On Wednesday, June 9th, I’ll be interviewed live by the infamous punk princess Rew Starr on her “Rew and Who? Show”

Tune in live 4-6pm EST at http://www.arizzmaradio.com/rewandwho/

From Rew’s site:

“Rew luvz to flaunt the creative types of this land… All artists & colorful people of all realms are invited to share their unique talents… Come join the *Fun* in the studio & out on the streets… ReW* is a performing artist &songstress …she has graced the stage with many of her inspirations, including Regina Spektor, Joey Ramone, Patti Smith, David Johanson, Murphy’s Law, BETTY, the Spin Doctors & many more. Her song ‘U Suck’ is featured in the television series the ‘BAD GIRLS CLUB’ on the Oxygen Network.

Rew* is a core organizer and performer with the Girls Rock Girls Rule Tour and MAMAPALOOZA. Rew is a featured Mom in the rockumentary *MoMz Hot Rocks* by film maker Kate Perotti …& she performs regularly in her hometown of NYC, tours the USA, and has performed at world-renowned festivals like SXSW, CMJ, and Jazzfest. “This is what you moved to NYC for…” (Village Voice) Wednesdays from 4-6 pm on AriZZmaradio.com

Please tune into my live interview on the “Rew and Who?” internet show today at 4-6pm EST at http://www.arizzmaradio.com/rewandwho/

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One-time GNR axeman Slash has teamed up with FameCast and national retailer Guitar Center to offer a contest for fellow artists to win a chance to make an EP with him and have national distribution of the single through TuneCore plus other prizes. By registering for an account to pick Who Slash will record with you will be able to vote once per day for as many artists as you like. The catch is you only get one vote per artist per day until the competition closes May 15th. With a multitude of musicians out there and the vast sea of social media networks vying for your attention, it will be interesting to see what this contest produces. One particular NYC
artist, Andrew Hand, is seeking your vote to choose him as the artist Slash will work with.

When I asked Indie Rocker Andrew Hand about this contest and why he joined he offered this. “I’m a little bit old school rock. Think David Bowie meets Bono with some Jim Morrison and John Lennon thrown in. I think that would be a pretty intriguing pairing don’t you?” Hand continued, “…there’s so much more music out there than before and we really need to use web 2.0 and social media opportunities to help bring ourselves as artists to the fore-front.” Hand admits that the registration process “…might discourage some fans from bothering”, but he says, “I actually went through it and made a video to show how simple it is…there’s nothing to lose and for the fans that make this happen, what a sense of accomplishment, I’m encouraging everyone to just do it, be part of the movement! This is a pretty cool contest and it seems like a great way to marry the old with the new. I mean Slash is an old major label dog and now we’re seeing these labels struggling, artists are dropping off them or leaving them so as to stay relevant and be totally in control of their careers, but we still need exposure.”

Exposure is the key. There’s no doubting that social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube rule the world of online sharing and that artists have had proven success using these outlets to gain exposure and reap financial rewards. There’s Amanda Palmer’s $19,000 one day Twitter take, or the amazing Beatle like welcome overseas for Boyce Avenue, indie favorite Jill Sobule’s $85,000 fan funded album also the case of Pamplamoose Music turning down major labels to remain indie. These are a few examples that show the power that online fan engagement can have. In the offline world, contests like America’s Got Talent, Rockstar Supernova and American Idol have shown that there’s a large audience in place for unknown talent being discovered and rising to notoriety through mainstream media too. Hand adds, “This is a great time for a new artists to break and say hey, look – there are still creative ways to take our music to a world-wide audience through new media partnerships and opportunities as long as the fans are with us and we’re not giving up too much control and remain mindful of the balances worked out.”

That control is the important part and it’s what separates the old world music mindset from the new music frontier. The days of record labels exploiting artists and taking the pirate’s share of the treasure are behind us. Artists now know what they can do on their own and have more of a sense of what is actually a fair trade-off. New sites and companies seeking to partner and grab a share of an artist’s revenues won’t ever stop because there is always money to make and let’s face it, we live in a capitalist society, so better to embrace rather than fight this mindset. The key is to be educated and be innovative, which is what myself and colleagues (Bob Baker, Derek Sivers, Ariel Hyatt and more) seek to help artists accomplish. And that brings us back to Slash’s contest.

