"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

With a constantly changing music industry, it seems to me that no one should be telling others—“You can’t do that.” When I am told I can’t do something, I usually get depressed for a few minutes, and then an uncontrollable fire rises inside me, and I do what I need to do to prove that person wrong. Case in point—as a kid I had a strong desire to play an instrument. I didn’t care what instrument. Just get an instrument in my hands. My young parents placed a clarinet in my hands in the sixth grade. My peers had two years on me. I had to catch up. I practiced like a fool. By eighth grade I had passed by them. Then came high school. I had a private teacher one summer from Oberlin College. She told me I would never be a great player because of my overbite. After being depressed for a few minutes, I drove myself to practice every day for 45 minutes. Each year my scores at All State and other festival auditions improved. My senior year I received the highest score at All State and next to the highest at the New England Festival auditions. There. Take that private teacher from Oberlin!! As a music educator in three different school systems spanning over 33 years I have had success despite the fact that the administrators in my interviews doubted that I had enough backbone to go up against teenagers. And now, as I immerse myself in a new career—in a different music world—I know there are doubters out there. In fact, there are some who say, “You can’t do that.” After my few minutes of self-doubt, that same old fire rises within and I say, “Watch me!” With this constantly changing music industry, one must try what their gut feels. If it works, it’s a bonus. If it doesn’t, try something else. No one can predict what the next trend will be. We keep on “keeping on” and hope we will cut through the noise triumphant!

"So expensive to tour!"

Blog 3—May 26, 2010

“So expensive to tour! Just had a rather depressing meeting with tour manager. Record sales low (across the industry) really impacting me.”

-Imogene Heap, RCA recording artist and Grammy Winner (from her Twitter account)

I keep reading that many artists are ok with file-sharing and illegal downloading because the money is in touring and selling merch. In fact some artists have improved their careers and increased their fan-base by giving away music. Lady Gaga says she is ok with “free” music because the money is in touring. Maybe for the “small” percentage of “big” artists this is true. But if Imogene Heap is making a statement like this one, is there any chance of smaller indie artists getting a tour that doesn’t put them in the hole? How will indie artists sustain their music careers? Would it be cheaper to put three artists on the road in a van with minimal equipment, sharing publicity costs, driving, and tour manager duties; and perform their gigs “in-the-round”? Would venues and talent buyers be more open to “in-the-round” performances? After all, Indies have a hard time getting their foot in the door of many venues. My thought is that each artist would bring in his/her own small fan-base, and with three artists performing, they would hopefully fill the room. So, in my mind, the positives would be: sharing costs, sharing the work, and getting more bodies in the room. And, fans of one artist might become fans of one or both of the other artists. The negative, however, might be--Did they make adequate money for themselves after sharing the door? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Congrats to Anais Mitchell & Grace Potter

I mentioned "Purple Cows" in Vermont in my previous blog. Two more "Purple Cows" (meaning remarkable artists) are Anais Mitchell and Grace Potter. Both have had the good fortune (if being on a record label today is good fortune?) of being signed to their respective labels (Grace on Hollywood Records and Anais on Righteous Babe Records). Anais just came out with a new record and Grace will release her new record in June. I have had the opportunity to hear the first track off Grace's record, "Tiny Light", and watch the video for it. Totally awesome! She hits a high E in chest voice. And to think that once upon a time the industry thought no one could hit a high E in chest voice except Christina A. Not so. I saw Grace in the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret as a senior in high school. Even then (which was not that long ago) she took command of the stage. I can't help but think her choral work and her theatrical work in high school propelled her forward. I can't wait to hear the entire album. Anais Mitchell's new release, Hadestown (a folk opera based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice) is an ambitious and exciting project. I love the track, "Why We Build The Wall". And--she has great guests that include Ani Difranco, Greg Brown, and Bon Iver to name a few. Speaking of guest artists, both young ladies made a vocal appearance on Gregory Douglass' (another Purple Cow in my opinion) last release, "Battler". Gregory will open for Anais at the Hooker Durham Theatre in Brattleboro, VT, May 7, 2010. Congratulations to Anais & Grace!!

Purple Cows in Vermont

OK. So it took me awhile to get to this point. Here is my first real blog--

I live in the Green Mountain State of Vermont where there were once more cows than people. Not any more. But you can still see a few Holsteins or Jerseys out in the fields. I actually grew up on a small dairy farm in Vermont. I only milked the cows once but I threw bales of hay every summer. I had muscles back then. Now that I am building a new biz, I have been reading lots of books. I recently read Seth Godin's book "Purple Cow". The book is about transforming your business or your product by being "remarkable". He even notes Vermont's own Ben & Jerry's as an example of a "Purple Cow". And I have to agree. I find it hard to eat any other ice cream now, although Island Ice Cream is a close second. Vermont has many Purple Cow products, businesses, authors, and artists--both visual and musical. I like to think the Vermont-based singer/songwriters that I work with are Purple Cows. And Bella Voce Women's Chorus of Vermont. Please take time to check them out. I think Chris Bohjalian is a Purple Cow author. Take time to read his books! And Flatbread Pizza!! Yummy. There are many more Purple Cows in Vermont. I'm just drawing a blank right now. But they will come to me. More later.