Christian Cassan

Christian Cassan

Christian Cassan, the producer of my full-length studio recording SUPERNOVA, has a new GORGEOUS website at ChristianCassan.com

Christian, a talented producer, drummer, and all-round great guy, has also worked with Julia Brown, David Byrne, and Ronnie Spector, among many others. He was the drummer in the original cast recording the Broadway recording of Passing Strange. Most recently, he has written, performed and produced music for the movie “A Plumm Summer” (Paramount Pictures) and can be seen performing in Spike Lee’s 2009 movie, “Passing Strange”, filmed live onstage.

Working on my CD with Christian was one of my best musical experiences ever. While his main instrument is drums, he also plays guitar, keyboards, bass, and probably other instruments I don’t know about. He’s a detailed oriented Virgo, and a good listener. He works hard on every project that comes his way, and it was a true pleasure to have him as a producer.

For more info on a wildly creative musician and producer, please visit ChristianCassan.com

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Symphony for Haiti

Among the many Haiti benefits that are happening, on Feb 5th and 6th, I’ll be singing Brahms’ Requiem with a chorus and symphony orchestra for a Haiti benefit for Medical Relief, sponsored by IFCO/Pastors for Peace. I’ll be performing with some of New York’s finest musicians, and it is an honor to be of service. For more information, please visit Symphony for Haiti

Friday, Feb 5th at 8pm: Riverside Church, NYC

Saturday, Feb 6th at 8pm: Our Lady of Refuge Church, Brooklyn NY

Ticket Info

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Patti Rothberg ~ Double Standards

Patti Rothberg

Born in New York City Rothberg grew up in Scarsdale, NY, playing piano from the age of 3 and writing songs by the age of 15, joining a high school Rod Stewart covers band. She later traveled through Europe and America, busking to support herself.

Patti’s CD debut on EMI America, Between the 1 and the 9, went on to sell over 250,000 copies in the US and another 200,000 in Europe and Japan. The album title is a reference to the subway platform where she used to busk.

Now Patti Rothberg is back with her third CD, Double Standards, which was released on Megaforce Records. It is the culmination of the melodic pop rock associated with “1 & 9″, and the psychedelic explorations and Queen-like harmonies of her second CD Candelabra Cadabra. The combination is doubly delicious. The title track is an exploration of the concept of good vs. evil, wherein “…the devil loves a double standard and heaven isn’t selling cheap…” The album is split down the middle between hard rock and heartfelt acoustic songs. What brings it all together is Patti’s melodic sensibility and unique lyrical perceptions. Had this been the age of vinyl, the harder songs might all go on one side, the softer on the other. Both are unmistakably Patti and equally true to her musical leanings.

Patti’s main website
Patti’s MySpace
Patti’s MTV video for “Inside” (her radio hit that was featured on shows like 120 Minutes)
Patti’s video “Treat Me Like Dirt” that she helped direct
Patti’s side project “Squeaky Wheel”

Last, but not least, if you’d like Patti to paint a portrait of you, your loved one, or even your pet, contact Patti at *prothberg AT earthlink DOT net*.

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Welcome ECMA Cyber PR Boot Campers!

February (and 2010 in general) is already bursting at the seams!

This month also starts the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) version of Ariel Publicity’s Cyber PR Boot Camp! The East Coast Music Awards are sort of like the Grammy’s but for the East Coast of Canada and it takes place in a different city each time. I’m moderating this online course with Ariel Hyatt, whose book “Nine Weeks to Music Success” provides the blueprint for musician social media success, and I’m excited!

ECMA members and industry representatives will participate in a private interactive online forum 4 weeks leading up to and 4 weeks following ECMA 2010, where they will receive direct guidance, tutorials, and weekly assignments and connect with others through group teleseminars. At ECMA 2010, participants will take part in a full-day hands-on Cyber PR Boot Camp with Ariel on Thursday, March 4th, and receive direct guidance on the course progress to date, learn the latest social media trends and review individual project goals.

Learn more about Canadian Music, East Coast Style! Visit the East Coast Music Association site.

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February Album Writing Month

It’s February 1st, and I’m starting this year’s February Album Writing Month! Participating in the challenge to “Write 14 Songs in 28 Days” was my original plan last year, but a breakup and subsequent move required my energy and attention. I’m happy to say that I’m feeling a lot freer this year, and I’m ready to dig in.

