a commercial on television triggers a complex array of associations, emotions, and physical reactions that a non-expert does not experience.

So, how do we bridge communication and understanding between musician and audience? The behavioral change must come from the artist. The key is to find common ground for both parties. It has to be real to avoid the ‘dumbing down effect’. Put yourself in the listener’s position. How will they respond to your music, emotionally, physically, the visual presentation, etc.? Of course, appreciating music is a very personal experience, built on exposure throughout a lifetime, but there do seem to be certain musical phenomena that resonate almost universally and stick with people for hundreds of years. How can you use this idea to connect with your audience without compromising the deepest, most personal elements of your work?

Leveraging Internet Music Distribution

2009-11-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

In a recent survey by British think tank Demos, researcher Peter Bradwell found that music listeners who participated in illegal file sharing behavior spent more money on music than listeners who did not admit to using illegal services. Two key paradigm shifts created by Internet distribution come to mind:

Distribution, whether as playlists, recommendations, or downloads, is largely controlled by fans, not record labels or content creators.
The per unit cost of ‘digital copies’ is essentially zero.

This creates a situation in which even an unlicensed transaction has value for the content owner; a possible new fan, and marketing data. The first challenge is to leverage that value. The second is creating legit services that provide a vastly better user experience than illegal file sharing at a competitive price. In addition, why not simply license file sharing behavior, leveling the marketplace? I know, easier said than done. The issues of copyright infringement are significant, but a major roadblock is the complexity of the traditional royalty model.

People will pay for innovative, superior products. Apple is a great example. Everyone grumbles about the proprietary nature of their business model, but folks are still lining up for iPhones in a recession. The music industry has the potential to transform itself, ushering in a new era of compelling, competitive, Internet marketing and distribution services. Executing will take hard work, visionary thinking, and cooperation.

The Future of The Professional Musician

2009-07-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

As the music business continues to shift, the future vision for professional musicians remains a work in progress. By professional, I mean a person who has devoted themselves to the mastery of one or several of the musical arts. This would include instrumentalists, composers, orchestrators, songwriters, recording engineers, educators and producers. Music is a deep and profound human language and I think Malcolm Gladwell is fairly accurate when he sets the bar for mastery at 10,000 hours. For most people pursuing music on this level, a professional career is essential to that process.

To the general public, ‘The Music Industry’ is about pop music entertainers who may or may not be truly accomplished musicians. The topical conversations about freemium and direct-to-fan marketing have been focused on self-contained bands or singer-songwriters. The fact is, there are many complex business models contained within the music industry and all are been shaken up by the rapid changes in technology and the global economy. How do you plan your career if you are not primarily a singer-songwriter or performer?

Professional musicians have always relied on multiple income streams to make money. Today, the business is changing so quickly that musicians will need not only a thorough understanding of the traditional elements of the business, but will also need to master the Internet to brand and market themselves. As you start your career, think about what you do best. What strengths do you have that can be applied to marketing, networking and business? Frank Zappa used to ask people he was auditioning, “What do you do that’s amazing?” That’s a great place to start.

Who is your target audience? Whether they are music fans, film producers, music supervisors, educators, technology managers, or other musicians, be clear about your unique brand and use every tool at your disposal to get the word out and build your network. Educate yourself about the intricacies of music publishing and licensing. Get involved in the conversations about the future of copyright. See how you can apply direct-to-fan marketing strategies like Mike Masnick’s CwF + RtB = $$ to your career goals.

There are many excellent blogs and resources on the web. There’s a good article in the latest issue of Berklee Today on Gerd Leonhard and his ideas for collective licensing and web marketing for musicians. Don’t get stuck on old paradigms. Even traditional aspects of the music business such as publishing, are in flux. The process of change will only accelerate and the successful business models of the future will be entirely new.

The challenge is finding a balance between the need for self-promotion and the passionate pursuit of music. It’s not easy to spend twelve hours a day immersed in music and then put on your marketing hat. Planning is key. First figure out what you do best, then set specific goals for your career. The tools for self-promotion can be overwhelming. Having strong mission and vision statements and clear milestones and benchmarks will help you identify the tools and strategies that will work best for you.

Above all, stay connected to the music inside you.

