The Importance of Relationship Building

Natural networkers fascinate me. I love to watch them. They have some internal setting that just intrinsically wants to meet new people and learn all about them. They’re usually good at connecting folks too. While they’re speaking to you, they’re thinking about 10 other people they know that you should meet.

While I’m all for leveraging social networking to grow your brand, right now I’m talking about the all-important one-on-one, real-life networking. This doesn’t necessarily have to happen face-to-face, but we’re talking about actually speaking to another person, whether by skype, phone or in person.

We can all learn a lesson from natural networkers. Sure, we know we need to network but those with a bent toward introversion sometimes find it a difficult task. And, just about everyone gets lazy with networking from time-to-time, so here’s what’s important to remember:

First impressions count. It is vital you come across both relaxed and confident. A firm handshake and unwavering look in the eye will always give a good impression. Don’t try too hard. Just be you, but be your best version of you. Ask questions to learn about the person you are meeting. At the conclusion of the conversation, promise to keep in touch and then MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW UP with an email or phone call.

Stay in touch. This is the number one rule of networking and it’s key. Make sure to send a follow-up note after an initial meeting – plant a solid image of yourself in your contacts mind.

Keep good notes. It may seem like work but keeping excellent notes about those you connect with make it easy for you to remember birthdays and key events – all of which offer opportunities to stay in touch. Keep tract of your correspondence with each individual. Make notes of voice messages, email and phone conversations. The more details the better.

By remembering key points from a past conversation, you will impress with your excellent memory and retention. You never know when a connection will become a big opportunity so do your homework.

The music industry moves fast.  There are many, many bands out there. But few take the time to make an impression.  I can tell you first-hand that the few bands who have taken the time to send an email once in a while or a tweet – just to stay connected – are at the forefront of my mind.  I deal with 100’s of new bands each week.  Those who understand the need for connecting are generally the one’s who come to mind first when making referrals or looking for an artist to spotlight.

Use networking to grow your band in 2014.

 

Why Fans Don’t Fall In Love With Bands Anymore

Remember the days when a fan would discover a new band and fall head over heals in love with the music? I’m not talking about pre-teen girls swooning for the latest pre-packaged Disney incarnation.  I’m talking about a true LOVE for the music – purchasing the album, listening to it 900 times the first week, going to concerts, buying the t-shirt, telling your friends, all out love fest.

For some reason, that kind of dedication to a band is sadly, rare these days.

In my recent conversation with Matt Borck, front man for Canadian stadium rockers, YUCA, we discuss what the problem might be.  Matt has a unique take on the solution, too!

LISTEN HERE

 

The Most Meaningful Gift You Can Give

I don’t need to remind you that the gift-giving season is upon us! Many of us wrack our brains trying to find something unique and special for somebody that has “everything”.  It can be very frustrating and time consuming.

Finding a gift with true meaning that demonstrates to the recipient your feelings about them is hard to find.

But there is a gift that is so personal – so thoughtful that you will become the star of the gift-giving season just by giving it.

Music by independent artists is by it’s very nature a rare and intimate gift.  You have to search out the bands which are sometimes rather elusive. You have to spend time reviewing the music and matching it to the person you are gifting.  You have to order the CD or or download the digital files.  It takes a little time and that is a precious commodity.

Giving independent music shows you care.  It demonstrates that you know and understand the likes of the person you are gifting.  You share a piece of who you are in the process.  Unique and thoughtful gifts are hard to come by.  Because of this they stand out, make a mark and leave a lasting impression.

I recently discussed this very topic with James Wilson from the MY RANDOM JUKEBOX blog.  He give me 3 bands that he recommended as great holiday gifts.  You can listen to our discussion HERE.

The bands James recommends are: Yellabird, Carousels and Limousines and Brother and Bones. We suggest you check them out. Each is unique and Better Than Mainstream.