This Week’s Songwriting Challenge: Week 1: Jobs

Write a song about the work-a-day world. One idea: express your elation (or frustration) about your own job (or perhaps lack thereof?). Another idea: write an ode to your favorite occupation or person who holds that occupation, from barista to tech support.

Examples: “9 to 5″ by Dolly Parton, “Take This Job And Shove It” by David Coe, “This Place Sucks” by The Descendents, “The Old Dope Peddler” by Tom Lehrer.

Who’s in with me??? Learn more and sign up at February Album Writing Month

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Personalized Song – The Personalized Song Blog by Carla Lynne Hall

A personalized song makes a great gift

Since my personalized song business appears to be attracting interest, I finally bit the bullet and started a blog at The Personalized Song

Get a personalized song written for someone you love, and give the gift of music!

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Personalized Songs for Valentine’s Day!

Give a personalized song for Valentine’s Day!

Once upon a time, there was a boy in my high school who had a crush on me. He was a nice guy, but I only liked him as a friend. To tell you the truth, I could hardly give him the time of day because I was too busy crushing on his best friend. Or perhaps I should say, the only reason I would give him the time of day was because I was crushing on his best friend! Ah, young love… Anyway, I felt bad for him, and went as far as trying to set him up with my best friend. That plan seemed like it was working until one day this young man visited my house for my birthday. I had just received my grandmother’s piano, but since I wasn’t into practicing back then, I had barely touched it.

During his visit, this young man gave me a birthday card which featured lyrics to a song that he had written just for me. He proceeded to sit at the piano, and played the most beautiful song that I had ever heard (it was about me, so obviously it was a wonderful song )

In a matter of moments, this personalized song won over me AND my mother who was eavesdropping nearby. After playing hard to get for months, I instantly had a change of heart, and became his girlfriend. I also had to break the news to my best friend, but that’s another blog post.

The lesson that I learned that day is how much power lives in a song that’s written for someone you love. If you’d like to give a special gift for Valentine’s Day that will be remembered always, how about a personalized song for your Valentine? Until February 11, 2010, I’ll be taking requests for personalized versions of my original song, Supernova for $150.00 USD.

Imagine your sweetie listening to a song with a verse that is personalized just for him or her! When placing your order, simply include info such as their name, nickname, interests, zodiac sign, special moments, etc, and I’ll rewrite a verse, and record it professionally. If you’re planning to propose, let me know that as well, and I’ll create an extra-special version of Supernova.

$150 includes a professionally recorded song with personalized CD label too! Click here to read and hear the original lyrics for Supernova, my cosmic love song.

If you’d prefer an original song written from scratch, the price is $500 USD, and I’d love to do that too. For more info, just email me at moxiemaven64 AT gmail DOT com or via my contact form

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Personalized Songs

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Interview with Matthew Ebel, Singer-Songwriter

Matthew Ebel is another wildly-talented singer/songwriter who granted me an interview in November 2008, which I am happy to share with you.

The Rock Star Life Lessons Blog Interview with Matthew Ebel, by Carla Lynne Hall

Rock Star Life Lessons: How often do you perform?

Matthew Ebel: Right now I have a regular gig once a week in New Hampshire. I’m hoping to expand beyond that, obviously, but it’s my first anchor gig in New England since moving here. I’ve been looking for a booking agent for years now, but I don’t know how to get one that will actually WORK for me. I can perform my ass off, but convincing an agent to even return a damn phone call is like getting a label to solicit a submission.

Of course, during the summers for the last couple of years I’ve been doing a residence gig 5 days a week on Block Island. That’s a lot of fun, but a LOT of work. And good money. That one fell into my lap, but I’m glad it’s there. My performance partner, Ernie, got me that gig and he’s a blast to play with.

RSLL: What’s your traveling/touring schedule like?

ME: Right now, thin. I won’t take a gig unless it will at least break even, and that means I don’t tour much right now. Granted, a string of small-paying gigs will make a tour profitable, but I am so busy with studio work that I don’t have the time to book such a tour right now. In the mean time, I’m being flown out to conventions for gigs a few times a year. Those are the real good-paying gigs and they’re usually full of people who already know my music and will sing along.

RSLL: Over the summer, you were an Artist in Residence on Block Island. How do you get gigs like that, and what are they like?

