Tag Archive for: Carrie Underwood

Renaissance Feature 2 MEME 2

 

We are in dark times, my friends, but the future of Renaissance Tunnel Coldthe music business is a bright one.

 

 

The Renaissance is coming.

 

 

The music will improve tremendously, believe it or not.

 

The current market conditions are setting the stage brilliantly.

 

Renaissance Sterile music

 We are going through a breakdown of quality art and have been for a couple decades. Post-Modern art is derivative and sterile, to put it mildly.

 

 

This was happening before the internet and reality TV and now it’s been amplified. Everybody wants to be famous, not even necessarily talented.

 

I know it doesn’t feel “healthy” in any way, but this is OK! We’ll have a few years of nauseating, obnoxious, never-ending moronic art served up via our social media feeds and flat screen TVs.

 

Here’s the thing. The market will grow tired of it.

 

Renaissance Early AdoptersA bunch of you already are, you’re the early adopters.

 

The masses will follow much later.

 

Huh?

 

Yes, this is how marketing works and has always worked for hundreds of years. You have the early adopters like the people who camp out overnight for the new iPhone.

 

Then the masses follow in force.

 

To demonstrate how old this human behavior is (and for the purposes of building faith that we’re on the right track), I’ll share a little historical value bomb.

 

Renaissance Horsepower

 

 

Do you know why we refer to engine power as horsepower?

 

 

 

Back in the day when the automobile was a new technology to the masses, there were throngs of people who refused to ride in cars because they weren’t horses.

 

“It’ll never stick, it’s a fad, it’s always been horses and always will be.”

 

Imagine that!

 

They were too freaked out by the technology change.

 

Renaissance Buggy Ride

 

 

The automakers began talking about the power of the engine in terms that the masses could easily relate to; horsepower.

 

 

 

 

It stuck. Makes sense now, right?

 

Our modern-day version of that is when your parents refuse to use computers. Maybe their completely oblivious to social media and complain about it.

 

Have you heard anyone talk about social media as if it’s a demon to society?

 

We artists, we do this ourselves.

 

Renaissance Change

 

 

For some reason, we’re not comfortable with change.

 

But the only thing we can rely on is that the world will constantly change.

 

 

 

 

So, the artists who can adapt will be the artists that make a living because they will be the artists that we know about.

 

They figured out how to get to us. How to get to the market.

 

For example, most artists refuse to utilize the power of YouTube because they can’t get any traction on their own music. They tell themselves the story, “I don’t want to be known as a cover artist” to justify their lack of strategy, understanding, and inability to adapt.

 

Renaissance The Rolling Stones

But they’ve completely overlooked the fact that the first Beatles record was all covers.

 

 

Renaissance Rolling Stones 12x5

They’ve completely overlooked the fact that the first TWO Rolling Stones Records were comprised of all covers (except for 3 songs on 12×5).

 

 

 

 

They don’t consider some of today’s biggest stars like Bieber, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Melanie Martinez, and Miranda Lambert as “cover artists” but they all started out on YouTube or TV singing covers.

 

Renaissance Artist Collage

 

 

Eventually, the community of artists will let go of their past, unicorn-like delusions of how the music industry used to be (which is typically misguided anyway).

 

They will also jettison their naive feelings on the way it should be (with everyone getting a blue ribbon for trying and/or for having some talent).

 

 

 

Once this inevitably happens they’ll focus on what’s truly important; the work.

 

In the immediate future, we consumers will continue to become inundated with crap and clutter from the non-creative, derivative, fame-seeking, bottom-dwellers.

 

All sterile pop, rock, country, rap, etc. will begin to numb us, the masses, to the point of apathy.

 

 

 

We’ll all stop caring.

 

This will be scary.

 

This will naturally spur a new renaissance of significant art.

 

Important artists will rise up from the ashes.

 

Renaissance Drowning Clutter Sterile ROCK POP MEME

 

 

I say that it will happen naturally because the only thing that will cut through the clutter will be sincerely compelling talent and creativity.

 

 

 

 

 

Renaissance Phoenix MEME Important Artists

 

 

If you think about it, we’re seeing bits of this prediction already, aren’t we?

 

 

 

 

Artists like Noah Guthrie and Karmin, for instance. Radio may have helped grow their brand but it certainly didn’t create their brand.

 

Renaissance Noah Karmin Collage

 

We lack some super power tastemakers right now. Terrestrial radio used to influence a market, then on a larger scale, MTV (in the early days); these were huge tastemakers.

 

 

The DJ’s and VJ’s put their stamp of approval on it and we accepted the offering, didn’t we?

 

New tastemakers will arise with massive amounts of power.

 

Some will give way to the proverbial corporate poison apple.

Renaissance MTV Logo

 

 

Others will realize, like Snapchat, that authenticity is what sells and will keep them relevant in the marketplace. They’ll shun the apple and stick to the moral, genuine, and effective approach that garnered them the market attention which made them attractive to the corporate world, to begin with.

 

 

 

The renaissance is coming. A renaissance of art, ideas, thinking, and philosophies that will be astonishing to witness.

 

Renaissance is coming MEME

 

 

It’s percolating.

 

 

 

Artists everywhere are just beginning to ask the right questions.

 

“How can I cut through the clutter?”

 

“How can I become more compelling?”

 

“How can I take this artistic piece to another level?”

 

“How can I really reach my audience?”

“What does my audience feel, want, and demand?”

 

The Renaissance is coming!

 

I’m so freaking excited about it!!

 

No longer do artists need to ask permission to present their work to the masses.

