All Indie Magazine

What does Hard Rock Cafe, Celebrities, New York State Senate, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have in Common?

2013-05-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

THE ARTISTS IN MUSIC AWARDS - THE BREAKTHROUGH SERIES, THAT'S WHAT!

Guess what? It’s May and we’re just a few weeks away from the premiere of “The Breakthrough Series” at Hard Rock Café in Hollywood, CA on June 27, 2013 beginning at 10pm. This will be the first event of the series to officially kick off the 2014 Artists In Music Awards!

FOUR REASONS WHY THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EXCITING EVENT

One, we’re helping out a charitable cause by donating to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Two, we have some spectacular performers that evening including 2013 Artists In Music Awards winner for Best Folk/Acoustic Artist, Soren Bryce and Best Rock Artist and Best Album of the Year winner, Glitter Rose.

Three, some big celebrities will be in attendance. We’re not at allowed to publicly say who is coming, but you should definitely come and find out!

Four, this is going to be a fantastic photo opportunity on the Red Carpet. You may even get interviewed by inDspotlightTV and by other members of the media.

PRICE

So what is the ticket price? For this event, we’re only accepting donations. We’re asking for $10, but you may donate what ever you’d like. If you can’t afford $10, send us $5. If you are in a position to give $100, please do so! Make your donation HERE

A SURPRISING ACCOLADE FROM A NEW YORK SENATOR!

2013 AIMA winner for Best Electronica Artist and Producer of the Year, Avery Berman of The Ground Above received a nice public notice from a government official.

“…[T]his Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate Avery Berman of New Paltz, New York, upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of two prestigious Artists in Music Awards” - New York State Senator, John J. Bonacic (R, C, IP) 42^nd Senate District.

Read the full public notice at http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/J802-2013

Once again, congratulations to The Ground Above for receiving 2 awards! We couldn’t be more proud of him.

Remember, if you’re a Nominee or an AIMA alumni and you’d like us to put an important announcement or you'd like to brag about a recent accolade in our monthly newsletter, please let us know by writing us at info@aimusicawards.com

New Partnerships and Sponsors!

Earlier this year, we partnered with Arts Seen & Heard PR and they graciously donated a $5,000 grand prize to the Artist of the Year winner. We’ve also established a new partnership with MusicSUBMIT and we are proud to announce the return of 101Distribution and Independent Music Promotions. We are also very proud to announce our partnership with St. Jude Children’s Hospital. They are the official charity of the 2014 Artists In Music Awards. We would also like to thank Spirit Airlines, Advantage Distribution, and of course KGUP 106.5FM “The Emerge Radio Networks”, the official radio station of the Artists In Music Awards.

If you're interested in submitting for the 2014 Artists In Music Awards, we are now accepting submissions. Just go to http://www.aimusicawards.com/submit.html

Thank you!

Meet the 2014 Artists In Music Awards Judges

2013-04-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

Meet the 2014 Artists In Music Awards Judges!

Lea Reis - Major Recording Producer in the 80s and 90s for Moe-Dee, Tupac Shakur, Adina Howard, Jackson Del Rey, 12 Gauge, Jade, Valery Watson, Yo-Yo, Kool Moe Dee, KRS-One, Deni Hines, Young MC, Nikki Grier and many other artists

Dan Burns - Grammy Nominated, Los Angeles based Record Producer/Engineer/Mixer/Songwriter

Jeff Weber - Owner of Weberworks Entertainment (Former A&R Representative at Universal Music Group)

Guy Towe - Radio Disc Jockey and Host for LA Talk Radio show called "Relevant Music and Muse"

Gus Summers - Radio Disc Jockey at KCLA 99.3FM in Los Angeles, CA

Fred R Rawlins - Musician, an Executive Producer, Business Owner, Spectrum Jockeys Productions Former guitarist of Bonnie Rait, Jackson Browne

Margaret Guiraud - Owner of IMTAgency, specializing in music and talent placement

The Truth about Getting Radio Airplay

2013-03-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Two things in the last 2 decades has changed the music and radio industry, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and piracy. How did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 change the radio market? By allowing companies to merge with one another. This is why Clear Channel is everywhere now. Through consolidation, they've expanded rapidly across the nation. Since 1999, they've been slowly acquiring at least one or more radio stations in almost every market. With over 850 radio stations in their network today, it's almost impossible to go anywhere in the United States without coming across a Clear Channel radio station.

When the internet began to become the preferred way to listen to music at home and on personal devices like the iPod, piracy began to change the entire industry as well. It almost collapsed the major record label market. Many labels were bought, sold, and dissolved as a result. Now we have an entirely new industry. Fewer CD's are sold and less money is made selling music on the internet. Artists and labels were forced to find new ways to sell music, and that was through live performances and on radio performance royalties, because traditional mechanical royalties weren't paying the bills.

Labels recoup much of their initial investment from their artists through Radio Royalties. Radio royalties or what is commonly known as performance royalties are tracked and paid out by the performance rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN, and SoundExchange. Artists and labels also make money through satellite radio and internet radio, but the internet radio station must be licensed in order for the artist to get paid any royalties. To find out if an internet radio station is properly licensed, look for the ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN, and SoundExchange logos and disclosures. If they do not disclose their licensing information, they are operating illegally.

WHY CAN'T I GET MY MUSIC ON MAINSTREAM RADIO?

You can, but it costs a lot of money to do so. Radio campaigns range differently in price depending on the size of the region and how large a network you want to market in. If you want to market to radio stations in the major metropolitan areas, then get ready to cough up in upwards of $250,000 per campaign. If you're doing your own promotion, be prepared to be ignored and get your CD's tossed in the garbage. A station manager or program director gets upwards of 20 to 100 CD's per day. By email, they are unsolicited by hundreds of indie labels and do-it-yourself artists. Guess who's emails and appointments they're going to accept? Not yours unless you're a rep from the "Big 3" (Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group) or one of the smaller major labels including Columbia Records, RCA Records, and Epic Records. Priority goes down from there to the next highest labels in the chain.

SO, WHERE DO ALL MY CD's AND PRESS KITS REALLY GO?

You want to know the truth? It goes in a big cardboard box in the back of the office or studio usually where the interns sit during six months of the year. You have to look at the industry from the radio station manager/program director's perspective. It's all about the numbers. If you're barely coming out of your parents garage and you have no following and no "virility", then you are less likely to get their attention. Also, do not just slap together a CD cover with you holding your guitar that you snapped with your iPhone and expect it to be opened and certainly don't write on the CD with a Sharpie and think it's going to be played. It won't. Radio industry folks are people and they WILL judge your book by its cover, so make sure you have a professional looking CD jacket in a professionally shrink wrapped case.

In almost ALL radio stations, guess who's opening your CD's and listening to your music? 9 out of 10 times it is an intern from a local college. These interns are individuals that are typically brainwashed by mainstream society and they most likely listen to popular music and they have no patience for bad art. If your design happens to catch their attention, it better sound the way it looks. If your music doesn't sound like the music they're currently listening to, that intern won't bother handing your CD to his or her boss. The intern already has a specific set of instructions as they go through the big box of CDs, "If you don't like it, don't bother giving it to me". That's a scary thought, right? It's true. Don't believe me, ask for yourself.

HOW DO I KNOW MY MUSIC IS READY FOR MAINSTREAM RADIO?

The best way to find out if your music is ready for the "big time" and will be accepted by a professional representative that will successfully shop your music, is send your music to alternative mainstream radio stations like KGUP 106.5FM "The Emerge Radio Networks" and various other alternative-mainstream radio stations that have a good reputation and play QUALITY independent music. Other reputable alt-mainstream radio stations in Los Angeles include 98.7fm, KCRW 89.9, KROQ 106.7, Indie 103.1,KXLU 88.9FM, and KCLA 99.3FM.

DON'T SUBMIT IT AND FORGET IT

Be proactive. Make sure you are promoting the radio station that is playing your music. Ask your fans to request your songs. If you don't, you may find that your songs aren't even being played anymore. Radio stations often keep your music on rotation based on how well you promote, so make sure you create a designated page on your website and list all the radio stations that play your songs and LISTEN TO THE STATION TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE PLAYING YOUR MUSIC. Do this weekly with all the radio stations you submitted your music to. If you don't hear your song inside of 2 hours, don't complain to the station manager, because he won't listen to you. The only way to get your music back on the air is get your fans to call the station's hotline, emails, or Tweets them to ensure your song is on rotation at all times. The moment you stop promoting, the station managers know this, because they keep a daily log of ALL requests that come in.

