So you just show up, plug in, the lights are up, the video is rolling, and someone just brought you a warm towel, right? Oh, and I forgot to mention it already has 100k hits on YouTube…right? Well, unless your name is Jack White

or that newswoman who fell out of the grape tub

you’re doing something wrong. Better yet, you’re about to get words that are suppose to help you get 100k hits from me…a musician scrambling to get out of debt working a bar tending shift tonight, just to get up and go back to work at the crack of dawn…just to free up enough time and money to invest in…the band. So, my 2 cents…

The trick is always in who you know in the “making of” a good music vid, but it needs to be paired with a ton of moving parts that work toward a common thread. Then it has to be interesting enough for people to care about. Jimmy at the Prom’s music video to “Made of Wax” was a perfect storm of who we knew, musical preparation, logistical preparation, and some luck.

A tattoo artist, an animator, a film director/editor, a technical director of a major local theater, two assistant engineers, and four musicians made up the endeavor. Two songs were chosen in hopes that one would land a live take from front to back, as the audio and video were to be recorded simultaneously. First, bassist Matt Turner and myself conceptualized the artwork and put the execution in the hands of Steven Bossler of www.greenseedstudios.com. Then, www.harvest-motion.com animator Dave Kiehl worked off a storyboard I drafted to put the artwork in motion. From there it was the magic of Bryan Mir at www.blend-studios.com to put the pieces together in a way to fit the song and vibe of the group. The endeavor coincided with the release of our first record, which was all recorded at the same venue in the same fashion, and served as a launch pad for promo.

So, where to start… If you don’t know anyone in the field, and money is tight…Google is your friend. Freelancers are going to be a lot cheaper than firms, and students are even cheaper than that. Get a list together of all your local film or tech schools and pitch your idea to an instructor. Go to a theater venue and find the photographer shooting a national act and get his/her card…chances are they’ll give you their personal card and not the venue you’re in. Go to a local film festival and start talking to people…chances are you’ll find some hungry directors with crazier ideas than your own. Research is so key. You can spend so many hours looking in the wrong places and at firms that charge six figures more than your budget.

Once you have assembled your team of sorts, then the work really begins. Coordinating and communicating with everyone at once is difficult. Tech specs need to be shared across the board, song length vs. frames per second vs. HD vs. your damn outfit vs. extra hands vs. everything else has to be ready to go…because you’re probably renting a venue, paying people hourly, and everyone is hungry and waiting for you to buy them lunch on the day of your big shoot.

Knowing your end-game budget is key, knowing your music is key, and having a solid timeline is key. You don’t want to get caught 1000 bucks short, you don’t want to show up unprepared, and you can’t launch the product unless everything is finished on time. Even with an air tight game plan, something always happens…but if you’re patient and give yourself a couple weeks of buffer time…you might not go entirely crazy managing all the working parts. For example, just look at the swiftness of Lana Del Ray’s campaign  from her October 10th single released on vinyl to her December 1st YouTube channel release. That is signed, label speed, and it should give you an idea of how fast you have to move to stay current.

All of that said, the music is the most important part of it all, and then still having a budget after that is hard to pull off. One must decide the most effective allocation of budget without dropping it all on one element. The decisions are tough.

Please pass along this video

to a friend, then tell that friend to tell a friend, and then watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ), and look how many hits it has.

Check out Jimmy At The Prom on iTUNES!

www.jimmyattheprom.com
youtube.com/jimmyattheprom

Sean Williamson’s Thoughts and Recommendations:

One book I would recommend is The Music lesson by Victor Wooten

Right now my favorite piece of gear is my white 89 MIJ Strat w/Evans SSH pickups & Floyd Rose.

One thing I can’t live on the road without is Emergen-C

I’m listening to Elixir on Mute & Kyuss these days.

The Quite American and His Instruments
Interviewed by Bryan R. Sansom

Musician, luthier, historian and songwriter; Aaron Keim is a roots music renaissance man.  As The Quiet American, Aaron performs traditional and original folk music on guitar, ukulele and banjo. (which he builds himself!)  Inspired by depression era string band music, old timey gospel, lo-fi garage rock and the modern indie-folk scene, The Quiet American is a compelling mix of old and new.

After falling in love with music in the school band and choir, Aaron studied music education and french horn in college.  He stumbled upon an old time hootenany outside of Cimmaron, NM in 1999, which inspired him to learn the upright bass and start The Paradise String Band.  While teaching orchestra in the public schools, Aaron began his career building and restoring string instruments.  In 2003, Aaron moved to Colorado and earned a master’s degree in music history from University of Colorado.  In 2004, Aaron founded Boulder Acoustic Society, which has played over 1,000 shows all over the US, focusing on a genre bending mix of folk, rock, jazz and classical.  While traveling with BAS, Aaron taught workshops and masterclasses on roots music, studied banjo, ukulele and guitar with the masters, performed for huge festival crowds and embedded himself in the modern folk scene.

What inspired you to start building your own instruments? First I was inspired to restore old, broken instruments. I love old things and am fascinated by taking things apart to see how they work. Later, I started building because no one else was making instruments I wanted to play.

As someone who has built the instrument they perform with, you have a more intimate   connection with it versus something bought in a store. Have you found that this connection has inspired you and affected the way you play? I don’t think I have a greater connection because I built it, by I do think I build better because I play. It has led me to insist on certain design features that I think professional musicians need and want.