 

They’re beginning to understand this.

 

An artist can create something compelling, present it to the market (a large market), and refine it from there.

 

Any artist can easily FIND THEIR AUDIENCE!

 

Renaissance Brainwashed

 

 

 

This will be an audience of consumers who are responding to the art because it speaks to them as opposed to being brainwashed into liking it through repetition.

 

 

 

 

In the future, artists will become brand ambassadors.

 

They will be valued quite highly because they have something most companies and brands don’t have; PERMISSION.

 

Renaissance Gold PERMISSION MEME

Permission being defined as the ability to reach a mass of people who are looking forward to their next communication from the artist.

 

 

Imagine an artist with 1 million email addresses, phone numbers, and/or device ID’s.

 

Picture an artist with that kind of reach who understands how to create compelling content, aside from their music, that is relevant and personal to the 1 million followers.

 

Renaissance 1 million MEME

Envision those 1 million followers not tolerating the interruptions, but ANTICIPATING whatever content is coming from said artist.

 

 

 

Can you see it?

 

I can.

 

Brands will bow at the feet of artists who have crafted a unique relationship with their fans because it’s the only way to get through anymore.

 

Renaissance Bow At The Feet

 

Artists will be the pied pipers, the cult leaders, the powerfully benevolent managers of a loyal following who will listen intently.

 

 

 

It’s not about, “I have 1 million contacts”, anymore. It’s going to be about, “I have 1 million relationships.”

 

Artists, they will pay to align their brand with yours.

 

They will pay dearly to be associated with your cool, with your hipness, and with your energy.

 

You have compelling art.

 

Renaissance Next Stop The Future

 

Get that compelling art in front of people who are wanting to consume it.

 

 

The rest will take care of itself.

 

I promise.

 

JUST WORK.

 

 

 

Stay

 

In

 

Tune.

 

 

 

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How do you find your sound?

Find Your Sound Feature 1

It’s different for every artist, at least it should be. There has to be attention paid to what the artist is doing creatively so that the sound is what the artist is really, genuinely trying to do or you end up with a dancing chicken. That’s no fun.

 

There also has to be some thought put into the marketplace. This may sound non artistic but I beg to disagree. With some projects, subtle, intelligent changes can be made to cut through the clutter or expand the audience without stifling the art.

 

A bunch of you reading this article believe that to find your sound is whatever you happen to write about which makes it “organic”, more natural, etc.

 

That is true to a degree, however there has to be intentional curation, there has to be serious thought put into what this project is going to sound like, representation, the message, the image, the artistic “lane’. If there isn’t it comes out sounding haphazard and somewhat schizophrenic.

 

Find Your Sound Adele 21

 

 

Thematically, Adele’s 21 was all about her breakup. If she threw in a killer hit song about anything else, it wouldn’t have fit. That’s what I mean by schizophrenic.

 

 

 

 

Just because it’s a hit song doesn’t mean it’s a hit song for you. Here’s a great example.

 

One of my favorite songs last year was Kenny Chesney’s “American Kids”. GREAT song! (OK it really speaks to me and my upbringing in a faded little map dot called Delavan, Wisconsin. Love that map dot)Find Your Sound Kenny Chesney American Kids

 

This was a HUGE hit for Kenny. What you may not know is that “American Kids” was pitched to Lady Antebellum first and they passed on it; appropriately so.

 

What?

 

Find Your Sound Lady A

 

 

Yes, that song is killer, but it wasn’t for them. It didn’t fit their brand so it wouldn’t work right.

 

 

Here’s my point.

 

Finding your sound starts at “30,000 feet” where you begin to craft your artistic lane with the broad strokes first. You have to put some DEEP thought into this because it will become the blueprint that will give guidance to whichFind Your Sound BluePrint songs to pick if they’re outside cuts, which of your songs you should, record and which of your songs you should either let someone else record OR save for a future project.

 

How much thought?

 

 

Marrying a project that is genuinely consonant with the artist from the inside out with an artistic lane that is ideally empty or hopefully not very crowded is an art form.

 

Case Study #1: Bailey James

Find Your Sound Bailey James

 

When I first heard Bailey I was blown away by her voice. She was simply an astonishing little 11-year old girl with an incredibly mature voice. Her instrument is somewhat reminiscent of the great Patsy Cline in tone and her melodic sensibilities.

 

Right away, that’s exciting because I don’t really hear anyone in the country music marketplace that sounds like her; this makes her voice more “identifiable”.

 

What wouldn’t be distinguishable is if she sounded like or was trying to sound exactly like Carrie Underwood, or Miranda Lambert which is usually the case here with most wannabes in Nashville.

Find Your Sound Carrie and Miranda

 

So that’s a step in the right direction.

 

 

Next what is really unusual, is that (now) 13-year old Bailey James genuinely likes old school country like Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, etc.

 

 

 

I think that when your Bailey’s age you HAVE to love 5 Seconds of Summer and Taylor Swift (check!) but other than these two artists she drives her parents crazy listening to, well, “Crazy”.

Find Your Sound Patsy Cline

 

 

Here is unique value proposition #2. If we made a record that was reminiscent of old school country Patsy Cline the project would be in harmony with Bailey’s artistic soul.

 

I would be real. Which is to say it wouldn’t be contrived.

 

Get it?

 

This information began to get my creative juices flowing.

 

What if we made a record that was retro (ish) sounding? At the time there was nothing like this on the radio, (although very recently Maren Morris seems to be doing REALLY well with her very retro sound, salute! This helps my cause).