GET YOUR MUSIC PROFESSIONALLY REVIEWED

Before you pay thousands of dollars to a representative to shop your music to all the major radio stations in the bigger markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Nashville, New York, Atlanta, or Miami, get lots of reputable reviews from magazine publications, professional music reviewers, and music bloggers. If you're constantly getting rejections, that is a sign that your music isn't ready and needs to be reworked. If you are rejected, don't act proud and curse out the reviewer for rejecting your music. Instead, ask why it was rejected. You might get some constructive criticism that you might be able to use when you record your next song or album.

GET YOUR MUSIC LICENSED FOR FILM AND TELEVISION

Another sure way to get your music heard in a major market radio station is to get your music played on a major film or popular television show. Find a licensed agency that will shop your music for the right film or tv show. However, it's not that simple. You need to think like a Sound Engineer. The Sound Engineer is responsible for taking raw footage of a film, tv show, or commercial and puts music in the background of a scene. Don't just throw your music in all directions hoping it will get picked up somewhere. First, have a meeting with your agent and brain storm the available opportunities and visualize your music in that specific scenario. If you think your music will fit a specific score and the right opportunity comes up, you'll have a better chance at landing a licensing deal. Once your song is placed on a major film or tv show and it's a box office hit or a popular tv show with high viewer ratings, then likely your music video will go viral. If your song goes viral on YouTube, it will not only catch the attention of radio station managers and program directors, but also to major record label executives.

YOUR PROFILE

You need a following. Don't just create a website and one profile on MySpace. You will get rejected before anyone presses "play". MySpace is no longer the barometer used to measure your popularity. Other sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are. Sites like Reverbnation will pull data from all your social media sites to measure your relevancy. Sure, 500,000 Likes on Facebook sure looks great and it does look great on your resume, but it's not necessary, because more executives know anyone can buy Followers and Likes. There are plenty of career recording artists that make a decent living by having their music played on the lessor radio markets and it all adds up. Some of these artists have less than 30,000 combined followers and fans (excluding MySpace). You have to assess your own overall profile. Industry professionals like to look at your entire profile and evaluate your activity. They often ask themselves, is this artist proactive? Are their fans interacting with them? Are they frequently performing? Are they involved in charity activities?

IS YOUR MUSIC RELEVANT?

The station manager/program director or executive will ask his or herself, "Is the music trendy today?" You cannot have aged music. Your music cannot sound like it should have been released during 1971. Even 2004 is behind the times. NEVER BE BEHIND THE TIMES. It needs to sound like today or tomorrow. Tomorrow is better, but today is acceptable. Sometimes, it takes more than just good music to engage your fans. You need to bond with them. That means you need to make more appearances and you must never stop applying to perform at festivals, appearing on radio shows, getting on network television and become the "artist of the week". All these things develop a unique persona that make fans want to engage with the artist.

PRODUCTION AND ENGINEERING

To most people in the industry and especially in radio, sound quality is as important as the timeliness and relevancy of your sound. Make sure you are working with a sound engineer that understands what "normal" compression levels are and how frequency is done correctly. But, be careful. Even if you ask the right questions, you might have some "hack" lie straight to your face. If you have any doubt, ask for referrals or don't do business with him. Compressing a song for FM radio is vital and can make or break your career before it even gets off the ground, especially if you just spent $5k or $10k to make this EP all to find out that your engineer screwed up and doesn't know how to fix it.

There is a lot to learn about the industry that most independent artists either never learn, learn the hard way, or the information is never shared, because other people don't want to see you succeed. Now you have an idea what really goes on in an actual radio station and how to get your music played on the "all-mighty" FM radio station you've always dreamed of. Now get to work.

NEWS UPDATE: Grand Prize Announcements, Perform at Hard Rock Cafe, and Charity Events!

2013-03-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

We are NOW officially on the road to the 2014 Artists In Music Awards. I can’t believe we are already in our 3rd year!

BREAKTHROUGH AT THE HARD ROCK!

As you may or may not be aware, we will be hosting a series of events called, “The Breakthrough Series” at Hard Rock Cafe or called, “Breakthrough at the Hard Rock” (pending Hard Rock Cafe approval). These events are an 11-show series held at Hard Rock Cafe on Hollywood Blvd in the heart of Los Angeles from April through October 2013. Two artists will be selected to perform at each of the 11 shows. There won’t be any winners, losers, and no elimination. Just come for great food, great music, great friends, and get photographed on the Red Carpet.

At the end of the series, we will invite 4 artists to come back and perform at the Awards Ceremony.

CHARITY FUND RAISING EVENTS

The best part about THE BREAKTHROUGH SERIES AT HARD ROCK CAFE is each show is also a charity fundraising event benefiting various charities. On April 18th, Soren Bryce and Sinem Saniye will grace the stage and this event will benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. On May 16th, Whisky Row and Glitter Rose will be performing to help to raise money for the P.A.I.N. Foundation.

If you are selected to perform and you already represent a specific charity, we want to know about it and a portion of the donations for that evening will go to your representing charity.

If you are interested in performing during the “Breakthrough at the Hard Rock,” please SUBMIT HERE and let us know you would like to perform asap as these slots will fill quickly.

GRAND PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT

For the news you’ve all been waiting for. We recently partnered with 2 amazing new companies. First, we reached an agreement and have partnered with Arts Seen & Heard PR, which provides public relations for artists, musicians and writers and has placed clients in local and national publications. They have graciously donated a PR prize pack worth $5,000 that will be awarded to one of the top three recipients for either Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, or Performer of the Year.

We've also joined forces with MusicSUBMIT. MusicSUBMIT has donated a prize pack valued at $500. MusicSUBMIT is a music promotions and internet publicity website for musicians. Music SUBMIT submits your music to genre-specific radio stations, online music magazines, online music directories, blogs, podcasts, indie record labels, and other electronic music media. In addition, 101Distribution and Independent Music Promotions have returned and will also provide valuable prize packages worth $500 each. That's over $6,500 in valuable prizes!

From June 1st through November 1, 2013, fans will decide through the voting poles who are their favorite artists. Between November 1st through November 31, combined with the voting results, the judges will make the final decision who will be the Top 5 Final Nominees in each of the 27 categories, including the Top 5 in the Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and the Performer of the Year category. On December 1st, the voting poles will reopen to the public for the winner take all in each of the categories. On January 20, 2014, the poles will permanently close and we will begin the trophy engraving process. The trophies will be handed in person to each artist that secures their genre category at the Awards Ceremony in February 2014 (date and location TBA).

AWARD CATEGORIES

Over the last 2 years, we’ve had artists ask us to add various genres into our award categories, but unfortunately, we can’t recognize every category that’s out there. However, we want your opinion. Below is the full list of current and newly added genres. We would like to know what you think. What category(s) is missing from this list? Is your genre not represented? Should we add Music Educator of the Year? Should we add Best Songwriter? We want to know what you think.

Music Award Categories:
- Alan Freed Award (Lifetime Achievement)
- Artist of the Year
- Album of the Year
- Alternative
- Blues
- Indie
- Christian/Gospel
- Country
- Dance
- Electronica
- Folk/Acoustic
- Funk (new)
- Hip Hop
- Latin
- Jazz
- Metal Band
- Music Video
- Pop
- Performer of the Year (New)
- Producer of the Year
- Radio Disc Jockey
- Reggae
- R&B/Soul
- Rock
- Singer/Songwriter
- Southern Rock
- LGBT Person of the Year

Sincerely,
Mikey Jayy
Executive Producer
Artists In Music Awards
Official Website: http://aimusicawards.com

Have you watched our promo video?

2013 Artists In Music Awards Recap & Looking ahead to 2014

2013-02-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

First I would like to give a BIG thank you to everyone that came to the awards ceremony last Thursday in celebration and support of these incredible artists. We pulled off a very successful Red Carpet Event and Awards Presentation, plus a successful first time Nomination Event and Summer Showcase series during 2012. I am truly honored to have had each and every one of you apart of this incredible platform.

Read the full review of the show here:

http://www.allindiemagazine.net/2013/02/winners-of-2nd-annual-artists-in-music.html

Without platforms like the Artists In Music Awards, music artists are subjected to false recognition and unattainable platforms that are nearly impossible to achieve. By supporting our program, you give independent artists a fighting chance with recognition that is truly deserved.

With the 2013 Artists In Music Awards now officially over, we can now turn the page and begin to look forward to 2014.

This coming year, we have a lot of new stuff happening. In case you are not aware, the submission window for the 2014 Artists In Music Awards just opened, so if you'd like to make your run at a repeat win, have your chance at becoming a first time recipient of the 2014 A.I.M.A. trophy, or recapture the title from 2012, by all means, please enter. You are not required to have new material or a new album to qualify. Just bring your “A” game and your desire to be at the top.

