Mar 09, 2010
Singers and Smoking |
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 |
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Singers and Smoking
Here’s the thing with smoking and singing: But.. Smoke of any kind burns away the little hairs (cilia) that line the vocal folds. These hairs keep the vocal cords moist. When the hairs are gone the cords cannot keep moisture on them and become dry and irritated. Over time this can lead to vocal problems and definitely mess with clarity and range. It will also be harder to sing as your cords are compromised as well as your lung capacity. It also causes mucous to form to protect the irritated area. So you’ve got dry cords, less lung capacity and gunk in your throat. That’s enough reason to never pick up a cigarette if you sing. Especially if it’s your career. And pot is worse. One joint is equal to a whole pack of cigarettes in terms of “harshness” and dryness. It can take as much as 2 weeks to fully recover your voice from smoking pot. It takes 2-3 days to recover from one cigarette. ABOUT CARI COLE Cari Cole’s music studio is a place where artist’s find vocal help, wisdom, health, strength and creative nurturing. Cari is committed to helping artists sustain strong and resilient voices for a lifelong career in music as well as keeping them creatively nurtured in their songwriting and careers. Cari Cole Voice & Music is also a place for young artist’s and developing artists to find their true voice as singers and songwriters.
The amount of time it will take for your voice to recover depends on Cigarette smoke is an irritant that causes edema, which is swelling of “The damage to vocal cords may not completely heal even after the smoking has ceased. Mild swelling may take six to nine months to resolve and the more significant inflammatory lesions may require surgery. Smoking is a major cause of refractory vocal nodules, since constant irritation in the throat prevents them from healing. Even with surgery there is no guarantee of recovering a desirable singing voice. Singers who perform in smoke-filled clubs may also suffer some of the same effects. When it is not possible to avoid such situations, non-smoking performers should compensate for them by increasing their water intake and going out for fresh air between sets. Finally, all serious singers learn how to give meticulous care to their complete vocal instrument, i.e. to both vocal cords and throat. Such attention is usually rewarded many times over. With appropriate care, the gift of voice and song may indeed endure the whole life long.”
Resources to help you quite smoking.The Easy Way to Stop Smoking & Be Forever Smoke Free with Self Hypnosis & Sound Therapy Dr. Jane Maati Smith C.Hyp. Msc.D. (Artist) | Format: Audio CD Smokefree.govFind tools to help you quit · Talk to an expert · Get more free resources. Find a study near you · Learn about smoking in your state.
No tar, no odor! Without the 4000+ other harmful chemicals and cancer-causing carcinogens, found in regular cigarettes, with Luci electronic cigarettes: A tool to help you regain your freedom to quit smoking WhyQuit – the Internet’s leading cold turkey quit smoking resourceMotivation for quitting smoking, smoking cessation and to help you quit and stop · Free quit smoking books, …. Physician, dental & wellness resources …
Believe in your ability to stop Smoking!
The CigArrest Program : Quit in 7 days Guaranteed! Review by Sharon R. No need for a long review here. About the first three quarters of the book is spent exploding various myths and delusions about smoking (such as smoking relaxing you or getting rid of stress), which sets you up and gets you into the right frame of mind for actually quitting. At this point, the book wants you to continue smoking while you read it. In a nutshell, the easy way to stop smoking involves two things: one, deciding you are never going to smoke again, and two, don’t mope about it anymore, rejoice. Sounds too simple, but after reading the first part of the book, this strategy will make more sense to you. Lastly, the book cites two main reasons why you will fail: the influence of other smokers, and having a bad day. Having been around for 20 some years and being able to refine it with twenty years of feedback, I feel like this is one of the better books out there on non-smoking.
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| Posted by admin at 12:38 PM |
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Health Insurance for Musicians |
Friday, February 5, 2010 |
Health Insurance & Head Above Music
Get Information, Education and Access to Healthcare. HealthcareOne Insurance is there to provide any Head Above Music Artist, Fan, of Family member a dedicated toll free number to answer any and all questions on healthcare. There is no obligation of any kind. Get more information Mon-Fri : 6:00 am to 8:00 pm A representative from HealthcareOne will be there for you when you need them. You can also visit HealthcareOnce.com for more information. Make sure you have these questions ready to receive the best coverage for you, your band, your family.
What is your best monthly premium that fits in my budget?
What will be my yearly deductible?
Can I choose my own doctor? If I lose my medication on the road, how can I get new meds quickly?
Can I use more than one pharmacy to pick up my medication while I’m on the road?