How did you turn your interest in making instruments into a business? I met Heidi and Rob, who are musicians and entrepreneurs. They believed in me and worked hard to start Beansprout Banjos and Ukuleles. I worked with them for 2 years before I bought them out. Then I ran Beansprout on my own for about 18 month while I started my collaborations with Mya-Moe ukuleles. (www.myamoe.com) That has led me to a full time spot building with them.

Like most musicians, I didn’t have any training in business in college. Years of touring got me a lot of business experience, but I still had so much to learn about running a business properly.

How has the business affected your musical career? Over time, my building and my music have grown closer together and more supportive of each other. Now, most of the people who see me play also know about my instruments and most of my luthiery customers are also fans of my music. My solo act, The Quiet American, uses mostly instruments I build or modify. www.quietamericanmusic.com

Building ukeleles must be time consuming, as is being a musician. What advice do you have for maintaining balance between the two, and prioritizing your life? I used to be sort of a jack of all trades, but as I get older, I have specialized more and more. I stopped teaching, writing and blogging etc…so that the two things I do could be the best they could be. I also work towards quality and efficiency in both fields.

What is one book you could recommend to our readers? The Rose and the Briar. It’s about folk ballads. Geeky, I know, but I love it.

What is your favorite piece of gear? It’s a tie between my 1930′s Maybell archtop guitar (I put a ’60s gold foil Teisco pickup on it) and my Big Muff fuzz pedal.

What is one thing you can’t live on the road without? A book, my iphone and an ukulele. I know that’s three things, but that’s how I roll.

Who are you listening to these days? I just got a 100 track compilation of 60′s garage rock. There is some weird stuff on there!

As an acoustic artist, Playing to your friends and family, around the campfire, local coffee houses and small bars is a no brainer.  But, I challenge you to go outside your comfort zone .

I once opened up for 5 punk bands at the Speakeasy in Downtown Toronto with simply an
acoustic guitar. Since I had just a couple friends there to watch me, I wanted to fit the mold, so I played an acoustic version of Nirvana’s Lithium.  In the middle of the song, I had everyone clapping, singing along and having a blast in the audience. I don’t intend to sound vain or cocky, but this sort of thing is how I have gained “fans”.  In order to gain new fans that are not your friends and family, you have to go outside the “bar”.

As a solo acoustic act, I have played private parties, antique stores,
backyard b.b.q.’s, small venues, huge venues and pretty much anywhere
anyone will let me set-up.  With my band, The LA Accident, it takes a little
more logistics, but we have played just as many different types of venues;
The LA Marathon (while people run by), car races, little theaters, campgrounds,
kids parties where I’ve had to learn Justin Bieber and Jonas brothers.   I’ve had
people ask me to sign their running suits, race car jerseys, books and
anything that they have on them.  I am in no way a famous person, but
when you are playing with a microphone or a band in public places,
people assume you are special.  This is “outside the box” or more
relevant “outside the bar” thinking.

I have played countless bars where I leave half in the bag with no energy
or excitement left, because I am not gaining new ground; I am playing covers
and originals to people that could care less who was on the stage.  If you play
somewhere that 1000 other bands have not, you are creating something
new. That’s when the pictures are taken, the articles are written and
the people remember you.

I am planning a summer tour in Arkansas and Texas and I have literally
just showed up at venues and asked to play.  Like the Little Theater
in Mena, Arkansas; unless you walk in, like me and my girlfriend did,
you wouldn’t know they rent out this 250 person venue for $200, that’s
potential to make $10×250 people = $2500 – $200 (rental fee) = $2300
PROFIT POTENTIAL! You don’t always have to make a cash deal to make
money and most of the time you will make more if you think Outside
your comfort zone.

In Hollywood I have “paid to play” many times, but
never reallly paid. I have seen young musician pull out $400 out of
their personal bank accounts to play at The Whisky A-Go-Go, Viper
Room, Key Club, Roxy, etc..  Fortunately, we usually break even,
except for our residencies; that’s when we start making some money.
Find a booker that will let you play somewhere more than once; like
once a week or once a month.  Then, you can promote the hell out of it
and people know that The LA Accident are playing at The Derby every
3rd Friday. When we did this, we made either $20 or when our friends
brought their friends who turned into fans; we made $400, $750, etc.
Usually, in Hollywood, if you have a good relationship with the
booker, they will allow you to make money after you have a certain
amount of people through the door that say your name.  The booker that
we have done the best with is “Can of Jam” who is now also “The
Codega”.

Even though Los Angeles is huge city, once you get inside
the music industry and think outside the box, you will realize there
is not that many “players”; meaning people you have to compete with.
If you are doing something all the other bands in Hollywood are doing,
like playing for 30 mins at the Whisky on a weekday for 50 ticket
sales, then you aren’t gonna do much but that. On the other hand if
you are networking with random guests a the Whisky that you did not
sell tickets too and they book you are for a private backyard bbq, now
you are a “player”.

