katieohalloranMay-31-2010 11:21am
Interview with Studio Fast Track Winner Jamie Drake
Last December marked the first round of LP33.tv’s Studio Fast Track, a competition that gives emerging artists a shot at personalized marketing support from the site, a financed record with the help of Pledge Music, and an Epiphone prize pack… Oh, winners also receive access to a common denominator in the successes of Madonna, Depeche Mode, and Augustana: mentorship from legendary A&R exec Michael Rosenblatt.
Following a successful first run, the contest is now back for a second installment; visit the Studio Fast Track page for full details.
I caught up with Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Jamie Drake, the contest’s first winner, to reminisce about her Fast Track experience. Having spent the last few months receiving business and creative guidance from the pros, she offered some insights we all can learn from. Here, we discuss the marketing support she received, the online tools she has discovered and found to be the most effective (pay special attention to Music Glue), and what she gleaned from working with Michael Rosenblatt.
Artists House: Give us a brief rundown of where things stood with your career prior to winning this contest.
Jamie: Before I won the Studio Fast Track contest, I had been playing small shows around LA while finishing my first album. I was a little scattered as far goals I needed to set, unorganized as to how to get to where I wanted to go, and was seeking some sort of a boost to push me to the next level of things.
Artists House: A team of people from both LP33 and Pledge Music assisted you with marketing. What were some of the most effective strategies they had you implement to take things to the next level? What did they suggest that perhaps you had never considered before?
Jamie: The interesting thing is that by going through this process, I discovered I am actually a natural marketer. I have my own style of saying things and inviting people into my world; but I wouldn’t have known it without the help from winning Studio Fast Track. The blogs that Michael and I wrote on the LP33 page were a fantastic way to have something viral that’s out there for the world to see and track my progress. We were also featured in shorts together that LP33 made for their site where we would say silly things and act like dorks in front of the camera - which was fun. Benji at Pledge Music had a ton of marketing wisdom to share with me while helping me put together my Pledge campaign and was always there anytime I had a question about how to do updates or track something. When we were setting up prices for incentives on my Pledge profile, I whined about not wanting to make the CDs ‘too expensive.’ He said something along the lines of “people will pay what you think your music is worth,” and I was just like, “Well, alright then” and shut my mouth. He also gave me tons of tips on what sites to use to promote my music from. Meeting him and Colette was like putting three fire starters in a room - we all had ideas flowing and wanted to see how to make something new. Colette and I started up a series called ‘Adventures in Rock’ that has been featured on her blog, www.rockisagirlsbestfriend.com, and we still have many more stories to write.
Artists House: You’ve mentioned that the experience forced you to beef up your online presence. Tell us a bit about what that entailed and which tools are proving to be the most useful.
Jamie: Music Glue is incredible. It’s an online site where you sign up your artist page, upload whatever tracks you’d like to provide for free, and then send out tweets, emails or have a widget set up on your website or myspace where people can click on the ‘free download’ button to get your track(s). All they have to give you in return is their email address. It’s a great way to expand your fan base and hope that they like your music and are cool enough to actually attend a show you tell them about via email. In the past several months I’ve been using Twitter more and more as well and learning that there is a certain time of day and even week to say what you want to say in order for it to be heard.
Artists House: From a creative perspective, how did Michael’s mentorship affect the material you started out with and the way you’ll approach writing and recording in the future?
Jamie: Michael knows the difference between a good song and a great song. Having the guy who discovered The B52s and Madonna in my corner, mentoring me in my songwriting and coming to my shows to watch and listen to my progress has been a complete honor and joy. I’ve been writing for over a decade and I am at a point when I know if something is good or bad. I’ve sent Michael dozens of old and new demos to listen to to see if there is/was any magic inside those good songs. Pushing a song through the Michael Rosenblatt filter might come as a shock to some artists, but like him, I don’t have time for “good” songs. I only want the great ones. And although I may not always agree with him, I appreciate his honesty and I’m lucky enough to have been told by him at least three times: “That is a GREAT song,” and I believe him. From now on, I will be sending songs through the Michael Rosenblatt filter. Always. Even if I don’t listen to his opinion, I want to know what he thinks.
Artists House: What was you biggest takeaway from the experience?
Jamie: The biggest takeaway from this experience is knowing that I’m on the right track. I’m not crazy or wasting my time. It’s been proven that people actually love my music and will buy it. Now all I have to do is mark out the next step.