Andrew is using both his innovation and education: writing blog posts, creating videos, spreading the word via email to his fans and distribution to his Twitter, Facebook and YouTube sites. So why would you want to vote for this indie rocker? That’s a question Hand confesses, “…only you can answer that. I am all about making great rock songs and having something positive to say. I think this would be a cool opportunity to take my voice and style and pair that with an icon of Rock n’ Roll history. I want to take a message of inspiration and motivation to the world and would really love to have fans support that.” One thing is certain: with a wide open pool and lots of competition, Hand will most certainly need your vote.

Where will Your Next Record fall in this pantheon of new sites with new opportunities? Hard to say. With the recent fall of Sell-A-Band and sites like MySpace and GarageBand.com not being what they once were, it is certain to expect change. Try new things but never put all your eggs in one basket. Work a lot of different angles and be everywhere. That way when an opportunity does arrive you’re ready to capitalize on it. The contest has begun, it will end and their will be a winner. Just who that winner is and what the reception will be has yet to be seen.

If you’d like to vote for Andrew Hand you can do so by Voting for Andrew and Slash to Make a Record. Andrew also offers free motivational music downloads via his website and invites you to come visit. Voting has opened and Slash is waiting, now it’s up to you to go out there and vote, and vote and vote some more for who you think is worthy.

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Carla Lynne Hall is a musician and music marketing consultant based in New York City. She has released three CDs on her Moxie Entertainment label, and has toured the world as a singer/songwriter, and professional vocalist. Her current CD SUPERNOVA has been described as “Norah Jones meets Sade for tea on their way to meet The Beatles.”

In addition to being an Associate Writer for MusicDish.com, Carla is also the former music business columnist for Vibe Magazine, and her writing has been featured in publications around the world. She is the author of The DIY Guide to the Music Biz and Twitter for Musicians. Carla also blogs about the life of an indie musician at Rock Star Life Lessons.com

P.S. There seems to be some buzz building around a mysterious substance called DruPaxl, What is it?

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Contact Carla via
Web: Rock Star Life Lessons.com
or email moxiemaven64 [at] gmail {dot} com

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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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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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In November 2008, the lovely and talented Natalie Gelman granted me a generous interview, and I am happy to share it with you.

Rock Star Life Lessons: How often do you perform?

Natalie Gelman: It depends how you define it. I try to street perform on the subway in NYC three or four times a week but that often ends up being less because I go out to shows or get caught up in the business stuff. As far as official shows, I try to play every other month or so in the same region. I think that works out well so people (including me) don’t get burnt out. It helps you to keep people interested. But, there are times like this past week when I have a bunch of scheduled performances in the same week. This past week I had three shows in NYC, they were all showcases so it was a bit different and its important to take the opportunities that come so I promoted them all.

That said, I think as you build your audience its vital to not overstep their boundaries. If you over saturate them and are constantly telling them you’re playing at the same club they will lose interest in you really quickly, and not even, just won’t come to your shows, but might not even open your emails anymore. It’s better to be giving them a bit too little and have them wanting more.

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

NG: I haven’t done too much touring in the past two years. When I first became a singer/songwriter I did one small tour and a huge tour up the East coast on rollerblades. I was really burnt out from that tour and all of the self-promoting after that. It takes a lot to do a tour right and get the shows booked, get media and press coverage and get people there. The small tour was marginally profitable but I realized over the course of the second tour that touring venues and coffee shops was not going to support me as a full time musician. I am starting to build tours now around higher paying gigs at colleges and see touring as an investment. To really make it work I think you need to re-visit the city every six months or at least every year to keep the interest of your new fans.

I read once that you should start in your hometown and build out in 100 mile increments. Starting in NYC you would branch out to Philly, Boston, Fairfield/Hartford in CT and then once you are reaching success in those markets try markets within 200 miles. Another touring idea I liked and use is to see where similar artists are playing and if they have returned to play there. It also helps give you an idea of routing.

It is getting harder to get people out to shows which is another reason I street perform and bring the show to them (more on that in a minute). I think the internet and live web streaming have filled that gap a bit in an interesting way. If you have a video camera and internet connection you can stream a performance on the web any time of day and people all over the world can start watching. It is interesting because there are usually chat rooms on the websites that host live web streaming so there is this interaction going on during the show between you the viewers and amongst themselves. It is really casual as if you were performing in a living room for a few friends in that sense. No mater how many people are there everyone has the same experience -they are watching you sing or play up close and depending on your equipment and internet connection (and theirs) they may be getting an even better show than they would if you were playing in a coffee bar with an espresso machine steaming milk in the middle of your most delicate and impressive song (of course, that’s just something that could happen). Its also a great forum to try out new material and get immediate feedback.
For web streaming sites check out www.Justin.TV and www.UStream.TV

RSLL: What is busking, and how did you get started?