Back in 2008, I responded to a craigslist ad for a Kids Bday party.
Even though the thought of playing 2 hours of Jonas Brothers and Miley
Cyrus made me gag a bit, I was willing to take this risk.  When I
walked into the women’s house to “audition” she immediately hired me
because I was young, polite and dressed appropriately.  This has now turned
into 3 parties for different families over 3 years. This year, having
to learn the new pop idol, Justin Bieber’s songs and told that Miley
and Jonas’ were OUT was amusing yet painful, but was a big paycheck.
What bands don’t think about is that for the other 2 hours we are
playing, we get to play our funk, rock, reggae and blues originals
and sell CD’s to the parents…Outside the bar, inside a hall attached
to a church.

Unfortunately, against your will, as an independent artist you have to
promote yourself constantly.  It would be great if we had Madonna’s
manager to push our CD’s, but this just isn’t the case.  If you put
out an album independently, there is two ways to look at it and
generally two different outcomes; they sit in the box or they get out
to the world.  In 4 years, I have released two full-length albums and
4 EP’s and usually break even with the hard copy sales totaling about
2000 units. The reason I break even is usually because I give about
half of that 2000 away and call it sales.  At LA Accident shows, we
hold dance competitions and the winner gets a CD. This usually leads
to sales that may of not occurred if we said had not said anything
about our merchandise booth.  We let radio stations, cities, charities,
family and our friends give them away and when the physicals are gone,
we are in 5 local newspaper articles and we have digital sales that
continue forever (make sure you check out Tunecore)

(Sign Up for a FREE TuneCore account, and take advantage of our Anniversary Special! ).

Finally, it’s important to always carry your cd, if possible, or at
least have business cards wherever you go. Living in Hollywood, I have
met Brian McKnight, Ryan Tedder from One Republic, Shaun Murphy of
Little Feet and guitarist Ben Carey from Lifehouse, to name a few.  I
talked to them for a bit and handed them my cd at the end of our
conversation.  I’m not telling you this has gotten me really anywhere,
other than encouragement, but if I didn’t have anything on me, the
potential of connection down the road vis 0%.  Who knows when someone
could call? Bottom line is, I would rather have 1000 cd’s out there,
then 1000 cd’s under my bed; Outside the box, outside your comfort
zone, outside the “bar”.

www.lukeandrewsEPK.com

Luke Andrews on iTunes

Luke Andrews Recommendations:

What is one book you would recommend- A New Earth by Ekhart Tolle

What is your favorite piece of gear – Line 6 DL4 Delay Guitar Effects Pedal

What is one thing you can’t live on the road without – merch table with sales rep.

Who are you listening to now?  The Black Keys

I am standing at the baggage claim, crowded with grumpy travelers pushing for their luggage. The conveyer belt is at an alarming angle and seems to be running way too fast. I can’t make my way to the front. All of a sudden dozens of huge heavy wood crates start careening down the belt. I see my guitar dwarfed by them, and I cry out involuntarily as a particularly large crate falls on my guitar. The usually noisy baggage claim area becomes painfully silent as we all hear the horribly distinctive sound of a musical instrument, designed to transmit sound, transmitting its own death as it is reduced to splinters. I wake up in my hotel bed, a cold sweat permeating the sheets, mattress liner, mattress, and box spring. Oh thank God, it was just a dream.

How do we do it? Traveling with our beloved instruments is a nightmare. Should you check it or try to carry it on? Here are some tips to help you and your guitar survive your next flight.

CHECKING YOUR GUITAR

If you are going to check your guitar in baggage, be prepared to lose it. I have lost my guitar six times, and once it was missing for more than a month. So far I’ve been lucky: my guitar has always made it back to me, like those pet stories, “We lost old Sparky in Nebraska, but she caught up to us in Hong Kong.” I only travel with guitars that I am emotionally prepared to lose. I can’t tell you how much stress that has removed from my life.

Pad the peghead. One of the most common injuries to checked guitars is broken pegheads. Even in most good cases, the peghead is not supported. If a case is dropped, the weight of the tuning gears can snap the peghead right off. This happened to one of my guitars. Pack the peghead securely on all sides with T-shirts, socks, and other soft articles of clothing, or buy a case with padded peghead support. Crumpled newspaper or magazine pages will work well in a pinch, too. Just make certain that the peghead is wedged into the case so that it can’t move in any direction if the guitar case is dropped.

Loosen the strings. On an average steel-string guitar, the strings pull 150 pounds of pressure. You won’t want that kind of pressure on your guitar’s neck while it is getting heaved around by sumo baggage handlers. Taking the tension off will also reduce the risk of snapped pegheads.

Choose the strongest case you can afford and/or carry. I’ve heard many musicians recommend Calton cases. They come in bright colors, which makes it less likely that someone will walk off with your guitar by mistake, and they have a good arch over the face of the guitar that gives the case more strength. Flight cases (usually triangle-shaped fiberglass cases) are also very good, but they are bulky and heavy. Sadly enough, I know many musicians who have developed tendon injuries not from playing their instruments but from carrying heavy cases. Generally, the heavier the case, the better the protection, so you will have to find a balance. Even the toughest cases, however, are not indestructible. One airline managed to spear a forklift right through the best case a musician friend of mine could find.

Pack your instrument and case in a cardboard shipping box. You can usually get one of these boxes for free from a music store, but you will have to get the box in advance since most stores don’t get daily shipments of guitars. When I pack my guitar, I throw all my clothes and an empty duffel bag around the case for padding. The great thing about this method is that it makes your guitar so awkward and bulky that the baggage handlers have to handle it gently by default. The obvious problem with this system is that the box is awkward and bulky for you as well, and you end up taking a big empty box on tour with you for your return flight.