Outstanding indie music is a way of life at NEW DRIVEN.  I highly recommend you check out our playlists here on this blog and listen to the music of our bands.  Those on the CRUISIN show offer the softer side of independent rock. TORQUED shows off kicked up indie music with a hard rock bent.  All are exceptional.  Here’s a handful to help you get your search started:

YUCA – Canadian stadium rockers who are setting the world on fire. Positive and bold.

 

 SCARS ON 45 – British sensation with a smooth, soft sound.

 

 

 GRAND SPLENDID – Straight from Montreal to your heart. Uplifting songs in a soft rock style.

 

 

HOLLIE LA – Dance music that will get your feet moving!

 

 

 

THE MILK CARTON KIDS – Indie folk music from California.

 

 

 

3 YEARS HOLLOW – Kicked up hard rock from America’s heartland

 

 

 

 

BREE – Bree makes seductive hard rock with her flying V!

 

 

 

 

 

LEONA’S SISTER – Raspy, soulful rock. Lead singer J.T. sounds like she gargles broken glass. Sexy.

 

 

 

 

 

MEMORY OF A MELODY – They’ll make you scream…with delight.

 

 

 

I’m not even scratching the surface.

The idea is – YOU know the individual you are gifting. When you take that knowledge and match it with an independent band you show how much you care and how well you know that person.  Gifts with REAL meaning are rare.  Make a lasting impression – give the gift of indie music.

Millennials Don’t Buy. They SHARE. Marketing 2014

For most bands, selling music, merchandise and tickets is a primary function of the business end of the brand.  I don’t need to go into how challenging that can be and I won’t.  What I want to tackle is the unique opportunity that the Millennial or Generation Y demographic holds for bands.

This generation is noted for a number of things that are of importance to bands.  Number one is their tendency to be community minded. This community extends to the world as this is the generation who has always been plugged in to technology.  Their friends extend beyond borders and their community is the world.  They believe in making a difference.  They can be narcissistic but I argue that that is true of every age demographic.

Another interesting fact about Millennials is their musical taste is varied and wide. They tend to listen to a far wider range of music than other generations.  A great number of them absorb the music from various decades and genre’s in order to feel well-rounded musically.  This is important to them.

While this generation doesn’t have a problem dropping a lot of money on the newest technology, they aren’t necessarily spend-thrifts.  They may choose to hand over hundreds of dollars on a new IPad but most likely they won’t cough up .99 to download your new single. However, they are a force to be reckoned with in sharing what they like within their social circles.

Opportunity abounds for your band with this influential group.

Let’s look at each of the points above and examine how they can be a benefit to your music career.

First, Millennials are community-minded.  They see themselves as part of the collective – the whole.  As such, they like to interact with people from diverse backgrounds.  Second, they have liberal taste in music. In fact, most of the Millennials I know are fairly expert on an impressive range of music from the Beatles to The Black Keys.  And last, but in no way least, they share what they like with their entourage through social media.

Millennials hold the power to be your bands BEST brand ambassadors.  They know what they like and they take that and share it with their community.  They are the generation of viral marketing and they intrinsically know how to spread the message.  They may not be big on paying for music but they are HUGE in sharing bands they like and encouraging others to check out the music.

So, how do you make this work for your band?  First, Be REAL.  Millennials can smell a put-on a mile away.  They value sincerity.  If your music is quality, you will find a niche group of Millennials that love your sound.  Encourage them to share your information.  Incorporate social media into live events by asking your audience to take and share pictures and video clips from each show.  Give them the fuel they need to feed their desire to SHARE everything.  They want free music?  “Here you go…share our new album with the WORLD.  Let’s see who can get the most retweets of the link to download our music”.

This is how you play in the sandbox with Generation Y.  Speak their language and use the same tools they use.  Have you ever seen a Millennial walk without texting?  Of course not.  It’s not possible for them to do anything without texting.  So make that work for you.

Creativity is key.  Make friends with the greatest marketing firm on the planet: the Millennial Generation.

