From the monthly archives:

September 2010

Progress vs. Perfection

by Scott James September 29, 2010

About 8 years ago I used to smoke two packs of Marlboro Red cigarettes a day. It was hard for me to imagine what it would really take to quit. I tried to kick the habit cold turkey a few times and it just made me want to crawl out of my skin. Then I heard about the patch and decided to give it a try.

I put it on one morning and made it until about 10PM before I ripped it off and started smoking. The fact that I don’t smoke today has a lot to do with how I chose to look at what happened that day. Read more…

1 comment

Achieving Success with your Music – Disc Makers Seminar

by Disc Makers September 28, 2010

LA seminarJoin us at our Los Angeles seminar where we will share years of knowledge about what it takes to be successful as a musician in today’s world, including:

• What Makes an Artist or Band Instantly Signable
• How Good Your Demos Really Have to Be
• How to Dramatically Increase Your CD Sales
• Radio Airplay: Myth Or Reality for Independent Artists?
• How to Get Distribution and Not Get Burned
• And Much, Much More! Read more…

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Daisy Rock Aims to Put a Guitar in Every (Girl’s) Hand

by Leah R. Garnett September 27, 2010

Tish CiravoloWhen I first went looking for an electric guitar I could use for jazz, the weight of the guitar – and not just the sound – was a factor in my buying decision. I ended up with a semi-hollow body guitar, rather than a hollow body, simply because the guitar was lighter. Although few men likely buy a guitar based on its weight, most women probably do.

That’s what Tish Ciravolo, president of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, did when she bought her first bass guitar in high school. Read more…

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Online Collaboration

by Keith Hatschek and Casey Newlin September 21, 2010

Back in July 2009, an Echoes post offered an overview of a number of online interactive music collaboration sites. At that time, online music collaboration in the form on co-writing, long-distance overdubbing, remix contests, and simply expanding one’s own network of possible music-making partners was just starting to gain momentum. Read more…

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Countdown to Your Album

by Jason Feehan and Randy Chertkow September 13, 2010

stopwatchIt’s easier than ever to release your music to the world. And there is now a wealth of online services that will help you promote, distribute, and share your music. But even though musicians can release material whenever they want – and many fans are happy with the idea that they can download singles – the press, fans, radio stations, podcasts, and even digital distribution stores still ask the same question: “When’s your next album coming out?” Read more…

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The Couch Sessions

by Disc Makers September 9, 2010

Rock ShrinkOur friends over at We All Make Music have started a new series called “The Couch Sessions,” in which Rock Shrink Lisa Thaler, LCSW, tackles the music career-related anxieties and fears of indie musicians. Check out the first two installments and then submit your own question/concern for some free professional advice and insight! Read more…

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Tapeless Video Production

by John Devcic September 8, 2010

A move to a tapeless-based production is not an easy one but in the end should prove to be rather beneficial. Of course, no technology is without a downside. If you are on the fence about a move from tapes, this article is the perfect starting point. Read more…

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The Thing About Ping, Apple’s New Social Network

by Chris Robley September 7, 2010

PingApple announced last week that they were launching a new social network called Ping which is integrated into their ubiquitous iTunes player. Ping allows music fans and artists to interact and share details about their listening habits. This is another great way for musicians to market themselves, share content, display concert info, and boost sales (artist profiles link to iTunes artist pages). Unfortunately, Apple is currently only allowing artists to start profiles by “invitation only,” though anyone with an iTunes account is welcome to start a user profile. Read more…

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The Companies That Make Up The Music Biz

by Moses Avalon September 2, 2010

ConfessionSo one afternoon you sat down and wrote a simple four-chord song and made a rough recording on your home hard-disk multi-track. You sent it to a friend who liked it, and the next thing you know, a top artist heard it and fell in love. They want it for their next album. A few months later, the song is on the radio and it’s a hit. You’ve won the jackpot.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, your mailbox is being stuffed with large, thick envelopes from various companies. Who are they? What do they want? There seem to be hundreds of them and they all have thick forms and legal documents for you to fill out. Read more…

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