Indie Music Marketer .com

Throughout the history of modern music, there hasn’t been a musical artist/band who doesn’t think that their songs are all #1 hits just waiting to be discovered. Many of these artists have been correct and have stood by grinning as their tunes screeched up the charts. This inspires a new crop of musicians every year to feverishly pen their potential hits in hopes of making it big. 

Musicians write. They rehearse. They play clubs and hope that one day they’ll encounter that special A&R guy (or gal) that will, see them, dig them, sign them, and make them stars. But surprisingly enough, many of these bands never complete what is probably the most important tool for any musician signed or unsigned…they never record a CD. 

It cannot be stressed enough that the CD is at the heart of any musical project. It is the physical embodiment of the song, the combination of writing and performing. It’s any musician’s skeleton key for: club gigs, reviews, and radio play. CDs enable you to draw the attention of fans and industry at the same time. Whether containing one song or twenty, the possibilities of the unsigned artist’s CD are endless. Post them on the web. Get them to the press. Give them to your friends. Sell them at your shows. Send them to the record labels. Your CD lets the world know who you are and what you sound like and gives anyone who digs your music the opportunity to listen to it again and again. 

So, how can you make sure that you’re CD does your music justice while appealing to fans and industry alike? While there is not one set way to record a CD, there are certain key elements that every professional CD should possess. 

The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure that your CD will help your band instead of hindering it: 

1.) It’s Not The Size, It’s What You Do With It---It doesn’t matter how long your CD is, only that it accurately portrays your sound and vibe. If you don’t have a lot of time or money to spend in the studio then record for quality instead of quantity. It’s better to have one really kick ass tune recorded then a full length CD that sounds like it was recorded on a boom box in your basement. But that doesn’t mean that your CD needs to be expensive or time consuming. The advanced technology of digital recordings has afforded musicians/bands the opportunity to record in smaller home studios and still come away with professional sounding recordings. It’s now all about finding an engineer with a fantastic ear and the mastery of his/her own gear regardless of how inexpensive it may be. 

2.) Record And Mix For The Song---Remember a song is a collaboration. Even if you’re the sole musician and engineer of your CD, recording a song is still an ensemble project. Instruments, voices and effects must all work together as a team to produce the best possible finished project. If a guitar line is too busy, a kick drive is too loud, or a voice is perpetually off key, the overall quality of the finished product is compromised. There is a delicate balance of creativity and technology, of art and electronics that comes together to produce the wonder that is your CD. Treat that balance with respect. Put your ego aside and record with the songs as your absolute priority. 

3.) Less Talk And More Action---Certainly there is a great deal of preparation that is required before recording. Mapping out the arrangements of your tunes can be an arduous process usually much more complicated than the live performance of the song. One guitar part becomes three, or five or ten, a basic drum part now includes percussion and electronic beats, two backing tracks can become twenty. Sometimes you feel as if your brain will certainly explode from the mapping out of all of the musical and vocal parts required to give your song a professionally recorded sound. But don’t get so lost in the charting and practicing of various parts and forget that time is of the essence here. It’s all well and good to tell those who inquire that you’re “in the studio” or “currently recording” but if a CD does not materialize in a reasonable amount of time both fans and industry will grow disinterested and move on to someone who has a finished product. 

4.) If It Sounds Good, Make It Look Good---After the time and energy you’ve spent to make your CD sound amazing, don’t scribble on it with a blunt sharpie, throw it in a used envelope and expect a record label to be impressed with it. If your CD looks unprofessional, it will be dismissed as such and will probably spend its days unlistened to, lining the bottom of some A&R intern’s birdcage. Simple packaging is certainly acceptable but make sure your CD’s first impression a good one…your graphics are high quality, your text is neat, your paper stock is professional and all materials are unused. Even the most poorly recorded CD will get a listen, if it comes in a pretty package. 

Now that you have a professional CD recorded, your possibilities are endless. Send it to anyone and everyone! Get your name out there! Make new fans! Grab some press! Get a record deal! Stand back and grin as your single goes screaming up the charts. Anything is possible if you have a good CD and can share your music with the world. 

Everyone wants to be famous: live in a mansion, drive a sports car, tour the world in your private plane, date a model, float around in the pool while collecting royalties for CD sales, and drink beer right out of your private tap. But not everyone is aware that, with any career that has the potential to end in a bounty of riches and beautiful babes, climbing your way to rock stardom is very hard work. 

So, how does your average musical genius go from penniless Pop Tart-eater to Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? How do you move on up from mom’s garage to a deluxe apartment in the sky? What’s your first baby step on the Yellow Brick Road to fame and fortune? That’s simple…be committed! 

It sounds silly, but many a musical boat has sailed with a crestfallen unsigned artist standing confused on the dock, for lack of nothing else but follow-through. Commitment to your deeds and plans is the single most essential skill towards achieving your goal of Ultimate Superstardom. Entertainment is a fickle business and chances don’t come along every day. One missed opportunity now could have spiraled into dozens even hundreds of opportunities down the line. 

It may be true that talent is a gift you carry with you from birth, but commitment is a learned skill that you need to hone every day. So, how can you make sure that you’ve got what it takes to gather up your supreme musicality and conquer the universe with it continuously? 