More Gigs Closer to Home

Booking & Touring
Success Strategies & Secrets

Getting ready for fall tours, conferences,
and projects? There’s no better time to
get a few booking strategies under
your belt to increase future gig bookings.

During the next few days I’ll send you some
of my very best strategies to help turn your
booking woes into booking know-how by using
Touring Patterns. 

Touring Pattern # 1: Prosperity Pattern

Once you get this one down pat, you can
use it as a template every time and everywhere
you plan a tour.

This is a “center-out” pattern that
begins with a home base of support and
expands in concentric circles or ovals outward
to nearby towns.

Prosperity Pattern

This pattern provides you with a number
of benefits.

1. Build a loyal support base.
Whether you are just getting started
or have been at it for a while, having
a solid base of support to start from,
is key to building loyal fans.

2. Save on travel expenses. By touring
to towns within a radius of 20, 40, 50
or even 100 miles, you can return home
after the gig. Dollars normally spent on
travel expenses like hotel can be put to
use on other aspects of your career.

3. Build media relations in nearby towns.
Once you develop good relationships
with your home town media, you can
use them as a reference to media sources
the next town over. Often, media like
radio and TV will cover larger areas that
include towns within your oval pattern.

4. Create a template for other markets.
Use this pattern as a template when planning
tours in other other markets of support as
you expand out from your central location or
even in strategic markets some distance away.

5. An Audience Development Strategy
This Prosperity Touring pattern can
become your best audience development
strategy. Your local fans can easily encourage
their nearby friends and family to come
to a show in their town just 20 or so
miles away. It’s easy for fans to travel
to those nearby gigs to show their
support.

Begin right away using this Prosperity
Pattern to reduce your expenses,
build your audience and media support
and get more gigs locally.

Do this now:

Get a piece paper, tracing paper or
best yet a transparency sheet and draw
or print a series of concentric ovals.

Then overlay the sheet on a map with your
home town. Now you can see all the
nearby towns that fall within each oval.

When you begin to plan tour dates that
include those towns, you’ll be on your
way to creating a solid home base of
loyal fans, numerous gigs and better
income. I can’t wait to hear how you
have used your Prosperity Touring
Pattern.

I’ll share another Touring Pattern with
you tomorrow that will help take this
Prosperity Pattern to a whole other level.

Booking & Touring Success Strategies & Secrets

Registration is Now Open

and Closes, Monday, October 7

at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific

Cheers,

Jeri Goldstein

jg@performingbiz.com

YUCA: On Band Life, The Present and The Future

Guest blog post by Gretchen Mashburn:

About six months ago, I was listening to the New Driven Torqued show on WROM Radio, when the most heavy, beautifully sung alt-rock song I had heard in years caught my ear. I had just begun listening to some Indie Rock after seeing some hashtags on Twitter about it. Winchester Rebels was one of the first bands that caught my attention due to their awesome name. They play good stuff, but the music I heard that night, hooked me. After the song ended, I tweeted Sherry at New Driven and told her that there was this one song from that night’s show that I was totally digging. Without any further description from me, she knew exactly which one it was. It was “Where are My Soldiers At?” by the Western Canadian alt-rock band YUCA.

For weeks following, I saturated my personal as well as “business” Twitter accounts, and my Facebook page, with that song; randomly sharing at all hours of the day and night. I haven’t played a song on repeat like that since the early 1990’s when Alice in Chains released “Would”. I did the only respectable thing a music lover could do; I bought everything they had available on iTunes and stalked YouTube for videos of their live shows. By the time they released “Give Up My Ghosts” and “Skeletal Desires”, in June, my friends were all practically jumping for joy that they would hear something other than “break ooooouuuuut the wiiiiiine” from my horrible singing voice once I reached “solo a cappella singing level” of intoxication.