SUBMIT HERE TO BE A 2014 ARTISTS IN MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEE

We've also added a few new categories including:

Best Funk Artist

Best Reggae

and

Performer of the Year

**************ANOTHER BRAND NEW GOODIE************

"BREAKTHROUGH AT THE HARD ROCK"

Another big opportunity this year will include performing at Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, CA at our event called "Breakthrough at the Hard Rock". We have several shows scheduled this year beginning April 18. Several bands will perform, but only 4 artists will be selected to perform at the Nomination Event and the Awards Ceremony. However, this is subject to change. If there are more than 4 of you that put on amazing performances, we may invite you to perform on one of the main events.

So far we have Whisky Row, Reachback, Lift Off, Glitter Rose, and The Brilliancy are our scheduled performers. Several slots are still available. If you'd like to be considered to perform, please let us know asap as these will fill very quickly.

**************We still have T-shirts left******************

If you did not purchase a limited edition 2013 Artists In Music Awards Nominees t-shirt with all the Nominees names printed on them, we still have a bunch left and they are going for $12. Shipping is included in the price. Just tell us what size you want in the “Add Note to seller”

Men's Sizes:

Medium

Large

X-large

Women's sizes:

Medium

Large

X-large

Send us your $12 payment via Paypal to aimusicawards@gmail.com

While supplies last, we will send you a free Event Program. Of the 1,000 we had on hand, we have 99 left.

*****For those of you that are considering entering the 2014 Artists In Music Awards as a Nominee, here are some helpful tips******

Last year, there were a lot of artists that did everything they were supposed to do and the results of their hard work paidbig dividends. Some of artists created events on Facebook asking for Votes, they even sent out weekly and monthly newsletters asking fans to vote, and posted daily Tweets on Twitter asking people to vote, but many of the artists that submitted never promoted at all or did very little to promote the voting portion of the contest and therefore, they either did not advance to the Final Judges Round or lost in the Final Voting Round, because they simply didn't not ask their fans to support them or were focused on other things. Don’t make this mistake next time.

There were some artists that really busted their butts to win and only lost by a matter of a handful of votes. I think this is an outstanding achievement. That means their fans cared enough and fought for them until the very end. That is something almost worth more than winning.

Now that you know how to win, your name may forever be etched on one our beautiful trophies in February 2014.

This program is not about how many tickets you sell or how many tables you buy. It truly is about the music and about how hard you work to promote your music and promote our program.

In order to make it in this program or in this business for that matter, you need to test the loyalty of your fans. If you are afraid of bugging your fanbase in fear that they may unlike or unfollow you, then you should do something else. If this is what you are worried about, then the small few that complain were never true fans to begin with. You need to be confident, fearless, and be aggressive. This business is all about the numbers. PR reps, Management, and Label Executives will all tell you it's a numbers game. You need the fan numbers to back you up in order for labels to take you seriously. It's not enough that your music is great. You need to find your diehard fans that believe in you and want to help you succeed. They will in turn help promote you, and your numbers will multiply. You cannot sit back and hope people will vote for you simply because you're music is awesome. Your music is your Product and your product is only one of the four P's of your business.

We have established that your music is your Product, now you need to Promote yourself, a Place to promote it (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, performing at gigs, etc), and the Price (fans get to see their favorite artist win an award). Do not sit back and hide yourself in the studio and write music and jam all day long and make cover songs on YouTube. Get out there. Do interviews. Appear on Red Carpets. Attend charity events. Do things that are out of your comfort zone and have fun doing it. You cannot expect to win anything if you do not have a balancing act between appearing, performing, practicing, and promotion. Each plays a vital role in your career as an artist.

Okay, that's enough lecturing for today.

NOW, SUBMIT HERE AND LET’S GET TO WORK

Mikey Jayy

Executive Producer

Artists In Music Awards

Official Website: http://aimusicawards.com

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2013 ARTISTS IN MUSIC AWARDS RECEPIENTS!

Best Folk/Acoustic Artist - Soren Bryce

Best Christian/Gospel Artist - In the Midst 777

Best Blues Artist – Trevor Sewell

Best Adult Contemporary Artist - Tom Slack

Best Country Artist – Katie Cole

Best Jazz Artist – Alex Economou

Best Singer Songwriter – Mika Ben-Yami

Best Latin Artist – Samy Gana

Best Punk/Post Punk Artist – Static People

Best Metal/Hard Rock Band - Haster

Best Music Video - Reachback

Best Alternative Artist – In Air

Best Indie Rock Artist - Walla

Best Pop Artist - The Beu Sisters

Best Rock Artist - Glitter Rose

Best Hip Hop Artist - Ko-Lition

Best Dance Artist - Melanie Taylor

Best Electronica - The Ground Above

Best R&B/Soul Artist - Ill Funk Ensemble

LGBT Person of the Year – Dr John Carvalho

Best Radio Disk Jockey - Diggy Kat

Producer of the Year – Avery Berman

Lifetime Humanitarian Award - Ron Whitaker and Isabella Shaldan

Humanitarian of the Year - D'Andre Lampkin

Lifetime Achievement – Brad Mercer

Breakthrough Artist of the Year - Lisa Panagos

John Cassese “Comeback Artist of the Year"

Album of the Year – Glitter Rose

Artist of the Year - Katie Cole

Winners of the 2nd Annual Artists In Music Awards Announced

2013-02-09T22:41:00.000-08:00

Overlooking the crowd during the Artists In Music Awards Red Carpet event

Katie Cole, John Cassese, Glitter Rose, Beu Sisters, Melanie Taylor, “The Ground Above” Among Those Who Take Home Coveted Trophies

Winners of the Artists In Music Awards have been announced at the Key Club in West Hollywood, CA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Hollywood, CA), February 7, 2013—The Artists In Music Awards (AIMA) has announced the 2013 winners in all categories at the world famous Key Club ahead of Grammys weekend.

AIMA trophies were given to some of the finest emerging music artists at the star-studded, red carpet event that included members of Quiet Riot, Patrick Kilpatrick, featured LIVE performances, and concluded with an energized after party for the guests where the winners eagerly awaited for their trophies. The highly publicized AIMA was executively produced by Mikey Jayy and hosted by Hollywood personality Nic Creznic and Los Angeles Music Awards founder Al Bowman.

Best Rock Artist & Album of the Year recipient Glitter Rose performing
"Kody Was A Killer"

This year’s LIVE performances at AIMA featured artists that are some of the most talented names in independent music, including Mike Ben Yami, Cheating Daylight, Haster, Ko-Lition, Leave It To Us, Travis Royce, The Controversy, Mika Ben-Yami, and Glitter Rose. All of the performers were also nominated.

The 101 Distribution “Artist of the Year” was awarded to Katie Cole. Cole, originally from Melbourne, Australia, describes her own style of music as having flavors of Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Fleetwood Mac and Colbie Caillat. She calls it "Americana meets British Pop". Acclaimed Record Producer Howard Willing (Smashing Pumpkins, Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow) found her music on the web and reached out to Cole and eventually helped her to produce the successful EP “Lost Inside A Moment”, which received extensive radio play in the United Kingdom. Since then Cole has released a number of songs and has won many awards for her work including an AIMA in 2012. Her song “Gravity” was featured on all major US Television networks including NBC, ABC, CBS, Bravo and Comedy Central. Cole has just released her new single “I Can’t Wait” and is working on her new album "Lay It All Down", featuring Kris Kristofferson and Instant People. At this year’s AIMA, she also carried the “Best Country Artist” category.

Mikey Jayy & Nic Creznic award Katie Cole the Artist of the Year award

The multi-talented choreographer, singer, and producer John Cassese received “Come Back Album of the Year” for his “Never Too Late”. Cassese is a nationally recognized dance instructor who has trained such celebrities as Adam Sandler, U2’s The Edge, Elizabeth Hurley, and Sir Ben Kingsly. “Singing is always something I have focused on and has always been a big part of my life,” said Cassese, “but because I was dancing and teaching dance so regularly, I put my singing career on the back burner, though it was never, ever far from me. It has always been and always will be a great passion.” Critics state that Cassese’s new album “Never to Late” features some of the most touching, emotional and romantic songs.