Once, when I wasn’t using this method, I saw a baggage handler throw my guitar case over a baggage train where it landed miraculously headfirst on the conveyor belt. The baggage handler jumped up and down ecstatically at the sheer beauty and accuracy of his throw, while from inside the airplane I was screaming inaudibly and pounding on the airplane window. Of course when I checked my guitar the airline made me sign a waiver saying that any damage they inflicted on my instrument was my responsibility. Had I packed my guitar in a shipping box, I would have saved myself a $250 repair bill.

When you get to your destination, go directly to the baggage claim area to get your guitar. I once coincidentally ran into guitarist Nina Gerber as I deplaned and stood talking at the gate for ten minutes while my guitar went around and around the baggage claim carousel. Pretty soon my guitar was the only thing left, and when no one was looking someone stole it. Through some clever detective work on the part of the airline, I got my guitar back, but not until after I had played the festival.

CARRYING YOUR GUITAR ON BOARD

If you plan to try to carry your guitar on board, get a great gig bag, one that you can wear on your back. That way your guitar is pretty much hidden by your body so that when you saunter on by the ticket takers they may miss your guitar entirely. Find a bag that isn’t too bulky but offers some protection. I use gig bags by Blue Heron and Reunion Blues. They use a foam similar to backpacking insulate, which is very dense and offers good protection. Gig bags don’t need as much padding as regular cases because they aren’t subjected to baggage handlers. And because they are so light and comfortable, you’re not always setting them down, so they don’t get knocked about and are less likely to get stolen.

When you make your reservation, find out what the airline’s policy is for carrying guitars on board and what type of carrier the airline uses. Make sure you are not flying on an L10-11. TWA flies a lot of those. They have tiny overhead compartments that will not hold a guitar. The 700 series (e.g., 737, 747), the airbuses, and the DC-10s are generally fine. But, whether or not there’s room for your guitar on board, many airlines are now refusing to allow passengers to carry them on. A friend of mine used to disguise her guitar (in its gig bag) in a hanging wardrobe bag. It worked for her a few times, but now she just uses a heavy flight case and checks her guitar. In the past, I have had especially good luck with Northwest, Alaska, and Delta, but airlines are getting more strict about carry-ons all the time. When I fly overseas, I check both guitars through baggage. Most overseas carriers won’t allow you to bring your guitar on board. I also have insurance for my instruments that covers airline damage and loss.

When you fly on tiny commuter planes, you will have to relinquish your guitar, but you can watch the baggage person put it in the hold yourself, and at the end of the flight you pick it up right outside the plane, so it doesn’t go through the maze of conveyor belts. I have never had a problem on these little flights.

Don’t push the airlines. If you are attempting to carry a guitar on board, don’t bring a lot of other carry-ons. Many people have to share limited space. I have seen musicians carry on needless extra stuff and act indignant when they get called on it. A friendly positive attitude and gentle persistence will generally get you and your guitar taken care of in the best possible way.

I always fill in the customer survey cards in the in-flight magazines and tell the airline that I am flying them because they have always been great about letting me on board with my guitar in a gig bag. Airlines cater heavily to business customers, and I remind them that we musicians are business customers, too. I always try to be friendly and polite, especially if I am carrying a guitar, so that airline workers will like accommodating musicians.

Bon voyage!

Luthier and Acoustic Guitar contributor Frank Ford has some wonderful tips for flying with your guitar at Frets.com. Be sure to read his photo essay on packing the peghead.

You can check out Kristina Olsen on her webpage : http://www.kristinaolsen.net/ and on iTunes

Can you name one book to recommend?

To Kill A Mockingbird

What is your favorite piece of gear?

My instruments!  My real favourites are the guitars that now stay at home due to the very reason I wrote that article!  Airline damage!  Those are my Bown hand built guitar and my Beltona metal body resonator, but I travel with pretty cool guitars, a folding Voyage-air guitar and a fiberglass Beltona resonator, half the weight!

What is one thing you can’t live on the road without.

Really, my guitars, but yerba maté tea, gourd and thermos.  It is the stimulant that makes me appear to be a normal functioning human!

Who are you listening to now?

Gidon Kremer playing music of Astor Piazzolla which is three cd’s; Hommage À Piazzolla, Piazzolla: El Tango, and my favourite, Tracing Astor.

This posted on Adele’s site this past week:

“WOLVERHAMPTON WOVERSHOWS POSTPONED – It is with regret that due to continuing problems with a serious cold and chest infection, Adele has to postpone her shows this weekend in Wolverhampton on Saturday Sept 10th and Sunday Sept 11th. Her doctors have insisted she recovers fully before returning to the tour. The shows will be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity and all original tickets will remain valid. Refunds will be available from the point of purchase. Sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused.”

This on Twitter last week:
christinaperri christina perri.
my vocal chords are healed + perfect!!!!!! yay!!!!!!! (thank you everyone for your prayers + wishes! we did it!!!) ahhhh!!!

