Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendars!
Four upcoming events have created quite the buzz at the Memphis Music Foundation! Two events in February focus on effective social media campaigns of artists. David Dufresne from Bandzoogle will be talking about the importance of promotion through artists’ websites, and will be critiquing some select sites Thursday, February 23rd from 6-8PM at the Music Resource Center. Jed Carlson from Reverberation will also be joining us at the MRC on Saturday, February 25th from 12-1:30PM to discuss how artists can use social media channels to their best advantage. March 1st through 4th, Memphis Music Foundation is sponsoring the 7th annual Music Video Showcase. This weekend of events will include a workshop led by Bob Moczydlowsky from Top Spin Media on “An Introduction to Direct-to-Fan Marketing for Creatives” at Earnestine & Hazel’s, March 3rd from 3:30-4:30PM. Also in March, Martin Adkins, author of Tour Smart and Break the Band, will be giving a half-day seminar inclusive of touring and marketing strategies for artists looking to take their music on the road. This in-depth look at finding success while on the road will be Sunday, March 11th from 1-6PM at the MRC.
Events:
- Bandzoogle: David Dufresne, Thursday, February 23rd from 6-8PM at MRC http://www.memphismeansmusic.com/2012/02/bandzoogle-web-clinic/
- Reverberation: Jed Carlson, Saturday, February 25th from 12-1:30PM at MRC http://www.memphismeansmusic.com/2012/02/learning-the-social-media-numbers-game/
- “An Introduction to Direct-to-Fan Marketing for Creatives”: Bob Moczydlowsky, Saturday, March 3rd from 3:30-4:30PM at Earnestine & Hazel’s
- Martin Adkins, Sunday, March 11th from 1-6PM at the MRC
MRC=Music Resource Center
Further information about Bob Moczydlowsky and Martin Adkin’s seminars will be posted closer to the date of the actual event.
February 11th: Making Money in the New Music Business
For all those interested in expanding their knowledge on the structure and career opportunities found in the ever-changing music industry, this workshop is meant for you! John Miller and Cameron Mann will be guiding this discussion about how the industry has changed and why. They will talk to you about the most profitable channels in the music industry and who is getting paid, along with what types of careers exist in this growing market. This seminar is perfect for beginners desirous of understanding an outline of the Music Business and the players involved in making it happen. Come by the Music Resource Center this Saturday, February 11th! The seminar will last from 1 to 3PM.
A Conversation with Paper Diamond featuring Alex Botwin
Alex Botwin will be swinging back through Memphis, his hometown and city of musical influence, to give a moderated Q&A session before performing as Paper Diamond at Newbys on Friday, February 10th at 7PM.
Known for his musical talents as a bass player and being the guiding force behind Pnuma Trio, the live electronic band that played over 220 shows worldwide in one busy year, Alex Botwin has found success in nearly every area of the music industry. Alex has founded Elm&Oak Records, a company including a music management branch providing guidance to artists including Cherub and 2fresh, an in-house graphics design company, and a retail store all located in Boulder, Colorado. His music has been used in multi-million dollar films including Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. He has produced beats for gold-selling hip/hop artists and has diversified his revenue streams into multiple avenues of the music industry. This Q&A session is an awesome opportunity, as Alex Botwin is one of our own from Memphis and has had incredible experience in his career as a musician!
Visit the link posted below to learn more about the sound behind Paper Diamond, and information about his upcoming show!
Memphis Means Music 2011 Expands From One Week to Entire Month
MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis Means Music Week will be extended to the entire month of October following successful week long celebrations in 2009 and 2010, announced Memphis Music Foundation President Dean Deyo.
“We’re proud to say that the city’s celebration of local music will be extended over the course of the entire month,” stated Deyo. “It’s great to see excitement being generated from all areas of the community involved in the dynamic development of music as a business in Memphis.”
Memphis Means Music Month will play host to a variety of events and artist performances. The Memphis Music Foundation has teamed with artists, businesses, churches, schools, retails shops, and restaurants to celebrate one of the city’s common cultural bonds – Memphis Music.
M3 Month 2011 launches with a kick-off celebration at the Memphis Music Foundation and will conclude with the River Arts Festival. Traditions developed in its first two years will continue along with many special new events and surprise announcements throughout the month. For more information and a full calendar of M3 Month affiliated events, go to www.memphismeansmusic.com/m3week.
Kick-off Celebration
The public is invited to start M3 Month off right on September 30th from 5:00-7:00 pm with the Memphis Music Foundation Open House during the South Main Trolley Tour. Businesses along South Main will celebrate Memphis Music in their own way on September 30th until 9:00p.m.The Foundation invites the community for food, wine, beer, and, of course, great music. Special guest businesses will be Select -O-Hits and the Memphis Blues Society.
Memphis Means Music Month Events
Plug In Music Expo and Grammy GPS – October 1
The Memphis Music Foundation pairs its Plug In Music Expo with The Recording Academy’s professional development event GRAMMY GPS. Both events will take place on the Stax Campus, featuring a business expo, seminars, and expert mentoring sessions.
