Selling CDs Online: A Three-Pronged Approach

Article by David Nevue - Midnight Rain Productions - Feb 1st, 2002







Recently, a visitor to the Music Biz Academy asked me a very common question; "How can I sell more CDs on the Internet?" Good question, though very open-ended. How you go about marketing your music successfully depends on a great many factors. This article contains some suggestions where to start.

A Three-Pronged ApproachI recommend musicians take a three-pronged approach to selling their music on the Internet. The first 'prong' is what I call 'targeting with buzz.' That is, you create a buzz about your music and get people talking about it. To do that, however, you need to promote your music where people are already searching for new music to try out. That is, instead of trying to bring people to you (or your web site), you go to where the people are already hanging out. Go where the action is, so to speak. So, where's that?

#1) Targeting With BuzzThe first place I recommend any musician start promoting their music is MP3.com. Though some independent musicians feel MP3.com has 'sold out' (actually, they literally have) to the commercial record industry, the fact is that for pure exposure it's the place to be. MP3.com is a huge magnet for music-loving traffic. Perform a search at Google for 'music' and MP3.com the #2 site listed. Search for 'mp3' and it's the #1 site. You just can't find a better place to put your music right in the path of cyber-traffic. With proper promotion, you'll have hundreds, even thousands of new people listening to your music every day. For example, for January 2002, I was able to generate over 50,000 plays of my songs. And that was with just basic, simple, inexpensive promotion. That exposure resulted in more CD sales, lots of email from new fans, and more importantly, name recognition. Once you've mastered MP3.com, you can start setting up shop at other, similar sites such as Vitaminic.com, GarageBand.com, CDStreet.com, Ampcast.com, JavaMusic.com and others.

#2) Targeting By SiteThe second 'prong' to increasing CD sales on the net is what I call 'targeting by site.' With this option, your objective is to create a web site that targets the people most likely to be interested in your music. The question to ask yourself is, 'what are the people who are most likely to buy your music already searching the Internet for?' Once you have that answer, design a web site to target that specific audience. Then, promote your web site using tried and true web site marketing techniques (see spider-food.net for search engine promotion tips). In this scenario, you don't focus on promoting your music per se, you focus on promoting the web site. Then, since your web site is attracting visitors that tend to enjoy your style of music, you advertise your music on your specialized web site, marketing directly to those targeted visitors.

#3) Make It 'Official'The final 'prong' is where you will create long term fans; your own 'official' artist web site. This personal web site is the place where you will provide your fans with complete details about your act. You'll include song lyrics, news, CD info, pictures, a discussion board, chat room, sheet music, whatever you can think of. Your official site is the place you will drive traffic to from prong #1 and prong #2. It's where, ultimately, long-term fans (and friends) are made and, if it's well-designed and updated frequently, it's the place your fans will keep coming back to. Here's a tip: if you have more than one CD, sell them in 'bulk'. Give your visitors the opportunity to buy more for less. I currently have 5 CDs, and give my visitors the option of buying all 5 CDs for $50. Guess what? Most of my orders from new customers are for the entire collection. So, if you haven't yet purchased a domain name for your act, do so. I recommend using DirectNic.com, where you can purchase a domain name for $15/year. Summing It UpAll three of these prongs work together in tandem. The first (targeting with buzz) not only sells CDs, it creates buzz, name recognition, and career opportunities where none were before. My time on MP3.com has directly resulted in song licensing opportunities, as well as a distribution deal with a Korean record company. The second method (targeting by site) allows you to target visitors who have a predisposition to your style of music. Maybe they didn't search the Internet looking specifically for new music, but as a result of their search they did discover you, and with some keen marketing strategies you can gradually, over time, turn some of these casual visitors into fans.

Finally, the third 'prong' is where you keep them coming back, your own, official web site. There, long-term fans are made. Think of prong #1 and #2 as a funnel, that channels your visitors to prong #3. I'm sure you're thinking this is a lot of work. You're right, it is, and it's only the beginning. There's a lot involved in marketing and selling your music online - much more than I can go into in this short article. But, hopefully this will whet your appetite and inspire some creating thinking. If your music is truly good music, and you (and others) really believe in it, there are many marketing and career opportunities for you online. You just have to dig them up, and be very persistent about it.









Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Pearl Jam, Daughter
Neil Young, Keep On Rockin' In The Free World
The Guess Who, No Sugar Tonight
Tracy Byrd, Keeper Of The Stars
BTO, You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet



Local Artist Of The Day:


Calveris

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF FINDING A MANAGER










I receive hundreds of demos each year of bands looking for representation. Here are some helpful tips on what to do (and what not to do) when looking for a manager:

DO:

Be professional - image is everything. Send out a professional looking package - type the address label and letter. Make your first impression count (I often will decide how quickly I listen to a package based on the package's presentation). If your package doesn't look professional, it's hard to get someone's attention to even listen to your music.