How many people or other band members can be on my policy or do we all need separate plans? What’s the minimum number of people that need to be in my band in order to allow the band to get a group policy? If you would like to look for an insurance policy, you can do so at Healthcareone.com 24 hours a day. If you are unable to qualify for or afford individual health insurance, there may be public programs available. For information about public programs please contact:
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| Posted by admin at 02:24 PM |
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STAYING UPRIGHT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY |
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 |
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STAYING UPRIGHT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY It’s early. I woke up thinking about last night’s show and couldn’t fall back to sleep. What do you do when the venue stiffs you? Raise hell with the bartender? Make snide comments from the stage while the audience watches uncomfortably? No, of course not. Not if you want to be a professional. My friend and mentor John Shipe once told me that success in the music industry is about being the last one standing. I’m not talking about ‘fame and riches’ success; you have better odds winning the lottery than becoming the next John Mayer. I’m talking about the ‘pay your rent’ success. The ‘I don’t have a day job’ success. After years of working towards this goal I have finally achieved it. I am a professional songwriter and musician. Recently, a friend asked me how I was able to transition from being a part time musician to making my living at it. There are a number of specific things that made a huge difference, but the ‘last one standing’ idea is the one I’d like to focus on. It is key. I’ve been stiffed by clubs a time or two. It feels awful. I can’t bring myself to throw a tantrum or demand that the bartender pay me out of his tips; I’m always conscious of the manner in which I do business and the impression that I leave. So, I say “thanks for having me” and I suck it up and leave quietly. Thankfully it doesn’t happen often. My consolation is that I can see past it when it does. These are the experiences that make musicians quit and become bank tellers or schoolteachers, and I know it. These are the experiences that, over time, knock musicians down. Sometimes, as John put it, you just have to be the last one standing.
The ability to stay upright is a huge unspoken factor in having a successful career. Sure, you have to develop your skills, build your network, make the phone calls, send the emails, etc., etc., but you also have to be able to withstand the pressure and conditions of the career. Sometimes that means sleeping in an airport. Sometimes it means spending 3 days in a motel room in Laramie waiting for a freak blizzard to pass. Sometimes it means driving several hours to play for a half empty room for no money. Sometimes it means pawning a guitar to pay rent. It means driving a shitty car, going for months without getting your broken tooth fixed, and wearing socks with holes. It means eating a lot of rice and quesadillas, moving back to the parents’ house, breaking up with girlfriends who don’t understand. It means not buying gifts for Christmas and spending Thanksgiving in New York handing out samples of Airborne at the Macy’s parade to make a few bucks. It means waking up at 4 am to catch the green line train to Midway because you can’t afford to call a cab. It means asking for another favor from a friend who has been doing you favors for ten years. The list goes on and on, and as I write this I realize how it must look. Who would voluntarily go through this? Me, I guess, and countless other musicians and artists who are making it work. So when someone asks me how to be a professional musician I tell them to practice their craft, get their business together, and be the last one standing.
www.ehrenebbage.com
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| Posted by admin at 07:13 AM |
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Is Changing Our Thought Habits Important? |
Thursday, January 14, 2010 |
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Last week I read a book which helped me bring all the pieces of my self together, and it’s not just the book, it was a sort of final completion of finding my real self, getting to grips with who I am and how I can finally get more control over my existence and my music.. Maybe I’ll explain… I do believe we develop in our lives, and it’s inevitable. A life is a test giving us a chance to evolve by making us face difficulties of life. It is down to us whether we take the fight and move forward or lose and stand where we started… I have long been searching for a way to overcome my pain of inability to find inner peace in life. Also lately, I have successfully overcome my long-life apathy that had often made it impossible for me to practice, make music, sometimes felt hard to get up from bed at all… I also learned orthodox medicine does not often lead to health because it is concentrated on curing the symptoms of disease instead of the real causes. All our bodies deteriorate within time. Taking medicine to cure one thing breaks down another, for which there is another cure produced, which again leads to further side-effects, which can be cured by another medicine which… and so on and so forth. I learned the best way to keep healthy for me is to work on my inner harmony and inner peace, which does not mean that you should not be full of energy. Actually both should combine – piece inside, energy outside. It is also connected with something I believe many Eastern-Europeans still need to learn – control over our emotions and thinking habits… We often clean up the house and have a shower every day. If we get dirty physically, is it possible that we need to ‘clean our heads’ too on a regular basis? If so, why doesn’t anyone teach us that in