Find Your Sound What if

 

What if we made the melodies evocative of Patsy Cline which you don’t hear on country radio right now?

 

What if we supported these melodies with old school country chords and chord progressions which you don’t hear on the radio right now?

 

Find Your Sound Country Guitar Chords

 

What if we added a neat artistically harmonious twist? Let’s make the lyrics more like Taylor Swift’s early records.

 

 

There were many reasons for Taylor Swift’s success and one of the big ones is that she and Scott Borchetta created Find Your Sound Taylor Swift Fearlessan artistic lane that was previously non-existent.

 

There were exactly ZERO artists lyrically catering to 9-14 year olds.

 

All country music artists were adult themed lyrically.

 

Here’s the twist. Taylor grew up.

 

Taylor went from:

“She wears short skirts

 I wear T-shirts

She’s cheer captain

       And I’m in the bleachers”

To writing

“I’ve got a long list of ex-lovers,

        They’ll tell you I’m insane

        But I’ve got a blank space baby,

        And I’ll write your name.”

 

Find Your Sound Authenti City

 

 

So who’s speaking for the 9-14 year olds in country music now?

 

 

Keep in mind we haven’t written any songs yet for Bailey’s project.

 

This very thought process led to some serious conversations that I had with Bailey and her parents.

 

Find Your Sound Couple Music CollageIf we make a record like this, we’re going to have to commit to using the internet and touring to build a following as we probably wouldn’t be getting a lot of love from country radio, at least at first. If we wanted love from country radio we’d have to make a record like Kelsea Ballerini, which is fine, but why be derivative just to chase radio?

 

Country radio wouldn’t probably help us because she doesn’t sound like what they’re spinning right now and they don’t want to take chances. They’re losing listeners by the droves every single day.

 

Besides, radio is becoming increasingly less effective in breaking new artists so the money spent on radio promo wouldn’t really be well spent at this particular stage of the game.

Find Your Sound Guitar Music Collage

 

We all agreed that this was the kind of record we wanted to make and we began to get Bailey with the songwriters that were willing to do business our way.

 

I say “our way” because it takes guts and commitment to purposefully write something you know probably isn’t going straight to radio. Writers get paid on the back end, with performance royalties, so why would they want to mess with this?

 

I gathered some writer friends and we went to work. I told the writers that the imagery had to be specific, keep it in the schoolyard. If the lyrics were universal enough that Carrie or Miranda could sell it, they had to go back to the drawing board. I wanted the kids to look at Bailey and say, “She speaks for us. She is our voice.”

 

Melodically we wanted bigger melodies like Patsy Cline. Chord wise we wanted 1960’s country.

 

See what I’m doing here?

Find Your Sound 30,000 feet

 

I have an artist that lives and breathes old school country who is STOKED to make a record in that vein. I also have a vacuum in the market place.

 

Perfect.

 

Moreover, I told Bailey’s parents if we made a record like this Bailey would stick out like a sore thumb from all the Disney bubblegum pop music.

 

We all agreed this was a good thing to “stick out”.

 

Find Your Sound Blueprint Fingerprint

 

This initial understanding of a defined artistic lane was mission critical to picking the songs that made the EP. Bailey and the writers wrote a bunch, we picked 5 Bailey co-writes, 1 outside cut, and they were all melodically and lyrically dialed into the vision.

 

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

 

 

 

I have some questions for you.

 

Have you defined your artistic lane?Find Your Sound Define

How much competition is there in your artistic lane?

What kind of thought have you given towards your sound?

 

To find your sound you have to build around your strengths as an artist.

 

Bailey’s strengths, artistically lay in her voice, her love for old school country, and her age which gives us an advantage in the marketplace. This all has to do with the making of her sound, at least a sound that has a chance of standing out in the current marketplace and being heard by someone.

 

So Bailey is a great example of a solo artist whose sound was put together a certain way from the very beginning.

 

But what if you’re a band and you’re songs are already written? Let’s take a look at Van Halen and see exactly what producer Ted Templeman did to create their sound.

Find Your Find Your Sound DLR

 

David Lee Roth is arguably one the very best front men ever to walk on stage (and in the interest of complete transparency I’ll tell you that he’s my favorite. AMAZING LIVE SHOW.)

 

However DLR would never win American Idol.

 

 

 

Ted was smart enough to know that the “live show” attraction of DLR wasn’t going to translate well onto tape. That’s a live thing. Eddie would though.

 

FREE VALUE BOMB: Btw, Templeman who was also a Sr. VP of Warner Brothers Records along with Mo Ostin Find Your Sound Free Value Bombwho was the Chairman, passed twice on Van Halen demos, it didn’t come across on their recordings. They LOVED Eddie and wanted to sign him alone, but didn’t like DLR (Templeman originally wanted to put Sammy Hagar with Eddie!) It wasn’t until they both saw Van Halen live opening for Dokken (whom they were there to see) that they got it and agreed to sign Van Halen.

 

 

Templeman wanted the record to be about the guitar. That’s what was so special. Think about it.

 

COMPARE: Here is a link to one of the earlier Van Halen demos. Let’s just dissect the first song “On Fire”. It’s all there but it’s scattered and a bit out of focus isn’t it? Structurally as well as moment-wise.