Put your strongest song first on the CD. And just send your best 3 songs. If you have a full album you can send it, but note the strongest 3 songs.

Record the best quality demo you can.

Follow up. Be persistent but not annoying. Call or email 2-4 weeks after sending your package to make sure it was received. With hundreds of packages, even the most diligent manager will probably take a while to get to you -- so a friendly reminder is fine but don't become a pest.

Always put your contact phone number, email address and your name on the CD itself - CDs often get separated from jewel cases.


DON'T:

Send a package blindly. Always email or call first to see what type of artists the management company represents. There is no point in sending a rock manager a package if you are a country artist. Some managers represent a diverse roster but usually we have some type of specialty - for example, I mainly represent alternative rock bands and singer/songwriters, yet I get a lot of hip hop CDs. Go figure.

Send a huge envelope full of press clippings, bios, photos, etc. A one page bio and maybe a photo are helpful -- but the music is what matters. Huge packages are just a waste of paper (and money!)

Waste money to send packages express mail or priority mail - a big envelope may get opened faster to get it off my desk and out of my office but in general, all submissions sent to me go in the same pile, so save your money and don't send packages express mail to managers.

At the end of the day, if you have good songs, you will find a manager. So, good luck!








Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Nickelback, Feeling Way Too Damn Good
Disturbed, Down With The Sickness
David Essex, Rock On
Aerosmith, Dream On
Bob Seger, Drift Away




Local Artist Of The Day:

Cruel World

Eric Clapton









Eric Clapton, thought by many to be the preeminent guitar authority in the world, is returning to the stage in the summer of 2006. His story is one that relates directly to the decades of timeless music he has produced, and Clapton is revered by fans of several generations. His life is one of struggle and sadness, and his music is seen by many of his fans as his personal triumph over his circumstances.

Early Life
Clapton was born in 1945 in England, although he didn’t really know who his parents were until later in childhood. His father was a Canadian service man who went back to Canada after World War II, and his natural mother left soon thereafter to join him. Eric was left to be raised by his grandparents, who he thought were his real parents until he was nine years old. Clapton knew his real mother as his sister, as his grandparents wanted to shield him from the stigma that came with being an “illegitimate” child.

Clapton was first inspired by music as a young teenager when he watched Jerry Lee Lewis perform on television, and his life-long love of the blues was born that day. He attended school with the intent on becoming a stained glass designer was derailed when he was expelled at 17 for playing his guitar in class. Despite what was seen as a setback at the time, the incident propelled Clapton into music full time.

Early Career
Clapton proceeded to work a series of low-end jobs while continuing to learn and play the blues with his guitar. In 1963, he joined a band called the Yardbirds, which just happened to boast of three enormously popular guitarists - Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. The band was an instant smash hit, and they were known for their bluesy style and riveting guitar melodies. However, Clapton became disillusioned with the band’s progression towards mainstream rock and roll, and left the band in 1965.

Clapton spent the next year making the band the Bluesbreakers extremely popular, but in 1966, he decided to form his own band, naming it Cream.

Reaching Potential
Cream was one of the most recognizable and loved bands in the world, and every one of their albums was a huge hit. Cream was mentioned in the same breath as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, and the trio recorded three albums before deciding to put together a farewell cut entitled Goodbye in 1969. There were many reasons for the band’s break up, but drug abuse and clashing egos were seen as the primary reasons.

Later that year, Clapton became a member of rock’s first “super group” when he teamed with Steve Winwood, Ric Grech and Ginger Baker. Although the band released only one album which was named after the band, Blind Faith climbed to number one on the North American Billboard album charts, and the work is still selling well to this day.Going SoloAfter all of his experience in highly successful bands, Clapton decided to strike out on his own, and this would prove to be an extremely wise decision. However, Clapton first had to get past his drug addiction, which was no small task. Once he had, however, he got right back into what he loved most, and released an album entitled 461 Ocean Boulevard in 1974. The album included a cover of Bob Marley’s I Shot the Sheriff, which not only experienced chart success, but brought exposure to the world of reggae that was seen as “the” boost to the genre in general.

In the past 30 years, Clapton has released 15 studio albums which have contained songs that are considered by many to be anthems more than singles, including such mega-hits as "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," "Lay Down Sally," "Cocaine" and "Wonderful Tonight."