The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure that you’re truly committing yourself to your musical career on a daily basis: 

1.) Follow Up On All Leads---No matter how insignificant they may seem at the time, it’s important to follow up on every musical lead that’s thrown your way. Letters, calls and emails should be answered politely and in a timely fashion. New contacts should be logged in your address book for future correspondence. Opportunities should be taken, invites accepted, and chances to network relished. By starting out with just these simple rules you’ll watch your resources and mailing list grow. Suddenly you’ll have music community friends with which to share your leads and ideas, ask advice, trade experiences, and combine talent and energies. Through these friends, you’ll meet new friends and fans and from them even more new connections. Soon, you’ll have so many opportunities that your concern will change from lack of opportunity to lack of time in the day to pursue each new chance. 

2.) Just Show Up---Sounds so simple it’s stupid, but you’d be surprised how many talented people have fallen by the wayside because they were unable to simply show up. Cancelled gigs, forgotten meetings, and missed auditions say to the Musical Powers That Be, “I’m a huge flake who doesn’t think your opportunity is worth a half-hour of my precious time.” This is a really bad thing. Entertainment is a small town with a huge memory. Don’t give people any reason to think that you’re not the person they want to work with, give the job to, book for the gig, sign to their label, write about, talk about, and help any way they can. Remember there are tens of thousands of musicians waiting to take your place, so step up to the plate and seize each chance with optimism and enthusiasm. 

3.) Take Initiative---Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. The world is a virtual cornucopia of information, so reach out and nab yourself some chances at stardom. Comb the internet, join music communities, visit open mic nights, take classes and workshops…put yourself out there where there are cool musical happenings and let others know that you can be relied upon and want to be involved. By going out and seizing your own opportunities, you may double, triple, etc. your resources and chances, and expedite your journey to success. 

4.) Do The Best Job You Can---As important as it is to show up, it is also essential that you come off efficient, talented, and professional when faced with a new opportunity. Being there is half the battle but the other half is being the best that you can be and impressing industry, press, clubs and your fellow musicians enough to make them want you to be involved in anything and everything they do. Make a commitment to put on the best live show possible, to have a terrific CD, to make a professional presskit, and to spread the word about your music. Be punctual, be courteous, be positive and be fun. Don’t give anyone any reason not to work with you again and you’ll see that it becomes easier and easier to get what you want for your artistic career. 

It really is as easy as simply showing up, following up and giving it your all. Making it in music is not impossible; it’s just a lot of elbow grease, a little organization, a bit of strategy, and the simple sculpting of your talent into a marketable commodity. There are thousands of chances offered every day to musicians...reach out and grab them by the handful, make every opportunity your own, get everything you want from this business and when you’re richer than Oprah and more famous than Madonna, remember that it was you who made it happen. You were a pro. You showed up. You committed. 

So you have prepared yourself and you think you're geared up. Act is fine-tuned, your costume or getup for the experience is prepared, and you couldn't probably try to feel any more confident. It hits. When it hits it doesn't matter if it's a week, day, or hour before the Act; the dreaded stage fear appears out of no where. Yes alot, of the great stars admit to experiencing different types of stage anxiety which continues with the performers career. If the big stars can move on, so can you. The official news is there so many different ways to fight its influences and even use it to develop your Execution. 

This is something that you probably know, but let's take a look at the indicators of stage terror. So many people are fimiliar with dry mouth, quick beating heart, and possibly a combination of cold, sweaty, and shaky hands. Sounds incredibly pleasant doesn't it? Further real indicators include nausea and trembling lips. There are many performers that enforce reported warning signs of sweatiness and dizziness as well. With such over powering indications it doesn't seem possible that stage fear can be tamed, but fortunately, it can. 

One of the perfect ways to head off stage terror before it begins is to be prepared. Be to be ready by knowing your lines, the music to the song, or whatever stuff you need to know for your Performance. Practice hard and make sure you are focused during your rehearsal times. Make sure you remember your material, the more secure you will feel playing it. It is also a good idea to set aside time for just relaxing. Reading, listening to music, or participating in your favorite sport or exercise is a concrete way to unwind. 

Right before the Execution there is a boat load of techniques you can utilize to keep stage fear at bay. Get to the scene first. Of course, this way you can become aware with your backdrop and ascertain your gear and wardrobe. Eradicating the potential for an unpleasant ambush will go a long way in steadying your worries. Before the Appearance take a short walk and be sure to stay hydrated. If you can try not to drink so much drinks that mid-performance you are playacting the pee dance; just enough to head off the effects of dry mouth. 

Many artists are fimiliar with the most awful stage fright right before the curtain goes up. Most of the time it depends on what kind of Execution you are giving depends on the rightapproach. If everything is in place it can be relaxing to the nerves when you look into the audience and you find the friendliest face in the public and concentrate on the notion as you deliver your lines or sing your song. Try to make eye contacthelps to take away the feeling of being completely alone up there. Human relations always helps with stage fright. Please remember, the hardest part is starting, after that it is so easy. 

Believe it or not stage terror can in fact be conducive to the performer and Performance. It helps to guarantee that the epilogue is well rehearsed and the performer is ready. Use stage anxiety to your advantage. You should always remember to breath, put on your perfect smile, and get out there and break a leg. If you believe it, the theater will too.