  • The harmonic guitar lickFind Your Sound Van_Halen_Demo
  • Occasional badass DLR vocal scream (notice the first high note DLR hits is a real weak sounding falsetto without the signature multi overtone growl that he easily performs later on in the chorus “I’m on FIYAAAAA!”
  • The chorus hook, the vocal arrangement on the pre chorus “I’m hangin’ ten now baby, as I ride your sonic waaaaave” (ascending scream behind wave).
  • The guitar lead

 

Now, listen to VH I album cut of “On Fire” very carefully. The differences can mostly be attributed to Templeman’s input crafting their sound. Finding moments and featuring them.

  • First of all a bunch of fat was cut from the track.
  • The guitar was panned all the way to the left with only the reverb return coming out of the right. (Definitely a Find Your Sound Van Halen Irevved up guitar sound that Templeman credits completely to Eddie)
  • Drums and bass were all the way to the right with DLR straight up the middle. (This abnormal mix strategy FEATURED the guitar.)
  • Bombastic beginning chord progression before the signature riff starts.
  • Notice, from the get go, the recording is loaded with all kinds of guitar licks filling up the vocal holes, featuring Eddie’s guitar prowess.
  • Notice Templeman LOVED the harmonic guitar lick and featured it making it a recurring guitar hook. VH did it on the demo, Templeman did it more.
  • The vocal melody was re-crafted subtly but it’s genius because it’s more powerful and memorable (more question/answer on the melody…do you hear it?)
  • The end of the guitar solo was changed a bit to give Eddie a “lily pad” to land on giving the lead, which was ascending and creating tension, resolution at the end.
  • All the falsetto voices from DLR are badass strong tone with signature growl that was intermittent on the demo. Many are doubled.

 

So to find YOUR sound you need to think like a record executive and create a lane with little or no competition. You also need to think like a producer and bring out the strengths of the act on the recording.

 

Sometimes you just need to write a BUNCH to hone in on your sound. The Beatles wrote at least 50-150 songs before they began to get it.

 

Find Your Sound Microphone

 

Last thing. Both the artists in these case studies are extremely talented. Both of them needed outside help to focus the talent and make it really shine for an audience.

 

 

Who’s helping you?

Stay

In

Tune.

 

If you found this article valuable, please SHARE and COMMENT on it. Thank you!

Reach and Frequency Feature Image

Marketing of any kind requires 2 very necessary components: Reach and Frequency.Reach and Frequency Molecule

 

First, you have to reach the (hopefully) targeted audience.

 

Second, there has to be frequency on the message, regardless of how good it is, before it sinks in.

 

Both are expensive via the mass media.

 

Both aren’t working anymore via the mass media either.

 

Reach and Frequency Old School Collage

Let’s look at your dreams of breaking on the radio right now; I want to focus on that.

 

Let’s break down both marketing components with regards your assumptions on the significance of radio spins today.

 

If you think about it, reach in mass marketing wouldn’t allow a whole lot of “surgical” targeting or micro-targeting. (You are a unique artist after all.)

 

For instance, you could be getting spins on a country station and your audience would be targeted to country but think about how segmented that is. Traditional Country (old school icons), Pop Country (Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain), Bro Country (You know them), Country Rap (Big Smo, Big & Rich [remember Cowboy Troy?]), Country Rock (Jason Aldean, Eric Church), Alternative Country (Jason Isbell, Kasey Musgraves), etc.

Reach and Frequency Everyone Else

 

Not so targeted, huh?

 

Just like you, fans have VERY divisive thoughts and opinions about each of these subcategories. This dynamic is true of any genre, by the way, like rap, rock, pop, indie, etc.

 

Consumers are passionate about their subgenres.

 

 

Here’s the thing, radio was super-effective and worked for 60+ years because the reach was SO big. Everybody radio reached was paying attention with fewer distractions, and up until the last 20 years, there were far fewer sub genres.

Reach and Frequency Passionalte

 

Absorb that statement, can you get your head around how efficient radio used to be?

 

Too many of you have false hope that if you get your hit song on the radio in any given market that it might “blow up” after people hear it once.

 

 

 

Let’s dissect this belief for a second.

Reach and Frequency Blow Up

 

Let’s assume for the argument that people are actually “listening” to the radio.

 

What does that mean, “listening”?

 

Terrestrial radio is mostly consumed in the car. What goes on in the car (phone conversations, texting, Vining, Snapchatting, Twittering, Facebooking, YouTube, movies for the kids in back, etc.)? Who’s driving? Do they have kids?

 

Reach and Frequency Driving Texting

What are they thinking about while a song presumably provides a backdrop for the onslaught of mundane errands, social media addiction, fodder-like drama, real drama, conversations, text messages, arguments, rants, road rage, and otherwise general thought processes that occur in their heads even when their favorite familiar artist is playing?

 

 

They’re NOT thinking about you.

They’re not focusing on your song.

 

Hell, they’re not focusing on DRIVING!

 

Think about how your driving habits and behavior have changed since the invention of social media and smart phones in the last 10 years.

 

Yikes!

 

Next time you are listening to the radio, I want you to try and be aware of EVERYTHING else that is going on inside your head, your car, your office, etc.  Are YOU really “listening”?Reach and Frequency Why Don't You Get Me (2)

 

See my point?

 

Do you really expect anyone to “get” you and understand you as an artist after hearing one song, one time?

 

Here’s the sobering truth:  They’re not “listening”.

 

They have aux cables, WiFi in the car, and their own preferences.

 

When it comes to the reach element of the marketing equation, you are battling people with all these distractions while the radio is playing.

 

Simply put, you’re not reaching anyone.

At least in terms of the reach equation with regards to terrestrial radio. ESPECIALLY on your indie budget which doesn’t allow for anywhere near enough frequency. I’ll get to that shortly.