NG: Busking is a term for street performing. I got started by accident when I was 17. I was showing a friend around times square after a show when someone asked me to sing for them. I took out my guitar and played a song while a crowd gathered. Next thing I know they are trying to give me money asking to sign up for my mailing list and asking me who I was.

The people who had asked me to sing were street vendors, The owner asked me to come back and perform next to his vendors every day for two hours. This went on for a week, it was great but the cops kept asking me to find a new spot. After a lot of hassle I did… underground.

I had this spot on the uptown 1,2,3 and 9 (back when there still was a 9) subway line at 42nd Street. I used to play there 5 nights a week when I was younger during rush hour because I was too young to go to bars for their open mics. I was really thankful that my friend was staying with me those first two weeks she stood next to me and would ask people to sign up for my mailing list which was great. I kept doing it every time I was back in NYC for break from college.

It’s a really amazing experience. People won’t listen unless you are committed to what you are performing but when you are the connections you can make down there are amazing. You are really making a difference in some peoples lives, bringing the arts to them. I have made friends with other performers and have has fans come out to shows five years later that had kept my small home made fliers and looked me up to see where I was and tell me how much they love the music and are happy I have a CD out now.

It’s always an adventure and it has made it possible for me to become a full time musician. I have street performed all over the country and there is a lot of work that goes into it. Researching where to play, what permits you might need etc.

If you want to get started in it, I suggest Google searching if the place you want to perform requires a permit. Some places like NYC have suggested permits. Also, if you are just going out don’t steal someone’s spot – its just rude. You can look around when you are in the area at where the good places to play are and pick a place a time of day that works for you and your target audience.

In a lot of popular street performing hot spots they are also big tourist spots so they usually have people who keep the street or subway clean. Those people are some of the kindest people in the world and they are your new best friends. Don’t feel awkward introducing yourself and asking them where people usually set up to perform if you don’t know the area. That has really helped me out when touring and in keeping up my morale in the subway when I’m having an off night.

RSLL: You’re really busy on the NACA college gig circuit. How did you get started, and what are those gigs like?

NG: I found out about NACA through a songwriter I met and performed with at Podcamp Boston, Rebecca Loebe. I had been playing a few college gigs regularly but didn’t realize what opportunity was there.

I just got started this year and decided to jump in full force and make some things happen in that market. It was really tough at my first conference because I was still getting comfortable with the lingo and pitching myself to dozens of student activities board bookers and their advisors. For me the shows I have played have been anywhere from fine to great. There are times when I have played in the student cafeteria to students who were interested, but on their cell phones and laptops a few feet from me, just too busy to really care. But there has also been times when the “new PA” system you are promised is one (bad) monitor so I unplugged and had a really personal experience playing my heart out to students that were so appreciative and picked up records and have kept in touch.

Now that I am in the college market professionally I realize that a lot of people look down on the artists that go to the conferences and push for college shows. I have heard it called “driving for dollars,” and lots of people seem to consider it selling out but if it enables you to get to tour and reach more people I don’t think it should have that type of stigma. The majority of artists don’t make their money back the first year they go to NACA. The best thing to do if you want to get started is to share a membership to NACA and/or booth at a conference to save money. If you don’t get chosen for a showcase you are going to have a tougher time but if you are (for lack of a better word) a hustler you can network and make it worth your time and money.

It’s definitely worth trying out, there were also many independent artists I met who are making over six figures a year just from playing the college market. They have built relationships up with advisors (who aren’t as likely to leave after a few years) and many have college booking agents as well who take care of most of their business.

Read Derek Sivers’ blog about the College Market: http://sivers.org/college

Try out APCA. www.myacpa.org. If you buy a booth you are basically guaranteed a showcase which is what most students want to see to book an artist.

RSLL: How has having online videos available helped you career?

NG: Having videos available online is great. Currently, I just use it to keep my international fans and folks from across the globe who found me playing on the subway while they were tourists in NYC happy giving them a taste of the best from live shows and home recordings.

I really like it because of the idea that so much of what I do as an indie singer/songwriter I have to physically be there to make new fans and be effective. It brings in the possibility of making money while I am sleeping because someone across the globe can find a video I put up on Youtube and buy a track on itunes.

I think videos can capture a lot of the performance experience and after the show you just release it into the online world and it has infinite possibilities of attracting new folks to your music. Its giving to your fans to share with their friends and return to on their own time. In general the cover songs I release get a lot more hits then my own songs but having people listen to anything and get your name out there works.