Since then I have talked, to anyone that will listen, about this band and how amazing they are. I have burned CD’s and mailed them to my friends to listen to. They all agree that YUCA is an amazing group. They are truly the real deal. And they do it with only three band members. Guitarist and Lead singer Matt Borck, Bassist Andy Boldt, and Drummer Dave Atkinson put out a sound that is truly unique, spellbinding, and just plain damn good music. Recently, I crushed brains with Sherry from New Driven Radio and we came up with a little concept of me doing written interviews and what not for bands, to be posted on New Driven’s website.  The band I asked to do first was, shockingly, YUCA.  The following is the result. The interview took place during early September, and gives a little background into the band members, as well as their own individual takes on the new album, “Rebuilding The Fallen Empire” which set for an October 11^th  release. Their publicist Angela Nagle of Rising Empire Records was extremely cooperative with me, and I will forever be thankful to her for letting me use YUCA for my first foray into this arena.

YUCA Interview

Andy – BLUE
Matt – RED

Dave – Green

 

1)      For a three man group, you produce a LOT of sound. How do you pull it off, and what are some obstacles, if any, that you encounter when recording in order to achieve this enormous sound you guys put out?

Making things sound huge is about finding the right balance – space and dynamics allow for the music to go from quiet and intimate to huge and explosive. Also, being a three piece has allowed each of us to develop a unique approach to filling that sound with the parts we play as well as the sound and effects we use, not only on guitar, but on bass as well.

(See Andys answer)
As the drummer, I rely mainly on Matt and Andy’s knowledge with their gear to fill in the space with sound. Their sound will dictate how busy or spacious my grooves are. We have many levels of dynamics, and by being able to play in all ranges allows for us to sound huge when we want to. Filling up the space is easy when you know every sound going into that sounds amazing.

 

2)                  Do you all come from musically oriented families? Any siblings that play as well?

My family has always been involved musically, singing from before we could talk and playing instruments since the age of 4 and encouraged to try new things – both my brother and sister play music at different levels.

I grew up in a very musical family and much like Andy was singing & making up songs before I could talk. My Opa and Oma sang, my dad was a choir leader and sang in bands and my mom & sisters love to sing as well. I remember when I was a child I would stand on my Oma and Opa’s fireplace hearth and sing for the family – I just loved to sing and make up my own songs. In my family, if we were driving we were singing, if we were hanging out, music was on and we were singing – I loved it.

My family was always singing and encouraging music, but never to the extent of pushing music lessons, or buying instruments. I fell in love with music from seeing it performed live. I have 2 siblings that sing, but nothing serious.

 

 

3)                  How did the three of you get together to form YUCA? Were you in any previous bands?

Matt and I grew up in the same area and played in ‘neighboring’ bands and almost played in a band together but it never worked out. A few years later when YUCA was on the lookout for a new bass player, Matt knew where to look.

 It was sheer luck and since I don’t believe in luck – it was perfect timing.  As Andy said we had all been in “neighboring bands” and tried to make things work but never had the right teammates (band) to achieve the dreams that we had in our hearts. YUCA is the name we chose for our dream. A dream that me Andy & Dave all share and are very passionate about.  It seems cheesy to use the word ‘dream’ as most people aren’t encouraged to pursue theirs but passion doesn’t even seem a deep enough word to describe how we feel about YUCA.

I had always loved YUCA from seeing them locally to hearing them on the radio. I was in a serious band before them, and as that came to a close I noticed YUCA looking for a drummer. The timing was perfect, and I did what I needed to do in order to get the job. That was over 5 years ago. It feels like we have always been playing together now…

 

4)                  Other than yourselves, obviously, do you have a favorite genre of music, or musical group in particular?

I’ve spend some good time in lots of genres both playing and listening (funk, metal, folk, electronic, classical) but my strongest influences tend to be of the classic sort, where new bands are fun and go in different directions, not as many stick long term as favorites. I’m a really big fan of Neil Young, The Beatles, Wilco, Jamiroquai…

I love music and the more musical genres that I am exposed to, the more I fall in love with.  I am always on the hunt for new music! When I put on my iphone to shuffle I get a mix of classic rock, hip hop,  dance, alternative, easy listening – I love it all. I do have to say though there are a few bands that I can listen to over and over and I’d say are favorites of mine and they include: U2, Muse, Elbow, Radiohead, The Beatles, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill…..ya had to throw in some hip-hop for ya!