Bringing It All Together
The result of Clapton’s work goes beyond millions of records sold and tens of millions of loyal fans. He is the only artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times, has won several Grammy Awards and is known for his guitar skill in every country in the world. He has never lost his love for the blues, and continues to thrill crowds with his heart-felt renditions of his and other songs that were written over the decades, and everyone who has a chance to see him live considers it a privilege and an honor.









Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Eric Clapton, Cocaine
Hamell On Trial, Pretty Colors
Calveris, Walk Away
Peter Townshend, Let My Love Open The Door
Finger Eleven, One Thing



Local Artist Of The Day:


Calveris

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE









We are here for a purpose. We are here to make a difference in the world. The music in us is put there for a reason not just to create personal wealth or make us feel good about ourselves. But it can take a long time for some of us to find our purpose in life. It's not a thing most people know from birth. It's something we learn in time. One day, we just feel it - like a "calling" - it hits us square in the nose; not like a boxer, more like a scent of perfume.

Beautiful music makes a difference. Words of hope change lives. A joyful experience heals the broken hearted. Music can inspire. It can take us on a journey of discovery. We are all spiritual beings. The person inside is hidden by masks. We don't often reveal our true identity. While deep inside, the person we truly are is screaming to get out, nature takes it's course. The circle of life remains unbroken. But, the artist is different. Music is the window to the soul. When a musician plays, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Folk music became a full-blown craze. Coffeehouses sprang up everywhere. The "mainstreaming" of folk music actually led to the discovery of what was truly the real and meaningful.It was a generation of naivety perhaps but nevertheless it was a generation that wanted to make the world better. Before the Berkeley Free Speech Movement began, anti-communist hysteria had pervaded the United States.

George Orwell had written about words like "freedom," "democracy," and "justice". Orwell said "(They) have been abused so long that their original meanings have been eviscerated ... Americans have been conditioned to accept the word "democracy" as a synonym for freedom, and to believe that democracy is unquestionably good."Orwell was right about the use of meaningless words in politics. The "American dream" had created a society devoted to the wealth and the exploitation of the fellow creatures. Some people were discovering that democracy is not freedom. Free speech was stifled. French philosopher-novelists, Camus and Sartre, started young people thinking about new ideals of existentialism.

Organized by the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), at its peak in 1960, over 400 schools were affiliated with NSA. In the '60s, NSA responded to a despotic atmosphere that produced a radical militant protest mood on campuses across America.The Free Speech Movement was spreading. Berkeley was a training ground for student protest. College kids began listening to Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and electric blues. The NSA supported Students Against The Draft, opposed the war in Vietnam, and participated in civil rights struggles. For many students, a cultural revolution began in 1964, during "Freedom Summer" in Mississippi.The sixties happened because they had to happen. The need for change will never change. Student radicalism may one day rise again. In with the good air, out with the bad ... not a bad notion, not at all unrealistic.








Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Seal, Kiss From a Rose
Aerosmith, Sweet Emotion
Bread, If
Deep Purple, Smoke On The Water
Seether, Truth






Local Artist Of The Day:

Tony Jones

GET THAT RECORD DEAL!










Actually, anybody that tells you there is an exact formula you can follow to get signed is lying. The truth is, there is no exact formula that will land you a record deal, period. This may be disappointing for some to hear: I know I was disappointed when I first heard the truth.Although a record deal can sometimes come about just by being in the right place at the right time, there are several things you can do to maximize the possibility of attracting a major label or production company to get them interested in signing you.First and foremost, be ready!

Make sure your skills are developed to the point that they can compete with the best the industry has to offer. A&R, managers, and the like are subject to hearing some pretty awful stuff. If you can offer something that sounds amazing, it should greatly increase your chances of getting signed. Remember if your stuff is not as good or better than what’s already out there, the only thing your demo will have a good shot at is the office garbage can.

If you have to spend money somewhere, spend it on production and mixing. This can’t be stressed enough. It all boils down to having good product. You can do everything in your power to attract attention to your music, but If it sucks nobody is going to care. Although some label A&R claim they can hear talent through low budget production, in my experience it pays to have the best sounding product you can. Because it is sometimes extremely difficult to get heard at all, it makes sense not to blow it when you finally do get a chance by delivering the musical equivalent of nails on a chalk board.


Now that you’ve got the skills and a tight product, you should be doing everything in your power to create a buzz for yourself. In order to do this you’re going to need a plan and a team to help you carry it out. You should be doing shows, selling CD’s, trying to get some radio support (even if it’s just college radio), and doing anything and everything else you can to get some kind of following.It helps to have an established following, a good street team, and some strong independent sales when seeking a record deal. The more you do on your own, the less the label has to do, and ultimately the happier they are. In fact, A&R will often seek you out (eg. come to your show to hear what all the fuss is about) if you've done a really good job of promoting yourself.

