Becca And Nikki In The Office

Becca Levy arriving at the office in the (almost) wee hours of the morning after the car ride up from DC. She came up to record some songs/videos as well as attend the Stand Up to Bullying rally.

Becca showing Nicole something on her phone

Silly girls!

Becca And Friends

Becca hanging around in the office before getting ready for her recording session at Jamspot and the Stand Up to bullying rally.

Becca LOVED meeting Benny for the first time!

Monica (one of our photographers) & Becca who met for the first time

over the summer and became fast friends

Becca Levy Reconnecting With Some Staff Members

On Becca's trip up to our office she got to reconnect with some of the staff she hadn't see in a while.

Becca & Heather, one of our staff artists and designer of the Right Now logo.

Becca & Laura, one of our PR representatives who helps with all of Becca's campaigns.

Becca & Andrea, one of our social media gurus.

Beca & Matt, one our writers.

Becca With The Office Staff

Becca Levy had a great time coming to the office and meeting all the people that help with her music career and the Right Now campaign.

Becca and Chris, our web designer. (Check out his work here!)

Left to Right: Andrea, Lauren, Matt, Becca and Heather.
Just some of the team that helps keep Becca in order!

Around The Office - Posters

Becca Levy, Right Now spokesperson, hanging around in the office before getting ready to do some recording at Jamspot

Becca holding Becca! 

One of the posters for the Stand Up rally.

The poster for Becca's blog, the Buzz on Bullying, and Lauren, the artist

 that draws Becca as a bee!

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2013

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has officially announced it's inductees for the 2013 year. They are:


Rush










Heart

Public Enemy

Randy Newman

Donna Summer (died May 2012)

Albert King (died December 1992)

First Impressions And Branding - SUPER Important!

One of the most important things to remember with music, and you can't say it enough, is you have to treat your band like a business. And what's one of the most important things for a business to have? 

Branding! 

Your image needs to say you're a professional just as much as McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts has to! You don't want people checking out your band's website or Facebook and seeing poor quality(or questionable content) photos or updates with typos. People will immediately start forming an opinion of your band and that's going to affect your image - and you don't want that to be 'unprofessional' or 'amature'. Same goes with your music. If you're going to record a song, make sure you're not just doing it with your cellphone.. the quality is going to be awful and people WILL remember it (and not with a positive light). 

So how do you make your band's image favorable? Well, there are plenty of things to consider. First think about this:

• What is the forward slash address to your band's website?
• What is the first image you see?
• What is the first thing you read?
• When was the last update?

Then…

• Write words that describe what you see.
• How do these words compare to the words you want people to think?
• Then ask friends to do the same, asking for honest feedback! 

You are aiming for a consistent look and feel across all of your online profiles and pages. This is often very easy to fix and could just mean customizing your URL, updating information, or adding new photos. With a consistent brand identity in place, next consider how you can continue to communicate this consistency across the basic assets you need to support your next release. 

1. Recorded music - Ensure the quality is sufficiently high to have a chance of radio airplay.

2. Press pictures – Do you have a high quality image or images to support this release? Will people want to publish this image? Do these images communicate your style and support the sound of your music?

3. Artwork – Do you have high quality artwork to accompany your single, EP or album? If people judge the music by the cover, what will they conclude?

4. Biography or Press Release – What is the story of this release? Why should people be interested? Who produced or mixed the track? Do you have any quotes from music journalists or DJs supporting the track? Avoid hyperbole – sadly, apart from your mum, nobody is likely to really believe you are greatest band in the world!

5. Video – Do you have a HD quality music video to support your release? It doesn’t have to cost a fortune or be professionally made, but it does have to look great. So be creative! Ensure you add tags to help people find it and provide links to your key online sites and profiles.

Just remember, figure out what you want your band/brand identity to be, and tailor things accordingly. What do you want people to feel or think when they hear your music? Is that how you feel? And use your friends! They're great resources and less connected to the band than you are and will have a more honest opinion.

Click Here for the original article

Jamspot Recording Session With Becca Levy

A few behind the scenes shots during Becca Levy's recording session.

She's not a rapper, I swear.

 

A few encouraging words and advice between shoots. 

Photgraphers Andrew Swain and Jennifer Beliveau getting everything together.

Getting Ready - Jamspot Recording Session

Becca Levy at Jamspot getting ready for her photo/video shoot.

Nice hair, Becca! 