It’s actually challenging to stay in good vocal shape on tour. Amidst the grueling non-stop schedule, dehydration from air travel, lack of nutrition from fast food chains (there’s very little “green” food on tour except for iceberg lettuce and that is FAR from green…), the crazy media blitz’s, photo op’s, publicity, etc. Singer Adele has postponed her tour now for the 2nd time and “Jar of Hearts” Christina Perri is just off 2 weeks of vocal rest to successfully shrink her nodules. Hopefully these singers will figure out how to prevent further damage, stay healthy and continue to escape the knife (not something you ever want to do – your voice will never be the same again).

Add to your vocal fatigue, the stress from cancelling a concert, let alone a tour is overwhelming. A trail of people are suddenly affected: tour managers, roadies, musicians, venue, venue employees – people instantly out of a job, the cost is enormous, the venue cancellation alone costs a fortune. And then there’s the stress of disappointing your fans. It’s not something you want to have happen, on top of the fact that your recovery time can be a month or two and in some cases even longer. That’s a long time in the life of an entertainer.

I find that even most managers and record exec’s and even the majority of vocal coaches, don’t know about what I am going to reveal here in this article. I am always surprised by that – I guess it’s the “if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it” attitude. However, with the voice, it’s too vulnerable an instrument to NOT be preventative with. Because once it’s damaged, a singer is down for the count and often for too long. Why take the chance?

But the truth is, not only can you recover from most any situation – sometimes within two days if you know what you’re doing, preventative care helps you avoid problems all together. Just by understanding how to take care and stock up with the right natural prescriptions in your medicine satchel and acting at the first sign of anything and you’ll stay in the safe zone. I’ve done it a gazillion times myself with my own voice (yes, I’ve been my own guinea pig) and with thousands of singers over the past few decades.  And now I teach to all of my singers exactly what do to in a myriad of situations and how to diagnose symptoms.

Last year one of my well-known artists left me a message in a panic. He was performing at a music conference and was on his way to LA for his first appearance ever on network TV (the Ellen Show) in just two days and he was losing his voice by the minute. He texted me feverishly, terrified he would have no voice by the time he got there – what was he going to do?? I mean – who wants to botch the Ellen Show?? He was beside himself with anxiety and was ready for anything…

What followed next was a trip to Whole Foods (usually the only place that has everything) with a detailed shopping list. I sent him the instructions, which basically included along the lines of water-boarding, a vegan diet, massage and acupuncture (works wonders for vocal problems), a lot of down-dog and swallowing a mega load of supplements and herbs every 2 hours. Luckily, he had also just been at my studio in New York and I had given him some of my Chinese herbs to take on the road “just in case” (harder to find).  Well, not only did he get his voice back, but he sounded amazing (you couldn’t tell there was any vocal problem at all) and he looked so chill up there under the lights, I was sure it was from sheer relief! We were both thrilled, thank goodness for natural remedies, knowing how to use them and a handful of tricks up my sleeve. He would not have made it without them.

The good news is, vocal problems and burnout are all preventable and fixable if you are willing to do the work and follow instructions. The body is an amazing healing machinewhen you know the right fuel and elixirs to feed it. I have helped countless singers recover from problems as well as avoid the knife altogether.

This is usually behind closed door stuff, but I wanted you, my faithful readers, to be armed with this info, so you can sing your heart out and know there’s a way to do it without wearing out and losing out!

The Vocal Road Warrior Formula

First off, I just want to point out the beauty of the word Healthy. Heal-thy. That amazing healing machine thing again…

1. Heal-thy Body: hydration, diet, nutrition, massage, natural remedies
2. Heal-thy Voice: hydration (I can never say this word enough), sleep (at least 7-8 hrs), vocal technique: warm ups & cool downs
3. Heal-thy Self: positive attitude, visualization, stress management, gratitude

The Whole Foods Vitamins & Herbs Shopping list:

1. Soloray powdered Crystalline Vitamin C (non-ascorbic, won’t cause reflux) 1 tsp every 2 hours (in a shot of juice) until you are better (except for nighttime)
2. Bronchial Soothe (stops coughing immediately – Coughing shreds your vocal cords)
3. Hydrochloric acid (little known natural cure for reflux, seems counter-intuitive, but when you have reflux your body doesn’t make enough “good” acid — hydrochloric)
4. Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, Oral demulcent sore throat syrup you can find in Chinatown (if you can’t find this, Loquat Syrup will do)
5. Organic carrots, celery, apple, parsley, ginger for juice (Juice 3x a day)
6. Oregano oil (pure essential oil) Use topically on throat 3x day
7. Oregano tea (great for vocal loss)
8. Raw creamed honey (the best throat balm in the world)
9. Vocal Eze throat Spray (www.travelwellness.com) Best natural spray on the market! Use 6-7 x a day for moisture and vocal health

10.  Tiger balm, Use topically on throat 3x a day (keep throat wrapped with a light silk scarf)

11.  Sore Throat/Hoarseness homeopathic remedy (Roxalia) by Boiron use 3-4x a day for three days

Over the years I have come to specialize in holistic care of the voice and fixing vocal problems mainly because of my interest in alternative care as a solution for chronic problems and my knowledge of the vocal instrument.  I will say that there is so much more to it than I can go into in this one article. Vocal problems can arise from many different sources that I didn’t even touch on here. And of course nothing is more important if you are having problems than getting a diagnosis with a professional ENT (voice doctor) and getting treatment. But hopefully, I’ve given you a good head start here, enough to set things right quickly.

