tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31403936661786302302011-07-07T15:36:02.830-06:00Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.comBlogger171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-9808384695400359942010-01-10T19:21:00.002-07:002010-01-10T19:26:59.146-07:00

The more I read on Music Think Tank, the more I realize that everything you need to know to build a career in music is on that blog or will be. And if it is not there - it is probably on one of these other blogs. So I have simply decided to list a few resources that you can choose to read or not read - totally up to you. http://www.musicthinktank.com/ (particularly anything by Loren Weismann)

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-10811499198036672582009-11-16T19:51:00.005-07:002009-11-17T20:58:22.650-07:00

I know I promised a post on the seven points of fan contact, but I just read this blog entry. Read it and learn how to engage fans. $10,000 in 48 hours for a band that is only nine months old? I am intrigued. They obviously know how to ENGAGE potential fans and make them into fans. Read the post and the related posts. Adapt it for your band. Nothing wrong with stealing their ideas - they blogged

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-71436502304321822102009-11-16T18:05:00.012-07:002009-11-17T20:47:16.242-07:00

This is a more in depth look at what you can learn from Blue Rodeo, and I think that two other people have done a good job of spelling it out.First, Shauna de Cartier's comments on my original blog post on this subject tell you a great deal about what you can learn from Blue Rodeo. First, they treat people well. Learn from that and treat everyone well including fans, volunteers, people you hope

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-73849415829085590062009-11-05T14:52:00.009-07:002009-11-05T16:24:30.550-07:00

I am a Blue Rodeo fan and have been for 21 years. I think that whether or not you are a fan, you can learn a lot from them. Before you protest and say "but they have a team and I don't" - stop whining, read this, think about your career, and start copying!Blue Rodeo has a new double CD (and double vinyl) due out next week. I am like many of their fans - we tend to like the older songs more than

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-66169297974841580202009-11-03T21:25:00.006-07:002009-11-03T23:36:51.853-07:00

Hello to any of you who heard me at the Alberta Music Industry night tonight.Here are links to some of the music industry blogs that I read. I will write another post linking to free online books and other resources.This is a great blog that brings together a variety of industry professionals.http://www.musicthinktank.com/Loved this guy's entry today on 7 ways to destroy your career.http://

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-27303063457750621612009-09-26T10:41:00.007-06:002009-09-26T13:55:04.955-06:00

I have a problem with many of the musicians I meet. Simply stated - they tell me that they want to make music their career; but in conversation it is apparent that they are completely unwilling to work to make that career happen. They want someone to do it for them. If I suggest some DIY steps they could take, they tell me that it is too much work. If I suggest resources on the internet (blogs,

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-12168695092427829552009-09-22T22:45:00.004-06:002009-09-22T23:02:54.873-06:00

"Bands need to learn to create a plan, set goals, create roles within the band where everyone takes ownership of part of the process and has a job description". Great interview/blog post with the founder of http://musicnomad.com/. (Link to the full blog post below).Personally, after three years in the industry and 'knowing' this because of an extensive business background, it is nice to get some

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-77983899025000564442009-09-20T08:04:00.006-06:002009-09-20T08:20:16.091-06:00

I read a great blog entry in Music Think Tank this morning. It was titled "Artists Are Not Inherently Entitled To Monetary Compensation" - I could not agree more. The bottom line is that until you have built a following that wants to see and hear YOU (not just any musician/band), you are simply a commodity. Until that following is large enough that you can negotiate with the promoter because you

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-59168555167652442502009-09-02T21:15:00.007-06:002009-09-02T21:30:49.651-06:00

I'm not the only one who thinks that a career in the music industry requires a plan. It is a business - to succeed you need to make a plan and follow the plan. I could blog about how to make a plan for yourself - but I didn't need to. Someone else did that for me so I linked you to a great blog on career planning in the music industry complete with a template. And now, if you wondered whether it

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-19397188430677036922009-08-22T14:25:00.003-06:002009-08-22T14:37:03.838-06:00

Whether you have decided that your passion for music is something you want as a hobby, or something you want to pursue as a career - neither choice is wrong. Nor is it wrong to have your passion for music be both. If you have decided that you want to make music your career; then you need to recognize that it is a business. Just like any start-up businesss; it is going to take time, money and a

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-1239032947986074722009-08-04T15:05:00.005-06:002009-08-04T15:19:11.257-06:00

This article asks 20 questions that you need to answer if you are considering trying to make a career as a professional musician, or trying to decide if you should keep on trying to make it.http://www.examiner.com/x-16453-Salt-Lake-City-Entertainment-Industry-Examiner~y2009m7d22-20-questions-every-band-should-answerAs he says, you need to answer the 20 questions he asks with a simple "Yes" or "No

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-22601373120459275012009-08-02T11:42:00.011-06:002009-08-02T12:24:36.595-06:00

Derek Sivers, the original founder of CD Baby had a great blog post about business ideas and success that relates to what you need to be successful in the music industry. I think that many people believe it is about talent. It isn't. It is talent multiplied by execution. Sivers' blog post http://sivers.org/multiply is called "Ideas are just a multiplier of execution" and as he explains "ideas are

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-69573795871080654702009-07-26T21:17:00.003-06:002009-07-27T22:46:26.376-06:00

Having given consideration to where you want your music career to go, and knowing that you need a plan to get there, you need to assess where you are. Your career, at this exact moment is your starting point. Your plan for your career will need to take you from that point to where you want to go. So, how do you assess where your career is at right now? That’s a big topic that differs for everyone

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-70809065090135603482009-07-17T18:12:00.008-06:002009-07-17T18:58:37.909-06:00

So ... you think you want to make a career out of music? Before you make the leap into applying for grant money, spending your (or your parent's) money making a CD, or buying a cheap van to tour in - you need to consider your career plan. During the past few years I have seen over 100 grant applications, and overall, the main thing that stood out is the lack of planning. To go anywhere, you need

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-53855092062717636642009-07-12T18:21:00.021-06:002009-07-12T22:37:40.220-06:00

Having just started this blog and being the type who thinks before I act, I have pages and pages of notes that I have been making as I contemplated doing this, along with a list of topics. But, in that age-old way of meaningful coincidences, I just became aware of a tremendous resource that is already complete and covers a lot of what I was going to cover! As I was going through the Alberta Music

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-36693593976764184192009-07-12T07:49:00.014-06:002009-07-12T08:15:16.051-06:00

In order to really accomplish anything, you have to first decide what it is you want to accomplish. That either sounds dumb or self- evident to you depending on your point of view, but stay with me for a minute. Often, if you ask a musician or band about their career goals they can’t define them. They might say “We want to be stars” or “I want to play my music for people” or even “We want to win

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140393666178630230.post-27361359413598432302009-07-11T18:31:00.000-06:002009-07-11T18:49:07.290-06:00

Like anyone who blogs, I first asked myself whether or not I had a message to share. In other words, who the hell do I think I am? I don't know the answers on how to create success in the industry. I really don't know if I can help you; I just know that I have some ideas and some knowledge that I would like to put out there for you to consider.Let me tell you a bit about me. I am no expert on

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15079532518133411298noreply@blogger.com0