 

Truth is they’re most likely avoiding the radio altogether and experiencing music they are already acquainted with emitting that conversant signal from their smartphones.

 

Next, who’s going to hear it exactly?

 

In other words, is it your targeted audience?

 

With Bailey James, her audience is 7-14 year old kids. What station do they listen to?

 

Of the reach that terrestrial radio has in a given market, how many of the people listening are in your demographic and subgenre?

Reach and Frequency Sterilization

 

Can you comprehend the erosion of consumer attention here?

 

How about the resultant “art by committee” that occurs to optimize your chances for being spun?

 

 

2 words: Artistic Sterilization.

 

The tactics for effective reach have to change if you’re to be effective. Period.

 

To think otherwise is to be naïve.

 

To be naïve is to sacrifice your artist soul forever.

 

Artists, your soul is at stake!

Reach and Frequency Suffering Artistic Soul

 

Your artist soul won’t care why you don’t have an audience. It’ll just suffer the common tragic death because there is not enough adoration and compensation for the good work.

 

 

Which creates frustration.

 

Which creates doubt.

 

These are the initial infections that lead to the gangrenous decomposition of the artist dream.

 

I’ll bet that one hit close to home.

 

Don’t trip, it’s preventable to the seekers of the truth.

 

Reach and Frequency Preventable

Frequency, the second component of the marketing equation is equally mission critical.

 

Major advertisers are acutely aware of this fact and you must be as well.

You’ve heard the stories (that continue to feed your uninformed hope) about artists like Guns & Roses whose life changing Appetite for Destruction record took a year to break. They were about to be dropped. Then label owner David Geffen called in a personal favor at MTV who played the new video for the second single “Sweet Child ‘O’ Mine” at 3am on a Saturday morning and they blew up.

 

Yes that happened.

Reach and Frequency Appetite For Destruction

But not the way you imagine it.

 

That ONE video spin caused enough of a reaction to convince MTV it deserved a few more spins. They bought into frequency of their precious airwaves.

 

Which begat more video spins.

 

Don’t look now, but GNR blew up because good art met with reach and frequency in a medium where the market was paying attention.

 

Who’s paying attention today?

 

To be perfectly clear, it was frequency on a hugely popular NATIONALY CONSUMED television music station that no longer plays music videos and is no longer nationally consumed.

Reach and Frequency No MTV Logo

 

Assuming you’re on the radio and anyone is “listening” it takes a TON of spins A.K.A. frequency for your art to sink in and catch on with each individual listener.

 

Now, how many times are you getting spun per day in each market?

 

 

How many spins till any individual experiences enough frequency within a given market to influence them to take action and buy your single, ya know, when they get home from driving, unload the kids, stop texting, and hop off Facebook?

 

Get it?

 

Reach and Frequency How Many Spins MemeFrequency takes time even when there was an attentive mass market to influence. Most radio promo campaigns take at least 35 weeks to get traction with established iconic stars never mind a new emerging artist.

 

Frequency is also expensive on mass media.

 

Expensive means its cost prohibitive to the indie artist like you.

 

This is why radio promo has become a poor, archaic approach to any new artist’s promotional strategy. Even to the majors with million dollar budgets.

 

It used to work, now it doesn’t.

 

Get over it.

 

Wow, that sounds disappointing doesn’t it?

 

Ready for the good news?

Reach and Frequency is free

 Frequency is FREE if you have the audience’s permission.

 

Emails, text messages, social media posts, tweets, snapchats, etc. are free once you get their attention.

 

It used to be that your music opened the door and got you noticed within a market. That is no longer true.

 

Now, you have to break through another way, and the quality of your music is what keeps you in the room.

 

Stop fighting the way you “think” it should be or the way it “used” to be and start imagining how you can break through with the way it is.

 

Reach and Frequency JimiJimi Hendrix, one of the ultimate rock guitar Gods was a huge star in England that couldn’t break through the clutter of USA radio in the 60’s (when radio ruled and there was no real clutter!). He wasn’t noticed, that is to say he didn’t come into anyone’s awareness (in the States) because of his music, at first. It wasn’t until he played the Monterey Pop Festival and famously lit his guitar on fire that he caught the attention of the American people.

 

This seemingly impromptu sacrificial burning ritual was NOT a spontaneous act from an artist “in the moment”, rather it was a premeditated, strategic plan put forth by his brilliant PR firm.

 

They (being Jimi and the PR firm) got our attention.

 

Then, we listened to him play.

 

After we opened our hearts & minds to really “listen” we truly experienced Jimi, and we responded. We fell in love!

 

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

 

Don’t confuse the love and importance of your favorite artist’s music with the strategy that was used to get your attention.

 

STOP focusing on what you don’t have (money, management, radio, label deal, blah, blah, blah) and START focusing on what you DO have.

 

Reach and Frequency Focus

Focus on creating relationships with an audience. If you do that you’ll own what the marketing world considers to be the greatest asset of all, HEADSPACE and TRUST.

 

They’ll listen with an open heart and an open mind.

 

 

If you’re compelling, and they know & trust you, they’ll buy your music, merchandise, tickets, and anything else you suggest is cool.

 

You now know what the record business refuses to figure out. The numbers prove this point and the numbers don’t lie because the numbers can’t talk.

 

Here’s what you DO have.

 

Free surgically targeted reach via social media and YouTube.Reach and Frequency Social Media Logos

 

Free frequency if you’re smart enough to begin amassing contact data.