ME: Like I said, that one fell into my lap… but like someone said once, luck is the intersection of preparation with opportunity. I’ll work it backwards for you: My friend Ernie already had the Block Island gig, but he doesn’t sing so he needed a frontman. He found me at the Podsafe Music Live gig we set up in Nashville when C.C. Chapman was coming to town. I was part of the PML thing at Edgehill because I was friends with Geoff Smith and Kevin Reeves, and of course C.C. I got to know all of them through podcasting all the way back in 2004. The thing that got me into podcasting was a geek friend of mine mentioning that some guy from MTV’s heyday did a regular internet show and that I should send him a song from the new album I was working on (that would be Beer & Coffee).

So I guess the answer to that question is I got the gig because I had a geek friend a few years before I got the gig. In the music business you can always see the road behind the tour bus but the road ahead goes in all directions.

RSLL: You are like the Podcast Music King! How did you get your music featured in so many podcasts?

ME: First of all, thanks! The key, I guess, was getting involved early. I lived in Nashville when podcasting really broke and everyone was all excited about it, so for me there’s a perfect comparison at work here: The Music City is one of the biggest ponds a small fish can be in- a well-established machine that funnels songwriters to publishers to labels to artists to session players and eventually to both CD sales and live gigs supporting those CD’s. It’s the standard rich-and-famous contract from the Muppet Movie with millions of musicians standing in line to get it.

On the other side there’s the cutting edge. A brand new medium (podcasting) that nobody but the pioneering nerds listened to, but something that had great potential. The smaller the pond, the bigger the fish you can be. I saw that small pond being fed by a river of excitement and innovation, so I could see that small pond getting bigger very soon.

I guess it’s a bit like surfing. There are thousands of waves, but only a few you can ride all the way to the shore. Once you’ve paddled through a few duds, you’ll figure out how to spot the wave that’s going to curl just right long before it even starts to rise.

Tossing this labored analogy aside, I guess I was just so excited about the medium itself that the other geeks like me could see I was genuine. I was in it for both promotion of my music AND for the promotion of this new medium. You can’t fake genuine enthusiasm, and New Media types in particular can smell a marketing pitch miles away. I just happened to be able to add my music to a very small pool and speak the vernacular of the geek to help spread it around.

Now podcasting is huge and major labels are toying with it, so it’s a wave that’s already curled and heading for the sand. What’s the next wave? You got me, I’m still riding this one.

RSLL: What other music-related ventures are you doing these days?

ME: Right now I’m trying to start my own wave. Over at www.matthewebel.net there’s a new subscription service where my fans can sign up for brand new music and live recordings every single month, along with other exclusives. Gas prices are making it harder to tour every year. My fans, thanks to the internet, are spread out all over the world… but very few of them live in a concentrated enough area to support a real live concert. With the subscription, I can send new music and live shows to them without going bankrupt on gas and hotels.

I got the idea from Geoff Smith’s Ring Tone Feeder site. He’s got a subscription for iPhone ring tones, I’m doing new music and concert recordings. If I can get enough subscribers, I’ll be able to just focus on making good music and less on marketing to new customers. I’m hoping that this model will actually work so new musicians can earn a living off of their own music.

If you’re interested, check out the site at matthewebel.net - I just sent out the first song to podcasters, too, so people can play some of it on their shows!

RSLL: How has your marketing yourself and your career changed in the last 5 years?

ME: Well for starters I stopped trying to figure out what my fans wanted and just started asking them. That was a big shift for me and fortunately my fan base, for the most part, is familiar with feedback mechanisms like blog comments, Twitter, and AIM/Yahoo/Skype. As for actual marketing, I’ve also come to the realization that I can be a marketer or a musician, not both. I’m trying to find someone now who will act as a marketing agent of sorts, someone who will make the noise and maybe do PR for me without having to function as a record label.

RSLL: What is one action a musician can take to build their music business?

ME: There are thousands of things I could say here, but since I’m geek-centric I’ll start with a big one: Don’t settle for a shitty website. Seriously. Register your own domain name (yourband.myspace.com does NOT count), hire someone to design you a killer Wordpress site, and learn how to use it. Publish your blog via RSS and Twitter, update it frequently, and don’t settle for a shitty website. Ever.

If you’re cruising for a restaurant and the first thing you see are folding chairs and paper plates, you’re not likely to care how good the food MIGHT be, you’re heading to the next restaurant. Your website is your store front, your chance to control the user’s experience. It’s your jolly roger for your pirate ship. Make damn sure you’ve got one that strikes fear into the heart of your enemies.

