Bluebird Music Promotions, LLC: Blog

If you are an artist/performer, you know about the fourth wall—the wall that separates the performer and their audience. But there is a fifth wall that artists should break. Breaking through the fifth wall means the personal connection the artist/performer makes with their audience AFTER the performance and between gigs. Today it’s easier due to the digital age, but harder as it requires more time and effort. Yes, an artist can ‘meet and greet’ after each gig—very important to do. (Just bring your hand sanitizer and use it after they’ve all gone home.) But what are you doing between gigs? Consistent contact is so important between gigs. Don’t have time? Hire someone to do it for you. Or get a high school or college kid to do it for credit in a class or for community service hours. And no matter what you do, whether at your ‘meet and greets’, or through your social networking, newsletters, etc., appear like you are your fans BFF. In fact, throughout all of your [...]

If you asked the average Joe on the street who Sidney Harman was, they probably wouldn’t know. It’s a surprise that I know. But I read the book “A Whole New Mind” (Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future) by Daniel Pink, who referred to another book—“Mind Your Own Business”. The latter book is an autobiography about a remarkable man—Sidney Harman. Pink’s book is more for art’s educators. But as I read through the books that Pink listed as references to his own book, that title caught my eye—“Mind Your Own Business”. And so I ordered it. It was timely that I should stumble onto this book. After all, I was contemplating retiring from music education and becoming an entrepreneur. I was going to create a new business—a business that would help promote independent musicians. This book proved to be full of insights as to how to succeed in business and in life. So who was Sidney Harman?

He was the executive chairman and CEO of the world’s premier manufacturer [...]

The debate seems to continue over illegal downloading and fans expecting free music. I admit that not too long ago, I thought it was a sin to illegally download music or burn a friend’s CD. That is, until I realized I had committed that sin. I have asked teens over the past few years if they engage in such actions and often they would respond with, “If the artist is independent, I buy the music. If they are on a label, I don’t. I burn a friend’s CD or illegally download.” They have no remorse for the latter. They seem to think the artist and label are making enough money and won’t miss a few dollars. I have felt the pain of illegal downloading on behalf of the independent artists I work with. Having read the pros and cons and numerous artist reactions—some belligerent and some feeling like it has boosted their career—I now have another thought to ponder.

I am currently reading “Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes From [...]

On this Independence weekend, I began to think about the word from a musical point of view. For many years I thought there were only two classifications for artists—signed or independent. Now I realize there are three categories—artists signed to major labels, artists signed to independent labels, and the DIY’s or “Do It Yourselfers”. Some of the dictionary definitions for independence are: 1) the freedom from the influence of others; 2) exemption from external control or support; 3) not relying on others for aid or support; 4) self-confidence. I’d like to address those definitions. No matter what we do, we are influenced. I once read that a genius is someone who takes the ideas of others and creates something new that they can call their own. Examples would be Martha Graham, the pioneer of modern dance; the composer Stravinsky; writer, T.S. Eliot; and visual artist, Picasso. They all took ideas from others and created something new and exciting. [...]

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 [...]