Next you are going to need a manager. Now you might be thinking you want to manage yourself. Think again. Your buddy that follows you around to all your shows, again, bad choice. At this point, you should be seriously considering seeking out a professional manager. The right manager will make all the difference when it comes to getting signed. What I mean by the right manager is one who digs your music and will really hustle to get you put on. This manager should also have some pretty good industry connections; otherwise the help he can offer you will be limited.

As well as a personal manager, you’ll need a good entertainment attorney to negotiate all your contracts (including the one with your manager) so you don’t get screwed. Also, a good entertainment lawyer (one that actually has industry connections) will be able to help get your music into the right hands as well. Make sure the lawyer you retain is working for you, not the label or your manager!Ok, so let’s recap. You’ve honed your skills, produced a tight product, created a strong buzz, and got yourself a good personal manager and lawyer. Now what? Well, from this point on your manager will basically put a plan of action together for you and together you will carry it out. You should now be well on your way to your first record deal. This can be a long road, so it’s important to keep a positive mental attitude. Make sure everyone around you (your team) also stays positive. The music business isn’t for the faint of heart! Good Luck!










Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:



Meatloaf, Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back
Peter Frampton, Signed Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours
Gordon Lightfoot, Time In A Bottle
Pat Benatar, Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Steve Miller Band, Jet Airliner







Local Artist Of The Day:

Calveris

How Can Online Communities Benefit Musicians?











With the rise of sites like Myspace.com, SectionZ.com, and DFJams.com, musicians have never had it better on the internet. These sites give you the ability to do things that once would have cost you tons of money. As a musician, how do online communities benefit me?

1. Hosting music MP3s and music videosWhen you sign up for one of these site, most of them give you the ability to post your free mp3 downloads, and music videos on their free web hosting plans. You get a website address where you can post a bio, some band photos, show dates, and mp3s/videos. This allows you to distribute your band's music for free! All you need to do is create business cards or stickers with your band's website URL on it, pass them out, and there you go. You can also use message board forums to promote your band's website, which will get your music MP3s and music videos to even more people.

2. Gaining experience from othersYou may not know a lot about music promotion or the whole industry based around it. But there are tons of people out there that do, and a lot of those people are active in online musician communities. Take time and sign up for one of these communities, become active in the discussions held on their message boards. You stand to gain a lot of experience and knowledge by joining and participating in these communities.

3. Networking/PromotionIn addition to being places where you can store / distribute MP3s / download free music, and learn from other people. Musician communities are great places to network and promote your band. Need to find a band to open at your next show? These websites often list their bands by region, making it easy for you to get familiar with local bands. Also, many music industry people hang out looking for the next big band to sign. Yours could be next!

These 3 examples do not fully cover all the different reasons for participating in these musicians communities, but should give you a little bit more insight on how they can benefit your band. From free MP3 music downloads, music video downloads, message board conversations and free web hosting, there's a lot that online musician communities can do to help you out.









Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Foghat, Slow Ride
J. Giles Band, Love Stinks
The Cars, Let's Go
AC/DC, Son Of A Bitch
Green Day, Time Of Your Life





Local Artist Of The Day:


Calveris

Music for Mobile phones









The craziness started in 1998 when the Finish mobile telephony operator called Radiolinia launched the first ringtones. This business was obvious designed for Nokia phones.

From that moment, ringtones became a profitable developed market including mobile phones music downloads and a market of multimedia content extremely dynamical which offers any type of polyphonic sounds.

Envious on the registered success of music players machines, the mobile telephones producers started to address the Ipod users represented market, through the embedment of a high players into the mobile phones.

Sony Ericsson launched phones under it's Walkman brand, based on the catalogue of kindred companionship Sony BMG, number 2 in the world in music business.

Nokia Corp., the mobile leader sales, notified an alliance with The Microsoft Corp. in order to permit the subscribers, to load music from computer on the mobile phones, similarly the mode of which acknowledged digitally players operates.

Unlike the owners of MP3 players, the Nokia users can download different tracks on the mobile phones through wireless, and subsequent may transfer them on computer for his storage or duplication on CD.

In this context, the increased popularity of music downloads and ring tones shall impel the business digit of the sector named global mobile music to reach more then 9.3 billions dollars within 2009, as a report of Junipers Research says. While ring tones and real tones downloads will still be on top with a business digit of 4.8 billions dollars, is waited as the full-track downloads market to breed from 20 millions dollars to 1.8 billions dollars in 2009, while ring tones, which already generates substantial profits in Asia, to sweep out 2.7 billions dollars to world level, up to the end of decade.









Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:



Steve Vai, The Silent Within
Jim Croce, Operator
Don McLean, American Pie
Smokey Robinson, Tears Of A Clown
Fall Out Boy, Sugar We're Goin' Down



Local Artist Of The Day:


Jim Bianco

The Local Coffee House






Many musicians complain about the lack of gigs they have, but when I ask them to look closely at the type of venue they are searching, the repeated pattern seems to be clubs, stadiums, concert halls and pubs. What I would like to share with you is this... keep a look out and be totally aware of the possible gig locations so that you're not limiting yourself. How about restaurants, parks, malls or my favorite, the local coffee house? Coffee houses are the next link in the chain of great gigs. Depending on the venue, you can drop in several times and build links with staff and get a feel for the type of customers that come there. Make it your second residence!

Depending on the type of music, coffee houses represent the perfect venue for musicians to meet with their perfect audience, and if they are your right audience, what must your audiences be doing if they're not watching you? Drinking coffee.

Coffee houses are great places for people who want a break from both work and home. It's like the middle space, or the third space. I personally like these places because it's nice and cozy, allowing you to build deeper relationships with the crowds.

Something that works day in, day out is the power of repetition. If people see your name several times, they remember it, and create a link in their mind. By placing several posters in the coffee houses where the same people go everytime between home and work, it becomes something they cannot miss, and they will definitely remember it. You can guarantee most of them will be at your event.

So how do you get booked?

Pay attention to the peak and off-peak times at the coffee house as you can use this to your advantage really easily. If you play in the morning when it's peak time and attract many customers for the coffee house, you'll notice that the lunch area may be very low in customers, so pitched correctly, you could ask the coffee house management if you could play in the afternoon, and attract the customers that way.

Don't expect to be paid by the coffee house management, but one way to grow your audience is to collect mailing list signups. This way you can inform them by post or e-mail where you are performing next because there will definitely want to be a part of your music.

The most important thing is that you have already built up great relationships so that you can emphasise how you will bring more people to their place.

*** I work at Rick's Coffee House. The owners Rick Hudkins and Ken Campbell will be happy to talk with anyone wanting to play. They have a large stage and upgraded sound system. You can contact them at:

Rick's Cafe'
4725 Woodville Rd #10
Northwood, Ohio 43619

419-691-9900
Rick's Cell # 419-514-6477
www.ricksmusiccafe.com





Deb's Top 5 Songs Of the Day:


Bob Seger, Night Moves
Hamell On Trial, Coulters Snatch
Pantera, This Love
Rebel Meets Rebel, Nothing To Lose
Journey, Open Arms



Local Artist Of The Day:

Tinfoil

Joining a School Band









From selecting the right instrument to learning to read music, being in band can enhance a student's education. Even children with no musical background can join their school's band. How is this possible? It's because all the basic aspects of playing a musical instrument and reading musical notation are taught at school. No one can predict whether a child will have musical ability, but even those whose parents are not musical have a chance of success. The most important factors in whether a child will do well are regular practicing and desire.

Finding an instrument

Selecting the right instrument is an important part of joining a band class. Band directors will consider the student's preferences, musical aptitude and physical characteristics before recommending the most appropriate band instruments for each student. The flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, french horn, trombone, baritone, tuba and percussion are good choices for beginners.

Band instruments can be purchased from local musical instrument dealers or online. Prices vary widely depending on the level of quality. Beginners should select lower priced, entry level instruments. Upgrading to better quality instruments should the students have a gift for music can always be done later. Those with a strong interest in improving their skills can take private music lessons to supplement the school instruction.

Band can be time consuming

Students who also wish to participate in sports may experience schedule conflicts if they sign up for band. Both sports and band are time consuming activities. Before a student registers for band, his or her parents need to consider the child's other needs and activities, including studying and time for fun. Like other music courses, band is an elective. In addition to the time spent in class, students will also be expected to attend rehearsals and performances outside of school hours.

Sheet music is the road map

Learning to read music is an important part of the band experience. The songs to be played are written in musical notation on paper which is called sheet music. The way the information is put on the page determines what notes will be played, for how long and how loudly.

The composer records his intentions on the sheet music and the conductor leads the musicians in the proper interpretation of those intentions. Not every conductor sees the music the same way. Recordings of the same music by different conductors will have subtle variations in the way the music is played even though the sheet music used was the same.

While musicians may have their own ideas about how to play the music, when they are in a band, they are expected to follow the directions of the conductor. If all the musicians went their own ways, the audience would hear a mishmash of sound instead of music.






Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


The Monkey's, Daydream Believer
Tool, Sober
Zakk Wylde, In This River
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Give It Away Now
Rascal Flatts, I Melt




Local Artist Of The Day:


Ali Handal

History of Rock










Ever since Little Richard, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry began crooning tunes with a different sound, the history of rock music has been marching forward. Different than anything that had come before it, rock mixed racy lyrics with loud, but soulful music to create something so distinct it earned its own moniker.

As the history of this musical form continues to be written, remember the basic genre is classified by the use of the guitar. Whether it's hard rock, country rock, classic rock, punk rock or beyond, rock and roll involves guitars and lots of them. Acoustic or electric doesn't necessarily matter, but a lead role in the music does (with a few exceptions).

Rock and roll history is often said to have gotten its first page in the 1950s when "Rocket 88" was released. Little Richard, Elvis, Ray Charles and Chuck Berry all wrote their own pages during this decade. With songs such as "Rock Around The Clock," "Love Me Tender," "School Day" and more hitting the charts, the road was paved for such artists as Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis to make their debuts on the scene.

The dancing rock of the 50s gave way to the more "radical" rock of the '60s. Here a generation of youth found their voice in war protest songs and peace rally music. Elvis remained a mainstay during this decade, but other big names also made the scene. The likes of Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, Frank Zappa and The Monkees were popular during the '60s. The Beatles revolutionized rock music when they made their American invasion in 1964.

The 1970s saw a continuation of the themes of the '60s with the addition of disco and other influences. Van Halen became a big name during this decade and legends Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison all met their ends during the 1970s. Greats from the '50s and '60s continued to rock during this decade as well.

The 1980s are perhaps best known for their heavy metal hair bands. Contrary to popular belief, this music was and remains more than just "noise." Many musicians of this era were classically trained and know their stuff. Big moments during this decade include the death of John Lennon, the end of the band Wings, the creation of "We Are The World," and Michael Jackson's massive hit record "Thriller." The more soulful sounds of Billy Joel were also a mainstay during this decade. Bands such as Journey, Def Leppard and the Scorpions made it big during this era in rock.

The 1990s saw the creation of boy bands and some serious recognition for rockers when the Hall of Fame opened in Cleveland. Musicians to hit the charts with a bang during this decade included Madonna, Kurt Cobain, Boyz II Men, Alanis Morissette and more. Heavy metal continued, but other sounds made their ways onto the airwaves as well.

With hard rock, classic, punk, pop and more still major players in the music scene, this genre is showing no signs of going away. It's plain to see rock and roll "will never die."










Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Kiss, Rock N' Roll All Night
Quiet Riot, Bang Your Head
The Beatles, Hey Jude
Pantera, Walk
Joe Cocker, The Letter





Local Artist Of The Day:


Ryan Smith

Benefits Of Music










Music has been a part of existence since time immemorial. And, it is everywhere -in the rhythms of nature, the chatter of animals and birds, the babbling of babies, and in the dancing of brooks. Listen and you will hear sweet tunes all weaving a magic of their own.

It is well known that the origins of music go back at least 50,000 years. Music seems to be ingrained in our genetics and tunes are rhythms that are integral to our lives.
Music seems to play many roles in our lives:

* Research indicates the children who learn music are more likely to become doctors, engineers, and computer professionals. Music learning develops areas of the brain responsible for language as well as reasoning. Music is known to sharpen memory. A Rockefeller Foundation study reveals that those who studied music have SAT scores of 427.

* If a child in the womb of its mother listens to music it is born with highly developed intelligence.

* Music molds people--it teaches coordination, teamwork, discipline, and self-expression.

* The therapeutic values of music are well documented. It heals people with mental problems, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, brain trauma, and hypertension. That music heals has been recorded in the works of Aristotle and Plato and in the centuries that followed.

* That plants respond to music is reality not a myth. Plants are known to thrive with music and also move towards the sound.

* Children who grow up in a music filled environment are happy, fulfilled, and joyous.

* Music takes the devout closer to god and in religion congregational singing has always worked. Singing hymns lifts any heaviness from the mind and frees the soul.

* When music is played in hospital waiting rooms and so on it ebbs tensions and calms the mind.

* Music has meditative properties and can be used for healing, exercising, and training modules.

* When music plays, people function better. Many find that they enjoy work or activities like cooking and cleaning when music is playing. It erases tensions and lifts weights off the shoulder. Music actually introduces lightness into the body.

* Music reflects the culture of a society and strengthens bonds. It creates a camaraderie and oneness as seen in football matches, military training, and festivals.

* Romance and love would not have so many hues but for music. Music and song have captured feelings, passions, agony, distress, and more succinctly. Through song many a romance have been immortalized. Mating calls and songs are universal in nature.

* Scientists are using music to map behaviors and unravel the many mysteries of the human mind and consciousness.