Impermanence & Innovation in the Music Biz...

2009-06-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Michael Masnick’s great presentation at NARM 2009 really lit a spark in me. While many of us want to hold onto or modify the old business models in this industry, everything has changed.

The supply of digital music far exceeds the demand, and most everything is available in one form or another for 'free'. The devaluation of recorded music mandates the development of new, innovative business and collective licensing models.

As Tim Hurson states in his book, Think Better, reproductive thinking can only go so far. No amount of incremental improvement will ever turn an adding machine into a spreadsheet. Creative problem solving, the back and forth between out-of-the-box thinking and structured strategic planning, is the key to breaking free from old paradigms and dead ideas into new, productive territory. The urgent need for new ideas increases daily as the globe shrinks and technology continues to disrupt.

Rudder: Matorning

2009-06-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

I'm loving the new disc by NYC-based Rudder - Matorning. This is what might happen if Eddie Harris, Medeski, Martin & Woods, Zawinul, P-Funk, and The Prodigy had a BBQ in The Fun House. Killer trippy, electro-funk wackiness. Takes me back to Miles in the 70s...

Thoughts on the DIY Utopia...

2009-05-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Reading Paul Resnikoff's article, The DIY Utopia, struck a chord with me. Jazz musicians and composers have been living under the radar of the pop music biz forever. Typically their 'art' is one of multiple music-related income streams.

The quality of the music and the musicianship is key. Good music moves people, brings them together, and naturally creates community. A powerful piece of music can create a relationship with the listener that lasts a lifetime. This shouldn't be too hard to market, particularly if you have a defined niche. Mediocrity on the other hand, is a hard sell. The question is, "Can this model scale to the mainstream music industry?"

Appaloosa Review

2009-03-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

OK, I have seen enough Westerns that I am more or less done with the genre. But I am always open to something new. I am a big Robert B. Parker fan, I love Ed Harris, Jeremy Irons, Renee Zellweger and Jeff Beal’s music so I had to see Appaloosa, although I regretfully missed it on the big screen.
Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen play two hired guns, brought into Appaloosa to do battle with the violent, power-hungry rancher (Jeremy Irons) who has shot the former sheriff and deputy. The classic Western setup...good guys take on evil sociopath and his large posse and clean up town. Of course, there is a mysterious and beautiful woman (Renee Zellweger) to keep things interesting.
What sets this film apart from the standard fare are the many unexpected subtle twists and turns. The plot never quite goes where you expect. The film focuses on the relationship between Harris and Mortensen and the gradual unveiling of Renee Zellweger’s enigmatic character. Mr. Harris is a brilliant storyteller and skillfully balances the classic Western backdrop (the film looks absolutely gorgeous) with fresh characters and plot twists. For example, Harris’ character reads Emerson and uses $50 words unexpected from a gun slinger. The gag is, he tends to forget words, and continually looks to his strong, silent sidekick, who even more surprisingly, completes his sentences. Shades of Spencer and Hawk...
There is some classic Robert B. Parker-style dialog as well. In one of my favorite scenes, Mortensen’s character is attempting to start a difficult conversation with Harris about Renee Zellweger’s indiscretions. Harris interrupts him, explaining that while he is the perfect sidekick, he will never be the fastest gun in The West because he has feelings, and “Feelings get you killed.” Mortensen asks him about his feelings for Zellweger and Harris replies, “I cared about Allie in town and I’ll care about her when I get her back, but right now there’s something runnin’ and we’re trying to catch it.” Great stuff...

Jeff Beal’s score provides the perfect backdrop for Ed Harris’ masterful character development; expansive, understated and slightly whimsical. He covers the requisite Western territory (nods to Morricone) with a light touch and strong melodic themes. He introduces new flavors, including his own trumpet, and atmospheric textures, without straying far from the genre. There is great fiddling by Sid Page throughout the score. The end credits feature a well-picked Tom Petty tune and a Johnny Cash-ish original penned by Harris & Beal. Ed Harris’ vocal performance is a real kick.
At first glance, Appaloosa appears to be a semi-standard Western. In the end, it feels like a personal, independent film; a slightly quirky, character study in Western clothing....not any easy feat to pull off. Highly recommended!