 

Oh, and your intelligent creative brain to begin connecting the dots.

 

Stay

In

Tune

 

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The Climb 200x200

 

 

P.S. I you like podcast formats, I have a new one with hit songwriter Brent Baxter called The  C.L.I.M.B. (Creating Leverage In the Music Business). You can listen HERE for free. again, please leave a rating and a review.

 

 

 

 

Fearless Production fate loves the fearless

I really want to share something with y’all.  It may sound a bit self-serving but I’m thinking of you (as always) so read through to the end…you’ll get it.  Here’s the deal, I’m super excited today. Kelly Schoenfeld and I were chosen to develop an artist who has really got the gift.  This artist’s vocal tone is rich and the control she has over her instrument is astounding.  She sounds vintage, like REALLY vintage.Fearless Production Patsy Cline

She sounds like a cross between (and this is going to sound weird but it is accurate) a 25 year old Patsy Cline and Dwight Yoakam.

So here’s the kicker…she’s 11.

The reason they chose Daredevil Production was fearless production and marketing.

I feel they recognized we were willing to find a formula to feature her Fearless Production Dwight Yoakamold-fashioned vocal tone with a modern musical landscape.  Also we had the added benefit of a solid marketing plan to begin building a demand for the record now to create sales whenever it’s finished.

We are quite proud of that.

We wanted to accent her strengths and build something current around where she lives artistically which once again is a vintage sound.

Fearless Production do something different for a change

We wanted to do something different.

We wanted to do something that is currently NOT happening on the radio.

We were in tune with where the artist and her parents wanted to go and we are in a position to do something about it.

 

This got me thinking about all of you.

Your artistry.

Kelly and I are fearless when it comes to developing artists that are unique (thus the name Daredevil Production) because we are confident that we know how to find an audience that is willing to and wanting to listen to their art the way they want to do it.

You can target your audience through social mediafile000458994938

That’s a big bonus in the new music industry y’all should be exploiting regularly.  You can target your audience through social media.  You can create demand.  It will be foreign at first but it’s doable and people make money at it every day.

Radio will change for her instead of her changing for radio

We understand that we can artistically guide this artist to a place where she can make a living her way. If there is enough momentum to really blow her up then radio will change for her instead of her changing for radio.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em that’s the way Florida Georgia Line did it. There’s your proof it can be done.

How many of you are chasing something that is already popular artistically speaking?

Here we have a very cool situation that shouldn’t really be that unique but sadly, it is.  The circumstances are that we have an artist with extreme talent, who we believe has an insatiable work ethic, is completely open to “playing in the sandbox” with us artistically, and willing to embrace new marketing strategies as well.

In other words, the artist and her parents are unencumbered by “the way it used to be” or by “the way it should be” in their heads which literally frees them up to accomplish anything.

Fearless Production the sky's the limitThe Sky’s the limit.

 

Are you thinking like this?

Are you open to and actively operating your independent artist business in the new music business model or are you stuck in the old music business model?

 

Want some more proof?

Taylor Swift is operating out of the new business model.Fearless Production Taylor Swift

  • As of this week she is the only artist EVER to have 3 records in a row sell more than 1 million units in the first 7 days of release.
  • She is also the first artist to have a 1st week million selling release since Eminem in 2002.
  • “1989” is a personal best with first week sales outselling all her previous albums.
  • If that wasn’t enough, she is the ONLY artist in any genre to have a million selling record this year.

All this happened with a record that received ZERO support from country radio where all her previous releases were Fearless Production Taylor Swift 1989promoted.

Think about that for a second.

She literally jumped ship and abandoned the pipeline that fed her so well throughout her storied career.

1 word:  GUTS.

The reason she can do this is because she has a serious connection with her audience (they’re called Swifties).  She is constantly thinking about new ways to market her music.

Fearless Production mark twain quoteIn many past articles I have written about how it is much easier for the artists to make a living these days in the music business. This is true if you’re willing to operate with a completely open mind free of your ego, daydream scripts, and nostalgia.

Are you truly making something great or do you have to give a disclaimer before someone listens to your music?

Are you serious about cracking the code to creating and deepening relationships online with your fans?

 

That takes real work.Fearless Production Do one thing every day that scares you

I promise that if a fan feels they have a connection with you and your music they will easily pay $10 to support you. Even more.

 

 

The only thing standing in your way is you.

 

Stay tuned about this 11 year old artist, you will be hearing from her soon.

 

Oh, and stay in tune.

 

 

Fearless Production keep calm and stay in tune

 

 

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Power image

First of all, a big shout out to Brent Baxter for a killer post last week! Thanks Brent (I totally needed that! Let’s do it again)

The last blog that I wrote 20 Biggest Music Marketing Mistakes I touched on the concept of implied power.

I want to dissect this concept a bit more to demonstrate how important the delivery of your message is regardless of value of the content.

I keep seeing artists and artist promo teams at all professional levels make thefile0001719225336 same mistakes with regards to communication errors and developing relationships online.

Too many people think if the message (music) is good and the message (music) is true, everyone will accept it.

This is false.

You have to understand your position in the exchange first.

Then you formulate the language to service the dynamic of the specific exchange for message to be effective.

Even within your music life right now, the message and the way you serve it up definitely file000766340476has to change depending on the situation if you want it to be received.

To truly receive information, people need to be in an emotionally open space where they feel either curious, safe, subordinate, or intrigued. It’s your job as the communicator to understand this dynamic and frame the appropriate stage for your message to actually be heard.

Communication is not the intent of your message but what is actually being received.