Special thanks to Jamie for the interview. Be sure to check out her music and stay connected with her in the following places:
MySpace: www.myspace.com/jamiedrakemusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jamiethedrake
Subtly Powerful Songwriting Tips
Pat Pattison’s resume is impressive to say the least; he developed the curriculum for the first-ever songwriting major, authored three of Berklee’s online writing courses, and wrote Songwriting: Essential Guide to Rhyming and Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure. But if you need more proof that his status as one of the most renowned songwriting teachers in the world is justified, look no further than the videos that follow.
When you’re writing a song, do you think about the emphasis put on prepositions and other “weak” words? How about the fact that you might be letting the song’s rhythm alter the natural shape of the language?
These elements are so subtle that they’re the last thing on many songwriters’ minds. However, in the below videos, Pat dissects a song that falls into common subtle pitfalls and shows just how dramatic the change can be once they’re corrected.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
The Ins and Outs of Film/TV Scoring with Jeff Beal
2010 is striking a heady blow to my TV schedule. We had just welcomed the New Year when we learned that the groundbreaking “Ugly Betty” would not be returning for a 5th season. The knife was twisted in even further with news that 24’s exit would be making Monday nights much less suspenseful. I don’t even want to THINK about “Lost” ending in May.
However, one positive has come from this. As I watched the series finale of “Ugly Betty” last Wednesday, I began reminiscing about the scores used in the show over the years. This program had a particularly distinctive atmosphere, thanks in large part to the cheeky, brazen, and often latin-inspired instrumentals that flavored each episode.
Who was responsible for adding this dynamic to the “Betty” brand? Credit goes to three-time Emmy winner Jeff Beal. Having scored several major movies and the popular show “Monk” (in addition to “Ugly Betty”), Beal is one of the most accomplished and in-demand film and TV composers in Hollywood. If there’s anyone to learn the ins and outs of this business from, it’s him. And as it turns out, I found several Jeff Beal interviews that should be of great help to anyone interested in film or TV scoring.
In one of his most comprehensive interviews to date, Beal sat down with Northern Sounds and discussed how he broke into scoring, the typical workflow on a scoring project, his methodology, his advice for aspiring composers, and package deals (a common means of compensation for scorers). You can find the entire interview here: www.northernsounds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14014
But that’s not all.
In this video, he talks about his entrance into the music world and how he came up with the distinctive scores used in “Ugly Betty” (you may want to skip to 5:25).
And here, he discusses the process of scoring the western “Appaloosa,” staring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen.
A Question on Licenses for a Non Profit Music Festival…
Artists House received a question from Timothy on licensing a music festival for a non profit. We thought this might be of interest to a few folks, so we are posting the question and answer. Alex (our local New Orleans) festival expert has kindly answered the question.
To whom this concerns;
I am contacting you to find out if my foundation needs to have a license
to have a music fest. We are a not for profit org. that helps non
terminal kids with uninsured medical expenses. We would like to do a
music fest with about 6 to 10 bands playing on a one day show. As of
right now this will be our only show for the year, but in years to come we
would like to have at least two shows. If you would please assist us in
this matter, we would like to be legal so that our show does not get shut
down or fined so that we can help the children that need help. Thank you
for your time.
Timothy
Answer:
If this is an outdoor event, he will need to check with the municipal building on permits for outdoor venue and stage setup. They usually will charge you a fee if you plan on building a stage outside and for sound. If there is no stage involved, they may just charge you a fee for having outdoor noise for certain duration of time.
If this is an indoor festival, such as renting space from a venue, they should already have their “performance” permits on site. So he will just need to pay the venue for the space.
If it is outdoors and he plans on selling food and drink, he will need to purchase/obtain a vendor license. Also, if it’s alcohol sales, he will need a separate license to sell alcohol on premise. This vendor license will all be covered with the venue if it’s indoors.
Just an FYI, each state operates differently with permits. For example, New Orleans has an all encompassing permit. You get the outdoor sound and stage and vendor sales all in one permit. So just double check with the municipal building.
Also, there will probably be tax breaks since it’s a nonprofit organization. So look into that as well!
Alex
Digital Branding With Music & Mobile Apps by Dexter Bryant Jr.
Music-based mobile apps are one of the most powerful tools in a musician’s digital marketing arsenal. Apps are a hot commodity with customers, especially the gen-Y market. Beyond that apps provide an avenue for deeper engagement with your audience.