For more information on keeping your voice healthy and preventing damage, experience my Singers Gift Warm ups and Cool Downs and do it right from the start!

Become a Fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Cari-Cole-Voice-Music-Co/74457378181

Follow Cari on Twitter: www.twitter.com/caricole

Cari Cole is a renowned vocal coach, artist development expert, songwriter & music producer.  She helps artists find their voice, craft their style, and create successful music careers. Her weekly eZine Standing in the Spotlight goes out to over 2,500 subscribers. If you are ready to take your voice and your music to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://www.caricole.com

To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of merch(andise). Sure, a killer t-shirt is a fantastic walking advertisement. But the overhead, the merch girl/guy and the design are a pain. Unless you’re making t-shirts upwards of 1,000, the overhead will force you to sell your shirts at $15 and $20. I don’t even want to buy my own shirt at that price. That forced us to re-imagine the band t-shirt and its objectives.

Twenty/Thirty years ago (a little before my time), nabbing a sweet t-shirt at a Guns N’ Roses concert or the Monsters of Rock festival meant one thing – you were there. It was a badge of honor, it was proof – you were witness to this time, this place, this music.

Now? You just walk into Target, go to Bustedtees.com or bid on ebay for a Jessie & the Rippers replica shirt or original Skid Row ‘Tour of ’91’ tee, complete with pit stains. The objective of ‘being there’ is obsolete and better suited for location based apps and sites like foursquare or facebook. Thus, we wanted to do something different. Something that achieved three objectives:

- Proof that you were at our show (and not Target)
- Cost close to nothing upfront while maximizing profit
- The free advertising, billboard/walking badge idea

While we’re in development on a mobile app that hits these objectives beautifully, we needed something now (app is 3 – 4 months away) since we’re currently on tour. Enter – the 30-minute band t-shirt.

First – the shirts. We went to our neighborhood Salvation Army (Goodwill or Village Discount Thrift will work as well) and attacked the racks. We picked up every plain or small graphic, white, orange or light blue t-shirt or tank top marked under $1 (it was a Monday when we went, so we received 50% on any shirt with a blue sticker tag).

Next, we hit up Blick art supplies and purchased customizable stencil sheets, an X-acto knife and cloth-friendly paints and markets. We also use 2 – 3 different fonts, so we designed our shirts first, printed the designs out and then transferred them to the customizable stencil sheets.

Since there’s plenty of time to kill before shows, we take our supplies and do the deed at the venue. If the shirt has writing or graphics on it, we try to integrate it with our own painted on words or graphics (i.e. Hawaii shirt was customized to read, ‘I got laid by the best band ever in’ Hawaii). If it doesn’t, we write ‘fan’ on the front. On the back, we paint one of two provocative tags – ‘Sex. Rock N’ Roll. Sex’ or, well, I guess you’ll just have to be there to witness the second.

In the end, each shirt costs about $1 and we sell them for $5 – 7. The fans dig them because they are all-different and sometimes include the show, date, etc. We like them because we turn the same profit as if we would’ve fronted the money and overpriced them. The first show we tried this at we sold out within 20 minutes of leaving the stage. Cheers.

Twitter: @ballroomboxer
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ballroomboxer

REGISTER HERE

*** Scroll to the bottom to learn how to recieve a FREE social media / blog audit from US! ***

Today we are happy to announce the launch of MicControl Consulting service, a new branch of MicControl that allows us to work one-on-one with those in the music space to create and execute proper brand-focused social media and blog strategies!

However, we’ve always taken pride in assisting emerging musicians and we realize that a lot of up and comers don’t have the financial resources to afford the time and effort we put into individually customizing a strategy. For this reason we decided to launch our first webinar:

Get Your Music Featured On The Right Blogs

We wanted this topic to be the focus of our first webinar because we passionately believe that music blogs are not only THE important filter of today’s music industry, but are also becoming an increasingly important (and easily accessible) marketing tool that ALL emerging musicians should be taking advantage of. Of course, we’ve written about this in the past, so here is an article that will help you better understand our stance:

From Subways To Blogs: Why Your Music Isn’t Getting Heard

What can you expect from signing up?

We’re going to start things off with a 45 minute presentation showing you the ins and outs of the blogosphere.

• How do you find the right blogs to feature your music?
• What’s the best way to approach a blogger about featuring your music?
• How can you increase the odds that you’ll get featured again?
• How can you create a relationship with a blogger that is mutually beneficial for both you?

All these topics are covered as well as everything in between to make sure your music is getting heard.

Afterwards we will hold a half-hour Q&A session where you can ask us questions pertaining to all the material we covered.

Finally, we’re including a PDF reference guide that will outline all the material covered in the webinar for your personal use as you take the blogosphere by storm.

To celebrate our first webinar, we’ve got two great offers for everyone as well!

1) 25% off any MicControl Consulting service to all attendees.

2) A Raffle! One Attendee will receive a FREE Q&A session (phone or Skype – winner’s choice). The winner will be announced at the beginning of the webinar.

All for only $10! Mark your calendars: Tuesday, August 2nd at 7pm EST

REGISTER HERE

Want to recieve a FREE Social Media or Blog Audit From US??