 

If they aren’t getting the message, it’s the communicator’s fault.

Until you internalize this FACT you will continue to view social media as a frustrating, foreign mystery and you won’t sell anything.

Then the artist voice of doubt enters your head. Ewwwwww.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone I see massive social media companies working with multi-platinum artists making these same mistakes. They make them honestly because they are used to effectively communicating to masses or a crowd with implied power.

When they apply sales language reliant on implied power to a private exchange such as the 1 on 1 interactions on social media or email, it has the exact opposite effect.

One of P.T. Barnum’s famous quotes is “Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd” (at least I think it was Barnum). It’s PT Barnum Power imageabsolutely TRUE.

Whether you wade in the shallow end or swim in the deep end of the gene pool, you are a human being and therefore wired up to respond with some level of curiosity.

Maybe you walk over to the crowd with a totally open sense of wonder and complete gullibility.

Perhaps you are not gullible and walk over to the crowd with supreme skepticism, but you walk over; that’s the point.

Now, if the message drawing the crowd is consonant to any interests you may hold, you stay. If it isn’t, you leave.

But you walk over.

In the 1800’s that crowd might have assembled around a stump where a man was selling snake oil, tickets to the circus, or Power Politicking imagepoliticking. When you walk up on a person who is on a stump with 30 people around him, this person has implied power.

After all, why are these 30 people gathered around him?

What is he saying or selling that is keeping their interest?

Curiosity.

Intrigue.

The fact that people are there creates a subconscious referral of sorts because you see these people with your own eyes. There is also more of them and only one of him.

Safety.

Many years later we amplified that implied power with mass broadcast technology like terrestrial radio and television. In these communication scenarios, the implied power is magnificently influential in swaying consumer buying decisions.

Therefore, hype works. Over the top energy is not only effective but expected.

After all, the communicator must be someone really important because they were on the radio or on the TV, right?

Subordinate.Power Subordinate image

Here’s a real example of having a great product, message, truth, etc., but COMPLETELY different results selling it based on a strategy change in communication techniques and language.

When I was in the mortgage industry, the market was real hot; everybody was in the mortgage industry. There were these trigger leads that generated whenever a consumer would have their credit pulled by a lending institution. The 3 credit bureau companies would sell this information for about $1 or $2 per lead. Agents would have no relationship with these consumers but they did know for a fact that these people were thinking about getting a mortgage.

They were cold calls, to people we knew were in the market, man.DSC00769One day I reached this guy around 6PM or so after work and I gave him real good phone.

I heard this honest “sigh” on the other end.

I immediately asked if he had a bad day.

He responded, so sincerely, by telling me he had an answering machine and the digital display told him I was the 70th unsolicited cold-call that day trying to sell him a mortgage.

I thought there must be better way to communicate, this is ridiculous.

I had a recording studio

I recorded a radio show and bought some time on a radio station.

Same product

Same person

Now they were calling me.

I had implied power.

I was able to be more of my boisterous self on the radio which (most) people love.

Consumers were willing to accept my whole personality because of the way they were exposed to it.

In the midst of a market being overwhelmed by salesmen clamoring to gain consumer trust, I rose above din and offered up educational programming to people with an 800 number to contact me and it worked.Power No Cold Calling Zone image

I was able to create relationships by giving them valuable information.

They responded by giving me an opportunity earn their business.

I didn’t make a cold call after that ever again.

Get it?

Here’s the key, once I got them in the room the tone and message had to change because I was no longer on the stump so-to-speak; we were in a 1 on 1, private meeting.

Now I had to completely change my approach due the vastly different arena because hype or big, boisterous tones weren’t going to work in a private setting. In fact, hype and big boisterous tones would have the opposite effect and turn the consumers off immediately.

Let’s apply this example to your music and how to serve up your message with educated anticipation as to the way the information will be consumed.

When you are opening for an artist with huge draw or maybe you’re an artist with a huge draw you are in front of a crowd. You can be more boisterous, you can hype because you have implied power.

You’re the center of attention.

Power Axl Rose On Stage imageAfter all, you must be somebody important to be on that stage right?

Incidentally, the term huge draw is relative. What’s important is the feel of the crowd; the energy. If you can draw 100-200 people make sure you’re playing a place with a capacity of 100-200 people so the joint is packed.

 

The more packed it is, the more power you have. Get it?

 

Here’s the biggest mistake everyone continues to make. The language, hype, and energy that will work and effectively communicate a message on stage will NOT work on social media or email exchanges; because they are private conversations, they are consumed 1 on 1.

Your implied power is gonePower One on One Sillouette image

Now it’s about THEM

Exclamation points are a NO-NO on social media and email interactions. They’re a turn off. They say SALESMAN.

Do you want to be perceived as a used car salesman?

Everybody wants to buy but nobody wants to be sold.

If you recall my story about the mortgage radio show, I said the radio show gave me an opportunity toearn their business. It very rarely gave me their business.

All too often I see artists create a relationship on social media and immediately ask for the sale.

This is too soon to close the deal.

You have to deepen the relationship first.

If your product is good, and your message is appropriate, and the message is served up in a manner suitable to the exchange, the power will come.

Just give it time and attention.

Most social media and email exchanges in the music industry remind me of a scene from Monte Python’s “The Meaning of Life”

“What’s wrong with a kiss, boy?” “There’s no need to go STAMPEDING towards the…”

Watch the video up to 2:45. It’s hysterical.

 

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Kinetics Feature image

WHAT ARE THE KINETICS OF YOUR SONG?