Now hiring...

2009-02-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

Great Job For The Right Marketer

This is a great time to think about what is really important; building community, connecting with others, giving back. Put your energy into solutions that are grounded in reality and make the world a little better place each day.

Seth, thanks for sharing this!

How Will MySpace Music make money?

2009-02-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Courtney Holt at EconMusic

Personally, I have never liked MySpace. It's ugly and I don't get the brand. There is too much going on. It has become the default bulletin board for musicians, but I don't hear of anyone making money.

With the majors onboard they have an opportunity and Courtney Holt has some good ideas. Let's hope they can focus and build a tribe around a clear identity & business model. Independent artists and major labels have very different marketing needs and require different strategies but the line between the two camps continues to blur. Perhaps the killer app will be a marketing model that works equally well in both directions.

Music As a Career, Pt.1

2009-02-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

Over time, professional musicians can lose their spark after years of unexpected challenges in an ever changing and highly competitive industry. The profound love and commitment to the power of music can become tempered by the harsh realities of making a living. There’s an old joke:

Q: How do you get a musician to complain?
A: Give them a gig.

We spend years mastering every page of Slonimsky’s Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns, only to discover a certain lack of relevance in the real world. The reality TV guy is just looking for some ‘wacka-chucka-wacka’ to move the thing along, and if there is any way he can get music for free you are cut out of the deal altogether! Perhaps the initial disappointment is our first ‘day job’. Or, when the glow of supporting ourselves full-time in music begins to wane, we realize that the challenging and lucrative work we seek remains elusive.

The way out of this box is to learn the art of separating your love of music from the realities of building a career and making a living. Musicians have developed many unique and valuable skills that can serve them in a variety of contexts. I had a good run supporting myself composing and playing, well into my forties. My first 9-5 job (not counting the stuff I did as a kid) involved defining, creating and implementation complex, enterprise telecommunications call routing systems. Go figure. I knew nothing about this industry at the time, but was hired because of my experience as a musician, thanks to some very astute managers. The job involved figuring out and troubleshooting complex, proprietary technology, communicating effectively with a diverse array of personality types (uh-huh), synthesizing someone else’s needs and vision into a new entity, and keeping the clients happy. Sounds more than a little like modern day composing doesn’t it? Since then, I have been involved in a number of professional endeavors while continuing to stay active as a musician. In every situation I have drawn on the years of study and hard work that went into my musical development.

If you find yourself in areas of the industry that don’t feel creative anymore, look at it from another angle. Think of yourself as an entrepreneur, building a business. If you are playing, ask yourself if you would be more comfortable booking other people or perhaps teaching. If you are composing for commercial applications and things begin to dry up creatively, consider stepping back into the producer role. There are many young composers that would love to do the leg-work and learn from your experience while you build a successful business.

Above all, don’t lose the connection with your musical muse... No compromises... Whether it’s playing or composing every day, creating your own projects on the side, or teaching and sharing your passion with younger musicians, go back to the well continually. The benefits flow in both directions. Music is a conversation. Remember, nothing stays the same for long. If you can hold both realities in your mind without judgment, you will always be ready when the next opportunity presents itself.

Bill Evans Interview - 1970

2008-11-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

Great interview with Bill Evans..

Bill Evans Interview - Nardis

Harps and Angels

2008-08-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Randy Newman's Harps and Angels is right up there with the best of his work, sardonic, poignant, clever, and filled with compassion and humor. He is able to comment on the American condition directly, without pulling his punches in a way no one else can. 'A Few Words In Defense of Our Country', and 'A Piece of The Pie', are dead on. 'Easy Street' and 'Laugh and Be Happy' slide in under the radar but are just as pointed. The love songs, 'Losing You', and 'Feels Like Home', balance the biting satire. The orchestrations and arrangements are brilliant and direct as usual. Thank you Randy!

A Man Named Pearl

2008-08-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

I just saw this over the weekend. A small understated film about a man who does something extraordinary with his life and doesn't let anything get in his way. The music in the web trailer is over the top though....don't know what they were thinking. The film score is a slightly whimsical small band jazz thing which helps to keep it light.

Go see it.

