Pamela Slim writes that it’s easy for creative people to fool themselves into thinking that their strengths can overcompensate for environmental variables. Have you ever watched yourself spiral downward with something that’s usually a cinch? It happens to musicians and…
Category
Inspiration
Steven Bacon’s Best Gig Ever
See what happens when your biggest new fan has a fan base of their own.
Country Music Star Darryl Worley: 15 Years of Digging
He’s singing the National Anthem at the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend, so the Sporting News checks in with Darryl Worley about how he got to where he is today. He converted a degree in organic chemistry into a successful business,…
Music Business Education Reaching High Schools
After hearing so much great response from our profile of Drexel’s campus-based music business program, I’m noticing more stories about schools that model their student-run record labels and booking agencies along the same principles. This week, the Los Angeles Times…
Tip: Write The Press Release First
I was in a meeting at the day job today when one of the marketing folks mentioned an awesome, mind-exploding idea that fits perfectly with setting music career goals: write a press release, then work backwards. The idea is to…
What would you do if your to-do list was empty?
A great prompt this morning from Jason Womack: If (and I think this is the big if) everything were up to date, your workstation were organized, your projects were identified, and you had a strong/complete/total inventory of “hi-po*” activities…I have…
Let me tell you about the ORIGINAL Soul Patrol.
When I first started working in radio, one of our station’s specialty DJ’s was a fascinating guy named Bernie Milton. He actually fronted a band called Bernie Milton and the Soul Patrol WAY back in the day. He had a…
Embrace Obscurity
Let us now sing the praises of not being in the public eye… I love this article: Embrace Obscurity. The author is talking about business but it certainly applies to musical pursuits as well: When no one knows about you…
How to be miserable as an artist
Print this out and stick it on the door of your studio or practice room. Or, if it helps, your forehead (via Brad).
Spoon frontman waxes about work ethic
Here’s a cool article on Brit Daniels and his band Spoon, and his workman-like approach to music: The singer-guitarist-songwriter says his years intently listening to radio hits were like “extensive research.” Knowing from the beginning that he cared most about…
5 Questions with Evan Brubaker of Cake Records
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…
On being “real”
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.…