Hair Stylist Lindsay Griffin, Becca Levy, and Make Up Artist Kerri Herlihy

Myself and some of the crew. (I always have something to say!)

Recording With Becca Levy

Recording at Jamspot in Wakefield with Becca Levy. She has some amazing talent!..

(..though I can't say the same for myself.)

 

Becca Levy listening intently between recordings.

I had to take a few of my own photos while Becca was singing.

How To Play A Profitable Show

Here's a great article from Music Think Tank about how to budget when you're on tour. After all, the point is to make money which wont happen if you're making less than you're spending! It'.s all about planning.
(original article here)

Expenses

Before you begin planning where you can go on tour, it’s important to first list your expenses. I recommend keeping an Excel spreadsheet to monitor where your money is being spent and how much each item is costing you on the road so that you can make this a constantly updated process so you have previous data to work from to really hone your touring craft. Some of the most common expenses experienced by bands on the road, both new and old, are as follows: (A sample budget will be posted below.)

Fuel: The most obvious part of any tour is figuring out how much gasoline is going to cost you to go from city to city. To start with, assume that you’re paying the national average of $4 a gallon (at the time of writing, I’m hoping that number doesn’t rise much higher!). We’ll be using this number later on to determine an optimal driving distance for each of your shows.

• Note: The standard Ford E350 touring van that bands use gets 16 miles to the gallon on the highway. This number is often less than the EPA rated highway MPG, so I like to round this down to 14 miles per gallon (MPG) just to be on the safe side. It’s always better to overestimate your costs to ensure your budget stays in check.

Food: Food costs are another important factor that you can’t leave out. Being on the road with a box of ramen at your side may work for a few days, but eventually you’ll have to supply your body with some actual nutrition. Avoid eating at restaurants and fast-food places and instead bring a camping stove, non-perishables, and some fruits and veggies you can buy every few days. These can all be kept in a cooler with a bag of ice that costs a few cents at the gas station you stop at to refill at each day.

• Average Food Cost: Although it may seem tough at first, it’s very easy to get by on about$7/day per band member. This usually consists of a protein bar and coffee/juice for breakfast ($1.50 per protein bar and a tub of instant coffee + free hot water at most Starbucks/coffee shops), steamed vegetables (Enough broccoli, green peppers, and green beans can be bought for a meal for $1 per band member) and  & ramen/rice (less than 50 cents per serving) for lunch, and some form of tempeh/tofu or other protein and vegetable dish for dinner (a can of beans, corn, and another vegetable can be had for about 80 cents a can and can be cooked in a single pot coming out to another $1 or so per band member if you all eat the same thing). Dried fruits can be made very cheaply and are a great snack on the road. I add in a few extra dollars here and there to account for the candy bar splurges, nice coffee trips, and the inevitable “etc” that each person will probably face. $7/Day per Band Member

Merchandise: Although some bands may not be accustomed to doing this, keeping a running tally of your merchandise expenses on a cost per unit basis will help you not only keep your money straight, it will help you reinvest your money at a later date for a new CD printing venture while on the road or back at home.

• Average Merchandise Cost: It varies wildly from band to band how much their merchandise costs them to print and produce, but for the band we’ll be using as an example below, each CD they sell costs them $4 to produce. $4/CD

25% Rule

This rule is self-instated and seems to work well for bands that are just starting out. The 25% rule says that out of the money you make playing a show (including the money you make from selling merchandise) you should be able to keep 25% of it as profit. That means that if the guarantee* that’s paid at your shows is $100, $25 should be able to go into your pocket or into the band bank account for future use or to cover unexpected tour expenses.

• *Guarantee: Having a venue give you a guarantee is them saying “no matter what, we’ll agree to pay you this amount of money for showing up and performing.”

Example

The band I work with is based out of Nashville, TN. Playing once a week in town is enough for them to hold themselves over before going out on the road each weekend. Although they turn a profit during the week from playing locally, we’ll put this money out of the picture and simply consider what it is they’re spending on the road each weekend when they play out. The cities they decide to play are entirely based on how much they can afford to spend on their expenses and still be able to keep 25% of the revenue brought in by their shows. Confused? Let’s take a look.

On average, the band we’re talking about safely brings in guarantees of $150 per show that they play. And, their $8 EPs tend to sell at least 2-3 copies per show. Although this number fluctuates, we’ll use “2” as our guideline for revenue calculations.