Shelby Lynne does Bacharach

2008-04-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to Shelby Lynne's Dusty Springfield tribute, "Just A Little Lovin" quite a bit the last few days. It's a great sounding record, beautifully under-produced by Phil Ramone.

I keep returning to her version of the Bacharach/David tune 'Anyone Who Had A Heart'. This is a very hip tune. The harmonic structure travels through distinct sections, supporting the emotion of the lyrics perfectly. It has been recorded many times but I have never felt the essence of the song quite as directly. Shelby doesn't try to emulate Springfield but approaches the track with a soulful intimacy and passion that is her own...and the band sounds great.

Where do we go from here?

2008-01-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

Change is the only constant in the world. The bigger the shift, the larger the opportunity. When people are coming from a place of scarcity and fear they hang on to what they know and miss the opportunity to embrace big change with creativity and intelligence.

The massive shifts in the record industry are creating fascinating opportunities for new business models and growth. The layoffs at EMI will hopefully result in a restructuring that brings the focus back to developing talent and creating new models for engaging consumers. In the early days of paid music downloads I was an advocate for very low per-track pricing (50 cents or less) as an approach to engaging consumers in this new way of accessing music. When industries create pricing structures based on old models they are looking backwards, not forward, and missing the opportunity to shift. See Seth Godin’s blog, ‘How much for digital?’ for a great read on this topic.

What happened to all the good music?

2008-01-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

Much is being said these days about the huge changes in the record industry. Future business and marketing models have been endlessly discussed. Music piracy, the drop in CD sales and the bloated overhead of an industrybuilt on an international hit-driven model. The industry sustained itself for years getting consumers to replace their LP collections with CDs rather than focusing on developing innovative music.

What I’m not hearing about is the lack of compelling new music coming from the major labels. Even if the record business is able to adapt its practices, it is an industry based on imitation, not innovation. Without compelling music the most brilliant business models will still have nothing to sell.

There is a huge amount of great music popping up everywhere. The challenge is to filter and refine talent in a world where technology has made creative expression easy and accessible.

The enduring successes in the music industry have not been driven by ‘what was a hit last week’, but by recognizing and developing real artistry over the long haul. I hope that the upheavals in the record industry will lead to a reevaluation of what music means to us in the first place. Let’s not lose site of the prize in all this commotion.

CD Baby and Snocap

2007-10-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

The story of CD Baby’s partnership with Snocap struck a real chord with me.

Technology has played a powerful role in the transformation of the music industry, starting with wire and tape recorders, the phonograph, and the electric guitar. In the 1980s other musicians and I would joke about “phoning in our parts.” It’s not a joke these days. When I worked for Liquid Audio in the early days of Internet music we had intoxicating conversations about the future of music discovery and distribution. CDs would go away; would people pay for individual downloads, subscribe to huge online music libraries or swap music in P2P networks? Would recorded music lose its revenue generating power all together and become a promotional tool for other income streams? How would all of this impact independent artists and the traditional record industry?

As these early predictions come to fruition, technology is still seen as a key lynchpin in this change process, and I think rightly so. The power of the Internet cannot be underestimated and if the software tools used in today’s music production are any indication, we will continue to see technology drive huge shifts in the way people discover, consume, and monetize media. One of the pitfalls of this phenomenon is the large footprint that any significant technology displays.

Reading Derek Sivers blog describing CD Baby’s partnership with Snocap ( "What happened with CD Baby and Snocap" ) I was reminded of similar experiences during my time with Liquid Audio. Developing, implementing and managing any large-scale technology is a daunting proposition. The technology quickly takes on a life of its own, with needs that have nothing to do with its original vision. This is not unlike what happens in publicly funded social service organizations. The federal agencies designed to help the neediest kids and families in our country are bureaucratic silos, designed for upward accountability. At times it is literally impossible to deliver the simplest help to real people because the needs of the system are so complex.

Derek Sivers is smart and brave. He saw the potential Snocap offered from the perspective of his original vision and embraced the technology despite his doubts. As the snowball got bigger and bigger he was not afraid to pull the plug. The lesson here is not that technology is good or bad but that it can entrance us and at times distract us from the truth that set us on our path in the first place. Is the music in the world today any better because of the technical miracles that surround us? Beethoven’s String Quartets, The Rite of Spring, and Robert Johnson managed to appear before anyone could imagine Pro Tools or the Internet in their most delusional fantasies. As we plow ahead in this brave new world, let’s not forget that music is the best.