schools? In a book by Victor Suvorov “The Aquarium” (based on his years of service in Russian intelligence) the author says that no spy gets sick ever – That’s because your body conforms to your will… And that people complain to succumb to their weakness and believe or pretend they are helpless… Well, if my will is so powerful it is high time to change my thought habits which in most are nothing more than reactions to what happens both around and within me… and being usually negative, simply disrupt my natural flow of creativity… There are some techniques I learned at Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft Course - www.guitarcraft.com – (guitarist and leader of the group King Crimson) how to ‘keep fit’ in a professional life of a musician. Actually the level 3 of the course I attended was more about how to SURVIVE being a professional musician and there was a lot of emphasis on health, with professionals who coordinated the music group classes, teaching techniques that help stay healthier and more balanced in arduous circumstances (physically, mentally and emotionally). Basically I deduced big show-biz stars take drugs often because they have to find energy to be able to survive the tension of their professional life. The course was much about how to stay in the biz without resorting to taking substances, at least that was how I found it to an extent… The only way to gather energy for everyday routine was by proper techniques with your body exercises and mental activity (I know it may sound like pseudo-science but I hadn’t believed myself the techniques before I learned them and they worked! I use a lot of that in my life not only to keep up with the professional level but also it led me to finding my own way to keep inner strength, harmony, peace (even in stressful situations), control (of my emotions and habitual reactions to strong negative situations) etc. If you feel your mind would do with a bit of revitalizing, like mine, I selected some Bibliography on the topic that I found interesting, all written in plain language, easy to read yet very informative and inspiring: 1. “Keep Your Brain Alive” by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D. and Manning Rubin The book is based on recent neuroscientific discoveries showing that the brain does not age with time! It is the routine of the adult life that kills this precious muscle. The connections between neurons build up and get stronger each time we learn something new to us. It is not the neurons themselves but the connections between them that disappear when unused. Your brain ‘keeps fit’ only when it has to learn to do something new or do the same thing but in a new way. The book gives many interesting examples on how to keep your brain alive until your old age, by slightly changing even the most basic of your everyday life activities… 2. “Science of the Gods” by David Ash and Peter Hewitt; “Conversations with God” by Neale Donald Walsch – those two books, although not really scientific (sometimes even closer to fantasy), give a nice new outlook on how our reality can be perceived differently, explaining the continuity of life and energy beyond birth and death (probably James Cameron touched on it a bit in his ‘Avatar’). Very easy read, still breaking our standard thinking on ourselves, our lives and the whole Universe. These are NOT religious books! You might need some gut to digest some of the ideas… 3. “Systems Thinking” – humans and the whole reality are difficult to predict as everything is a mixture of interconnected systems. An approach to problem solving based on that theory. Usually for managers, still might be interesting to musicians as these days we often need to be our own managers 4. “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Joseph Murphy. You probably heard about this one. I call it a ‘handbook of happiness’. Worth reading if you want to change your thinking habits from negative to positive. The spiritual, almost magical mood in the book gives an impression of being used to work in a similar way to hypnosis. You might find this one a bit soppy if you’re a very down-to-earth person, yet many of my friends (and me) found it helpful, seems to be working more on the subconscious and imagination… 5. “Neuro Linguistic Programming” (NLP) – a wide variety of books on how you can learn and practice to become more successful in any area of your professional or private life. Exercises to change your thinking habits. NLP is used extensively in the global market, especially advertising, with its power of manipulation. A more practical and specific approach 6. I would also like to recommend two great Polish science-fiction/fantasy writers: - Stanislaw Lem (“Solaris” - intelligent sci-fi, with the movie starring George Clooney only touching the surface of the book). A great visionary of science-fiction. His other novel, “The Cyberiad“, inspired Will Wright to write the game SimCity. Philip K. Dick (author of e.g. ‘The Minority Report’) recognized Lem’s great talent by writing in his letter to the FBI in 1974: “…Lem is probably a composite committee rather than an individual, since he writes in several styles (…) – to gain monopoly positions of power from which they can control opinion through criticism and pedagogic essays is a threat to our whole field of science fiction and its free exchange of views and ideas…” - Andrzej Sapkowski (”The Witcher”) – with computer game based on it). Great fantasy writing, great dialogues in the original, probably difficult to translate though… Published by The British Gollancz, The Masters Of Polish Fantasy. Thanks, “Is Changing Our Thought Habits Important?”
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| Posted by admin at 08:53 AM |
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Be Committed!…You’ll Never Be Famous If You Don’t Show Up! |
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 |
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Be Committed!…You’ll Never Be Famous If You Don’t Show Up!
