Think different, stay independent!
Few month ago I went to the recording studio i usually record my piano music with, for my "Fragments Found" sessions. It's such a great place, full of inspiration!
The sound engineer, an acclaimed musician and a real master in recording, also works as a free-lancer for one of the big major label out there. During the mastering phase of my "Fragments Found" album, we had a long chat about music business, careers, major labels, live shows and everything goes aroung these matters. I explained him what I was learning in my adventure as "Independent Musician 2.0" and how the most difficult part in all this was to find some venue to play my music. So, I asked him a tip or (as he plays with some real big shots out there) knew someone that would help me in opening some concerts or finding some small clubs to play in. Yes, I was asking for a sort of booking agent, i guess. Well, he told me that, at this point, I had to invest my efforts to share even more my music, as no real "good" booking agents would ever dealt with me, yet.
And i can understand that. I red an interesting article from Derek Sivers once, in which he said that if you are looking for a real good booking agent to help you in finding some real good gigs the answer is that you surely won't find one. And this is what it is, i mean, it's a part of the game. Of course I need more audience, and it was good for me to have a so "direct" tip from such a great experienced musician.
Finding live clubs for my 2011 will be my major committment! Then he said something interesting.
He said "But if you will sell thousands of copies of one of your album - then you can go straight to one major label and negotiate a contract!" And here is when my "independent" mind came out!
"If I will sell thousands of copies, it will be a good enough reason to keep staying indepentent", I said! And this is one of the key aspects, I guess, of what's going on the music business scene in these years. In the future, more and more musicians will think like that. We have all the tool for sharing our music, meeting new people, finding some right place to play in - why should we share all this with someone else?
As of today, proabably the fastest way to find the right keys to unlock some important doors are still in the hands of a few. I mean, we have to be honest and well aware of that.
But, the new approach based on the power of the internet, will give everything to us independent musicians. It's just a matter of time, hard work and patience.
The sound engineer, an acclaimed musician and a real master in recording, also works as a free-lancer for one of the big major label out there. During the mastering phase of my "Fragments Found" album, we had a long chat about music business, careers, major labels, live shows and everything goes aroung these matters. I explained him what I was learning in my adventure as "Independent Musician 2.0" and how the most difficult part in all this was to find some venue to play my music. So, I asked him a tip or (as he plays with some real big shots out there) knew someone that would help me in opening some concerts or finding some small clubs to play in. Yes, I was asking for a sort of booking agent, i guess. Well, he told me that, at this point, I had to invest my efforts to share even more my music, as no real "good" booking agents would ever dealt with me, yet.
And i can understand that. I red an interesting article from Derek Sivers once, in which he said that if you are looking for a real good booking agent to help you in finding some real good gigs the answer is that you surely won't find one. And this is what it is, i mean, it's a part of the game. Of course I need more audience, and it was good for me to have a so "direct" tip from such a great experienced musician.
Finding live clubs for my 2011 will be my major committment! Then he said something interesting.
He said "But if you will sell thousands of copies of one of your album - then you can go straight to one major label and negotiate a contract!" And here is when my "independent" mind came out!
"If I will sell thousands of copies, it will be a good enough reason to keep staying indepentent", I said! And this is one of the key aspects, I guess, of what's going on the music business scene in these years. In the future, more and more musicians will think like that. We have all the tool for sharing our music, meeting new people, finding some right place to play in - why should we share all this with someone else?
As of today, proabably the fastest way to find the right keys to unlock some important doors are still in the hands of a few. I mean, we have to be honest and well aware of that.
But, the new approach based on the power of the internet, will give everything to us independent musicians. It's just a matter of time, hard work and patience.