RSLL: If you were starting all over today as a musician, what would you focus on?

ME: Starting from scratch? Music. I would make sure my music was worth paying $150 for the cheap seats to go listen to. I would surround myself with people who aren’t afraid to tell me what sucks and what doesn’t, people I trust enough to listen to. No matter how clever your marketing, you will be better off if your songs mean something, stick in people’s heads, and make people want more. If you can’t do that, you need to keep working before you start any marketing.

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For Matthew Ebel, music is the key to the journey of life, not just the destination. The Massachusetts based singer/songwriter/keyboardist has experienced several musical lifetimes, each one providing him with the skills to accomplish that rare songwriting feat –to have his listeners emotionally inhabit the shoes of the characters he creates.

Fully immersed in the new digital music world, Matthew is committed to being a trailblazer for other artists. “I want to leave a legacy for other musicians and show them that it’s possible to be a one man operation or a small band and do it on your own. I’m always looking for new ways to do that for myself and I’ll be letting people know where I’ve succeeded and let them know what to avoid from my failures,” he says.

In 2009, Matthew plans to develop himself as a touring artist. “My goal is to be touring with a band,” he declares, following with a laugh, “across the country, globe or universe.” He’ll also be beginning the follow up to Goodbye Planet Earth, of which he says, “I’m going to get back to a more organic feel. I think I want to call it Songs for Geeks,” he says with an impish grin. It will continue to be a fascinating journey for Matthew and his music, as well as a rich and rewarding ride for those who choose to follow.

Matthew Ebel’s main website
Matthew’s Music Subscription Site
Matthew Ebel on Twitter
Matthew Ebel on Facebook
Matthew Ebel on MySpace
Matthew Ebel on Ustream.tv

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Interview with Rick Goetz, Music Coach

The Rock Star Life Lessons Blog Interview with Rick Goetz by Carla Lynne Hall

Rock Star Life Lessons: How did you decide to be a musician’s coach?

Rick Goetz: I’m not really sure I decided it… It just kind of happened or maybe the profession picked me.

I was first and foremost a bass player as a younger man but I kind of fell into A&R at Major labels (Atlantic & Elektra) for just under ten years by way of playing in bands and booking and managing artists in college. For whatever reason I have had the same cell number since 1998. After my last A&R job people stopped calling me for record deals on that number but people never stopped calling me for advice on what to do with their careers both as musicians and as music executives. For the most part I was always happy to help (except for the occasional stoned guy who would call at 3 AM with questions that couldn’t wait) but it was surprising to me that people would seek me out.

After doing A&R I took some time off to work on various TV projects and ran a digital label in the EMI family and wound up putting together a consulting business handling licensing for tech start ups. The beginning of 2009 rolled around and eight out of my ten clients either went under or flaked out in spite of signed contracts. Around March of 2009 I got a call from someone needing help with their career and in a panic about money I replied that I’d love to help but I was spending all of my time trying to replace the clients I had just lost… They volunteered to pay me for my help which completely caught me off guard. I never wanted to manage artists (Tried it once in earnest after college and got calls from jail- no thanks) but the coaching/consulting relationship on a project by project basis makes a great deal of sense to me.

I also have an amazing coach in my life that helps me sort out all of the insanity and fear that goes on between my ears on a daily basis so I am a real believer in relying on someone who has been down a similar path who can be objective when you can’t see the forest for the trees.

RSLL: How has being a reality show producer affected your approach to the music business (if at all)?

RG: Well, I only got as far as getting a developmental deal for one project so I can’t speak volumes about the TV business but it taught me a ton. I got represented by ICM as a producer when I was in A&R at Elektra and had been very much used to being on the buy side of most business transactions. Going into Networks and pitching people about my ideas was not only remarkably humbling but caused me to re-evaluate the way I treated people in general. It taught me about sales and it made me realize that hearing pitches every day made me much better at pitching myself. It was helpful in realizing that while I have always looked at music as the slightly slow kid brother of the film and TV businesses there are ways you can apply the musician and music business skill sets to other businesses if you are willing to admit what you don’t know and partner with people who know more than you do.

RSLL: Is it more difficult for musicians to get synch licenses since the majors are doing it too?