Everyone wants to be famous: live in a mansion, drive a sports car, tour the world in your private plane, date a model, float around in the pool while collecting royalties for CD sales, and drink beer right out of your private tap. But not everyone is aware that, with any career that has the potential to end in a bounty of riches and beautiful babes, climbing your way to rock stardom is very hard work. So, how does your average musical genius go from penniless Pop Tart-eater to Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? How do you move on up from mom’s garage to a deluxe apartment in the sky? What’s your first baby step on the Yellow Brick Road to fame and fortune? That’s simple…be committed! It sounds silly, but many a musical boat has sailed with a crestfallen unsigned artist standing confused on the dock, for lack of nothing else but follow-through. Commitment to your deeds and plans is the single most essential skill towards achieving your goal of Ultimate Superstardom. Entertainment is a fickle business and chances don’t come along every day. One missed opportunity now could have spiraled into dozens even hundreds of opportunities down the line. It may be true that talent is a gift you carry with you from birth, but commitment is a learned skill that you need to hone every day. So, how can you make sure that you’ve got what it takes to gather up your supreme musicality and conquer the universe with it continuously? The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure that you’re truly committing yourself to your musical career on a daily basis: 1.) Follow Up On All Leads — No matter how insignificant they may seem at the time, it’s important to follow up on every musical lead that’s thrown your way. Letters, calls and emails should be answered politely and in a timely fashion. New contacts should be logged in your address book for future correspondence. Opportunities should be taken, invites accepted, and chances to network relished. By starting out with just these simple rules you’ll watch your resources and mailing list grow. Suddenly you’ll have music community friends with which to share your leads and ideas, ask advice, trade experiences, and combine talent and energies. Through these friends, you’ll meet new friends and fans and from them even more new connections. Soon, you’ll have so many opportunities that your concern will change from lack of opportunity to lack of time in the day to pursue each new chance. 2.) Just Show Up — Sounds so simple it’s stupid, but you’d be surprised how many talented people have fallen by the wayside because they were unable to simply show up. Cancelled gigs, forgotten meetings, and missed auditions say to the Musical Powers That Be, “I’m a huge flake who doesn’t think your opportunity is worth a half-hour of my precious time.” This is a really bad thing. Entertainment is a small town with a huge memory. Don’t give people any reason to think that you’re not the person they want to work with, give the job to, book for the gig, sign to their label, write about, talk about, and help any way they can. Remember there are tens of thousands of musicians waiting to take your place, so step up to the plate and seize each chance with optimism and enthusiasm. 3.) Take Initiative — Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. The world is a virtual cornucopia of information, so reach out and nab yourself some chances at stardom. Comb the internet, join music communities, visit open mic nights, take classes and workshops…put yourself out there where there are cool musical happenings and let others know that you can be relied upon and want to be involved. By going out and seizing your own opportunities, you may double, triple, etc. your resources and chances, and expedite your journey to success. 4.) Do The Best Job You Can — As important as it is to show up, it is also essential that you come off efficient, talented, and professional when faced with a new opportunity. Being there is half the battle but the other half is being the best that you can be and impressing industry, press, clubs and your fellow musicians enough to make them want you to be involved in anything and everything they do. Make a commitment to put on the best live show possible, to have a terrific CD, to make a professional press kit, and to spread the word about your music. Be punctual, be courteous, be positive and be fun. Don’t give anyone any reason not to work with you again and you’ll see that it becomes easier and easier to get what you want for your artistic career.
It really is as easy as simply showing up, following up and giving it your all. Making it in music is not impossible; it’s just a lot of elbow grease, a little organization, a bit of strategy, and the simple sculpting of your talent into a marketable commodity. There are thousands of chances offered every day to musicians…reach out and grab them by the handful, make every opportunity your own, get everything you want from this business and when you’re richer than Oprah and more famous than Madonna, remember that it was you who made it happen. You were a pro. You showed up. You committed. Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians’ assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com. http://www.latalkradio.com/Sheena.php http://www.latalkradio.com/Highway.php Head Above Music Recommends: Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson OurStage for online press kit and global music promotion. Music Is Your Business: The Musician’s FourFront Strategy for Success - by Christopher Knab and Bartley F. Day
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| Posted by admin at 11:11 AM |
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Working Out |
Friday, November 20, 2009 |
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Work-outs