Court Square Concert Series – October 2, 9, and 16
Court Square Concert Series will have you dancing in the streets during the month of October. Come downtown and listen to great music to reenergize you for your work week ahead. Guest performers are 2 Mule Plow, Tennessee Mass Choir, Memphis Jones, and Star & Micey. Each concert runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Blankets, picnic baskets, and coolers are encouraged. For more information, visit www.downtownmemphis.com.
Ardent 16 over 48 – October 7-9
Ardent will record 16 bands in 48 hours in its newly designed Studio C. Bands will be able to submit their music for consideration for a deeply discounted studio time. For more information, visit www.thenewstudioc.com.
“Memphis: The Musical” – October 14-23
Broadway play, “Memphis: The Musical,” is set to begin its national tour in its namesake city when it plays at The Orpheum Theatre. The Tony Award winner for Best Musical is a fictionalized story of the birth of rock ’n’ roll radio in 1950s Memphis. It is loosely based on the life of WHBQ deejay Dewey Phillips. For more information, visit www.orpheum-memphis.com
River Arts Festival- October 23-24
Featuring four stages over two days, The River Arts Festival is programmed by local music organizations from The Blues Foundation and the Memphis Acoustic Music Association to Neosoulville and Makeshift Music. A variety of artists are set to perform including Memphis Music Launch finalists Delta Collective & Butta MD, traditional Mexican group Banda Ahullido, reggae artists Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, and indie rockers Mouserocket.
The entire community is encouraged to participate in Memphis Means Music Month, and event attendance is only one way to do it. The Music Foundation offers suggestions for businesses, stores and dining establishments to get involved, as well as view a full calendar of M3 Month affiliated events at www.memphismeansmusic.com/m3week.
About the Memphis Music Foundation
The Memphis Music Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to working with the community to cultivate a viable economic engine for Memphis by providing musicians and the music industry with resources and opportunities for growth and independence. The Foundation exists to educate the music community about music business systems and trends, help artists develop plans for future business growth, and create dynamic marketing and promotional opportunities for Memphis music. The Foundation’s anchor program, the Music Resource Center is an interactive, living education and information center that offers a devoted staff, tools, and educational programs to help area musicians and music professionals. The Foundation is funded, in part, by public and private funds provided through the Economic Development (MemphisED) Plan, designed to ensure economic growth and prosperity in Memphis and Shelby County.
Bob Lefsetz’s 15 Rules of Music
Industry Bob Lefsetz created a lsit of the new rules of music and we thought it was a great thing to share.
1. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you make.
You build your own audience. There’s an established niche for every genre, from folk to metal. Don’t worry about playing to everybody, just play to somebody.
The last thirty years, the MTV era has been about giving people what they want to hear. Major labels and media, most especially radio, had control of a narrow sieve and if you didn’t fit with their criteria, you couldn’t play. That isn’t true for today. Those powers have hardly any influence. Nowadays, you can reach your audience easily online, you’ve just got to start making the music you like!
2. You’ve got to be good.
This is about practice. We’re in a music era, not a marketing era. Ignore those who “tweet” and Facebook their goings-on instead of focusing on the music. It’d be like Steve Jobs selling Dell. It wouldn’t blow up overnight. Even better, Ferrari selling Smart cars. A great marketer is nothing without a great product, focus on the product.
Play for three or four hours a day. Take lessons. Play in your garage before you play in public.
3. Learn how to use Pro Tools/Logic.
You record yourself before professionals want to work with you and way before you can afford them. Technology is part of the music-making process. Knowing how to lay down the sound improves the end product. And once you know how the stuff works, you can tell professionals what you want in their terms, playing on their level. There’s no excuse for walking into a studio and being abused by producers who say they know better.
4. Fans are your best friends.
This is the essence of “pay to play.” Instead of bitching that a club owner won’t let you play unless you bring fans, bring those closest to you, and their friends, and their friends too, and generate so much cash that the booker will be dying to have you back. It’s YOUR responsibility to make it, not someone else’s. The days of limited exposure that pay dividends are over. If you play a gig without bringing your own fans there will be no one there, or those who are just don’t care.
5. Fans start with friends.
Your friends are your street team. Don’t enable them until your music is ready, until they can turn someone on without losing credibility. You build from those you know, not those you don’t.
6. Play live as much as you can without losing money.
If people aren’t coming, stop playing out live and retool your act. Once they’re showing up, spread to new markets, trade gigs with those successful in other territories. Other bands are not your competition, but your friends.
7. Have something to sell at gigs.
People want to support you, they want souvenirs. They buy CDs and vinyl not to play, but to embody their belief in you, to evidence their identity. If you’re small, have only a few items for sale, otherwise people are turned off. Every time you tour a market again, have a new item for sale, a new patch, a new sticker. Don’t think so much about making money as enabling fans to spread the word.
