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Saturday, October 31, 2009 |
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Second Life
By Dann Russo (Dann Numbers)
Click to Listen
 
How would you like to be an international pop superstar? How would you like people all over the world, from the UK to Australia, Norway to Argentina clamoring for your music, asking “where can I get that?” singing along to almost every song? I do it all time. Every Sunday at 7am I crawl out of bed, make breakfast for my kids and coffee for myself, log onto my computer and plug in my guitar. I am Dann Numbers, international acoustic prophet of rock and soul in the on-line world of Second Life.
I heard about Second Life when my daughter (now 3 years old) was born. At an age when many of my friends were “settling down” and coming to terms with getting older and what that means for their dreams, I wasn’t ready to let go. I have 13 guitars dammit. I NEED to play music, to write, to perform. What I didn’t need, however, was getting home at 2 am in no shape to take care of anyone (including myself sometimes) bringing in small amounts of money that I most likely had already eaten and drunk away before I left wherever it was I was playing. I was at an impasse. Then, in an article in the Boston Phoenix (the local free alt-weekly) I saw an article about Second Life. Second Life is many things. There are no rules, except for the one that says there are no rules. A reality where you can fly, jump, dive, play, meet people, what does their website say again? “The Internet’s largest user-created 3-D virtual world community”
(you can check it all out at www.secondlife.com ).
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Posted by admin at 10:22 AM
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Thursday, October 29, 2009 |
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What do I know?
By Thomas Nicholas
I’ve read the other articles on here and found them helpful and entertaining. This is not one of those articles. I have only been touring since the beginning of 2007. My experience is limited, so I’m gonna power through this. I’ll share a few tidbits on what I remember of the last 150 shows…
Gig sharing:
Want to play in a city, far far away? Pick a place where you have some friends, preferably a musician friend. If that’s not possible then use a social network to find a musician in that city. Ask them to help you book a gig in their city and you’ll do the same in return.
Never Stop Learning:
Take lessons. Don’t just take a lesson 1 time, that would be like going to high school for 1 day. (Which I think I only did half of that)
I get it, lessons can be expensive. Can’t afford to pay for them? Then barter for it. Trade a service for a service.
Do whatever you need to do, just take lessons.
Why? Because I believe that we need great musicians and singers in this world and even the best of the best still take lessons.
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Posted by admin at 06:08 PM
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Thursday, October 29, 2009 |
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Wearing All the Hats
By Megan Burtt
Help Megan record her new Album. Click Here.
The things that have seemed to be the most beneficial for me are the things that musicians tend to hate the most, or give little attention to – organization; patience and a healthy lifestyle are high on that list.
I’m compulsive about inputting a business card into my contacts application on my computer soon after it was handed to me. I include a reminder for myself of where I met that person and something we talked about that I can bring up in conversation later. Independent artist have to be there own cheerleaders for a long time before industry starts to recognize them. So, if I’m going to be my own manger, booking agent, PR chick, the list goes on and on, than I need to know what resources I have to get all those things done. I make ‘to do’ lists, and excel spreadsheets of gig venues all over the country, take note of radio stations I can send a press pack to. It’s a full time job if you’re serious about it. I in the same light, being on-time is really important to me. Shows and sound checks rarely start when they are suppose to, but could you imagine if they did? Your 10:30 PM slot might not get pushed to 11 PM, just when people are ready to go home.
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Posted by admin at 05:21 PM
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Monday, October 26, 2009 |
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Inviting Other Musicians to Jam
By Ryan Chrys
Click to Listen
 