(Before the flack comes rolling in about how $150 isn’t that much to be earning per show as a guarantee, know that many of the bands out there first starting out are going to be hard pressed to even get that. I know of plenty of gigs where $75-$100 has been the norm and when you’re growing, being able to play anywhere just to build name recognition in a place is more valuable than anything.)

Revenue: $150 (guarantee) + $16 (Merchandise Sales) = $166 per show GUARANTEED

Expenses:  $21 (3 band members food costs) + $8 (Merchandise Costs) = $29

25% Profit: 25% of $166 per show = $41.50

Money Left for Gas: $166 – $29 – $41.50 = $95.50

How Far Can You Go?

That last number is the most important part of this whole equation. Knowing how much money is left to pay for gas after every show is what we NEED out of all of these calculations. For easiness sake, we typically say that we have $100 to spend on fuel after every show.

Calculation: ($100 for fuel)/($4 per gallon) = 25 gallons of fuel to use after each show.

25 gallons * 14 MPG =  350 miles of potential travel distance after every show. 

BEWARE! - This also has to cover you on the round trip portion of every tour. Although you may have earned enough to go 350 miles to the next city, remember that eventually you’ll have to make your way back home. If you’re smart in your plan, you can start at home, play a show, and use the gas expenditure you make at that show’s $150 guarantee to make your way to city #2 and continue the cycle from there, ultimately ending up back at home.

Using this calculation, you can figure out exactly how far you can afford to travel and which cities will be the most economical for you to hit on any given tour leg. Guessing wildly at a good place to go may work for a little while, but eventually the randomness of it all will catch up to you.

Extra Money?

The budget we did above was very conservative in estimates. We assumed that the band was only going to get a meager $150 per show that they play. We kept the food budget very slimmed down and even built in a few extra dollars of “wiggle room” that could add up to a surprisingly large chunk at the end of things if it doesn’t all get spent. In addition, the 2 CD estimate we used was obviously very conservative as well and if the band does well at promoting themselves, this number could jump much higher.

Although extra money could be brought in on a per-show basis, these few extra dollars should also be put aside to cover unforeseen expenses and accidents that may happen.

The great part of being on the road is that things change. Often for the better and sometimes for the worst. Not every show is going to pay $150 as a guarantee and not every show is going to cost you your fuel budget to get to. Having a detailed account of all of your expenses is something that should stay constant though. The sooner you start keeping a detailed account of your band’s expenditures, the easier it will be to plan for future tours and expenses.

Should You "Pay To Play"?

"Pay To Play" is a concept that a lot of musicians are uncomfortable with, and think they should be getting paid to play (as they should, eventually) but is pay to play really as bad as it seems?

Below is a video from Nic Adler who is owner of the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, and he believes that "pay to play" is a good thing, and can be beneficial to many musicians. 

As Adler says in his vido, System Of A Down started out playing the Roxy Theater as a "pay to play" band. After a few "pay to play" gigs, they were making money on ticket sales and eventually we're selling out the theater. And a lot of big bands started out that way.

Now, if you're already getting paid decent money to play local gigs, then paying to play probably  isn't for you. But maybe you haven't made it that far yet. When done right, "pay to play" can be a great way to promote your band, and you actually might not be paying anything at all!

The concept behind "pay to play" is that you're buying tickets from the venue and selling them yourself. Now if the venue wants you to sell a ridiculous number of tickets and you know you can't, then don't accept. Look for people who want you to sell a reasonable number. For example if someone wants you to sell 40 tickets, and you're a 4-piece band, that's only 10 tickets each. And as long as you actually sell all those tickets, it's not going to cost you anything at all. And If you're lucky enough you can even sell more than the required number of tickets and pocket some cash too!

Selling tickets also gets you on the street, meeting people face to face and talking about your band and your music. As a band, you're much more personable when your can be reached easily. People will also see your serious about your music because you're putting in that extra effort to get people to come out and see you, instead of hanging around being lazy and hoping a gig will fall into your lap.

Your band should always be treated as a business, but as in any business you need to spend money to make money. You can't just hope that you're going to be getting amazing gigs when no one knows who you are and you don't work at making yourself more well known. Paying to play is just another step in the right direction to get your band at the level you want it to be!




Click Here for the video

Becca Levy Recording Session - Looking Good

For a video to look good, the artist has to look good too! Here are just some of the things that happen to make it all come together.