* Music settles down anger and resentment quickly and also helps us overcome feelings of sorrow and loss. It lifts the mind and spirit out of despair and gives hope. From centuries ago a mother has always sung lullabies to her fussing child lulling it to sleep with softly whispered songs.

* Music has other uses it can raise levels of excitement and cause frenzy. It is used to call armies to war by the beating of drums, to instigate raw emotions during revolts, and to drum up frenzy at football matches and rock shows.

Did you know that while classical music soothes and opens up channels in the mind, rock music can set pulses racing, and chants can send you into a trance. Music used differently has varied effects on human beings. Music can be a panacea or hell depends on how it is used.







Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Ted Nugent, Free For All
Louis XIV, Finding Out True Love Is Blind
Hamell On Trial, Coulters Snatch
Elton John, Your Song
Little River Band, Oh What A Night




Local Artist Of The Day:


Free Element

How Can You Trust a Manager?








Let's face it. Managers as a group just don't have a high level of trust from musicians. There has been a whole lot of negative publicity about unscrupulous Managers. It seems that music managers have this in common with used car sales persons. There must be some ounce of truth in this stereotype or it would not exist. There is the pound to consider. Meaning: the percentage of Managers that fit the stereotype is a small one, yet the bad apples have defined the barrel. All right, let us go with the flow.Most Managers have clients. Who are these clients? Are these clients successful? Do they have good things to say about the Manager? Who does the Manger have contacts with? Do these contacts have great things to say about the Manager? What has the Manger accomplished? Has the Manager been involved in law suits, been sued by present or former clients? If so, what were the outcomes of these suits? Some of these questions can be easily answered. Others may take a bit more research. Credibility and track record are important concepts.

There are different varieties of trust and varying digress within these varieties. Trusting someone not to cheat you, lie to you, misrepresent themselves or you is the most common type.. Then there is trusting someone to be competent, reliable and or astute. A person may be trustworthy in the most common thought of trust factor but fall short on other varieties. One can really never be totally sure of these factors because people and situations can change at any given moment. Being cautious but optimistic is the only way to proceed.In most cases, a Manager would not be soliciting for new clients unless he/she is starting out. Everyone must start somewhere, so this should not be a disqualifier. Everyone has a background, a history. A resume' and references should be available. Does a band expect a top Manager with major labels clients to be running after them?

Most artists or bands that are starting out, the first year or so, do not really need a Manager because there is not much a manager can do that the group or artist cannot do for themselves. There are mid level Managers that take on fledgling artists and or bands. In quite a few cases, mid level or beginning Mangers lose their clients to upper level management once the major level has been achieved. In some cases it is justified that this should happen because the beginning or mid-level Manager does not have the necessary experience to deal at national and/or International level. Trust usually is a process and time is the only gauge.







Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:



Jethro Tull, Aqualung
The Cars, Let's Go
Three Doors Down, Love Me When I'm Gone
Meatloaf, Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back
Brother, The Crow






Local Artist Of The Day:


Tony Jones

Music -The food of Soul










Music is said to be the food of the soul. There is nothing more swaying and gratifying than good music. Soothing music heals the mind. Entertainment will not get completed without music and playing of your favorite music and songs changes your tension filled mind right away to a more relaxed and tranquil state of mind. If you compose a piece of really nice music you need to write it down so that you can remember and other people will also be able to play it too. Live music is favored at parties and events. Live music entertainment consists of classical music, Jazz, Swing, World music, period music of 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and the 90's and performed by artists who haven't made it big and classical music consists of quintet, quartet, trio, duo and solo.

Whether it is a birthday party, wedding reception, a private party or a corporate party, live music is a must if you are not hiring a DJ to mix songs for you. The choice of songs and music may be limited with a live music performance, but it is the limited selected songs and music, which makes the band endearing to people. DJs would charge 25% - 50% of what a live music performing band charges. However, the charm of live music is something that is enticing if one can afford it. Some live music performing bands capture and reproduce the tone of music that were not recorded properly by the ingenuous recording machines of the 50's and the 60's. Performances of live music can be known on any instrument as a piano, guitar, keyboard, harpoon, flute, trumpet, saxophone and the jazz set.

Music is intimately related to the subliminal mind because it blends our emotions. Perhaps you can recall listening to a jingle and finding the tune and the advertising slogan replaying in your mind over and over, even if you disliked the jingle. It just trapped into your mind. Hypnosis is another prevailing trait of music. One of the main reasons for using music for self-hypnosis is to help you maintain mental and emotional focus on your outcome. The music that helps to elicit within you emotions which are appropriate for your self-hypnosis outcome, will take care of the focus. Your intention can then ride of the wave of music, making focusing an effortless process.