This is a topic I think often gets overlooked. In my experience it can be an extremely invaluable experience for everyone involved. It may take some pre-planning, but if you keep the idea in mind then it won’t take much at all! The benefits of this are countless. To start, if you’re on the road and playing with a local band, and you invite one of their members to sit in with you on one of your songs in your set, you’re instantly drawing their hometown fans closer to you. You’re also making a powerful connection with another musician that will likely be remembered for a lifetime. As well, getting to know someone by having them sit in on a song often suddenly opens people up, next thing you know you have a good friend and connection in a town where you know nobody. It’s so much more powerful than simply saying “nice set dude” as you walk past the other guy.
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Posted by admin at 07:39 PM
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Monday, October 26, 2009 |
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Technology and Tools
By Matthew Moran
Click to Listen
 
Hello fellow Performing Songwriters.
This is your weekly/semi-weekly update – technology and tools edition…
In case you don’t know me, I am Matthew Moran, a songwriter/performer based in Southern California. The other side of my life is that as a consultant – business, technology, and marketing – and an author.
As a songwriter and performer – a Performing Songwriter, I would rather song write and perform.. Many times to the exclusion of all else. Does this sound like you?
To help correct this, I offer the following websites & tools – with brief description of their application.
DISCUSS THE TOOLS BELOW AND OTHER TOOLS YOU ARE USING HERE:
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=110532175707&topic=11624
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Posted by admin at 11:33 AM
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Saturday, October 24, 2009 |
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Posted by admin at 01:22 AM
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Thursday, October 22, 2009 |
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Stay Focused
Chicago, IL
By Ryan Powers
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the endless things we feel we need, and have to be doing to stay up with what we want to accomplish. There will be days that I accomplish a lot, and there will be days that I can barely keep up with anything. Days are always unpredictable, and I can literally drive myself crazy with thinking of things I need to do, get started, and finish. Instead of trying to get everything done at once, which is impossible but is an easy trap to fall in to, I try to break down what I need to do, and focus on specific areas on specific days.
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Posted by admin at 11:20 PM
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Thursday, October 22, 2009 |
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The Benefits of eFax
Makes Faxing a Breeze
By Head Above Music
I started using eFax when I landed my first college tour in 2004. I had so many contracts coming in I didn’t know what to do. I spent a lot of time swinging by currency exchanges and using the fax machine at the hotels and colleges along the way. This was also right before I started using GPS, so I was also swamped with yahoo maps all over my car. Though most business is done via email and black berry, I still have to send in the W9 forms and updated contracts once or twice a week. I can fax it with a click of a button no matter where I’m at. Here are some of the benefits of eFax off the website. Give them a ring and see if it’s worth it for you. I’m happy with it. Tour Safe, Tour Smart.
eFax : 877-620-9849
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Posted by admin at 10:18 PM
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Thursday, October 22, 2009 |
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5:30 a.m.
By Joe Goodkin
Chicago, IL
Click to Listen
 
Forging a career in music is tough business.
A short list of the jobs I do for my band, Paper Arrows (http://www.paperarrows.com), includes: manager, booker, accountant, web designer, secretary, shipping, distribution, licensing, legal, publicity/press, radio, and janitor (okay, I made that last one up).
Add to those responsibilities: teaching 25 private guitar lessons a week, working a part-time day job at a law firm, and all the daily tasks associated with, you know, living life… and things get kind of hectic.
So I’m faced with what is a common question for aspiring musicians: when and how can I find the time and energy to be creative?
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Posted by admin at 09:43 PM
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1 Comment |
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009 |
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Your Reputation Precedes You
By Dave Tamkin
Click to Listen
 
I’ve been blessed to play with many musicians over the years. Some have been cool as hell and others with their enlarged ego and elevated sense of self entitlement I’ll never forget. I have shared a beer or two with some, and others I’ve finished off the bottle of Sir Daniels both on stage and off. I’ve heard sober artists grace the stages with their talent, and drinks and drugs make others fall flat in front of hundreds. I’ve heard gossip spew from lips of the jealous and others stand as friends along side of their absent comrades. I’ve seen artists explode with anger when confronted with bad business ethics or a sound man’s poor ear, while others handle that same situation with grace and professionalism.
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Posted by admin at 10:22 PM
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1 Comment |
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Mar 11, 2010
