I’ve written plenty of travel tips in the past, from articles on saving money to hacking fly-out shows. Today, I wanted to provide some recommendations for specific gadgets, tools, and things that every road warrior should have. Aside from the obvious (extra strings, quality cases, etc.), these are some of the things that I keep in my backpack … Read more
One of the best ways to practice is being able to make use of both your hard music skills as well as the soft music skills simultaneously through the use of music scales. Major scales, arpeggios, and music exercises can help further skill with an instrument while developing harmony recognition and deeper melodic understanding. To … Read more
While going through my inbox today, I received a request from someone asking for help to market their music. The ask started out with a simple note: “I have a few songs I’d like to either submit to labels to shop around to artists and I could really use your help.” I get a number of these … Read more
When I was 13 years old, I was handed a book: Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell. It changed my life trajectory. From that moment on, I dedicated myself to reading at least two books or academic journals on leadership per month for the rest of my life. While my “leadership library” has grown … Read more
When I was in my MBA program, I often learned more about business from business owners (and running one myself) than the instructor. Usually, the people out in the field have a different perspective than those who are teaching. With the music industry, you have experts who come at it from many different angles: managers, … Read more
For most musicians, this is something that they know they should do but feel uncomfortable with or don’t know how to approach. However, it’s something that can open the doors to better shows, a record label, a new sponsor, or even more fans. Here are some things I’ve learned over the years about networking: 1. … Read more
In celebration of Independence Day, the Kindle version of my book How to Get Sponsorships and Endorsements will be on sale until Sunday for only $2.99! If you have Amazon Prime, you can download a copy for free. Remember, creating strategic partnerships through sponsors and endorsements is one of the best ways for independent musicians to become successful. Not … Read more
A few weeks ago, I posted about The Most overrated Things in a Musician’s Career. Due to some requests, I’ve decided to write about the most underrated things that we often don’t think about or use to the fullest extent. Like my previous article, there are several things that depend some time or commitment. However, unlike … Read more
While I was on Twitter, I saw some misinformation being posted through an RT on the CD Baby account. A merch company argued that musicians should order merchandise before Dec. 31st so they could write off the expenses in 2012 while selling the goods in 2013. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter because you’ll be taxed on your earnings for 2013 … Read more
If you’re getting beautifully genuine about this entire music career thing, you’ve likely as of now begun conceptualizing a few thoughts for promoting your band to pick up more introduction. No matter how extraordinary your tunes are, they’re not progressing to mystically reach an audience on their claim. Promoting music online is a complete aptitude … Read more