I love music. Picking a favorite genre would be like picking a favorite Jelly Belly Flavour, they are all soo good. Recently, I have been really into Fusion and Jazz, however I have a huge soft spot for progressive rock, and punk rock. Bad Plus all the way to Porcupine Tree.

 

5)                  I often describe your sound as a cross between Muse, Imagine Dragons, with some Alice in Chains thrown in. Who do you see as your biggest musical influences?

See previous question 😉

That’s a very cool mix – never heard anyone use Imagine Dragons or Alice in chains to describe us before but I’ll take it. I have heard people say we have glimpses of Radiohead, Muse, U2 and that sometimes I have a “Jeff Buckley sound to my voice”. Man I love Jeff Buckley so I take that as a huge compliment.

I can see that being accurate. I would also throw in some Coldplay as well 😉

 

6)                  So far, what has been your favorite venue that you’ve performed in?

The Commodore in Vancouver is a great venue with some really good history – I’ve seen some great bands play there and it was exciting to be on the stage myself.

I was asked to perform on stage in a bull ring in Mexico. It was an incredible venue as the seats wrap around the stage and it was packed. As I was performing the power went out to the stage so I grabbed an acoustic guitar. The sun was setting behind me, and with the loudest voice I could, I sang my heart out to the crowd. It was one of those special emotional times I’ll never forget.
One of my favorite performances would have to be playing a Robson Square for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Not only was the stage amazing, playing right downtown in the heart of the city and an olympic centerpoint, but also the crowd. Playing in front of thousands from around the world and being able to represent Canadian Rock was quite the honor.

 

7)                  I know Matt has a little one at home. How difficult is it, to balance your personal lives, with pursuing the success of your band?

It is tricky to balance and make work with families with last minute things popping up and being gone for tours, but our families are such a priority in our lives that we are committed to make it work

Balance? Lol who has balance? ( I love Andys answer.)

For me it is pretty easy as I have no personal life. When I am not working on new music and performing, I am teaching online to thousands. So I am constantly in front of people, one way or another and that has become my social life.

 

8)                  What has been the biggest disappointment, career wise, that you’ve been faced with?

That’s a tough question and I am not even sure how to respond? I think for us we try to always remain positive and not dwell on the negatives. Anytime we have walls or stumble we pick each other up, dust ourselves off and learn from the challenge. What we are faced with right now – getting our music to the world! That’s a huge challenge and one we need your help with. We can’t do that without your help.

I think one of the biggest disappointments is failed relationships that we have seen in the business. There have been plenty of occasions where we have invested time and money in order to build relationships that would really help both sides. But the music business is a cutthroat one…

 

9)                  As a lifelong fan of music, I have seen quite a few INSANELY talented groups fall apart due to internal strife and personal issues; Oasis, Stone Temple Pilots, GnR to name a few. Assuming you guys are able to achieve the success you deserve and are capable of, have you given any thought as to how to preserve your group? Given any thought to the things you can do as a group to ensure that your goals are achieved and not compromised by the ego-driven b.s. that has destroyed so many great musical groups?

We may have an accumulative ego as a band, but we are very respectful and considerate of each other and that is part of the reason why we chose to work with each other.

I love Andy’s answer and I agree with him. We chose to be together for a reason. We hate seeing incredible musicians and bands fall apart as well which is why we have chosen to learn from their issues and be active in preserving our group. We all choose to communicate, to truly listen, to respect and honor each other. We have also encouraged each other to have (what I like to call “ass-kickers”) in our lives. People that we love and trust to help keep us in check, grounded & balanced.  Remember in the movie Happy Gilmore when Happy sees the golfer in the golf clothes and he says “If I ever wore clothes like that, I’d have to kick my own ass!” – Well, if I ever started to act like anyone BUT who I truly am, not only would I have to kick my own ass but I’d have my “ass-kickers” doing that to me too! On our own, the three of us are normal, insecure boys but collectively (as YUCA) we know we are the greatest band you’ve never heard – YET!