OK so I usually try not to get to crazy here but I LOVE working out! I have worked with a couple different trainers and have pretty much narrowed down the best workouts for different goals. Best way to drop weight/fat: First thing in the morning, have one cup of black coffee and go straight to the gym. You walk uphill for 25 minutes and then run for 25 minutes. You can add and subtract minutes, speed/incline depending on your level of endurance. IT is important that you DO NOT eat prior to the work-out and just have the cup of coffee. BUT you HAVE to eat immediately when you are done. This will keep your metabolism going. Not eating or eating only once or twice a day is not a good way to lose weight. It will slow your metabolism waaaay down and your body will start to store energy as fat. The best things to eat are just lots of veggies and fish. Best way to tone muscle: The other trick I have found to be extremely effective is taking branch-chain amino acids pre and post workout… This is more related to weight training and calisthenic workouts. Branch Chain amino acids are NATURAL and are in many of the foods you eat such as fish and eggs. They speed up and enhance the process of protein synthesis. Protein synthesis creates muscle and burns fat. Eating a high protein diet while taking these will definitely jump start your workouts J Gear Love my Taylor guitar… Though, the case I have been unhappy with. I have had to replace it twice because the handle breaks off!! I have actually ended up using a Breedlove Concert and Dreadnought Hardshell Guitar Case Love my Boss TU-2 Chromatic Stompbox Tuner Love my Entertainer’s Secret Throat Spray daphnewillis.com
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| Posted by admin at 02:33 PM |
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Methods and Strategies that Absolutely, Positively DO NOT Work |
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 |
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Methods and Strategies that Absolutely, Positively DO NOT Work. I was recently exposed to headabovemusic.com and I have to say I think it’s a fantastic resource. The industry has changed so much in the last decade and it makes it pretty overwhelming for an artist to find their own path. To have a place where musicians can pool their knowledge and experience is valuable and of great benefit to everyone who is trying to advance his or her career. I was very flattered to be asked to contribute to headabovemusic.com, however, it puts me in an unfortunate position, as I have virtually nothing to add that is going to be of any benefit to anyone in any field of music at any juncture of their career. After several days of brainstorming for some kernel of knowledge I may be able to pass along that would have any value to anyone else anywhere, I am still left with no ideas. Even the most valuable lessons I’ve managed to learn in my years of playing music….things like: always keep gas in the car, money can be exchanged for goods and services, food is an important source of nourishment…..they seem like things that, I suspect, most others have figured out as well. If not, please feel free to print this paragraph out. Post it on the fridge even. But despite my inability to offer any tricks or shortcuts that might assist other musicians in reaching success faster or more efficiently, I still may be able to help. Because while I’m unable to point to any specific strategies or methods and say with certainty, “This works”, I am an AUTHORITY on other methods and strategies that absolutely, positively DO NOT. So….here is a brief list of things that (and you can take my word on this) will in NO WAY benefit you or your musical career. 2) IF YOU ARE IN A HOTEL ROOM AND YOUR GUITAR PLAYER PILES HIS CLOTHES IN THE CORNER, DO NOT URINATE ON THEM 3) IF THE DRUMMER IN YOUR BAND CALLS A MEETING TO SAY HE HAS BEEN DOING MORE WRITING AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE CREATIVE INFLUENCE, JUST QUIT 4) CONTRACTING A DISEASE DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MAKE YOU A SPOKESPERSON TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS
Gonorrhea is an affliction that affects the wiener and you get it because you KNEW Michelle had it and you STILL couldn’t control yourself. Sorry, but there’s no spinning this positive. Just go to the doctor. Announcing at shows that you have it and calling for safer behavior in an effort to utilize your own stupidity as a PR opportunity is a bad, bad idea. Don’t make pamphlets and take them to the health department to hand out either. Also, be aware that if anyone sympathizes with you it’s because they have it too. Your best bet is to just spread the rumor that they have it in order to deflect attention from yourself. 5) IF YOUR PAROLE OFFICER TELLS YOU TO STOP RUNNING, JUST STOP This may be applicable for people in other professions as well. And I understand that this one might stir some debate. Your adrenaline is pumping, he’s a little overweight, you know you can get away. Well, you probably can. And you might not even hear anything about it for a long time. But one day when you’re taking a dump in some McDonald’s bathroom in the middle of Nebraska and two cops bust in and haul you off without even letting you finish, and you get some on one of the cop’s pants because he kept grabbing your collar and yanking you around even after you TOLD him FOUR TIMES that you only needed like another 30 seconds and you end up lying in your own filth with your pants down, handcuffed in the back of a cop car, you’re going to have some time to reflect on things. And I’m willing to bet the incident with the parole officer is one you’ll consistently come back to. Ok. I hope these tips are of some help to someone, somewhere.
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| Posted by admin at 01:25 AM |
1 Comment |
Wearing All the Hats |
Thursday, October 29, 2009 |
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Wearing All the Hats 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. Some of the opportunities that have come around have been years in the making. I play a venue so many times, that I finally get a headlining spot, or open for a national act. It’s important for me to make a mental hierarchy of my goals, and understand that there might be a few steps to take before I get to the top. I enjoy feeling that ”I’m doing my time” so to speak. I appreciate how much it sucks to play to two people in a dive bar, and fly halfway across the country for a meeting that gets canceled when you get there. It keeps things in perspective, and makes the successes even sweeter. I don’t want to get so drunk that I can’t sing well, or wake up the next day not wanting to do anything. I feel better when I sleep every night, and drink tea, and eat well, and take vitamins. There are a lot of ways to eat healthy on a budget! At the end of day, I stand by my belief that the greatest assets are your friends. The real, true, late-night, early-morning, know each other’s middle name kinda friends. They are the ones that hand off gigs to you; they are the ones that refer their managers, and talent buyers to you. They’ll save your ass in a pinch. They are the ones that will tell you honestly if you wrote a shitty song. So, take names. Then befriend them. Then take them out for a wheat grass shot. Then make time to create amazing music. www.meganburtt.com RECOMMENDATIONS: 2. KMS 105 Mic