All you need to do is help us spread the word of the webinar by referring 10 of your artist friends to us. Here is how to do it:

• Head over to http://miccontrolconsulting.com
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click ‘Refer A Client’
• In Name Of The Referred, write Webinar Referral
• In Email Of The Referred, write YOUR email again
• In Referral, list 10 names an email addresses of artists who’d like to join us (must be verifiable).

Fans Want An Easy Website, Give It To Them!
Written by Jon Ostrow (@miccontrol) cofounder of MicControl

There is no question that all musicians should have their own website. This has been discussed by so many people in the past that I won’t even attempt to get into this one. Needless to say, the line of reasoning is quite simple:

Facebook is king right now… but there is nothing saying it will last forever.

The only way to truly prepare yourself and your fan base for the eventual collapse of any one social networking site is to make sure that your fan base isn’t reliant on fan pages and profiles.

Your website MUST be the hub of your online presence.

That said, recently my good friend Chris Bracco posted an article on his blog, Tight Mix that referred to a graph made by Hubspot that, based on the results of a survey, states that simplicity and ease of use is the most important element of a website for users.

Simplicity beating out appearance and cutting-edge interactivity….

So not only do you need a website to fall back on, but you need a GOOD, easy website to fall back on if you want to make the experience worth-while.

The following are a few elements that you might want to consider when designing your website, keeping in mind that the easier you can make your website for people to find, to navigate and to enjoy, the better off you will be:

Viewable from Mobile

Therefore, it is becoming increasingly crucial that you design your website to be viewable from mobile web browsers.

The best way to remain proactive about maintaining a site that is mobile-ready is the use a CMS (content management system) such as WordPress as the basis of your website. WordPress has mobile-ready templates that allow visitors to view a condensed (or even at times just slightly tweaked), though still quite functional version of your site. Though not everything may come through on these versions (namely anything with flash), it still allows you to give your visitors a high-quality and simple experience.

For those already with a website, there are a quite a few services out there that can convert your existing website into a mobile ready version.

Here is a good resource with quite a few different services for you to explore. NOTE: I’ve never used any of these services and do not endorse any of them. Use at your own discretion.

Blog

Now, your blog should NOT be just news or updates about yourself or the band, but rather should be an additional way to give fans something they will find valuable. An effective blog delivers content that your fans will WANT to follow.

And if pulling in and engaging with your fans weren’t enough, a blog will also help your website rank more highly in search engines, making it easier for people to find you.

Two very important elements that you’ll want to include on your blog are:

Social Sharing Buttons: These buttons make it easy for your readers to share your blog posts with their own networks on facebook, twitter, stumble upon, reddit, or a number of different places.

RSS: RSS is a way to allow your readers to subscribe to your blog via a blog reader like Google Reader. This is a helpful and easy way for you to deliver new blog content directly to your readers; a great way to keep readers engaged without having to reach out to them one by one.

High-Res Photos

You’re website will be the hub for all things YOU. If you are looking for any bloggers, press or publications to feature you (as you should be), you should have a resource of high-res images on your website that people visit and grab images easily that can be used within features, reviews and interviews without the hassle of having to ask you for them.

Not only does this make it easier for others to feature you (believe me when I say that no blogger will want to feature you if you make it a pain in the ass to do so), but it will make the articles written about you and subsequently your brand image stronger.

Follow Options

Make sure however, that any follow options that you give your fans, be it Facebook, Twitter or elsewhere links to an active website where you have an active presence. One of the worst things you could do is tell people to come follow you on Twitter only to be greeted with an account that hasn’t been updated in 6 months.

A Call To Action

At the same time, it is critical that you as a musician grow a mailing list (for the same reasons you are building a website – social networks are not the end all be all solution for reaching fans online).

So, why not make it easy for your fans and for yourself and connect the dots?

Allow your fans to subscribe to your mailing list right from the homepage of your website by creating a call to action. Typically, the most effective ways to call fans to action is by offering some sort of exclusive access or exclusive content in exchange for a valid email address…

Giving your fans something like an exclusive EP of unreleased studio music is one of the best ways to ensure that they sign up for your mailing list. Below is an example of how you can use free downloads from Reverbnation to gather emails.

Streaming Music

Now, many options for streaming music are flash, so they will most likely be unavailable through mobile browsing. However, there are some light-weight streaming options that will allow visitors to browse your site and listen to your current music without being slowed down or stopped in the process.

Official.fm has a fantastic HTML5 based player that can be used on any mobile website from any mobile device.

Written by Jon Ostrow (@miccontrol) cofounder of MicControl, a music resource blogging community. He can most easily be reached via email at jon.ostrow@miccontrol.com

How Have You Made Your Website Easy For Fans?

The string nut and saddle play a vital role in your instruments feel and sound. They set the action (string height), string spacing, string radius, and also transfer the strings energy which all contribute to the instruments feel and sound.  An improperly made string nut and or saddle are the number one cause of tuning instability, bad action and several other issues in stringed instruments.

• The nut must be properly seated and angled.
• The string slots must be smooth, round, properly spaced, and filed to the correct height and width for each string gauge and the desired action.
• The string slots should be just deep enough so that about half of the string sits in the slot and half out on the wound strings, and a little bit deeper for the unwound strings.
• The saddle should fit tight enough so that it will not fall out on its own.
• The saddle radius should match the fingerboard radius.
• The saddle is set to achieve desired string height.