8. Social networking is for fans.
Twitter and Facebook are irrelevant until you get traction. They’re rallying points for those who already believe. Once you’ve got fans, feed them information about gigs and goings-on. Once you’ve got a plethora of true believers, tweet and post about your inner life. No one cares about your life until you approach stardom.
9. Stardom is on your own terms.
No chart can define stardom. Don’t compare your career with others. Don’t lose your path. The first goal is giving up your day job. Your second goal is earning enough money to buy a house. Your third goal is being able to take enough time off to be creative, to rekindle your muse.
10. Recordings
You need ‘em once you’ve got traction. Quality is key. And quality must improve as your career grows. New fans at the advent will overlook your failings. But once you gain a name your music must be more polished and be able to close those who barely care, who are only doing a drive-by. If your music isn’t good enough at any point in the ascent, stop playing live and go back to practicing and writing.
11. You want an album for the gig.
Ironically, albums are most important when you’re starting out. Maybe it’s just an EP, four songs, but people want something they can bite into, can familiarize themselves with. Sure, start with one track, but then you’ve got nothing to sell at the gig. A great MP3 posted online, for free, so it can be traded, can rocket you into the stratosphere almost immediately, if it’s that good. But that’s a huge if. If your music is truly that great, and most isn’t, make that your calling card, maybe you don’t even have to play live at first, like Toronto’s Weeknd. But most people don’t emerge fully-formed, you’ve got to build more slowly, more gradually. Chances are you don’t even know where you’re going at first, you’ve got to find your way.
12. Once you’ve gained huge success, release a steady stream of music.
The music stokes the fire of the enterprise. It’s the kindling, not the log. You’re nothing without the music, which is why you should constantly satiate fans with new stuff. That keeps your touring numbers up, that allows you to sell merch. Taking a year or two off to record an album causes you to lose momentum. Sure, it might deliver a payday, but that paradigm is fading with the death of physical product and the replacement of MP3s with streaming.
13. YouTube
Your fans will post clips. Imperfections work for you. Amateurishness is in your favor. Same with traded live shows. This is fan business, which you must enable. Allow photos, recording and videotaping. This is your marketing. And don’t deliver authorized live shows, whether video or audio, until you have haters. That’s when you know you’ve truly made it, when you have vocal haters. These haters can be pointed to the high quality live stuff to be proven wrong. They won’t admit it, but it seeps in, it helps, like those clips of Lady Gaga alone at the piano.
14. Don’t sell out to anyone unless you’re in it for the short haul.
Major labels are about feeding a fading Top Forty market and those working there when you sign will be different from those employed even a year or two down the line. You don’t want to be beholden to anyone, because only you know the music and you must forge your own path.
We’re entering a new era where music is not only omnipresent, it once again trumps film and TV. But the responsibility is upon you, the younger generation. You’ve got to build it in order for them to come. You must put music ahead of money. You must respect everyone in the food chain. You must not rip anybody off.
People need things to believe in. The barrier to entry in music is minimal, providing rampant opportunities. You can deliver for them.
Forget everything you know prior to this date. About radio, labels and arena tours. That system was built for a different era. Labels were constructed for an era when there was limited distribution and recording was expensive. Now anybody can distribute and recording is cheap. Radio was the only way to hear the music. Now the music can be heard everywhere, it’s free for the taking on Spotify and YouTube. TV is where you go to meet the old guard playing by the old rules. MTV barely plays any music and the networks just air what is mainstream. The mainstream has been blown apart. There will be icons in the future, but the audience will come to the musicians, not vice versa. You won’t compromise, you won’t give people what they want, you’ll be unique and people will be drawn to you.
15. FORGET ABOUT MARKETING, FORGET ABOUT MONEY, FOCUS ON MUSIC AND THE REST WILL FALL IN PLACE!
Michael Phelps swam unknown in pools for over a decade before he became an overnight Olympic sensation. That’s how it’s gonna work in music. You’re gonna be paying your dues, unheralded, until finally you break through. You’re gonna be nobody, then somebody. Forget Justin Bieber, forget Greyson Chance, that isn’t music, that’s commerce. No different from selling hula-hoops, Furbys and pet rocks. Here today and gone tomorrow. Build to last, go for the long haul, have substance. Naysayers might state that they hate your music, but they’ll begrudgingly admit you can PLAY!
Volunteer for the Memphis Music Foundation
Are you interested in promoting Memphis music? Do you like to meet new people? Join our Music Envoy program and you can even catch a few shows for free. Envoy volunteers work a Music Foundation’s table at national concerts and community events. Click on our Volunteer tab to find out what you can do to help out with Memphis Means Music!
mmission plateSupport the Arts with a TAC License Plate!
The Tennessee Arts Commission supports the work of the Memphis Music Foundation (and countless other Tennessee arts groups) through grant funding — here’s your opportunity to support them!
Get the benefits of MRC membership!
Being an MRC member comes with some great benefits. Check them out here!
Join the MRC
Not a member of the Music Resource Center yet? It’s totally free and open to both musicians/artists and members of the music industry or music-oriented businesses!