The Controversy performing "Real"

Glitter Rose, nominated for “Best Rock Artist” and “Album of the Year" for Dead or Alive, won big last night, carrying both competitive categories and giving another excellent stage performance. “I just can’t believe that I also won Album of the Year tonight!” exclaimed Rose to the press, “This is such an honor for me. I never would have expected it this year even though I put my heart and soul into this album production. I am so thankful that AIMA recognized the music on this album.” Glitter Rose’s career has been highlighted by many awards as she has also won the LAMA in the past. “Many record labels wanted her to switch to pop, but she stayed true to her music and never gave in. She loves rock music and will always excel in rock,” explains her manager. Industry experts agree, stating that Rose feels comfortable in her musical genre and appears to be having fun with her work on stage. Rose will be showcasing more of her music at an upcoming red carpet event at the Hardrock Café in Hollywood.

Nic Creznic, Mikey Jayy & Al Bowman award Ron Whitaker
and Isabella Shaldan the Lifetime Achievement Award

Beu Sisters took the award for “Best Pop Artist”. The sisters, Candice, Christie and Danielle Beu, came to the attention of award-winning songwriter Desmond Child (Kiss, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith), who introduced them to record producer Steve Greenberg and the sisters became the second act signed to S-Curve Records. They released their debut album “Decisions” in 2002, which received rave reviews, and then went on to garner numerous movie and television soundtracks: “The Lizzie McGuire Movie Soundtrack”; “Home on the Range”; “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days”; “Because of Winn Dixie”; “Ella Enchanted”; “Smallville”; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” among them. They have also been featured on “The Disney Channel.”

Haster receiving the award for Best Metal Band

Melanie Taylor took the award for “Best Dance Artist”, a category that some industry insiders felt that she was an odds-on favorite for after her excellent performance at the Whisky A Go-Go during the AIMA voting party back in September. After releasing two singles, Taylor has just released her debut album, “All About Today”, with Sly Doggie Productions. Taylor is currently working on a brand new dance single that will be released internationally.

The Ground Above was nominated for 3 awards and won 2 including Best Electronica Artist. Following their positive youtube debut, The Ground Above received airplay on Internet Radio stations like "Suck Free Radio" and "Indie 100" and have produced for some up and coming names including "Spencer Kane," which landed Avery Berman the second win in the “Producer of the Year” category.

Glitter Rose with Best Electronica & Producer of the Year,
Avery Berman of The Ground Above

Other winners included Tel Aviv, Isreal native, Mika Ben-Yami (Best Singer/Songwriter), Soren Bryce (Best Folk/Acoustic Artist), Reachback (Best Music Video) for their song "No One Else", Ill Funk Ensemble (Best R&B/Soul Artist), Static People (Best Punk/Post Punk Artist), Trevor Sewell (Best Blues Artist), Tom Slack (Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year), Alex Economou (Best Jazz Artist), Samy Gana (Best Latin Artist), Walla (Best Indie Rock Artist), Soren Bryce (Best Folk/Acoustic Artist), Ko-Lition (Best Urban/Hip Hop Artist), and the group In the Midst 777 (Best Christian/Gospel Artist). The only repeat category winner, In Air took home the Best Alternative Artist award for the second year in a row.

Four other awards were given: “The Critics Choice Award For Breakthrough Artist of The Year” went to Lisa Panagos, Brad Mercer received the "Alan Freed Award for Lifetime Achievement”, and John Carvalho was honored as “LGBT Person of the Year” for entertainment advocacy to LGBT recording artists.

Executive Producer Mikey Jayy established the Artists In Music Awards (AIMA) two years ago in order to recognize and promote the finest emerging music artists from around the world. Artists are showcased throughout the summers and nominations are given out in multiple categories.

Among the sponsors of the event were 101Distribution, Independent Music Promotions, Greg Bennett Entertainment Group, KGUP 106.5FM "The Emerge Radio Networks" (the official radio station of the Artists in Music Awards), Advantage Distribution, John Cassese, and Tailfish Productions. Taylor Van Arsdale of Tailfish Productions helped publicize the event.

To view all of the nominees or get more information on the Artist in Music Awards and submissions for the awards, please go to: www.aimusicawards.com

"Pay-to-Play" the Great Debate

2013-02-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Almost everyone is against "Pay-to-play," but once you understand the reasons behind it, the more it makes sense. There are always exceptions, but when 1.9 million bands are wanting to be that exception and want to play for free and get paid to play, it is just NOT a realistic possibility.

Music artists have this misconception about the entertainment industry as a whole. I know, because I own a radio station at KGUP 106.5FM "The Emerge Radio Networks" and own a music awards platform called the Artists In Music Awards and I'm out there listening to artists complain about it. When I used to manage bands, I would moan and complain about it too, but then my eyes started to open and quickly realized that it's our responsibility to build a fanbase and promote ourselves to get fans out there to see my bands perform. The venue relies on you to bring in a crowd, otherwise, if they book just any act, then they put themselves at risk of closing down.

Another misconception are major artists don't have to pre-sell tickets. You are mistaken. They ALL do. EVERY ONE OF THEM. They all sign contracts guaranteeing a specific sales number and it is typically 80 to 150 in tickets sales for places like The Viper Room, The Roxy, and other venues alike. And, if you want to play at a bigger venue like Hard Rock Cafe, House of Blues, El Ray, Paladium, etc, you better get ready to fork over up to $30,000 if you want to headline your own show....upfront (not based on ticket sales at the box office). It only gets more expensive from there, especially when union organizations like Live Nation is going around to all the major cities buying out all the big clubs. Soon, no one will be able to play anywhere in Los Angeles or New York or any major market unless you're with a major label. It will become too expensive to play anywhere that has a capacity over 500 people. It's no coincidence that this is happening. Major labels make money in three ways: radio airplay royalties, live performances, and merchandising. This is how the major labels are making the bulk of their revenue. With piracy out of control with no end in sight, no one is making a whole lot of money by selling music. Performing live is where the real money is made.

Hillbilly Herald performs at Viper Room. Photo by Natalie Kardos

Before you decide you're ready to perform at the well known venue in the major markets like LA or New York, you better be ready to fork over some cash to play there. There are always exceptions, but you must first earn the right to play for free or get paid for your performance.

Let's put things in perspective. If you want to display your art, you need to rent the space to display your art. The film industry is no different. The director has to rent the theatre to show his or her new film. People in these industries have to do the same exact thing the music artists do by sharing the financial responsibility of pre-selling tickets using their own resources. The rest of the sales are at the door and the success of that show is 100% dependent on how well your promoted your event. Absolutely nothing is done for free because you're awesome. There is always a cost of doing business. If it was free, then the venue is setting themselves up for failure and won't be able to pay their $30,000 monthly rent and won't be able to pay $75,000 in payroll to for security and staff. If there is no financial incentive to own a venue, guess what? It goes away. This is the hard reality check and bands have got to get their heads out of the clouds. It's not about how great your music is. It's about your draw. When we deal with venues, we are no longer in the music business. We're in the food and beverage business. If the club is not selling drinks and baskets of burgers and fries while you're playing, then you are probably not going to get a second invite until you can demonstrate that you have a draw.

Crowd at Key Club in Hollywood. Photo by
Mollywood Hollywood

Yes, there are some great bars and smaller venues that do not charge, but a brand new band out of Hoboken, New jersey is going to have a hard time booking a gig anywhere in LA. You are a risk to the venue to book and that's why there is a pre-sale. If a band was told to pre-sale 60 tickets at $10 each, the club is expecting 60 people to show up and hoping to exceed that number. If three bands booked that night only bring 20 people each in a venue that holds 400 people, it will look empty and fans are disappointed. Everyone loses in this scenario including the club. 60 people cannot buy a lot of food and drinks. This is a major loss and $1,800 in advanced ticket sales does not make up the loss in bar and restaurant sales, when it typically brings in $10,000 to $15,000 in daily sales it needs to stay afloat. Your talent isn't an instant cash machine...not yet.

If you want to play the LA/NY game, it's best to bit the bullet, pay the bill at the venue and sell or giveaway the tickets for free, but don't do this a week before the show. Plan it months ahead, schedule radio interviews to do ticket giveaway contests, and promote like crazy. Find fanatic fans in the area that are willing to create a small street team to pass out flyers and post flyers on college bulletin boards, etc.

Let's put this scenario into another perspective. Los Angeles is vast and clubs are abound. Anyone can go anywhere they want and see some popular artist at any given night. Why would they go see someone from Small Town, USA they've never heard of and why would a venue book a nobody? These are some of the questions bands members and managers have to ask themselves. Most artists live in a fantasy world and cannot grasp why someone won't book them. Of course, there are always exceptions, but it's not the norm.