3. Can’t live without my GPS!!!
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| Posted by admin at 05:21 PM |
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Stay Focused |
Thursday, October 22, 2009 |
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Stay Focused
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. For example, Mondays and Wednesdays, are for booking. Monday, I check up on all the venues in my city, see who is playing where, and look for any openings that would work for me. Also, I work on contacting new, out of town venues, and check on places I have played before. Then, giving a day in between for the venue/booker to get the chance to get to my email, on Wednesday, I follow up my emails from Monday, and make follow up emails/calls where necessary. Tuesdays are for working on generating business contacts. For me, this means looking for booking agencies to submit to, looking for and trying to generate press contacts (for reviews, press, listings), and searching for “music business” people that work with music that falls in line with mine. I’ve always felt that it’s better to contact these people earlier in the week, before events from the upcoming weekend distract them or tie up their time. Thursdays are for upcoming show promotion and working on artwork for posters/web/etc. This is a broad category day, because it covers everything from posting bulletins, events, writing emails for my mailing list, creating posters to post/advertise, etc. It all depends on how far off some of the shows are as to what needs to be done. Fridays are my utility day. I usually end up following up on any loose ends, and double check on the shows I will be playing, or going to see, that weekend, and the weekdays of the following week. My practice schedule floats in and out of there, and definitely takes over when the writing bug hits. In a nutshell, I just try to play/practice/write as much as possible, and unless I am preparing for a show, I keep that schedule pretty loose. Of course there will be definite bleed over from day to day sometimes, but when my mind is racing with the 220 to 221 things I want/need to get done, I try to fall back on my daily template. Then, I accomplish at least one small thing, and I feel more focused. And then, before I know it, I’m rolling along and things that I’ve needed to do are slowly getting done. It also really helps me when I need to shift gears into writing. All of that other stuff is out of my mind and I can focus more. Also, on a similar line of thought, I would be remiss if I didn’t share these words that a good friend of mine once told me: “Do at least one thing a day. One thing. Of course you want to spend all day every day, working on this, your dream, but there will always be days where life happens, and this is not possible. So just commit to doing one thing, every day, that moves you toward your dream. Do this, and then, you will be successful, and in perpetual motion towards your success.” That advice has stuck with me for a long time now. It also keeps me sane when I feel overwhelmed, and points me in a direction when I am at a loss for what I need to be working on next, to live, and succeed at this. www.sonicbids.com/ryanpowers
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| Posted by admin at 11:20 PM |
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Your Reputation Precedes You |
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 |
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Your Reputation Precedes You 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. Where do you fit in on this sliding scale of keeping your head above music? I know I’ve learned from the examples of others and the mistakes I’ve made while sliding through those different scenarios. While you might find yourself leaning one way or the other; your fans, friends, and business relationships have placed you on one end of the scale already. The music business is cut throat if you make it that way. You can either succumb to the bullshit of others, or clear your own path to understand what it takes to be successful and treat others with respect. The secret to success in life and music is simple. Make real connections with people that you come in contact with. Whether it’s your friends, business partners or your fans: be honest, be true, be real. There are people that will take advantage of you. Some people will screw you over. A few business contacts might double book or not pay you or treat you unfairly due to their mistakes. Musicians might talk shit or take for granted your hard work. But it’s up to you to be able to speak freely with people you are doing business with and negotiate in a calm and ethical manner. These are the people that are not happy with what they are doing or are only looking out for themselves. Make a decision to surround yourself with honest musicians, booking agents, promoters, talent buyers, venues, lawyers (yes, lawyers) and friends. Your life will be much easier, more fulfilled and people will not only remember you for being fair and trustworthy, but easy to work with and loyal to your band mates, your business ethic, and most importantly your music. That will precede you in every relationship you ever have, even before they hear a note. www.davetamkin.com
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| Posted by admin at 10:22 PM |
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The Three Day Rule and Vocal Tips |
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 |
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The Three Day Rule and Vocal Tips The Three Day Rule consists of everything you need to do and stay away from for three days before a performance.
Other tips: Gargle with warm salt water for 30 seconds x 3 before every rehearsal, singing lesson, performance and recording. Even better, make a cup of Throat Coat tea and pour a bit into another cup, add some salt and gargle with that! The salt moisturizes like no tomorrow and the Throat Coat diminishes any inflammation and gives an extra coating of moisture to the vocal cords! Steam 15 minutes a day with the essential oils of lavender and eucalyptus or make a pot of Throat Coat tea and steam with that. Essential oils can be purchased through the Young Living website www.youngliving.org/caricole or ordered through the studio. Eat lightly the day before and the day of. No heavy foods like red meat or rich sauces. Eating light will improve your energy. Chicken, fish and tofu/beans are the best sources of protein that are easy to digest. Fresh juices (no orange juice) are great sources of energy. Try using “Roxalia” made by Boiron, also called “Sore Throat;Hoarseness. It is a homeopathic remedy that reduces swelling of the vocal folds. Take for three days prior and the day of singing. The Singer’s Gig BagWhat to take with you to your gig – improve your performances and remedy any last minute challenges!
CARI COLE’s “Singer’s Gift, Vocal Boot Camp Warm Up Exercises” 16 vocal warmup’s, the first 8 FREE … Loosen up your voice and body with warm up with vocal coach to Grammy winners, American Idol finalists and rock stars and legends … Get Cari Cole’s exclusive warm up she uses with recording artists and rock stars “live” from her New York Studio. Have Cari as your personal coach right now in your iPod! www.caricolevoiceandmusic.com Includes a special coaching from Cari with *extra tips for the day of performance, what should be in your singer’s gig bag, and last minute preparations to boost your performance and wow your audience!