Besides being fitted, slotted and shaped correctly the material you use also makes a big difference. I always recommend replacing stock plastic or synthetic components for animal bone. Real bone creates real tone. Bone is a much better transmitter of the strings energy, lasts much longer, and sounds better. It offers a better high to low end balance, with punchier bass and crisper highs, increased sustain, harmonics, clarity and volume. I use only high quality bone blanks and custom shape and slot each one to fit your instrument perfectly.

Here are a few pictures from a recent bone nut and saddle upgrade:

The nut has just been cut and slotted and is starting to take shape.

Here I’m in the process of setting the action (string height) using metal spacers as a guide, and testing for any issues.

Once properly slotted and shaped, the bone is polished to a high gloss, reinstalled and ready to amaze!

The custom bone saddle below is the final touch.

Name one book you can recommend: Dan Erlewine’s Guitar Players Repair Guide.

Name your top 5 favorite pieces of gear:

DigiTech RP500 Guitar Multi Effects Pedal

Vox AC4TV 4W 1×10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp Cream

Jackson 4×12 cabinet w/Jackson speakers

1950 Silvertone acoustic parlor guitar

1970′s Washburn D10 acoustic guitar

What is one thing you can’t be without on the road? The Silvertone acoustic because of its small size and cool tone. It’s not like an expensive solid wood guitar kinda tone, but it has its own cool thing going on. Sometimes it sounds almost like a banjo, depending on where you strum/pick.

Who are you listening to now? The Black Keys

Natural material = Natural sound
Experience The Guitar Workshop difference.
- Precision Craftsmanship With Attention to Detail -

The Guitar Workshop
Mario Percoco
528 E. Bailey Rd.
Unit 104
Naperville, Il. 60565
630.989.9620

http://theguitarworkshoponline.com

By Cari Cole

I bet you wonder what I mean by that?

Well – a few years back when I started a brief stint with a Vocal magazine online, I interviewed a well-known artist and asked him about what was the epiphany that led to his success. He told me it was when he realized“It’s never about them.  It’s always about you.” He went on to say that whatever is not working is because something is not yet right at home base – it’s not that the industry doesn’t get you – it’s that the you they’re looking for is the you that you haven’t found yet – whatever that is!

Sound complicated?  Well,  it is.

And the bad news is:

It sounds like it’s all up to you and it could be all your fault.

Well — it kinda is. Here’s the thing…

Today’s music business requires that not only are you an artist – you also have to have business savvy. Look who Universal Records just signed? (Rebecca Black.)  Can you believe it – really! But — she had moxie – savvy. She took the existing YouTube model made famous by Justin Bieber and followed the steps – and – wha-la — it worked. She captured the attention of Universal Records and landed a record deal.  They, after all, are after big numbers – and they are just waiting for you to prove that to them. I just brought an awesome artist to them a few months ago – she had it all – unique voice, awesome artistry, great songs — and you know what? They passed because she doesn’t have a big enough fan base. You know the story of Sugarbush right?

Did you just let out a big sigh?

Yeah me too — That news would not inspire me.   I would just get frustrated or feel deflated – curl up in a ball for a few hours and feel like the world’s against me.

But then I’d dust myself off and face the fact that Black knew the magic secret today – the key ingredient to getting out there – Exposure.

So the question to ask is “What stops you?”

Usually it’s the very thing that blocks your voice, stomps on your soul, drags you kicking and screaming to the stage, and keeps you waiting for a deal. It’s the part of you that believes your success comes from others — and that it’s everyone else’s fault that you’re not famous – that your talent hasn’t been recognized yet. It’s also that part of you that’s scared and insecure about your music or talent. But today – it’s a different game out there – and you’ve got to start playing by the new rules if you want to get a leg up.

If you really look at this square in the face, you’ll actually get inspired.

Listen up …

The fact is that you hold the cards – now more than ever! If it’s up to you – that means you have all the power – if you know how to get on board and create your Platform.

I know you’ve probably heard this (I think it came from Oprah or something  …)

“If you keep doing the same things you’re going to get the same results. If you change what you are doing, you’ll get a different result.”

My version of this I stole from Wayne Dyer: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Which means – if you can spend some time focusing – trying to figure out how to create Exposure and build a Platform (more about that soon) — and stay focused — you too could be the “next big thing” …

Here are two simple ideas to implement right away:

1. Make a video a week of a cover and your originals and post it on YouTube (make sure they’re good vid’s and you are singing on pitch and with conviction.)
2. Brainstorm new ideas for your career every week. From an online promotion to a cool new idea at your next gig, think outside the box and create ideas for how to attract fans and create opportunities for exposure.

Keeping brainstorming on the quickest and most effective ways that YOU can build your Exposure.

AND let me know what has worked for you – share your story of victory. (No victory too small!)

Cari Cole is a renowned vocal coach, artist development expert, songwriter & music producer.  She helps artists find their voice, craft their style, and create successful music careers. Her weekly eZine Standing in the Spotlight goes out to over 2,500 subscribers. If you are ready to take your voice and your music to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://www.caricole.com

If your current vocal exercises aren’t making the changes in your voice that you’ve been wanting, check out the Singers Gift Vocal Warmups, where you’ll get more than you bargained for — and it won’t take you 10,000 hours to get there.

Why the heck not?

Learn more  Singers Gift WarmUps