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

NG: I write for an online magazine called iProng. I get to interview indie and mainstream artists about their careers which is a lot of fun and report on music conferences. I also sing backup vocals occasionally for different groups in NYC.

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

NG: I have really only been actively marketing my music for the past three years – although it feel like a lot longer than that. When I first started playing my own music six years ago I was still in college and just going at it for fun. I did collect email addresses at shows and while street performing but I wasn’t actively marketing.

Over time I have tried putting incentives in for my audience to reach my marketing and sales goals. Anything from free downloads to get someone to sign up for my email list to recording a personalized jingle for a podcaster or blogger who buys my CD. That definitely works and I think its great to look at what different types of companies from supermarkets to the local transit system do to sell their product.

Bob Baker of www.thebuzzfactor.com is a great recourse for thinking outside of the box and getting into the business mindset as an indie musician. Some things I have thought about recently that he has written about are offering a student or senior citizen discount, a bundle of 10 or 20 CD’s as a very reduced price for people to give out around the office or as stocking stuffers, a discount coupon when I ship an order out for a return customer or even a money back guarantee on my products.

When I first started out I was really concerned with getting radio play and getting my music heard that way. It quickly became an old model and while its great to have college or mainstream radio playing my music it means more personally and in terms of CD and download sales to have a podcaster who fills a niche market pick a song they love and rave about it on their show to listeners who listen because they have the same tastes.

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

NG: That really depends on the person. There are so many things I can recommend but I think the most important thing is that you do something you love and you will keep doing because it is the journey that is most important. I can suggest for someone to get started micro-blogging, performing live online, adding behind the scenes videos to their website and Youtube among dozens of other things but if they don’t love it and wont keep doing it then I don’t want them to.

Its hard not to want to do all of those things but you will get burnt out if you try and hate it. The one thing I think is absolutely vital for the business is an email list. If you have nothing else you have to be collecting emails at your shows and building that database of fans and people who support your music. Have someone walking around the audience at your shows or walk around yourself… you may find the head of your street team signing up for your email list that night.

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

NG: It’s hard to say. It’s cliché, but I think its necessary for an artist’s growth to make some mistakes starting out and to try different things. What works one week or year may not work the next. You learn to adapt and be flexible as you age in the business.

If I had to focus on one thing I would have to say the fans. If you are doing that I think everything else will line itself up. When you are taking care of them you are practicing, making the best music you can and giving them the content, information and merchandise they need. They will appreciate your respect and support you more in return.

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Singer / songwriter Natalie Gelman is quickly gaining acclaim and recognition for her music. Her passionate songs and voice have brought comparisons to Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos and Jewel. Upon releasing her debut album Natalie rollerbladed 1500 miles up the East coast from Miami, FL to NYC raising money for charity in concerts along the way. Currently the NYC native is touring the country in support of her album as well as performing in the NYC subway. As a street performer she has been featured on the front page of the NY Times and in numerous papers, magazines and TV shows across the globe.

NatalieGelman.com
Natalie Gelman on Twitter
Natalie Gelman on Facebook
Natalie Gelman on MySpace
Natalie Gelman on YouTube

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My recent “Twitter for Musicians” workshop attracted the attention of musician and producer Darryl Gregory, who also just happens to have his own podcast show, Unsigned Underground. Darryl was so happy with the class that he invited me to appear on his podcast earlier this month. How cool is that?!

Darryl’s podcast blog is quite complimentary too! He writes:

“I met Carla at a workshop she gave entitled Twitter for Musicians where she showed the best way for musicians to use the new social media. So I know her first as a media expert and an entrepreneur. But again she’s more than that – Carla has a book “The DIY Guide to the Music Biz” Carla has a blog ”Rock Star Life Lessons.com” Carla is a syndicated columnist oh yeah and Carla can sing.”

Wow! Listen to my
Underground Unsigned podcast interview with Darryl Gregory.

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On August 25th, I had a fun and impromptu interview with Jim Goodrich on his “With a Voice Like This” podcast. Among the many things we chatted about, we discussed:

* My Twitter for Musicians Workshop
* Is there a silver bullet to integrate the internet with the traditional music business?
* Copyrights
* The performance rights act

Check out my With a Voice Like This podcast interview with Jim Goodrich. We had a lot of fun making it. Enjoy!

