Over the weekend I saw a post on Craiglist by a guy offering to sell databases of music press contacts for between $50-$75 a pop. Not a bad way to make some cash I suppose, but with a little bit of work, indie musicians can probably create their own contact list in a weekend or [...]
In the mid-90s producer/engineer Evan Brubaker founded Cake Records as a boutique label, producing and collaborating on records by artists such as Holly Figueroa and Kym Tuvim. Since then, Cake has undergone a dramatic growth spurt, embracing a wide range of musical genres, securing national distribution and garnering lots of press interest as the Little [...]
I was flipping through the online version of entrepreneur Bruce Judson’s book Go It Alone! and came across an interesting concept: “relentless repeatability.” In a nutshell, Judson beleives the ability to reduce your activities into a process you can refine and easily replicate is a key to success.
I think this is particularly relevant to performing [...]
Seth Godin’s blog is another non-music website I think all working musicians should read. Godin has a rep as a marketing “guru” but I suspect his true talent is a keen grasp on what people really value in their lives.
Godin has a great thought-provoking post today on the value of authenticity which really speaks to [...]
Michael Tarlowe started his independent label Virt Records in 2001 with a tight focus on the Triple-A and performing songwriter markets. Virt’s modest roster includes critically acclaimed artists Vienna Teng, Shane Nicholson and Brenda Weiler. New releases from husband-wife duo Ellery and San Francisco folk-popsters The Bittersweets are planned for 2006.
When I discovered that Virt [...]
This week I finished reading Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferazzi’s book on professional networking.
There are some people who seem to be naturally adept at making connections with others; I’m not one of them. However, I personally feel that networking is totally a learned skill just like singing or playing an instrument. If you can find [...]
I’ve been reading Kathy Sierra’s blog forever now and recommend her to almost every musician I know. Funny, because she writes about software development and learning, not music. But her ideas and observations are completely applicable to just about any profession, including working musicians.
My latest favorite: Don’t forget square one, a reminder to keep practicing [...]
To say Ronan Chris Murphy has had a varied and interesting career would be classic understatement. As a musician, he’s shared stages with The Flaming Lips and the Henry Rollins Band; as a producer and engineer he’s worked with King Crimson, Tony Levin, The California Guitar Trio and members of Tool, Ministry and Weezer. Ronan [...]
A recent article on CNN.com reports that although music sales in general might be on the decline, there is one genre of music that is boasting a rise in sales and popularity: kiddie rock. As an increasing number of parents started to express interest in music that would be appealing to both children and [...]
If you’re a hardcore DIY-er you can always use this handy screen printing tutorial to make your own shirts in your basement. Hit up the local thrift and resale shops for vintage-looking tees and have at it. Nothing says “limited-edition” like a hand-screened shirt.
I love the web.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe [...]