Benefits:

Music has quite a lot of advantages despite serious reductions in subsidy for arts programs in public schools, there is a great need for studying music. Band, orchestra, and choir all offer students a chance to work together in a social and intellectual group setting and excel at complex tasks. The deception for parents is to enroll their children in high quality programs and aid them in procuring high quality instruments.









Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:



Bob Seger, Turn The Page
Nickelback, Someday
The Guess Who, No Sugar Tonight
Sean Paul, Temperature
Breaking Benjamin, So Cold




Local Artist Of The Day:


Calveris

OH BOY, QUIZ TIME AGAIN!!










1.) This retro/post-punk band played its first gig in Athens, Ga., in 1977, long before they moved into the "Love Shack."

2.) What ZZ Top song. off 1973's "Tes Hombres," is an homage to a lengendary house of ill repute in Texas?

3.) Just when you thought I was going to eschew disco for the entire quiz, I bring the pain! Which was NOT a Village People character? A Trucker? An Indian? A Biker? or a Cop?

4.) What Donna Summer disco staple won an Oscar for best song?

5.) What Pink Floyd album can be synched up to serve as a substitute soundtrack for "The Wizard Of Oz?"

6.) What 1974 Queen classic spawned a conceptual film to accompany it, one of the first music videos?

7.) What British rocker gave Led Zeppelin its name by predicting the group's failure?

8.) What 70's band, in its early years, had a leader who became hallucinogenically obsessed with philanthropy and another who shaved his head and joined a cult?

9.) Which Gibb brother was NOT a part of the group at its inception? Barry, Maurice, Robin, or Andy?

10.) What 70's rocker welcomed us to his "Nightmare?"







Answers:
1.) The B-52's
2.) La Grange
3.) The Trucker
4.) Last Dance
5.) Dark Side Of The Moon
6.) Bohemian Rhapsody
7.) Keith Moon
8.) Fleetwood Mac
9.) Andy
10.) Alice Cooper









Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:





Jethro Tull, Bungle In The Jungle
David Essex, Rock On
Lynard Skynard, Black Betty
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Give It Away Now
Jefferson Starship, We Built This City







Local Artist Of The Day:



Crush Efekt

The MC-5











The MC-5 is a whole thing. There is no way to get at the music without taking in the whole context of the music too- there is no separation. We say the MC-5 is the solution to the problem of separation, because they are so together. The MC-5 is totally committed to the revolution, as the revolution is totally committed to driving people out of their separate shells and into each other's arms. I'm talking about unity, brothers and sisters, because we have to get it together. We are the solution to the problem, if we will just be that. If we can feel it, LeRoi Jones said, "feeling predicts intelligence." The MC-5 will make you feel it, or leave the room. The MC-5 will drive you crazy out of your head into your body. The MC-5 is rock and roll. Rock and roll is the music of our bodies, of our whole lives- the resensifier (sic), Rob Tyner calls it. We have to come together, people, "build to a gathering," or else. Or else you are dead, and gone. The MC-5 bring you back to your senses from wherever you have been taken to hide. They are bad. Their whole lives are totally given to this music. They are a whole thing. they are a working model of the new paleo-cybernetic culture in action. There is no separation. They live together to work together, they eat together, fuck together, get high together, walk down the street and through the world together. There is no separation. Just as the music will bring you together like that, if you hear it. If you will live it. And we will make sure you hear it, because we know you need it as bad as we do. We have to have it. The music is the source and the effect of our spirit flesh. The MC-5 is the source and effect of the music, just as you are. Just as I am. Just to hear the music and have it be ourselves, is what we want. What we need. We are a lonely desperate people, pulled apart by the killer forces of capitalism and competition, and we need the music to hold us together. Separation is doom. We are free men, and we demand a free music, a free high energy source that will drive us wild into the streets of America yelling and screaming and tearing down everything that would keep people slaves. The MC-5 is that source. The MC-5 is the revolution, in all its applications. There is no separation. Everything is everything. There is no thing to fear. The music will make you strong, as it is strong, and there is now way it can be stopped now. All power to the people! The MC-5 is here now for you to hear and see and feel now! Give it up- come together- get down, brothers and sisters, it's time to testify, and what you have in your hands is a living testimonial to the absolute power and strength of these men. Go wild! The world is yours! Take it now and be one with it! Kick out the jams, motherfucker! And stay alive with the MC-5!









Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:



The Who, Pinball Wizard
Eric Clapton, Tears In Heaven
Finger Eleven, One Thing
Rebel Meets Rebel, Nothin' To Lose
Joe Cocker, When The Night Comes






Local Artist Of The Day:


Them One Guys