In order to maximize your potential for connecting with audiences, your app must be user-friendly and addictive. You do that by providing value to app users. Make it simple to use and allow opt-in subscriptions for your podcast(s). Subscribers get new podcast episodes forwarded directly to their phone.
Your mobile app should also include additional features that are engaging and addictive for users. These features will add entertainment value to your app if executed properly. Make some app features default and others opt-in so users can customize their experience and dictate their level of engagement with your app.
Ideas for app features:
- Music biz news feed (RSS).
- Twitter feed.
- Blog/website feed (RSS).
- A rhythm game like Tap Tap Revenge that showcases your music.
- A search engine for streaming your music.
- Video feeds for web concerts (on ustream.TV and other digital networks), video blog updates, behind-the-scenes footage, music videos, and anime mini-series.
- mp3 feed of your latest songs and mixtapes.
Allow users to comment on your app content from their phone via Twitter. Facilitate sharing (and comments) to your social media pages (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc). Invite users to live chats with your band members through Skype and other networks.
Don’t stop there though. Give users access to your entire multimedia library of original content. Let them search and download your mp3s, e-books, and other content directly to their phone. But please DO NOT skip over optimizing all content for mobile phone use, otherwise your files will be too large and the user experience will be poor. Fuck up the user experience and people will use your app once and never return.
Free vs Premium
Marketing through mobile apps takes you direct-to-fan and connects you with your audience. It’s your choice whether to sell your app but keep in mind that more users with your app means more people with access to your music. I personally recommend offering a free app in addition to a premium version with value-added features and content.
Even when downloaded there’s no guarantee that your app will be used or your music listened to. But if your app provides value and is engaging for your users, there’s a good chance that your music will get heard.
Links with more information on how to create a great mobile app for your music:
5 Ways To Create An Engaging Artist/Musician iPhone App
Ten Most Popular Artist/Musician iPhone App Strategies Reviewed
About the author:
Dexter Bryant Jr [d.BRYJ] is the hippie tribe’s favorite producer+songwriter of dance rock and electro crunk music. As a digital branding consultant Dexter helps brands and bands strategically plan and manage their online presence. Dexter is the Digital Marketing Director of Dynasty Music Entertainment and d.BRYJ Music. Dexter blogs about music and business @ http://hitmusicacademy.wordpress.com/
Should you be monitoring your fans online?
This blog post was written by Marcus Taylor, a former record label manager, music industry blogger and author of http://www.themusiciansguide.co.uk The Musician’s Guide to World Domination.
When it comes to monitoring what people are saying on the Internet, it’s important for musicians to keep an eye on what fans, potential fans and critics are saying about them and recognising an opportunity to jump in to a conversation and build new fans from situations where it’s best not to interfere. But how can you find out what people are saying about you?
Fortunately there are a lot of different tools that go slightly beyond the Google search function that can help you analyse and track your presence online and compare against other musicians, so lets run through a few good tools..
Social Mention - www.socialmention.com - This is the most basic free online reputation management tool, which is very popular amongst musicians. There are many paid alternatives such as Radian6 but this is designed for intensive use by PR companies and is probably a bit overkill for a musician. My only niggle with this tool is if you have a slightly generic artist name (such as Marcus Taylor) then this tool does struggle to separate your mentions from unrelated mentions with a similar name.
Google Trends - www.google.com/trends - Google trends shows the number of searches for a keyword over the past five or six years and includes data on which cities have the highest number of searches and which news articles caused the largest number of search ‘peaks’. The only downfall with Google Trends is that it only works for very popular search terms.
Yahoo! Site Explorer – www.siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com - Yahoo! Site Explorer shows you all of the inbound links to a page or website of your choice, which can be helpful to see who is linking to your Myspace page or blog.
So what’s the use of monitoring your online presence? Is it just to massage your ego by seeing fans saying you’re amazing? No. The real benefits of using these tools is identifying opportunities to jump into conversations at the right time – this could be when someone is leaving negative reviews of your music on forums.
But remember, you don’t have to stick to monitoring searches on your artist name – why not monitor when someone mentions ‘looking for a band in the UK’? This might help you to spot gigs as soon as they come up. You could even use it to help you http://www.themusiciansguide.co.uk/how-to-get-signed-to-a-record-label.html get signed to a record label by tracking when labels are looking to sign new artists or when there are music related competitions, the possibilities and benefits of online monitoring are truly limitless.
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