Recording Artist Advocate: When the levee breaks... Hope it's soon.

I spent some time talking with an artist who is concerned that his carer isn't taking off like he had hoped. We wen't over everything from how he preforms on stage to how he books to how he presents himself to promoters and media folks. It turns out he's got a good handle on it.

But you can do everything right and still not have success. Well that is, it may not happen as fast as you would want. And that may be a good thing.

I mean, if there was a formula you could just do, everyone else would do it too. The success you want would get so watered down, it wouldn't be success anymore.

Here's the analogy I use in these situations: Your work is like water behind a dam. Write a good song and the level goes up a little. Do a good show and it goes a little higher. Do a great show in front of the right people and you could breach the thing quickly. Bottom line, bookers, promoters, and media folks get so many artist vying for their attention they have to live behind a dam. So many people want their attention, it's like a firehose coming at them.

Every time you do something that gets his (or her) attention you stack up some water. Let time go by and your water evaporates. Go long enough and you start over from scratch.

I left him with this: Everything he said about trying and not seeming to get anywhere I have heard from very successful artists too. But they didn't give up. One day several little dams broke over and got the attention of someone up the chain who could really make a difference.     

A booker wants acts who get booked again and again easily. Be that band. Make a point of meeting the venue manager. Make a good impression. Always be thinking about the next booking. 

Promoters want the same thing. Show up a little early for interviews and be interesting and entertaining. Do an interview people talk about... the one that gets played over and over again. 

Let em' know you appreciate the opportunity to be on their show. A sincere Thank You can go a long way. Get enough people who can help you and your work pays off with more gigs, more pay, maybe even music in a movie or commercial. They don't just hand that stuff out. It has to be earned.

Make yourself valuable to them and they'll promote you out of self interest.

Nothing wrong with that.    

Recording Artist Advocate: Bad music by committee...

Last week I talked about how the great songs are written by one person. I realize there are song writing teams, and that's the way it's done now. But has anyone else noticed how bland so much music is?

I have to walk a fine line here. I say plant your flag. Do your thing. Find your audience. I stand by that, but I also say to know your audience. Sometimes you can reach more people smoothing off the rough edges. That may mean less profanity or just not being so obvious with your message. 

How many times did you hear a song later in life that you used to listen to when you were younger? Do you notice there was a lot more to it than what you originally thought.

That's a sign of a good song.

Write those songs. You can do it. Take advice, but in the end it's yours.  

Well, take the advice of the people who know what they are talking about.  

Recording Artist Advocate: All those guitars are made to be ------ sold.

Go into a guitar store. Look at all the instruments. Some of the best guitars are being made today. You can get better guitars today for less money than you could in the good old days. 

Still, when I handle a great guitar from the 50's or 60's there is something there. (I don't know what it is, but it's undeniable.)

But that's not the point of this entry. I hate to say it, but most guitars will not be used to write the next great song. Most will end up in closets or hung up on the wall to collect dust. The next group will play covers, and the next will be used for very average music. 

But the 1 percent remaining? Thats where the "magic happens". Those belong to the few real artists who will touch your hearts and speak directly to you with their music. That is the music that rises to the top. That's the music that lasts. The music that defines a generation. 

It's not the guitar. They are just made to be sold. It's the creative spark in the mind of one person. 

You know when lightning strikes. When it happens to you grab your phone or anything that records and capture it immediately. Then come here to RoughWood Studio and make it into a record. 

Recording Artist Advocate: Scary Santa will be televised...

OK. That reference is a little convoluted. The original quote was, "The revolution will not be televised." My idea is to do a funny video about the scary Santa my Wife's family puts up every year. 

The idea is to promote Rough Wood Studio but in an entertaining way that doesn't feel like I'm promoting my business. Because you can do both.

I saw a funny video where a woman is going through her life and all the problems she faces. Through the video she uses an app on her phone to solve the problems as they come up.

By the end of the surprisingly long video you know how to get the app and how to use it's various features. You would never sit through the video if you weren't being entertained the whole time.

So what does that mean for you?

You can promote your band or next CD or download release. Just make sure you entertain them first. Tell your story in an entertaining way and do everything you can to get out of your own head and into the minds of the people watching. They probably don't care about half of the stuff you think is important. But the things they do care about will resonate. You can have fun, be ironic, take risks... whatever it takes to keep em' watching and sharing with friends.

Make them laugh and cry. Both are just as important.  

Recording Artist Advocate: Theatre geeks and musicians...

Theatre people write plays and singer songwriters write songs. But what do you call it when the musician writes a play? Usually that is the "concept album" or recording where the songs tell a bigger story. Tommy was the first concept album I was aware of. But a little searching and I found they have been around a long time. 

If you are ever experiencing writers block, you can try to tell a big story in several small parts. 

You could think of it as a bunch of snapshots poured out on a table. You pick one up and that is a song. Pick up another and there's another. Just like the stories tell the overarching story together, your individual songs tell a bigger story as well. 

Instead of getting blocked, just tell your story. Write a play and turn the acts into songs... or the chapters into songs. 

Whatever it takes to step back from the situation and get past your writers block... do it.

Here is one more way. Hope it works for you.