Laying out the clothes for the photo/video shoots. 

Making Becca Levy look good for the camera.

Kerri Herlihy, the make up artist who makes it all possible!

Jamspot Recording Sessions - Behind The Scenes

Some behind the scenes photos of what goes into a recording session. These are from a shoot we did with client Becca Levy last week. 

Photographers Andrew Swain and Jennifer Beliveau getting multiple angles while recording video of Becca Levy singing.

Becca Levy working the camera.

Make-up artist Kerri Herlihy doing touch ups on Becca for the video.

Jamspot Recording Session

Over the past week we worked with client Becca Levy recording some new songs at Jamspot in Wakefield, MA. Here's a look at some of the people who help out behind the scenes to make it all possible.

Me with Gary Agresti who does audio with K Productions Services and is the house production manager at Meadow Brook Farms in Gilford, NH.

Make-up artist Kerri Herlihy, photographer Andrew Swain and myself behind the scenes at Jamspot. 

Five Things To Avoid On Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a great site for people to get projects funded that are really important to them. The great news is that 54% of all Kickstarter music ventures succeed! However that still leaves just under half that don't. But thank god there's people out there who do research so you don't have to! Here are the top five things to avoid when preparing your Kickstarter. 

1) Lack of a Purpose Worth Backing

Most people think that the reason a band’s Kickstarter fails is because they don’t have enough fans.  This is simply just not true.  Almost anyone is connected to enough friends and family to raise a reasonable amount of money.

Failing to show those friends, family, and fans that their money is going to a worthy cause is often times the deal breaker.

This happens when a) you have a worthy cause but you’re just terrible at explaining it (bad marketing) or b) you don’t actually have a compelling project that gets people excited.

2) Choosing a Goal That’s Too High for Your Circle of Influence

One big misconception is that Kickstarter is a community of people looking for cool projects to back.

With music Kickstarter projects, you are relying 99% on your existing personal connections.  It’s imperative that you assess your Circle of Influence by literally making a list of friends, family, and fans you expect to back you. Add them all up, assume that less than half will back you, then multiply by $60 (the average pledge per backer).

As a side note, we constantly hear people say “the ones I thought would back didn’t, and the ones I didn’t think would back did”.

3) Failure to Work Hard

Your Kickstarter is a personal project that requires you to reach out and connect one-on-one with many people.  Simply sending out a mass email and spamming your Facebook page for a month will not lead to success.  You need to send personal emails, engage in face-to-face communication, and tell people exactly what you need them to do.

Almost every artist we talk to admits to being afraid to directly ask for money.  Don’t beat around the bush and take the passive route.  You need to show people that you believe wholeheartedly in what you’re doing by getting out and working your butt off.  When they see your passion they’ll respond by backing your cause and spreading the word for you.

4) Giving Up Too Early

Most Kickstarter projects have a huge last minute rush.  If your goal seems too far away on the third week of a 30 day campaign, don’t assume it’s a lost cause.  Dig in and campaign harder than you ever have.

According to Kickstarter, “While 12% of projects finished having never received a single pledge, 81% of projects that raised more than 20% of their goal were successfully funded.”

5) Imperfect Rewards

Backers pledge at their level of fanhood or engagement in you and your project, not necessarily at the level they find a favorable reward. It’s your job to make sure that all types of backers are able to contribute at the highest level possible.

If a backer is willing to show you their support at the $35 level but you jump from a $20 package to a $50 package, you’re loosing out on potential dollars because they’ll settle for the $20 package.

Reward design is an art and requires a deep understanding of your following and how you plan to frame your project.  In other words, are you framing it as a pre-order where it’s important for rewards to match their real world perceived value or are you framing it as a fund raiser where it’s more acceptable to offer the physical CD for $35?

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5 Annoying Conversations Non-Musicians Will Have With You

I got a kick out of this. Check it out and see if any of this sounds familiar to you. The five most annoying conversations you'll have with non-music folk!

So, are you signed yet?

What it sounds like they mean:

You’ve been on about your music for a while now, but if you’re not signed, well then what’s the point of it all? You have to be signed like the big-names to be a somebody in music, right?

What you want to say:

NO. Surely If I were “signed”, you’d know. Plus, you’re in the dark if you think being signed is the be-all & end all of music! Where have you been the past few years? Have you NOT seen the independent movement of successful artists doing it their way and doing it big? Gosh!