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The Rock Star Life Lessons Interview with Ariel Hyatt, Indie Music Publicist and Author of Music Success in Nine Weeks
by Carla Lynne Hall

Rock Star Life Lessons: How has your marketing yourself and your career changed in the last 5 years?
Ariel Hyatt: Wow – great question – it has changed radically…. Since the evolution of Social Media my own PR and marketing has shifted from making our promotion and marketing all about a one way conversation: Hey artists: We have been in business 12 years and look at our reputation! Coupled with the fact that I was very much in the background as the “pitcher” to the writers writing releases and telling a very one sided story using press releases and mail and phone call follow -ups.

Now the primary marketing tool that I employ my expertise and how I can share what I have learned being on the court to help musicians understand not only the value of social media but also how to do their own PR and Marketing. The more I share, the more Cyber PR seems to flourish because people buy from those that they like and trust and I have built up trust by sharing good ideas and having a two-way conversation in the musicians community in the form of blog posts, vodcasts and newsletters and well as real-life interaction by teaching workshops and bootcamps and paneling at music conferences.

RSLL: What is Cyber PR?
AH: Cyber PR is my online PR firm and we get musicians and authors featured on blogs, podcasts, Internet radio stations, and all over the Internet. We also help artists come up with a social media strategy that works in tandem with a marketing plan so they can take advantage of the new ways to build a fan base and a community online.

RSLL: What do musicians need to know about social networking and/or Web 2.0?
AH: Social media is a wonderful way to engage your fans, meet new people and use cool interactive technology to communicate BUT artists must realize that this is just one piece of the puzzle. The real money and profits comes out of having a strategy and setting goals and working towards them.

I see so many artists that have thousands and thousands of fans on MySpace and on Facebook and they are making no money. The reason is: no one comes to MySpace or Facebook with their credit cards out ready to buy music – they do that at iTunes and on Amazon – so there needs to be a strategy that gets engaged fans away from the cool Web 2.0 portals where we meet and chat and interact into an atmosphere where we are used to BUYING – Amazon, iTunes and live clubs are where fan pull money out of their pockets and buy so if you are only on MySpace and Facebook and you are frustrated about why you sold way less than you expected ask yourself: Where are you asking for money? and how are you asking for money? Is there a strategy behind your asking or are you forgetting to even put a plan into place around this? Or even worse are you forgetting to ask at all because asking for money means you are being too pushy and aggressive and you hate the idea of asking?

You need to look at the Internet just like you look at your telephone or your fax machine – its a way of communicating NOT a place where you just will magically make money without a strategy and some knowledge of how traditional marketing works and a willingness to employ real plans and actions.

RSLL: What are some of your latest product and service offerings for indie musicians?
AH: Aside from Cyber PR campaigns, My best selling product is my book that I released last year. It’s called Music Success in Nine Weeks and it is a Nine week program that helps artists do 3 things:

1. Build a bigger fanbase
2. Get more PR (via using Social Media)
3. Earn more money

The way I teach this is by taking artists through a process that helps them:

1. Laser focus their message so that potential fans can understand them
2. Start a two way engaging conversation with all fans
3. Capture vital information (email addresses)
4. Create a plan that is based on traditional marketing so that they are set up for making money

My book comes with a lifetime membership to my closed online forum (which in the interest of full disclosure I will say Carla helps me manage!) where artists can get direct coaching from me and Carla and get a plan in action with the support of other musicians.

You can buy the book here: http://www.cyberprbook.com

RSLL: What is one action a musician can take to build their music business?
AH: Being in control of your own mailing list and start a regular email newsletter and send it at least once a month! This has been the #1 technique that I have noticed works the most effectively for musicians.

RSLL: If you were starting all over today as a musician, what would you focus on?
AH: I was never a musician so this is a hard question but I would say I would focus on building a community of fans who are engaged and involved with me on a personal and authentic manner. The bands that I meet who are making the most money and having the most success during these weird and uncertain times are the ones who work really hard at knowing who their fans are and what they like, don’t like and what they will respond to. These artists also provide a steady stream of communication and music and opportunities to engage with fans – either online or offline.

Thanks Carla – it was fun being interviewed!

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Ariel Publicity was founded 12 years ago, and has since represented over 1,400 artists. The publicity game has changed radically over the last few years, so the company went 100% digital to accommodate the new landscape in January of 2007. Cyber PR is currently handling campaigns for artists of all genres and at all levels of their careers.

Ariel’s bi-weekly ezine “Sound Advice” has over 6,000 musicians and music professional subscribers. Her first book, Music Success in Nine Weeks, came out in June 2008. She is a contributing blogger to New Music Ideas and Music Think Tank and her articles have been featured in the Discmakers and ASCAP online newsletters. Ariel Publicity also offers Band Letter, a musician’s newsletter service to handle fan outreach.