We study those bands that fall apart, and study the dynamic of bands in general. What makes us unique is we are all legitimate guys who share the same passion. We are not out to become filthy rich, but share a lifetime of writing music and performing. We have been together for so long already, and we have been able to do that because we are all smart enough guys who know what it takes.

 

10)              Any advice you would dole out to anyone considering attempting to make a career in the music industry? 

Hone your craft, practice all the time, create your own luck and WORK HARD!

Be prepared for a long journey!

 

11)              If you were given the freedom to choose one song, what is the one cover you would choose to record for your next album?

Ummmmmm I really don’t know? Maybe a Miley Cyrus track or Lady Gaga? Something you would never expect from us. It’s too easy to cover a band you may sound like.

We have the freedom to record any song for our next album, we just may have to pay through the roof in order to do so. With the amount of music we write monthly, I doubt we would have room for a cover 😉

 

12.  Lastly, I was told you were recording a new album this fall. Have you decided on a title? How much material have you completed on it? Did you guys choose a certain theme or type of sound you wanted for this album?

At this moment the album has been mixed and is on its way to be mastered. We chose some of the best in the business to work on this album and we feel that it shows with a great feel and sound. The album will be called ‘Rebuilding the Fallen Empire’ and we feel the songs and sound matches the title of the album…(I find describing sound a difficult thing to do, which is why I’d rather just play;)

Andy gave a great answer!  YUCA – Rebuilding the fallen empire CD Out soon!

Rebuiling A Fallen Empire. Because we have 10 songs on this album, and is the evolution from our band going from a 4 piece to a 3 peice. In the album, many of the songs were written for a 4

piece band, so there was a challenge to re produce for a 3 piece group. That took the forefront when compiling this album, more so than any other theme.

*

I was already excited about the new album, but after the interview, I have damn near had to go on Rx meds to contain my excitement. It is rare that a group comes along that just catches the ear of a listener, or at least this one. I fully support Indie Rock and anyone that wishes to pursue a career in music. But let’s call a spade a spade folks. Most people don’t make it, and there is a legitimate reason why. They’re just not good enough. These guy do not fall into that category. I enjoyed the opportunity to interview YUCA and look forward to doing it again sometime.

~ Gretchen Mashburn

Rebuilding The Fallen Empire – new album by YUCA is available on October 11, 2013 at Yuca.ca

Tell Your Fans You Go To Yale: Free Music-Related College Courses!

People say I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

I’m always learning new things.

I have my own way of designing my personalized syllabus and course of study. Then I dive in, and soak in all I can about a given subject until satiated.  This summer I was learning everything I could about being raw-vegan. I studied the biology, food interactions and healing benefits.  In the past I’ve studied things like organic gardening, stock market, world economics and astrology.

Through this quest for knowledge, I found COURSERA.  I began signing up for their free classes about 8 months ago.  I’ve taken courses in Gamification, The History of Rock n Roll and Social Psychology, among others.

Yes. I said, THE HISTORY OF ROCK N ROLL.

This post is to let you know that there are loads of cool music-oriented college-level courses out there that you can take absolutely FREE!

Coursera is is just one of many web-sites that connect people hungry to learn more about a subject with awesome college courses. Currently, they are offering music-related courses in:

• Fundamentals in rehearsing music ensembles
• From The Repertoire: Western Music History Through Performance
• Introduction To Programming For Musicians and Digital Artists
• Introduction To Guitar
• Songwriting
• Introduction To Music Production
• History of Rock
• The Music of The Beatles
• Survey of Music Technology
• Fundamentals of Audio and Music Engineering:
• Introduction To Digital Sound Design

..and MORE!