What you actually say:

Signed? No. But I’m not trying to be – I mean, I’d love for things to take off but I know that in music, it takes time, plus I’m not chasing the mainstream – I’m in it for the art.

When’s your album out then?

What it sounds like they mean:

You don’t have an album? All the big names, the ones I used to buy before I started downloading music, have albums. I mean – no I don’t bother with albums now – I mostly just listen to my favourite singles in a playlist on repeat. But you DON’T have an album? Pshht!

What you want to say:

LOL – an album? Do you even buy music anymore? What’s the last album you purchased? Not to mention, music stores are forever minimizing in-store space, because people are less inclined to buy them. Plus, albums are really expensive to make, record, mix, master and design – no, I don’t have an album out at the moment.

What you actually say:

I don’t have an album in the works just yet, I do have a few songs out at the moment though – I can send them to you if you’d like?

So, I’ll be hearing you on the radio will I?

What it sounds like they mean:

I ONLY listen to the radio, it’s my main music source – so if it aint in the top ten, I aint listening. You’re not in there, so you’re stuff can’t be as “good” as what is. Or maybe you’re just not doing something right.

What you want to say:

Well, radio is pretty much controlled by, or has elements of a Payola type system. That makes traditional radio an almost impossible place for new, unsigned and underground music to be play-listed – because the mainstream has a firm hold over what is played.

There are slots outside of that where new music is often played, but obviously your busy life means you have no time for shows during those often late nights or very early mornings – so in a nutshell, probably not – as I’m unsigned.

What you actually say:

The radio is only one of many places new music like mine is played, sure I’ve had some attention there, but really I’m focusing on quality stuff for potential new fans.

Long time no see, are you famous yet?

What it sounds like they mean:

You say you’re a musician but you’re not on TV. Musician’s are everywhere, billboards TV, radio – does anybody apart from me, know that you make music?

What you want to say:

Oh c’mon – surely if I were famous you would know! Yes, I make music, but I’m not on TV – or famous, so I guess I’m not successful? – Well, I’m not fame-hungry or anything, I make music because I really love music, and people enjoy mine.

What you actually say:

Ha! I guess not…

Still doing the whole music thing then?

What it sounds like they mean:

Still pushing on with that are you? You must be serious about it then, not that I’ve noticed, mind…

What you want to say:

“Thing”? – Music is my art, my passion – of course I’m still making it!

You asking means you haven’t been following my updates, or coming to shows, or even checking out the new music I’ve been releasing – that’s a shame, I think you might like it.

What you actually say:

Yeah of course! I’ve actually just released a new track – I’ll send you the link to it if you’d like?

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Four Steps To Go From Playing Covers To Originals

Face it, every band starts out playing covers. How could you not? It's an easy way to practice because you can listen to the original and make sure everyone in the band sounds up to par, and it's easy to find mistakes. It's also great for crowds because they're going to know it! And when a crowd hears a song they love, they're going to be more interested in the performance as a whole. 

You might try to work in some original songs while playing a gig, but the crowd isn't diggin' it you might think it's just not good. Before you begin to think that way, remember that it’s not your fault that your material doesn't get the same kind of response. A hit record has usually been well crafted by a slew of experts, and it’s been burned into your audience’s consciousness over a long period of time. But here are some great tips to get your music up there with the big hits and have your audience wowed! 



1. Take what you think is your best song and work it up show-wise so it’s the best song in your set. This means that you concentrate on the dynamics of the song, the lighting, and the movement of the players on stage. Don’t know what I mean? Watch a concert by your favorite band or artist. At some point during the set (or several times even) the show will peak thanks to something that goes beyond just standing there and singing and playing. That’s what you want to do. I realize that it isn’t as easy as it sounds, but this is a step you’ve got to take.

2. Next, connect that song to one of the hot cover songs that you do that’s similar in theme and/or tempo, then play them together in a medley.  Keep working it until your song get’s the same response as the cover.

3. After you’ve gotten your audience used to one of your songs, use the technique to put a second, then a third song into your show. It’s a gradual process, so just be sure that your songs the show around them are as well-crafted as you can get them. It’s quality you’re going for, not quantity.

4. Finally, since you have to play cover song for the time being, don’t play them exactly like the record. Don’t be afraid to give them your sound. Remember that you’re audience is digging more on the familiarity of the song rather than how close to the record your performance is.


