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Life has many rules. Look both
ways before crossing the street. Put the toilet
seat down. Pay your taxes. There’s stuff
you just gotta do. In the studio, maybe there
aren’t “rules” per say, but
“strong guidelines” at least, or
think of it as “shit you should do if
you want someone to work with you again.”
Some of it sounds like common sense, some of
it sounds unnecessary, but trust me, it’ll
all make life in the lab smoother. This is for
both engineers and artists, so share this with
the next rapper who comes in and spits —
literally — all over your mic.
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Being in an indie band is running
a never-ending, rewarding, scary, low-margin
small business.
In order to plan and execute our Fall tour,
we had to prepare for months, slowly gathering
risk and debt before selling a single ticket.
We had to rent lights. And book hotel rooms.
And rent a van. And assemble a crew. And buy
road cases for our instruments. And rent a trailer.
And….
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This month we examine
another classic keyboard, the Fender Rhodes
Piano. Last month we discussed the Wurlitzer
electric piano and commented about how it's
sound was heard on many hit records. The number
of hit recordings on the Rhodes far exceeds
those on the Wurlitzer. The Rhodes sound was
featured on many of the Rock and Soul records
of the seventies and it was also adopted by
many jazz keyboardists of that time.
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Most artists spend months
writing, recording, and finalizing their songs,
merch, and live performances for the marketplace,
only to make repeated mistakes when it comes
to promoting themselves. Don't let this be you.
Here are six career-killing mistakes you want
to be absolutely sure to avoid. These are costly
mistakes. So before your next convention, get
your shit together. Think first, and act second.
You'll get so much more bang for your buck!
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Turning up late. To everything.
Every. Single. Time.
Do you have some sort of disease that makes
it impossible for you turn up on time?
We even developed an elaborate system where
we tell you a time 2 hours earlier than when
we need to arrive. You’re STILL an hour
late.
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I've been looking for gigs
lately, I've never seen so many free and low
paying gigs. Well the economy is bad, so I can
understand that a little bit. However, it is
no longer good enough for the musician to be
willing to perform for little compensation.
Now we are expected to also be the venue promoter?
The expectations are that the band will not
only provide great music, but also bring lots
of people to their venue. It is now the band’s
responsibility to make this happen, not the
club owner.
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Those of us who have been around
for over 40 years know a little bit more about the
evolution of the music industry than our younger counterparts.
Remember the 45? You know back when the Jackson 5
was a group and Michael Jackson had an afro? You had
an A side and a B side. Then there was the LP and
the 8 tracks. Most of us bought singles in those days
because it was all we could afford. However, we got
the music we wanted and record labels made money.
Even when the tape recorder came out and we started
recording our favorite songs off of the radio the
industry still made money.
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A band is a unique and complex relationship,
and with so many different personalities and goals
among band members, things can sometimes get tricky.
Some people are direct, some are passive, some are
more organized than others. "Musicians are sensitive
and odd creatures," says songwriter/guitarist
Paul Hansen of indie folk band The Grownup Noise.
"So inevitably, it will be a dysfunctional, but
hopefully loving, family."
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Mental illness and music isn't a
subject that is often discussed, but it is one that
affects a disproportionate number of musicians. Many,
probably most of us, can think of a time that music
listening to it, playing guitar, writing and performing
songs helped us through a difficult time in our lives.
I know I can. Playing music is a way of achieving
catharsis, to deal with our emotions by expressing
them. I'm a long way from the troubled teenager I
once was, but even now, there's nothing like grabbing
an axe and rocking out to lift my mood if I get low.
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These are some of the worst and most
common hoaxes because they seem so benign but they
can easily cost you a lot of money without getting
you anywhere. They tend to disguise themselves in
the form of some sort of legitimate opportunity from
a legitimate business whether it be getting your song
played on the radio, getting you a record deal, or
letting you play a showcase in front of a big time
A&R rep. The common thread though is that they
will all ask you for money to get access. With the
exception of membership-based organizations like ASCAP
or The Recording Academy, press, marketing, or radio
promotion agencies, or a qualified professional industry
consultant (determining that requires research though),
there are hardly any legitimate music businesses that
will charge you in order to get access to a career
opportunity (and honestly the aforementioned companies
aren't charging you for access, they're charging for
their services- but I didn't want to confuse anyone
into thinking they are not legitimate businesses because
they cost money).
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Congratulations, your album is finally
finished and you are ready to share your masterpiece
with the world! You have already read "The Secret
to Using Social Media to Build a Massive Base"
and you are eager to implement those ideas and promote
your project. You have gathered a list of websites,
DJs, booking agents, A&R's and promoters to begin
networking. Well... on that list is a sketchy promoter,
an unethical booking agent and a commercial DJ waiting
to take your money. There are members of the music
community who prey on unsigned musicians. "The
music business is a cruel and shallow money trench,
a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run
free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative
side."-Hunter S. Thompson.
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