How are these so-called exceptions made? Well, a booking agent will look at your artist profile. They go to your Facebook page, your Reverbnation page, Youtube account, and your Twitter account and they look at how many fans you have and they look at all your activity. Are your fans active? Are they interacting with you? Are you interacting with them? Are they taking photos of you, sharing your posts, and retweeting your Tweets. Do the videos of you have a lot of people in the crowd? If you fit the profile they are looking for, then they begin to look at other aspects like, does your music fit the theme of what they typically book for their venue. If you meet the above requirements, it's almost irrelevant that you sound good.

You cannot not book a popular venue and expect it to be packed and hope they all love you. The reality is the people that are there, they are not there to see you. They are there to see another band and once their band plays, that crowd leaves when the band does. It's rare to play at a venue where the crowd is there no matter who's playing. This only happens when there is a once a month promotional night, when there is no cover charge and a tall can of Pabst Blue Ribbon is on sale for $2. If this is what you are waiting for, you better stand in line, because you're going to be in for a long wait behind the bands that have a massive draw.

While you're waiting, you really need to keep touring other venues to build up your fanbase and focus on social media branding. Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. The longer you wait, people will begin to forget you. Work on building your own draw, otherwise it's going to cost you.

Ron Whitaker and Isabella Shaldan to be honored with the Lifetime Humanitarian Awards

2013-02-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

On February 7, 2013, Simi Valley residents, Ron Whitaker and Rodica Shaldan will be honored with the Lifetime Humanitarian Awards at the 2nd annual 2013 Artists In Music Awards held at Key Club in West Hollywood, CA.

Ron Whitaker is an award winning drummer, and a six time Humanitarian award winner. His model/ actress fiance, Rodica Isabella Shaldan has joined him in the quest for a better world, and has also achieved six Humanitarian awards in the process. Their double force of contributing time, and talent to their communities is hope for a much more fortunate future.

It is their humanitarian work that means the most to them. Their goal is to reach out and inspire others to contribute in meeting the needs of the prospective community.

As a teen, Ron Whitaker has learned the value of mentoring, and caring for those less fortunate, from his parents. Through the years working with the homeless, and veterans, Ron has positively influenced and devoted great assistance to everyone he had encountered. He has mentored many young musicians, and helped out low income families with access to dental care. He has also assisted in the annual Salute to Arms, a day where we feed, and honor our veterans.

Award-winning drummer, Ron Whitaker, has played with members of groups such as Guns and Roses, Def Leopard, and Quiet Riot, to name just a few. He has also appeared in a Autism Awareness video with Lynette Louise.

Whitaker has dedicated four decades to contribute in expanding communities, and to bring its people closer together. He strongly believes his success as a professional musician enables him to inspire and influence others in contributing to helping out the community as much as it is possible.

Rodica Shaldan, has dedicated a bit over two decades to her humanitarian work, which includes working with veterans, the homeless, and many more in need. From the fragile age of 8 years old, the Romanian born humanitarian, knew she was built for greatness. At that age, Shaldan made her first act of random kindness; She gave up her delicious pastry to a homeless man, even though her own mother could not afford another one for her. From that day forward, Rodica has been concerned with helping those in need. She has volunteered to serve, and cook, at many homeless shelters, which is what inspired her to go forth with a benefit concert in the United States.

Before coming to America, Rodica was musically inclined, and played the trombone in an orchestra. She worked as a nurse at the local hospital, and thoroughly enjoyed her work. In her spare time, Rodica picked up a modeling career, and had been in several fashion shows for Madalene, a designer collection. A model since her 20's, Rodica has recently added acting to her resume. To top it all off, she is also a mother to 3 children, all of whom are now grown adults.

Ron Whitaker, along with Rodica Isabella Shaldan, will continue to dedicate their lives to such great causes, and never give up hope on all the ones in need of an extra helping hand.

Humanitarian Work

· Volunteered at Los Angeles Homeless Shelters, Ventura County Homeless Shelters, and most recently, in the city of Santa Clarita.

· Produced “Free Aide Life Concert”, to launch the Simi Valley Free Dental Clinic.

· California Deaf Association.

· Autistic children music videos.

· Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

· Works with our Veterans.

· Safe Harbor, benefiting foster children.

· L.A. Mission

· Midnight Mission

· Dream Center

· Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission

· Children Hospital

· For the Children

· Samaritan Center

Humanitarian Awards

2011- County of Los Angeles Humanitarian Award.

2012- California State Senate Humanitarian Award.

2012- 22^nd Annual Los Angeles Music Awards.

-Rock N' Roll Humanitarian of the Year

2012- City of Los Angeles Humanitarian Award.

2012- City of Beverly Hills Humanitarian Award.

2013- City of Los Angeles Humanitarian Award.

Your Last Chance to Vote is Today!

2013-01-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

You read the title right! Tonight at MIDNIGHT, the voting polls close and the reciepients of the 2013 Artists In Music Awards will be forever etched as this year's trophy holders. If you're one of those people that like to wait to the last moment, this is it. VOTE HERE

Also, we'd like to inform everyone that due to unforeseen circumstances that are beyond our control, we have moved up the event by a half-hour. The Red Carpet Event starts at 5pm and the show will begin promptly at 7pm and the main show will end at 10pm. The AIMA After party will begin promptly at 10pm in the Plush Lounge.

In case you haven't gotten your tickets yet, we have few left and they are still on sale for only $25. Grab them quick from our website or purchase through Ticketleap

Seats are extremely limited and there are less than 10 tables left, so if you prefer not to stand, don't wait until the day of to get a table. If you really want to party in style, get the VIP PLUS Table package. This package includes 4 tickets, a table for 4, premium bottle service, appetizers, and dinner for 4. To reserve your spot, go to TicketLeap (VIP PLUS ticket holders will get a complimentary limited time 2013 Arists In Music Awards t-shirt)

For current ticket holders, add a table and get 4 drink tickets with your purchase. If you haven’t purchased tickets, you can get the 4-admission ticket package with table and 4 drink tickets for one low price. ALL VIP ticket holders will also get a FREE event program.

We are also proud to announce the all new Event Programs. These commemorative beauties display the night’s performers - Also new this year, we are highlighting some up and coming artists from the music community. We are reserving event programs for members of the Press and VIP guests.

In addition, we are very pleased to be offering a 2013 A.I.M.A. t-shirt. This one of a kind t-shirt will ONLY be available at the Awards Ceremony and will NOT be available after this event. These t-shirts will all be in white, so you can walk up to the performers, award recipients, or Nominee’s and get them to sign your shirt. This year’s Artists In Music Award recepients could be next year’s Grammy award winners, so get an autograph from every artist at the event!

Yours truly,

Mikey Jayy

Executive Producer

The AIMA Awards Ceremony is Almost Here! Last Chance to Vote for your Favorite Artist

2013-01-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

What a year 2013 is turning out to be! The excitement that has been generated by our Nomination Night at the Whisky A-Go-Go on Dec. 2 has been palpable and continues to build! Nic Creznic did a terrific job hosting and I am very happy to have him come back to the stage at the Awards Night!

The 2013 Artists In Music Awards is now just around the corner. The voting polls are still open, but they are due to close just a few days away on January 20th. Several categories are still very close and could go to a few top artists. As you know we have a panel of judges, but the fan votes carry a very heavy weight - so show your favorite artists your support and push them into the lead! VOTE HERE

In case you weren’t aware, we are coming back to the Key Club on February 7th and tickets are on sale for only $25. Grab them quick from our website or purchase through Ticketleap

Due to overwhelming demand, we are adding “seating” to our event so that you and your friends can have a place to camp out and enjoy the entire show. If you really want to party in style, get the VIP Table package. This package includes 4 tickets, a table for 4, premium bottle service, appetizers, and dinner for 4. To reserve your spot, go to TicketLeap

If you’re just looking for a good time, try our balcony tables. For current ticket holders, add a table and get 4 drink tickets with your purchase. If you haven’t purchased tickets, you can get the 4-admission ticket package with table and 4 drink tickets for one low price.

In addition, we are very pleased to be offering a 2013 A.I.M.A. t-shirt. This one of a kind t-shirt will only be available at the Awards Ceremony. These t-shirts will be white, so you can walk up to the performers, award recipients, or Nominee’s and get them to sign your shirt. This year’s Artists In Music Award recepients could be next year’s Grammy award winners, so get an autograph from every artist at the event!

Looking ahead to the 2014 Artists in Music Awards

This newsletter marks the first time we are publicly sharing this news: the Artists in Music is proud to announce that we will be producing 11 shows at the HardRock Cafe in Hollywood over the next year! We have already begun lining up artists for these shows, so if you are interested at playing at one of the premiere venues in Hollywood, please reply to us or have your representation contact us as soon as possible.