Want to share this article? Please do .. just include this blurb with it! ABOUT CARI COLECari Cole’s Voice & Music Co. is a place where artist’s find vocal help, wisdom, health, strength and creative nurturing. Cari is committed to helping artists sustain strong and resilient voices for a lifelong career in music as well as keeping them creatively nurtured in their songwriting and careers. Cari Cole Voice & Music is also a place for young artist’s and developing artists to find their true voice as singers and songwriters.“Working with Cari has been, and continues to be an incredible experience for me. She has an amazing gift for understanding the many facets of vocal training from the technical to the mental, emotional and physical aspects. She tackles the art of singing down to the root and really helps you understand what you are doing and how it all works. With her holistic and all encompassing approach she teaches how to ensure the longevity and optimal performance of the vocals!” Diane Birch, singer-songwriter, S-Curve Records www.dianebirch.com “The best voice lesson I ever had!” Chrisette Michele, Def Jam Records / 2009 Grammy for Best Urban Alternative Artist, www.chrisettemichele.com “Fate has brought your wealth of wisdom to our doorstep. Thank you! Jonathon Cain, Journey www.jonathoncain.com, www.journey.com Cari Cole Cari Cole / Founder & Director C A R I C O L E V O I C E & M U S I C C O M P A N Y Thirst For Life Publishing / ASCAP T: 212.532.0828 401 East 34th Street Suite #N19K New York, NY 10016 Email: cari@caricolevoiceandmusic.com, caricole@gmail.com Visit us at www.caricolevoiceandmusic.com Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Cari-Cole-Voice-Music-Co/74457378181 Visit Cari’s music at: www.caricole.com; www.caricole.gaia.com; www.cdbaby.com/caricole, myspace.com/caricole, www.twitter.com/caricole
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| Posted by admin at 09:29 AM |
2 Comments |
Remember to Love it |
Monday, October 19, 2009 |
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Remember to Love it One of the biggest questions a musician can ask is, “Am I good enough and I played music as my sole living for a few years and now I have a day job We’re all guilty of it. We’re all looking for the magic button to press to Look up the formula for writing the perfect hit song and you’ll find it. If the only thing you’re worrying about is money, you will forget your I’m not saying the business is mean and brutal and cruel; but it can be if When you’re in search of that big record deal, remember to love the music Just remember to love it. http://www.kevinmileski.com
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| Posted by admin at 05:27 PM |
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The Four Agreements |
Friday, October 16, 2009 |
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The Four Agreements : Book Recommendation My advice is for every musician to read Don Miguel Ruiz book The Four Agreements! Don’t take it personal and Don’t Assume!!! Laurie D www.LaurieDameron.com
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| Posted by admin at 12:54 PM |
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Insurance for Musicians |
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 |
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Insurance for Musicians Insurance is a guarantee against loss or harm and secures compensation in the case of loss, damage, or death. Having insurance of any kind covers the what-ifs in life, offers peace-of-mind, and you just have to have it. HEALTH INSURANCE When I finally made the plunge and left my day job to be a full-time musician, I also left my health insurance behind. But just because you might not have an employer covering your health insurance doesn’t mean you have to go without it! Just call up any health insurance company and ask to apply for individual coverage, and they’ll walk you through the steps to apply. I know, you’re thinking — I can get by without it for a little while. I definitely know some people who’ve been self-employed and gone for years without health insurance, and that’s fine as long as you’re lucky enough to avoid anything happening to you during that time. But having health insurance, or insurance of any kind, covers the what-if, and offers peace-of-mind, and you just have to have it. Paying out-of-pocket can be pricey, but catastrophic coverage — the kind that’ll help you in a time of GREAT need — is the most basic and affordable and it’s worth it to have that blanket underneath you. Depending how much you think you can cough up in a jiffy for a deductible in the (fingers-crossed) unlikely event that you need major coverage will determine your monthly cost. There are other things that’ll affect your monthly premium as well, like your sex, age, and health history. When I first applied, I was approved for a smoker’s rate (because I was a smoker and told them so), but 6 months after I quit smoking, I took a test at my Dr.’s office to prove I was nicotine-free, sent a letter along with the labs to my health care provider, and that knocked off almost 50% of my monthly premium. So it actually does pay to be healthy. (FYI, my monthly premium is currently $124 through Unicare – http://www.unicare.com/). Need some advice on where to start looking? The Future of Music Coalition’s HINT program, started in 2005, offers musician-friendly support and advice to musicians who need information on health insurance. They don’t offer insurance, but can advise you were to start your search. Go here: http://futureofmusic.org/issues/campaigns/get-hint Compare rates at eHealthInsurance – FREE Instant Quotes! GEAR INSURANCE Remember what I said about the what-if scenario? Well, in January of 2008, my roommate had invited over a new friend she had met on the internet. I was out-of-town for the night, working hard playing a gig, and came home to find that her new friend had managed to sneak out the door with my MacBook Pro (My $1700 Apple computer, my life, my love, my recording studio, my calendar, my contact database, my email!!). Of course, they guy was too new of a friend for her to track him down. My baby was gone. I then had to cancel that evening’s gig to start canceling my credit cards, changing my passwords, recovering what bits of my calendar where on