The courses are generally about 9 weeks in length. You can choose to take them FREE or sign up for a nominal cost, (sometimes as low as about $30), and get more interaction with the prof. If you’re taking courses through Coursera you will find that they don’t actually produce the courses. Instead, the courses come from major universities around the U.S.A. and world. Coursera acts as an umbrella that hosts these courses and organizes the students and faculty cohesively.

Other sites offering free college courses include:

• Harvard University
• Udemy
• UC Berkeley
• Duke

If you have an interest in learning a new aspect of the music world, check out these on-line courses.  You’re never too old to learn something new or build upon the knowledge you already possess.  Other courses that might be of interest to those in the music industry are business, marketing, psychology and entrepreneurial courses. To take your business, (music), to the next level, arm yourself with all the knowledge you can get your hands on.  Why not? It’s FREE!

How To Not Be Stupid

I got really upset at someone yesterday.

Well, I got irritated, anyway.

One of my pet peeves is when an artist or band submits music that we don’t spin because they didn’t take time to check out who we are and what we do.

This is what I got in the email yesterday: (it was sent to a large group of radio shows and stations)

My name is XXXXXX. I am submitting a True Hip-Hop song titled “The Day” for airplay consideration. The sound of this song will subdue listeners with a deep mellow to raspy voice of love & inspiration mixed in with the rhythmic pulse of the harmony. My bio can be found at XXXXX.com Let me know what you think of the song.

 The artist came to NEW DRIVEN from an online website that helps bands find radio stations that play their genre.  That site lists all NEW DRIVEN criteria so there was no reason for this person to not only NOT include the actual things we require for submission, (social media links, tour schedule), but to submit at all since we work with independent rock artists and don’t spin hip-hop or rap.

Sure, this is a minor irritation that is easily dealt with by clicking the DELETE button. However, this is what showed up several hours later from the same artist:

Program Director,

Today, I submitted a song titled “The Day” to your web site. I am the original creator of the aforesaid song(s). At the time of submission I was unaware that many of the stations that receive submission via “XXXXX.com” operate with royalty-free terms of submission. Furthermore, I am a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), SoundExchange, and The Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC). The term royalty-free violates my interest and/or agreement in the aforesaid royalty collecting societies.  Therefore I am instructing you to remove any and all songs, music, material(s), data, and the like that was submitted by myself or agents thereof from your website and/or network(s). This removal notice is issued with in reasonable time limits established by well know contract law(s).

As you can read, this artist made no mention of recognizing the extra work he may have caused some radio stations that may have already added his song into their rotation and the amount of work that takes. No apology or graciousness was extended what-so-ever and no mention was made that he had caused this by not doing HIS homework and checking into these issues first.

This is a problem.

Why? Because it clearly forgets that the music industry is a whole.  Those of us in the industry are ONE.  In today’s world there are millions of super-talented musicians and bands out there putting out amazing art. They rely heavily on other’s to promote them and share their work with the world.  A major sector for this is radio, bloggers, fans and social media guru’s.  Acting like you’re a god and everyone else is your peon is bad business and just plain rude.  Artists should be working TOGETHER with other music professionals to get their music out there, not acting like some privileged prima donna and demanding others do their bidding.

It’s artists like this that push people away from helping bands.  A few bad apples really do make an impact on the whole.  I know people in radio and blogging who have stopped working with musicians because they often don’t show gratitude for the work others do on their behalf.  After a while, people start to feel used instead of appreciated.  There are amazing artists out there that possess great talent and social skills and who make sure they say “thank you” when someone helps promote them.  And there are those who need to consider what they would do without all the radio stations, bloggers and fans who freely help promote their work.

I confess that I impulsively wrote a terse reply back to this individual.  Although he hadn’t cost me more than a minute of time, I felt badly for the radio stations that he had inconvenienced and for his rudeness.  We all do dumb and thoughtless things sometimes and I should have been more patient with this individual myself.