MEDIA RELEASE***AIMA returns to Key Club and Ko-Lition joins the Line Up

2012-12-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

MEDIA RELEASE***MEDIA RELEASE***MEDIA RELEASE

AIMA returns to Key Club on February 7, 2013 and Ko-Lition joins the Performance Line Up

Christmas and New Year’s is just around the corner, but I wanted to send out one last newsletter of 2012 and wish you a fun and safe Holiday and Happy New Year!

Yes, you read the title right. We are coming back to the World Famous Key Club in West Hollywood, CA on Grammy’s weekend on February 7, 2013 for our Artist In Music Awards Ceremony.

We are very excited to return to this legendary venue. The stage is better, the sound is better, and the total experience is…well, just better.

ADDITION TO LINE UP

We are also proud to announce that we have added Best Urban/Hip Hop Nominee, Ko-Lition to the performance line up at the awards ceremony. Ko-Lition is a Hip Hop duo from Brooklyn, NY. If you enjoy the sounds of Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Digable Planets, you will love Ko-Lition. Look for them on the Red Carpet on February 7, 2012 and on stage. Ko-Lition joins Cheating Daylight, Glitter Rose, Haster, Travis Royce, Mika Ben-Yami, Leave It To Us, and The Controversy.

TICKETS

If you haven’t purchased tickets yet, they are now on sale on through the website atwww.aimusicawards.com and available through www.aimusicawards.ticketleap.com/2013-aima for only $25. You may also purchase tickets on location at The Dance Doctor www.dancedoctor.com studio in Santa Monica.

RED CARPET

Just like last year, we are hosting the Red Carpet outside. We anticipate over 50 members of the media in attendance, so make sure you put on your “best.” If you are planning on walking the carpet; please reach out to Taylor Van Arsdale at Tailfish@Tailfish.com or via phone at 310.721.0877. She will be coordinating the carpet.

ARTIST FEATURE

This year, we are printing a special Event Program for the Awards Ceremony. Each program will list all of the Sponsors, Award Ceremony performers, and Final Nominees. 8 pages will be made available for a full-page feature.

If you’d like to be featured in the program, please send an email to aimusicawards@yahoo.com and we will let you know how you can be a part of this opportunity.

BUSINESS OWNERS

If you own a business and you are interested in placing your company’s logo or service in the event program, please reply to this email for rates. We are printing 1,000 copies to make sure everyone has the opportunity to get a copy—and this will be given out members of the press and media.

Thanks so much! We’re looking forward to a great New Year and will continue to keep you posted on the upcoming event!

Interview with The Dance Doctor: John Cassese

2012-12-21T12:59:00.001-08:00

He’s got the moves, he’s got the look, he’s got the voice. He is the internationally known, “The Dance Doctor to the Stars,” John Cassese. John presents music from his LP’s Never Too Late and A Night of Swing.

Mikey Jayy of The Great Unknowns Presents and Program Director of KGUP 106.5FM, heads over to Santa Monica to interview with the Dancer/Singer Songwriter, John Cassese live in the studio to talk about his Nomination for Comeback Album of the Year and his Nomination for Best Adult Contemporary Artist at the 2013 Artists In Music Awards.

To get more information about The Dance Doctor Studio in Santa Monica or purchase Never Too Late, A Night of Swing, and John Cassese In Concert, go to www.johncassesemusic.com

For a limited time, if you purchase one of his CD’s, you get a free dance lesson. Just mention that you heard our interview on KGUP 106.5FM or The Great Unknowns Presents.

John Cassese’s official biography:

The Santa Monica, California based dance instructor/choreographer, known as The Dance Doctor, believes everyone has the ability to dance, and he and his team lead the way teaching others to trip the light fantastic. With a true appreciation for the arts, Cassese’s talents are diverse and varied. Not only is he a nationally recognized dance instructor who has trained such celebrities as Adam Sandler, U2’s The Edge, Elizabeth Hurley and Sir Ben Kingsley, he is an accomplished singer and entertainer. Involved in several facets of the arts including singing, entertaining, choreographing for film, stage, television, video and private parties, as well as producing and performing dance demonstrations, Cassese is a modern-day renaissance man. “Singing is always something I have focused on and has always been a big part of my life, but because I was dancing and teaching dance so regularly, I put my singing career on the back burner; though it was never, ever far from me. It has always been, and will always be, a great passion.” Here, for the first time ever, we are pleased to present John Cassese Music; a collection of John Cassese’s recordings, from cover songs to some very special original material. These songs will make you feel happier, put joy in your heart and a spring in your step. The first CD available on iTunes is entitled, “Never Too Late” and it features some of the most touching, emotional and romantic songs. Sing to them, dance to them or do both. We could all learn a lesson or two about living life to the fullest from John Cassese. Like his album’s name, remember it’s never too late to reach your dreams.

Final Nominees for the 2013 Artists In Music Awards were named at the Nomination Event

2012-12-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

December 2, 2012—It was a cold, rainy evening in Hollywood, but inside the historic Whisky A Go-Go, it was nothing but clear skies and amazing live music for the Artist In Music Awards Nomination Event. Inclement weather wasn’t going to stop a successful Nomination, Red Carpet and Press Event—a pre-show for the 2^nd Annual Artists In Music Awards coming up February 7, 2013—please note changed date. Over 20 photographers and members of the media covered the event and the Red Carpet which was held inside—on the second floor—the historic Sunset Strip venue.

Nic Creznic hosted an incredible show, announcing all of the 130 Final Nominees in 26 categories. In addition there were 8 amazing performances by Abi Ann, Cheating Daylight, Deedub, Glitter Rose, Soren Bryce—the 2012 Artists In Music Award Best Alternative Artist winner, In Air, Andrea Desmond, and Melanie Taylor.

There were even special guest appearances by John Cassese the Dance Doctor—who was awarded the "Comeback Album of the Year" for his album Never Too Late. Al Bowman of the Los Angeles Music Awards graced the stage with a special introduction of the Nomination Event.

Award Nominee, Dr. John Carvalho, had this to say,

“I just want to take a moment to congratulate Executive Producer, Mikey Jayy on his event last night at the Whisky. Wonderful performances by everyone and Nic Creznic did a great job of hosting. Special thanks to celebrity photographers Bob Delgadillo, David McNeill, Jaymz Eberly, Mickey Yeh, Carlos Zeron, Gus Summers, Edwin Leviste, Mike Casper, and the many others. Thank you to all the media outlets, especially Music Scene Magazine, and the staff at Whisky A Go-Go. Press releases and photos are being posted throughout the week! Mikey Jayy's Artists In Music Awards is now in the top tier of music awards around the city as is evidenced by its presence on the World Wide Web. Congratulations!”

Here are a few links to a stream of photos from the event courtesy of Gus Summers of The "IN" Show
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theinshow/with/8247219908/#photo_8247219908

More photos from the Nomination Event courtesy of Bob Delgadillo Events Photographer:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.483573935014229.104404.166221546749471&type=1

List of Final Nominees in all 26 categories:

Best Alternative Artist
· Leave It To Us
· The Controversy
· In Air
· Feu
· Cheating Daylight

Best Folk/Acoustic Artist
· Willie Ames
· Jenny D
· Soren Bryce
· Aoede
· Mika Ben Yami

Best Christian/Gospel Artist
· In the Midst 777
· Ray Ramon
· Anne McClain
· Kelly Manu

Best Blues Artist
· Trever Swell
· The Nonessentials
· Marneen Fields
· Joanne LeBlanc
· The Como Brothers Band

Best Adult Contemporary Artist
· Tom Slack
· Janice Waley
· Andrea Desmond
· John Cassese
· Eleven Dollars

Best Country Artist
· Jessica Caylyan
· Glitter Rose
· Katie Cole
· Whisky Row
· Alex Cartwright
· Abi Ann

Best Jazz Artist
· Tom Slack
· Wilma :)
· Alex Economou
· Keith Williams
· Derik Nelson

Best Urban/Hip Hop Artist
· Deedub
· Ko-Lition
· Travis Royce
· Nix the Future
· Da Govamint

Best R&B/Soul Artist
· Michael Annotti
· G-Lory
· Nix the Future
· Ray Ramon
· The Ill Funk Ensemble

Best Punk/Post Punk Artist
· Implants
· Leave it to Us
· Static People

Best Metal/Hard Rock Band
· Haster
· In the Midst 777
· Hillbilly Herald

Lifetime Achievement
· Valerie Watson
· Brad Mercer

Producer of the Year
· Daniel “Dagger” Kain
· Avery Berman – The Ground Above
· Johnathan Cunningham – Soren Bryce
· Christie Beu and OnDre – The Beu Sisters
· Nathaniel Kunkel - Darlingside