Ariel has spoken at dozens of music conferences including SXSW, The Philly Music Conference, NEMO, The East Coast Music Awards, OCFF, & Les Rencontres (Canada), A2A (Amsterdam), CMJ, BMI Music Panel Series, and The Connective Panel Series.

Ariel’s Websites:
Ariel’s Blog
Ariel Publicity on Twitter
Ariel Publicity on MySpace
Ariel Publicity on Facebook

Ariel’s Products and Services:
Ariel’s eBook: Music Success in Nine Weeks
Cyber PR Campaigns
Band Letter Newsletter Services
Review You

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The Rock Star Life Lessons Interview with Dayna Steele, Author of Rock to the Top
by Carla Lynne Hall

Rock Star Life Lessons: How has your marketing yourself and your career changed in the last 5 years?
Dayna Steele: The good side is there are many more avenues. The bad side is there are many more avenues and everyone is doing it!

RSLL: In your book, Rock to the Top, you write about musicians like Gene Simmons, Carlos Santana, and Jon Bon Jovi, who have “an entrepreneurial fire”. Is it important for musicians today to think of themselves as entrepreneurs? Why or why not?
DS: Anyone in any business has to think of themselves as an entrepreneur if they want to succeed. Competition is fierce in any business and you won’t succeed unless you do treat any career like a business. Everyone has to market, network, brand, etc.

RSLL: For your book, Gene Simmons wrote a glowing foreword, which also gives the reader an inkling of the drive that it takes to lead KISS, also known as “The Greatest Band in the World”. How did you get him to give up the goods?
DS: I asked for three months. It was either going to be a “yes” or a restraining order. I finally just laid it on the line, this is what I want and this is why you should do it for me. You have to let people know what you want and why they should give it to you. No one reads minds…except maybe your mother.

RSLL: After you left radio, you created an successful online business, The Space Store, that you later sold to a NASA aerospace contractor. What online marketing/promotion tips did you learn that a musician can use?
DS: Keep your website updated weekly if not daily and communicate with your customers/fans. Have a newsletter signup, let them know when there is a new product, an appearance, free stuff. They love free stuff….

RSLL: I also hear that you’re an AC/DC fan. What do you think of their decision to only sell physical CDs (no MP3s) of their new CD release, Black Ice via Wal-Mart and ACDC.com?
DS: Brilliant. Hey also have the money to begin with to take such a daring stand. They are a very successful business. They know their fans, they did their research. Very smart. And still adore Brian….

RSLL: What is one action a musician can take to build their music business?
DS: Network like crazy – it’s still who you know more than what you know…!

RSLL: If you were starting all over today as a musician, what would you focus on?
DS: Getting my music online everywhere I could, doing everything I could to get that one great song to “go viral.” And make sure you have it all backup with a website, blog, newsletter, quality product, etc. Get organized and run your business!

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For years, Dayna was one of the top female rock radio personalities in the USA. During her career and reign as Houston’s “First Lady of Radio,” she was named one of the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts by Talkers Magazine and nominated as Local Radio Personality of the Year by Billboard Magazine.

After leaving radio, Dayna created The Space Store , the world’s largest space related e-commerce venture which she sold to a NASA aerospace contractor. She then created Smart Girls Rock, a product line to encourage girls to make “smart the new cool” or “geek the new chic.” Dayna also founded Operation National Anthem, a series of free videos of U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq offered to venues throughout the country to play prior to the singing of our national anthem. For that, Reader’s Digest named Dayna one of the “35 People Who Inspire Us” in the May 2008 issue.

Dayna Steele is the author of Rock to the Top: What I Learned about Success from the World’s Greatest Rock Stars with a foreword by KISS superstar Gene Simmons. Dayna captivates audiences across the country with her stories and sage advice learned from the world’s greatest rock stars. From students to a national sales force to corporate business gatherings, Dayna Steele rocks her audience through the four essential principles for achieving rock star status and building a stage for success.

Visit DaynaSteele.com

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At the end of last year, I interviewed a boatload of indie music artists and music biz experts, but I had been unable to blog them all before now.

Stay tuned to Rock Star Life Lessons as I’ll be sharing tips and lessons from indie music luminaries such as Ariel Hyatt, Matthew Ebel, Natalie Gelman, and more!

Brought to you by Musicians Lunch New Orleans: Saturday, May 23rd 1-3pm.

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