The Next Battleground

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE ENTREMUSICIAN

I remember it like it was last Tuesday.

"It's for a Great Cause," she told me "...and at least a thousand people show up during this annual affair; many of them who will book you for their own events!"

And then she said the word every EntreMusician, Indie Artist & Garage Band hears at least 100,000 times during their formative phases:

"You will get plenty of EXPOSURE!" and uttered its toothless companion phrase, "You'll sell a ton of CDs!" 

We Fell For It. Played our Posteriors off Too! We sold eight (8) discs, Schmoozed with Plenty Potentials who Patted Our Sweaty Backs with Huge Grins on their Faces while Promising to Call Us. We gathered 32 Email Addresses, Ten which were illegible and another Eleven which were just plain Non-Existent. 

Needless to Say we Fell for It Again. And Again. Spent A Lot of Money, Travel, Sold Our Quota of Tickets, this & that time for a Different Promoter/Venue/Cause. All Huge Successes. Except None of the Bands Got Paid. The Sound Company Got Paid. The Headliner Got 14 Seconds on Local TV. Often, there was only Two or Three Non-Existent Email Addresses - but since we had sold tickets to our Existing Fan Base, they didn't need to provide theirs...

Maybe it was the 15th phone call, when I decided to grow at least one testicle and balk at the Promise of EXPOSURE. SounDoctrine charges $$! Four Promoters promptly hung up, but the Fifth One Did Not. She actually had a Budget and while she was unable to match the actual dollar amount, she came close and the Game Changed. I could juxtaposition what I didn't make in CD sales with actual income. I could pay my band. I could gas up the van! Heck, I could take my family out to dinner! Later this would become buy groceries and pay a bill! An EntreMusican Can Make Money in This Business!

But Now, The Battle Must be Fought Again On a Larger Stage.

The CD is Dead. The Download is Doomed and the Streamers are busy experimenting with monetizing the Live Experience on Phones & Tablets.

It's Time Composers, Producers, Singers, Musicians and Artists of Every Genre Stop the Train. Get Off the Tracks and Refuse to Participate in a System designed to Exploit & Extort.

If You're Going to Touch Your Toes, It Should Be Consensual and Pleasurable.

Next Week, I'll Share My Preliminary Plan...

...I was Listening to Prince's "Parade" Side One on Vinyl while Typing This