Best Radio Disk Jockey
· Mark Lamdanski
· Diggy Kat
· Gus Summers
· Rodney Bardin
· Taylor Van Arsdale
· Brad Mercer

Best Music Video
· Beu Sisters “Never Gonna Give You Up”
· David Geftakys “Games We Play”
· Reachback “No One Else”
· The Controversy “Real”
· Static People “Toxic Overload”

Best Indie Rock Artist
· Walla
· Darlingside
· Cheating Daylight
· The Barrens
· The Robo Drum

Best Pop Artist
· Beu Sisters
· Melanie Taylor
· Cheating Daylight
· Jamie Alimorad
· Spencer Kane
· Amy Barbera

Best Rock Artist
· Glitter Rose
· Katie Cole
· Reachback
· Jamie Alimorad
· Leave it to Us

Best Latin Artist
· Samy Gana
· Juan Francisco Zerpa
· Signa

Best Dance Artist
· Ray Ramon
· G-Lory
· Peter Pappas
· Melanie Taylor
· Lisa Panagos

Best Electronica
· Next Day Fresh
· Travis Royce
· The Ground Above
· Sensor
· Psy’Aviah

Best Singer Songwriter
· Aoede
· Mika Ben-Yami
· Amy Barbera
· Tom Slack
· Janice Whaley

LGBT Person of the Year
· John Carvalho
· Adam Lambert
· Laura Vall
· Esther Escobedo
· Dan Fishback

Voting has now resumed for all of the Final Nominees in all the categories. Keep voting for your favorite artists. Voting will resume until January 20, 2013. To vote, click here: www.aimusicawards.com

DATE CHANGE *** DATE CHANGE *** DATE CHANGE

On February 7, 2012 join us for the final installment of the 2013 Artists In Music Awards for the Awards Ceremony held at Whisky a Go-Go in Hollywood, CA. To purchase tickets, go to www.aimusicawards.com

The 2012 RAWartists Semi-Finals come to Pomona

2012-11-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

Michelle Herbert poses next to one of her designs

By Ariel Carmona Jr.

The 4^th annual 2012 Indie Arts Raw Awards semi-finals took place on Thursday Nov. 8 at Luna Nightclub in Pomona, as a backdrop with its combined modern style and underground look. On this soggy night in early November, filmmakers, fashion designers, make-up artists, painters, photographers and artists from all genres showcased their best while the community voted for their city’s winners.

Portrait of a disturbed soul within by Liisa Kennedy

Judges included Mikey Jayy Program Director of KGUP 106.5 FM and host of “The Great Unknowns Presents,” Jesus Guillen celebrity stylist and designer from Jesse J. Collections, and Grasiela Rodriguez, artist and animator and member of the Pomona Cultural Arts.

Body art by Maegan Brown

A mixture of sports bar atmosphere permeated the venue, with the sounds of an NFL Thursday game drowned out by a smorgasbord of local art pieces, including a hairstylist design complete with a barber’s chair seen tucked at one corner of the room while on the nearby stage, a giant speaker blared the sounds and jams of DJ Frankenstein.

Another display featured a myriad of paintings, canvas on benches and a collage of the Hollywood sign in various angles and positions structured to make a big piece entitled “The Only World We’ve Ever Known.”

Representational, thematic, even body art were all on display.

In Air performing "Roadwork"

Fashion designer Galeana took the award for its category. The Galeana design label is a tangible representation of designer Jose Galeana’s need for perception: He said being viewed literally or figuratively is what moves him as a designer.

Galeana was launched last fall and he said they have been with Raw since he started the company. “We’ve grown so much in a year, I wanted to come back and give back to what RAW gave to us, when I heard we were nominated, I was humbled and wanted to participate.”

Galeana added that despite the fact the designer’s label has been pulled for celebrities, appeared at the Grammy’s and been shot by recognized photographers Irvin Rivera, Giovanni Moran and Marc Jacobs, what makes the brand successful is recognizing the need to be close to their customers and to acknowledge their roots.

Kimberly Perez of Moonlit Art Studio

Other winners included: Cogito for music, Lawrence Balbuena for photography, Marco Antwon: hair stylist, Lexxxibelle: makeup, and Matthew Sanchez: visual artist.

Music winner Cogito

Inspired by a mixture of influences including art, graffiti and fashion, Obsessive Cool Disorder (OCD) founded by graphic designer Mitchell Bailey was one of the most visually arresting displays in the “accessories designer” nominee. Bailey said he loves to have fun with his design, using a blank shoe as a canvas and churning out sports themed designs as well as more eclectic pieces such as his iconic storm trooper helmet.

Kimberly Gomez, a second year nominee for visual artist from Corona said she loves Walt Disney but called her designs a mixture of Disney and the dark world reminiscent of Tim Burton. She cited animated films and cartoons in general.

Design winner - OCD

“A lot of them are original characters inspired by real life people,” said Gomez while being sought out by fans and potential buyers. Though the main character in one of her ongoing art pieces is a zombie, she says she tries to keep most of her work kid friendly.

Carolina Rodriguez, art lover from Orange County originally from the Utah area said she is a frequent attendee at RAW events and explained the show’s appeal. “The thing is, I don’t think it’s really segregated, the art scene is everywhere and I really love this event, the people are really friendly and inviting.”

Photos by Lucky Smith

The Artists In Music Awards has partnered with P.A.I.N. Against Domestic Violence Foundation

2012-10-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

To help us make a significant impact on helping to bring awareness against domestic violence, the Artists In Music Awards as teamed up with the P.A.I.N Foundation (Prevention Awareness In Neighborhoods). This nonprofit organization will be able to best allocate to provide expertise and programming that will help each other meet our goals.

The P.A.I.N. Foundation is endorsed by Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets, Jessica Simpson, Reba McEntire, Marie Osmond, Pamela Bach Hasselhoff, and now, endorsed by the Artists In Music Awards.

Our Mission
Through the P.A.I.N. Foundation, our philanthropy program will help impact the lives of woman and children who are victims of domestic violence and child abuse by bringing awareness and prevention methods through the use media and educational tools

Our Commitment
Funds raised through ticket sales to our events will be used to support the P.A.I.N. Foundation Fund. These funds will support a wide range of critical research and help fund a series of domestic violence education films. The P.A.I.N. Foundation Fund will provide assistance for the cost of movie production and financial costs of traveling – including airfare, gas and lodging.

A Message from Our Partner
Founded in 2010 by Patty McCall and Lisa Ann Vombrack, the P.A.I.N. Foundation is an organization dedicated where children and adults can combine an understanding of filmmaking through a series of short films with a domestic violence theme. Bringing greater awareness to the challenges of domestic violence in all of its forms and to heighten strategies for prevention, especially among teens. To help make a difference in the communities and around the nation.

We are giving women hope, healing and encouragement to Overcome, Feel Good and Move On. We are impacting lives and providing a much needed source for everyone involved in the cycle of violence. We reach out to families who struggle with this issue throughout the United State because every 8 seconds someone is being abused, let's put a stop to it!

MISSION STATEMENT
To educate women and teens in the community and schools about prevention and awareness of domestic violence in their relationships. This organization networks with other organizations to provide a means of escape and a safe place to start over and move on.

Hot Crazy Good: Interview with ILL FUNK ENSEMBLE, Ep 167

2012-10-19T12:59:00.001-07:00

Ill Funk Ensemble is a five piece R&B, Hip Hop, and Funk band from Albany, NY.

Originally formed in 2006, the Ill Funk Ensemble's sound is a new type of Funk infused with Hip Hop and Rhythm & Blues, a sound that isn't overly dated, but rather a hint of new swagger combined with old school. Lead by Jermaine Wells vocals, he delivers a smooth vibe of freestyle and melody along side with BJ FitzGerald on guitar and vocals, Duane Etienne on bass and background vocals, then there's Joe Stoner on keyboards and background vocals, and finally Dennis Brooks on percussion. Together, they bring a groove that is both engaging and refreshing.

On The Great Unknowns Presents with Mikey Jayy, Jermaine Wells and Bj FitzGerald pay a visit to KGUP 106.5FM in Los Angeles, CA for an exclusive interview and they talk about their brand new album called, "The Duality", which was just released in October.

Find more of Ill Funk Ensemble:
Official Website
Follow on Twitter
"Like" on Facebook
Purchase music by Ill Funk Ensemble on iTunes

Artists In Music Awards Nomination, Red Carpet, & Press Event 12-2-12

2012-10-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Mikey Jayy here! Fall is officially here and now we are looking forward to our next event which is the Nomination, Red Carpet, & Press Event on Sunday, December 2, 2012 at Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood, CA located on the Sunset Strip.