Hey y’all, meet Brent Baxter.  He will be guest blogging in my absence this week as I am hanging with my family in  Utah’s amazing Zion National Park.  Songwriters this is a must read.

Kinetics Brent Baxter

<Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson (the top 5 hit “Monday Morning Church,” Lady Antebellum, Randy Travis, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford (the #1 Canadian country hit, “When Your Lips Are So Close”), comedy legend Ray Stevens, Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame member Steve Cropper, and more.  He blogs about songwriting and the music business at Man vs. Row, manvsrow.com.>

I call the energy of a song the “kinetics.”  Kinetic energy is energy in motion, as opposed to potential energy, which is energy at rest.  There are three components of a song’s kinetic energy: 1) tempo 2) melody and 3) phrasing.  Let’s take a look at each of these elements.

Tempo

Tempo is the speed of your song in beats per minute, or bpm.  As a general principle, uptempo songs are in higher demand than midtempo or ballads.  Therefore, your best bet to get a cut is by writing great uptempo songs.  The mathKinetics Tempo image everywhere supports this.

Look at the albums by the top artists.  Most of their songs are mid- and uptempo.  There’s usually only one or two true ballads on most albums these days.

Radio mostly plays uptempo and midtempo.  They want the listeners to feel good and stick around through the commercials.

And, finally, artists want their shows to be fun- they want the crowd on their feet, singing along and having a great time so they buy a T-shirt at the merch table.  An artist works hard to get everybody on their feet at a show.  Then he plays a ballad.  What does everyone do?  They sit back down.  Now the artist has to work hard to get them on their feet again.  Because of this, most artists don’t play many ballads in their shows.

Shows, radio, and records all rely on tempo.  Therefore, it’s wise give your song, if possible, in a faster tempo.

Here’s another reason to lean toward writing tempo.  A lot of people listen “beat first.”  This means they don’t pay attention to the lyrics of the song at first.  They listen for a good beat first.  Then, if they like the beat, they MIGHT get around to connecting with the lyric.

Your song might have a great idea and a powerful lyric, but “beat first” listeners will likely never know.  Writing songs with a good beat and a good lyric helps your song connect faster to both beat-first and lyric-first listeners.

Melody

I’m a lyricist, and I don’t write melodies.  I leave that to folks who are great at that. However, I know from experience Kinetic Melody imageand observation that MELODY MATTERS.  It’s huge.

Let me be clear- a song with a great melody and average lyric will get cut a lot faster than a song with a great lyric and an average melody.

Your melody has to fit your idea, simple as that.  This is not to say that sad songs HAVE to have “sad” melodies (I’ll touch on that later), but if your lyric is angry, your melody probably shouldn’t be too “sweet.”  Likewise, if your idea is for a tough guy, the melody should be one that a tough-guy artist would sing.

In general, if your song has a slower tempo, it probably needs to have a bigger, more rangy melody.  There just aren’t many slow songs with soft melodies getting cut these days.  You put your song at a disadvantage when you frame it that way.

If you’re going to go ballad, go big.

A good example of this is “I Drive Your Truck,” written by Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Jimmy Yeary and recorded by Lee Brice.  It’s a sad ballad.  But it doesn’t FEEL like a ballad because of the power in the chorus.  Lee just sings his backside off.

If they hadn’t CHOSEN to go the power ballad route, I don’t think the song would have worked as well- and I definitely don’t think it would’ve been a #1 hit country single.  If the tempo had been too fast, it might have trivialized the subject matter.  If they had given it a soft, flat melody, I think the singer would’ve come across too whiney.

Again, if you go ballad, go big.

Phrasing

Phrasing is the rhythm of the lyrics as they fit into the melody.  You could say it’s the “bounce” of the words.  Phrasing could be melodic and slow, like the chorus on “Drink A Beer” recorded by Luke Bryan and written by ChrisKinetics Phrasing image Stapleton and Jim Beavers.  It could be more like a rap, like the verses of “Boys ‘Round Here” recorded by Blake Shelton and written by Craig Wiseman, Thomas Rhett, and Dallas Davidson.  Or it could be somewhere in between.

Play with your phrasing.  Mix it up.  If you’re not great at writing uptempo songs, try writing faster, more interesting phrasing.  Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford did this well when they wrote “Dirt Road Anthem,” which went on to become a #1 country single for Jason Aldean.  The tempo wasn’t that fast- the song felt really laid back.  It’s the rapid-fire phrasing on the verses which really gives the song its energy (instead of giving it a power chorus or a fast tempo).

You don’t want your lyric to have the same “bounce” all the way through.  Mix up the phrasing between your verse and your chorus.  This will help you vary the melody between the verse and chorus, too.  That’s really important.

Right now, rap-like lyrics are pretty popular in country music, but who knows how long that’ll be the case.  My best advice is to just keep it interesting, whatever you do.

IN CONCLUSION

Let’s take a look at “These Days” recorded by Rascal Flatts and written by Jeffery Steele, Steve Robson and Danny Wells.  The idea of the song is that this guy runs into his old flame and they start catching up.

He basically says, “I wake up, think of you, cry and hope all day that you’ll call.  Then I go back to bed and dream of you.  That’s what I’m doing these days.”

What a whiner!

But those hit writers knew they could not only get away with, but GET A HIT with that bellyaching lyric by giving it some tempo, a big chorus and interesting phrasing.  It’s a classic case of “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”

Let’s learn from this!

God Bless,

 

Brent Baxter

MANvsROW.com

 

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