my iPod, etc. etc. And I also called my Allstate agent to file the claim to try and recoup the cost of my computer, my mouse, all the software I downloaded online, all my iTunes purchases, etc. You may not think to consider you computer a piece of “gear,” but think of everything you do on it! What would life be without your daily login to Facebook?? The only reason this didn’t totally devastate me is because I have homeowners insurance. There’s also renter’s insurance that’ll cover your temporary pad. When I was in a 3-bedroom renting, it was about $200/year, and my condo insurance is closer to $400/year. This covers all the gear in my home (I had to put together an itemized list with pictures and what things were and how much they cost new — take inventory!) However, I also had my Allstate agent attach an addendum to that policy which also covers the equipment I oftentimes have to leave in my CAR overnight. Can you imagine if on tour, you’re halfway across the country, and your car gets broken into? I just got this email from a musician friend on his way through Chicago last week. He was going to show up at my open mic, but never made it because: “Funny story. Someone broke into my car in front of my friends place and cleaned it out. Left me my clothes and cds though. So I spent all day Friday running around Chicago getting my window fixed, new phone charger, guitar, mandolin, some accessories, etc… I feel like I got kicked in the nuts.” Please don’t get yourself in this situation! Pay the extra bucks and get covered! LIABILITY INSURANCE Do you want to front the bill when your speaker falls on someone and breaks their leg? No? Then you need liability insurance. And no, it’s not just for circus performers. What if a string breaks and pokes someone’s eye in the front row? That’s your fault, buddy. I didn’t realize this for years and only just got covered in early 2009 when my children’s band was asked to perform at Navy Pier. Uh, duh, yes! But we needed $1,000,000 in liability coverage in order to play. I ended up going with American Family Insurance policy (Allstate didn’t offer this type of insurance) for over $700 for the year for $2,000,000 in coverage. Then I was told about Specialty Insurance that can do the same for about $200. I may change to that next year… Insurance for Entertainers: http://www.specialtyinsuranceagency.com CAR INSURANCE You know you have to have it if you drive, so there. Earlier this year my car was rear-ended, a hit-and-run, but the guy’s license plate fell off. I filed the claim, but they never found the guy. However, I was able to get my car fixed and my deductible was only $200! Initially it was $500, but with Allstate’s good driver program, you get $100 knocked off for each year of safe driving! If you can manage to have more than one policy with one company, you can save money that way, too! I have my auto and homeowners through Allstate. If you’re in Illinois, feel free to contact my agent, Russ Angelbeck: http://www.allstateagencies.com/RussAngelbeck/ContactMe/SendEmail.aspx RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. One book you recommend “The Bad Girl’s Guide to the Open Road” – Cameron Tuttle 2. Your favorite piece of gear? Right now, I’d said my Kurzweil 88-key weighted keyboard. I had a dream the other night that I sold it, and immediately thought, “how stupid.” 3. One thing you can’t live without on the road. Bottled water and rest-stops, they kind of go hand-in-hand.
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| Posted by admin at 08:47 PM |
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Musicares and Nuci’s Space |
Saturday, October 10, 2009 |
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Musicares and Nuci’s Space Since spending a good portion of my musical life in Athens, GA (I live in Denver, CO and play in a band in Athens) I have learned a few things. 1. Where to eat on the cheap (Taco Stand and Little Italy). 2. Making the rounds downtown leads to some great music on any given night 3. Most importantly if a friend asks for help with his or her drinking or drug problem there is only one place to go, Nuci’s Space. Nuci’s Space www.nuci.org is a non-profit resource center for musicians with services from addiction recovery, psychiatric services specializing in suicide prevention, medical and dental services, to equipment and practice space rental. So naturally when a friend in Athens asked for help with his addiction to alcohol which was soon to take his life we went to Linda Phillips at Nuci’s Space. She was able to put my friend in the Musicares program www.grammy.com/Musicares (also a non-profit specializing in addiction recovery) and he was able to receive full in-patient treatment at no cost because he is a working musician. You do have to prove a certain level to your musical career but if you fit into that criteria you have access to emergency financial assistance, addiction recovery assistance, and other services. My friend is now in his second year of sobriety and really enjoying life. Both these organizations work off donations and do a lot of good for a lot of musicians so if you feel the need please donate but more importantly if you or someone you know needs help with health, addiction or depression issues don’t hesitate to call. Take care of yourself and each other. Peace, Eric www.ericmartinezmusic.com
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| Posted by admin at 04:45 PM |
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Tips on Singing |
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 |
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When singing, always take deep breaths and sing from the diaphram. Remember your vocal chords are small muscles and will fail you if you over work them. Its almost like pushing to take a crap, only directing all that wind power over your vocal chords. You should never see the vein in your neck when you are going after a high note. If you do, you are doing it wrong and can severely damage your voice, not to mention going hoarse during your gig. If done correctly you should have just as much voice at the end of your gig as you did when you started. Sean Healey from the band: Hustle
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| Posted by admin at 01:29 PM |
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