Music On The Blog

Music talent along with Experienced Music Promotion especially in conjunction with A&R Contacts, preferably unlimited A&R contacts, still lead more directly to record deals than perhaps any other process! Many independent music artists have come to the unhappy realization that attempting to get a record deal in the music business today can seem relatively futile.

More and more groups are releasing product independently rather than going through the frustrating and intimidating procedure of even trying to get signed by a label of any kind. While others hold on to the idea that having a record label represent them to provide music promotion, and to help set up bookings and get exposure to A&R executives is crucial. So who is right?

Music promotion books and music magazines used to help guide groups to learn what the music promotion industry is looking for in signing new artists to record deals. However, music promotion online has completely changed the way groups go about promoting themselves or their music. Music Promotion can still be a dirty business, too. Unfortunately, online music promotion is an essential part of any artist’s successful marketing campaign; so it must be done! If you can’t afford to hire a music promotion company or a promoter and have not been signed to a record deal or a label, your options are quite limited.

In some ways independent music promotion has become easier also. You can now discover new music talent with ease downloading huge variety off the internet. You can promote your records and reach a wider variety of the worldwide audience also using the internet. Internet can help you increase your fan base and even possibly help people recognize you for your music talent. So to some degree music promotion is even easier than it once was, there are just fewer directions or clear explanations.

Finding a full proof plan on how to sell your music is a very daunting task today. If you are reading this you are most likely proud of the original top quality music you and your band are producing, however, making music and selling it are two different things. Many bands recognize that they need help with music promotion and budget a portion of every gig for music promotion help. Many hire band managers and look to them for help with music promotion.

Other bands take the more empirical route and just work on developing a following. They figure if the music talent is there it will eventually be recognized. All of these ideas have merit but no one of them is a sure thing. So some combination of these ideas and extraordinary hard work can absolutely pay off. If you have the wherewithal to gather a few dollars to get some talented, focused music promotion help also, it can be incredibly helpful at expediting the entire process!

Joann Gullo is the CEO of A&R Unlimited, LLC, Extreme Management Group, Inc and Extreme Promotions, Inc. She is a music industry veteran who began her career working as Vice President of A and R Unlimited at Eagle Eye Entertainment.

A couple of years ago, I was working with one of my cello students who had become first chair in her school orchestra. The subject of “what it really means to be first chair” was something that we spoke about many times.

Chair Test Auditions

Many of the orchestra and band directors in my local area have weekly, or bi-weekly chair tests. These auditions encourage them to practice, since everyone wants to move up in seating position.

Playing The Solo Parts

The most important reason that students want to be first chair is that they want to be the soloist, should there be a solo part for their section. As these students grow older and get to be more experienced, they will start to find that there is more to being a first chair “principal” musician.

Responsibility For Others In The Section

As a student progresses into more advanced orchestras and bands, they’ll usually find that being first chair means that they are increasingly becoming responsible for how their section plays. It is normally understood that the conductor is the one that creates the overall sound for the orchestra, but a lot of the detailed information on how a part should be played is generally worked out through the principal instrumentalist. When sectionals are held, the principal instrumentalist (or section leader) is, many times, the one that will hold the session and work out issues that anyone in the section has.

Being A Leader

When students start out playing in beginning band and/or orchestra, they become familiar with the “am I right?” syndrome. They start to listen to one another and try to figure out what’s going on. If no-one sets an example as a leader, the section usually starts to get lost even when the conductor is focusing on that group. At times, one student will be playing in one place, another one will be somewhere completely different and others will just be sitting there having no idea where they are supposed to be. This is the time for the students that have the most confidence in themselves and their training shine, and usually end up becoming first chair.

Benefits Of Private Lessons

Usually, the students that take private lessons outside the school, are the ones that forge ahead, become the leaders and therefore first chair. The main reason for this is not that they normally play better than the surrounding students who don’t take any private lessons, but that they gain enormous amounts of confidence when working with a professional musician and therefore become the natural leader of the section. When everyone in a section is taking private lessons, than things really get competitive and the students try even harder! These are usually the students that get into the regional honor bands and orchestras, and then move on to the extremely competitive all-state groups.

About the Author

Jerry has taught music professionally for 17 years. He is also a concert piano tuner in Houston, Tx.

Aside from his music, Jerry enjoys working with websites designed to help consumers find what they are searching for online. His latest site will help you find a convection toaster oven.