RG: It’s difficult in general I guess. Put yourself in the shoes of a music supervisor – the phone rings and it’s an artist who just released their 2nd album and they play music of a certain style and the second line rings and it’s Sony who has some of the marquis acts in all of Western Music. Who do you call back knowing that at some point you WILL need the relationship with a label or a publisher that has that kind of market share? What I mean by that is I think to get songs licensed is a full time job and a really hard one if you have a small catalog. If you are part of a bigger catalog not only will the representative be taken more seriously but such representatives will already be in conversations with supervisors about other opportunities for a piece of music that you would never fit the bill for when a call comes in about something that will work for you. So yea- if we are talking about licensing original music as opposed to work for hire? Sure it’s more difficult but there are the options of being a part of licensing libraries like Pump Audio or Crucial Music etc etc…

RSLL: What has been some of your most rewarding moments as a coach so far?

RG: There are a few – I don’t discuss specifics about my clients publically without their permission but there have been several little victories for people who I have helped and most recently I started working with Tim Latham as a client and has always worked on some of my favorite records – everything from Tribe called quest to Lou Reed… That’s been very rewarding.

RSLL: Do you miss performing?

RG: Being on stage and feeling the adrenaline and the excitement? Sure! All the time. I still play from time to time but I really don’t miss the work and the struggle that went into making those moments happen.

RSLL: What is one action a musician can take to build their music business?

RG: Collaboration. Co-writing, session work, guest appearances on other people’s records. All huge steps in community building if done correctly.

RSLL: Do you think that live shows are still important in the internet age?

RG: Absolutely. For big artists they are also one of the few reliable ways to make money. The internet is a wonderful tool but if you have a show that is beyond music – if you have a show that is truly entertainment I think that won’t be replaced any time soon.

RSLL: Do you think that social media marketing may be a bit too distracting for musicians?

RG: I know it is for me. I’m a bit obsessive so I can get really caught up into mindless repetitive tasks that have a grading system. If you find your self esteem too closely tied to how many twitter followers you have it’s time to limit the amount of time you spend on social networking and dedicate any remaining time to shedding.

RSLL: If you were starting all over today as a musician, what would you focus on?

RG: First and foremost having fun. If you are doing music and it feels like a day job (and I don’t mean the paranoia about money part – I mean the work) then something somewhere has gone wrong. I find it’s considerably less fun for an audience if it’s not fun for the players.

Secondly I would really focus on my craft – I mean really shutting off the internet connection and the cell phone and doing all the boring work I glossed over that made my playing less than it could have been.

Third- joining or building a community of musicians to work with…

RSLL: Is there anything else that you think musicians should know?

RG: Some of the obvious apply – know all about how to set up your business correctly and work with a lawyer to do that. Know the ins and the outs of how money is made with music. I think above all else it’s important to remember that there really isn’t any one person out there who will make your career…except you.

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Rick Goetz (center), flanked by Ahmet Ertegun (left) and Jason Flom (right)

Rick Goetz is a musician’s life coach with deep roots in the music industry. Throughout his music career he has been a major label A&R representative, a music supervisor, an artist manager, a reality show producer, a bass player and the head of a digital record label. Because of his varied experience he understands the complexities of making music and making a living making music from both the artist and executive perspectives.

As a musician’s coach, Rick provides strategic consulting for musicians, songwriters and entertainment executives. For artists he is able to speak from first-hand experience about how to expose their music to a wider audience. For executives he can advise on the politics of working with art and how to create more opportunities for them, and their clients or customers.

Rick’s Musician Coaching Site
Rick on Twitter

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Take The Music Success in Nine Weeks Blogging Challenge!

To commemorate version 2.0 of her book, Music Success in Nine Weeks, Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity is launching a blogging contest.

Basically, you read her awesome book, Music Success in Nine Weeks, follow its 9 Week Program, and blog your results. The winner of the contest gets one full Headliner Cyber PR campaign from Ariel Publicity. This campaign is worth $1,595 and will get your music into the hands of bloggers, podcasters and online radio station DJs, plus it will help you organize your entire Social Media attack plan (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)

And why am I blogging about this, you may ask. For one thing, I am a fan, friend, and affiliate of Ariel’s (You can read my in-depth review of her book). I believe in what she does to help musicians build their careers. I’m also a former client myself, in addition to being a moderator on her online forum.

Most importantly, I am also a JUDGE in this contest, so I’ll be checking out participating blogs.

The first round of musician bloggers has been listed. Judging closes March 10, 2010 – Good luck, Everyone!

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