John Prine

2007-07-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

From Eddie Harris to John Prine…Well, there’s the Chicago connection. Are you detecting a theme? I’ve been a huge fan since Mr. Prine traded his mailman hat for a spot on the stage at The Earl of Oldtown in the late 1960s. He has mastered the art of distilling universal moments of humanity into emotionally direct pictures. His best songs stick to you, and his folksy, off-the-cuff delivery, and wry sense of humor, make him that much more endearing. I’ve been listening to his 2005 release, ‘Fair and Square’ occasionally for the last couple of years. ‘Other Side of Town’, ‘Some Humans Ain’t Human’, ‘Crazy As a Loon’, and ‘She Is My Everything’ are wonderful songs, but the one that stays with me is ‘The Glory of True Love’. I am always amazed that he comes up with these enduring melodies, from such a simple musical palette….Somehow, those particular colors have never been mixed in quite that combination. His lyrics and performance are always perfectly balanced. A wonderful songwriter with much to say about life on this earth.

Thinking of Eddie

2007-07-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been thinking quite a bit about Eddie Harris, the late tenor saxophonist. Maybe it’s my Chicago roots, I don’t know. ‘Listen Here’ with it’s simple 2-chord vamp captures the minimalist essence of everything that feels right to me about jazz. During his career Mr. Harris was considered jazz-funk and fell somewhere in the shadow of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, etc. Although his recorded output was uneven, his voice was completely original. His tone was rich, and his experiments with electronics were ahead of their time. His simple riff-based style reminds me of something John Mayer said about Stevie Ray Vaughn (I paraphrase); “…he was always playing rhythm guitar...”. I particularly loved Eddie’s trademark technique of anchoring his solos with a simple repeated lick, jumping back and forth between registers. In my writing I have long pursued that mysterious space between simple, direct, groove and the more sophisticated elements of harmony and rhythm. Whenever I try to visit that place, I'm pulled back to Eddie Harris, and wonder if there is anything to explore he hasn’t already said.

US Copyright Board Ruling

2007-04-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

The recent ruling by the US Copyright Royalty Board creates a dire situation for small, independent purveyors of streaming Internet music. I am a composer myself and certainly want to be compensated for my work but I believe this decision is not in the best interest of artists, record labels, or the audience.

The music industry has become so centralized in recent years that the opportunities for new music discovery are shrinking daily. Internet radio has opened an array of new possibilities. It is a medium that is in its infancy and could provide a powerful balance to the corporate forces of the music industry. Unfortunately, this ruling will most likely be the end of the independent Internet radio provider. This is a bad thing.

I happen to believe that people who are not musicians or hard-care music fans have a much broader appreciation of music than the record industry thinks. The public is starving for access to diverse, high quality music. Eclectic music programming like that provided by Santa Monica based KCRW is an oasis in the desert to many of us.

New music discovery is key not only to the growth of the audience but also to the industry itself. The record business has become so large and cumbersome, and so philosophically driven by the sound-alike hit mentality, that there are no longer viable business models that distribute music and provide discovery tools (such as radio and Internet radio) for anything on a scale less than gargantuan. This bloated reality has created the decline the industry is currently suffering. Without discovering and nurturing new talent, the industry will die. Artists like Patty Larkin, Bill Frisell and Oliver Mtukudzi will probably never go platinum, but they will create high quality art for decades and their audiences are fiercely loyal. We desperately need business models that will support an eclectic array of new music.

Radio has traditionally functioned as the key marketing arm for the record industry. Internet radio and music discovery systems like Pandora provide the general public information that is available nowhere else. Streaming radio creates the possibility of distributing eclectic music programming from sources such as KCRW, beyond the local market. For the struggling record industry, the long-term potential benefits of streaming Internet music are huge. It would be a shame to see this opportunity destroyed by short-term thinking. The losers will be not only the Internet radio providers, but also more importantly, independent artists and the fans who love their music.

Thoughts from down in LA

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