Just remember that your songs have to be good for any of this to work. Take the time required to write great music with strong lyrics. Put in the effort, it'll be well worth it!




Click Here for the original article

The Music Business Isn't Dying!

 I know there's a lot of information out there about the music industry dying a slow and painful death, but don't give up your music career just yet! According to these numbers from  Nielsen Soundscan and the IFPI, that just simply isn't true! 

Check this out:

• US album sales were up 1.3% last year, the first year since 2005 that’s happened. 66% of these sales were CDs.

• There were 249 million albums sold in the US last year. People will tell you that the music industry is dying, but 249 million of anything is still a huge number.

• 75% of all CD sales were made offline. That means that people physically purchased the CD at a brick and mortar store or an event.

• 40% of all CD buyers are over the age of 45, which means that the demo that mostly grew up with CDs are the ones still buying them. But it also means that 60% of all buyers were under 45 too.

• Vinyl sales increased 37 percent in 2011, but only accounted for 1.2 percent of all physical sales. That doesn’t mean that people who buy vinyl actually listen to it though. Just like the old days, many still buy it for the cover, the artwork, the liner notes, and the trendiness (which is new).

• Rock is the most popular genre of music, with 32 percent album share, while pop music represents 40 percent of all current digital tracks sold. Ninety-three of the 100 best selling vinyl albums in 2011 fall within the Rock or Alternative genres. I guess that means that the hip-hop and rap trend has run it’s course.

• People who live in New York or LA buy more country records than those who live in Nashville by almost 2 to 1. Having just come from a speaking tour in Nashville, I can tell you first-hand that it’s a very cosmopolitan music town, with country no longer the major part of the industry as it once was. That said, country music represents 13% of the total album sales.

• Digital country music sales are up 31% over last year. While it might have been true at one time that country music lovers were slow to get into digital music, that’s obviously no longer the case.

• Acts that perform at halftime during the Superbowl get an average sales bump of 555%. Critics may pan them and you might hate them, but you still buy them.

Looks like there's hope after all!



Click Here for the original article 

How To Make Your Dreams Come True

What's the difference between a dream and a goal? Well, really it's all in your attitude. Dreams are defined more by being something unattainable, out of reach. But goals are the things you work for and plan to accomplish or reach. So from now on, treat your dreams as goals! And with enough ambition, anything is possible. The Wright brothers didn't just sit around thinking about how great it would be to fly, they made it happen - and so can you! Here are some simple tips to get you started! 

1. Start Small

The first step towards your dream is to get started. Do something every day, anything. Don’t go and spend tons of money on fancy instruments and studio equipment. Don’t waste time on trying to get a gig at the best venue in your town before you’ve played the toilet around the corner. Start with the stuff that matters and that you know you are capable of handling. Give yourself time to learn your art and the tricks of the trade.

2. Live Cheap

You are immediately limiting your options if you get yourself into too much debt. If possible, start saving so that you have a bit of a buffer if you need to take time out of work, or your car breaks down. Don’t jump at every fancy new gadget that comes your way. Buy stuff only when you really need it. Keep your every day expenses reasonable. The less you spend, the less you need to make money. And that will give you more freedom to do whatever you want.

3. Plan Regularly

Ok, so you played that toilet around the corner a few times now. Maybe it’s time to move on. Take a step back and map out the road to your Big Dream. Break it down to monthly, quarterly and yearly goals. Decide what to do and make time to do the tasks you set yourself. By having a good plan will make each step a bit clearer. It will give you ideas of what you should be aiming for next. It will also help you realise what is useful and what is a waste of time. Set yourself a budget and stick to it.

4. Make Friends

Connections are gold. Your genius will go unnoticed if no one knows about it. The myth of the lonely genius is exactly that – a myth. Successful people are without exception well connected. Luckily making connections is easier than ever before. Connect with other bands, bloggers, music lovers, friends of friends and random people. Don’t try to gain anything from these connections. Have inspiring conversations and people will remember you. Offer to help and people will help you back.

5. Commit

No dream is going to come true if you don’t make a commitment to it. Everything that can, will go wrong. You will lose faith. You will suck. You will run out of money. You will play empty venues. You will be too busy. Sorry, you’ll just have to keep your head down and keep going. Without a commitment life will get in the way and before you know it the attainable goal has turned into a distant dream again.

Dreams are only dreams until you write them down. Then they become your goals. – Anonymous

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