The fact remains, working together in respect and with gratitude go a long way in today’s music industry.  While we all have moments of lapse, it’s in each of our best interest to do our best to play nicely in the sandbox.  “Thank you” and “I apologize for any inconvenience” still go a long way in good work relations.

Wine, Whiskey, Women and Song

This post has nothing to do with alcohol. Or women.

It has to do with the concept many musicians have about their career and what it will be like when they reach “stardom”. It has to do with self-sabotage and why so many bands who are talented and have amazing music will not get to the level they dream of.

I hear people who work in the music community complain all the time about bands who don’t follow through on what they say or don’t grab opportunities that are handed to them. The lack of professionalism among the majority of bands out there is appalling. That’s right. I said, THE MAJORITY.

This is not to say there aren’t some incredibly awesome and professional bands in today’s music community. Thank goodness for them because otherwise working in this industry would be impossible. But let it be stated, loud and clear: being a professional band comprises far more than practicing, writing great songs and putting on a killer live show.

The real work happens behind the scenes. If you are a musician with professional aspirations then do yourself a favor and begin reading up on entrepreneurship because that is exactly what you are – an entrepreneur.

I’ve heard lots of complaints over the years from other professionals in the music industry. Here’s mine. You say you want to make it big YET, when you are contacted for airplay or interview you, (or, sometimes, your representative) never respond. How do you think you will ever “be heard” without putting yourself out there? You know why you aren’t getting heard?  You’re busy writing your own epitaph.

For those bands who have publicists and managers and other “handlers”, you must make sure they are truly representing your best interests. About half of the people who never respond to my requests for an interview or air play are management-types. Many bands have no idea they aren’t being properly represented. But you should. It’s your job to know. It’s your career.

Take every opportunity to be seen and heard and don’t judge the audience size. A blogger with only a few readers might be exactly the place you are discovered by a big promoter. Be smart. Be everywhere you can. And answer your damn email.

The Low-Down, The 411 – All Things NEW DRIVEN

I’m not gonna lie.

I’m tired.  We’ve been going about 12 hours a day, full-force with NEW DRIVEN this summer. I’m pale as a ghost because I haven’t been out in the sun at all.  But that doesn’t matter. I don’t believe in sun tans. I believe in music. I believe in the gods of rock n roll.

Here is the account of all things NEW DRIVEN as of 12 August 2013:

• NEW DRIVEN CRUISIN and NEW DRIVEN TORQUED are now heard on radio stations across the globe. The listening audience is insane and growing daily. I’m boggled by how many people are tuning in and rocking out.
• I am now creating programming specifically for WROM RADIO in Detroit. I create five 1-hour blocks each week, using only NEW DRIVEN artists. The NEW DRIVEN ROCK BLOCK’s are heard throughout the week giving NEW DRIVEN artists much more exposure. Did You Know – WROM Radio gets about 500,000 unique listeners PER DAY?
• Speaking of WROM RADIO – we are now in pre-production for an hourly weekly interview show on the station. I’ll be interviewing noted celebrities from the music industry as well as stellar independent bands. Look for a Fall 2013 launch.
• I’m in no way an over-achiever, which is why we’re also launching a 2-hour weekly live talk-show on Gashouse Radio on Sunday, October 6th 6pm eastern time.  My pal, Ryan, (front man for Kalance Theory and owner of www.IndieMusicVideos.tv), will be my co-host. Look for general insanity, exceptional call-in interviews and killer music.  Anything less would be main stream.
• What? You expected more! There’s only so many hours in the day!!!

Are you a NEW DRIVEN band? Then rejoice in what you’ve just read cuz you’re the reason for the season here at NEW DRIVEN. We do this to get the music OUT THERE. I don’t believe any radio show/promotion company offers the visibility we are working for and DELIVERING.

Are you a fan of independent rock? We believe people have a right to hear indie bands. We don’t think you should have to work hard to find great music. We’re plugged in to the pulse of the independent community so all you have to do is listen and enjoy, (and buy a song or two from time-to-time).

Peace, Luv and Indie Rock!