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE for both events, including the
2013 ARTISTS IN MUSIC AWARDS!

Reserve your tickets today at www.aimusicawards.com
-2 for 1 to the Nomination, Red Carpet, & Press Event
- 2013 Artists In Music Awards

Enjoy live performances by:
Cheating Daylight - Power Pop
Deedub - Hip Hip
Soren Bryce - Folk/Acoustic

Melanie Taylor - Pop / Rock

In Air - Alternative

Andrea Desmond - Singer/Songwriter

Glitter Rose - Southern Rock

and a
Special Guest appearance by Abi Ann

A lot has been happening these past few weeks from placing new music on KGUP 106.5FM, securing the final slots for the Nomination, Red Carpet, & Press Event, to securing the final slots with artists to perform at the 2013 Artists In Music Awards.

What to expect at the Nomination, Red Carpet, & Press Event:

This event is special, because like the Summer Showcase, it's new to the entire program. At the Nomination Event, all Nominees from each of the 26 categories are invited to attend. During the event, the Top 5 Final Nominees will be named and asked to walk up on stage to collect their official 2013 Artists In Music Awards Nomination Certificate. As each Final Nominee walks up to the stage, a sound bit or video clip will be played as each artist collects their certificate. The Red Carpet will be laid out for artists to photograph with the newly awarded certificates.

Final performance slots for the 2013 Artists In Music Awards:

We secured the final performance slot with Leave It To Us, a Pop-Punk band from Coral Springs, FL. Leave It To Us is Nominated for three awards including Best Punk/Post Punk Artist, Best Alternative Artist, and Best Rock Artist. Leave It To Us has quickly grabbed the attention of a wide audience. They have played alongside national acts such as Jonas Brothers, Hit The Lights, and countless others.

One important piece of news to talk about in this newsletter is the addition of Haster to the line up. Last year, Haster was a Final Nominee at the 2012 Artists In Music Awards. They have agreed to perform during the award ceremony and we are excited and honored to have them perform at the show. Haster can be described as "Alternative Metal movement spliced with Hard Rock influences".

Plus, we just added 2011 Los Angeles Music Awards Power Pop Band of the Year winner, Cheating Daylight. Cheating Daylight was a Nominee at the 2012 Artists In Music Awards for Best Rock Artist and Best Pop Artist. This time, you get to see them perform twice as the award winning Power Pop band graces both stages at the Artists In Music Awards Nomination, Red Carpet, & Press Event on December 2 and then again at the Awards Ceremony on February 8.

Early in August we secured a performance slot with Electronic/Hip Hop artist Travis Royce. Hailing from Portland, OR, Travis Royce brings a new flare to Hip Hop and Electronic music. While his sounds cross the two musical boundaries, there are definite characteristics that compare with The Prodigy, Voodoo Child, the Chemical Brothers, with a new spine on Hip Hop that is nearly impossible to compare his lyrical style.

Cheating Daylight, Haster, Ko-Lition, and Travis Royce will join Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase winners, Mika Ben-Yami, The Controversy, and Glitter Rose.

If you are interested in participating to win an award for Lifetime Achievement, Producer of the Year, Best Music Video, LGBT Person of the Year, and Best Radio DJ and/or one of the other 22 Music Awards Categories or you are interested in filling in the final performance slot at the 2013 Artists In Music Awards, please send us your EPK to http://www.aimusicawards.com/#!submit.

THE FINAL SUBMISSION DATE IS OCTOBER 31, 2012.

Join the official Artists In Music Awards newsletter and keep up to date with everything as it happens with the Artists In Music Awards.

A Special Thanks goes out to this years sponsors: Music Xray, Greg Bennett Entertainment Group, John Cassese, 101 Distribution, & Independent Music Promotions and our Public Relations team at Tailfish Productions & PR

"I Want That" The Great Unknowns Presents, Ep 166

2012-09-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Today's brand new episode is a compilation of new music just added to rotation on KGUP 106.5FM by some of the finest music artists in the industry including new music by:

Spencer Kane "I Want That"
The Ground Above "Compliments"
G.U.G.G. "Mind Right"
Static People "Toxic Overload"
Reachback "Pretty Slick (for a white chick)"

Find more episodes like these in our section: Interviews & Shows and listen to all these artists and more on our radio station at KGUP 106.5FM "The Emerge Radio Networks"

Don't miss a single episode of The Great Unknowns Presents. Subscribe with iTunes and Zune

*COPYRIGHT NOTICE. All featured artists and writers retain all copyrights to their material

Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase Finale Review: Glitter Rose wins despite injury

2012-08-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

A solo performing, Glitter Rose playing "Kody Was a Killer"

Congratulations to Glitter Rose for securing the final Artists In Music Awards performance slot giveaway.

Wow, what an incredible night to close out the Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA! If you forgot or had other plans, then you missed an amazing night of great food, friends, and live entertainment.

Several luminaries of the industry including the Godfather of Independent Music, Al Bowman of the Los Angeles Music Awards, Actor and Accountant of the Stars, Nic Creznic, and Uncle Earl the Underground Experience from KLED Live 99.3 FM and many others came to our event. We even had a surprise appearance by the 2012 Best Alternative Artist winner, In Air.

David Geftakys performing his single "Say It All"

SHOWCASE REVIEW:
The evening began with one of KGUP 106.5FM's most requested artists of the year, David Geftakys. He and his full band performed all his fan favorites, plus he debut a few songs from his upcoming CD that’s due to be released this coming Fall.

Following a fine performance by David Geftakys was one of KGUP 106.5FM’s favorite artists on rotation, Melanie Taylor. Looking incredible as she always does, Melanie also performed with her entire band and gave the fans something to get off their seats. Melanie performed many of her popular hits including “Cease Fire”, “Top Down”, and “Freak Out”.

Already, with two sensational performances with screaming fans and huge rounds of applause, it was impossible to determine which artist was better than the other, because both Melanie and David put on award winning performances.

Melanie Taylor performs her set at the AI MA SS Finale

The final artist to take the stage was none other than the No. 1 Most Requested Artist of the Year, Glitter Rose. As Glitter stepped onto the Voodoo Lounge stage, all you noticed was her Cowboy hat, her big Texas sized belt buckle, and her trusty guitar. She did however, brought her most important instrument of all, her confidence and her fans. The crowd tightened close to the stage and she began her set with the number song, “Kody Was a Killer”. It was from that moment, you could tell that she won the showcase.

Little did anyone know, but Glitter was injured during the show. She strung her guitar so hard during her set, she cut her own finger. Perhaps, it was a wound from her own thorn. The bloody gash was so bad, blood flung in the air and even covered the entire bottom of her guitar. Like a piece of artwork, it looked as if a painter intentionally brush stroked the bottom side of the guitar. Like a trooper that she is, Glitter battled through the wound without missing a single beat.

Glitter's bloody guitar

At the end of the night, the judges had decided on the winner by scoring on the artists lyrical composition, the musical arrangement, vocal performance, stage presence, overall delivery, and also scored based on the audience participation. There was one clear winner and by almost unanimous decision, it went to none other than, Glitter Rose.

Glitter Rose became the final recipient of the Artists In Music Awards performance slot giveaway. Earlier this year at the first AIMA Summer Showcase I, the first open slot went to Mika Ben-Yami, a Singer/Songwriter from Tel Aviv, Israel. On July 29, Alternative artist, The Controversy won the 2nd performance slot giveaway at the AIMA Summer Showcase II. On February 8, 2013 at Key Club in West Hollywood, all three artists will perform together during the Award Ceremony at the 2013 Artists In Music Awards Red Carpet, & Press Event.

One of the most difficult entertainment businesses to break into is Music. The reason in one word is – Oversaturation. What makes the A.I. Music Awards a great opportunity? The awards program gives artists a chance to shine in an industry that gives little to no recognition to incredible talent. Artists may get some attention from gigs and festivals, but very few are recognized for their achievements. There are literally thousands of worthy talent that never get any recognition throughout their entire careers. At the A.I. Music Awards, the program accepts and reviews hundreds of submissions, but only a few from each category are eligible to win. The process is simple with an open fan polls in each category, then a panel of judges from the Radio and Music Industry, help to decide which artist will receive the elusive memorialized engraved custom trophy.

OTHER NEWS:
We are down to selecting the final two open performance slots and we are currently reviewing who will be invited and who will accept.

Currently secured to our line up are as follows:
Mika Ben-Yami – Folk
Travis Royce – Hip Hop/Electronica
Spaceship Days – 2012 Best Pop Artist winner
The Controversy – Alternative
Glitter Rose – Southern Rock
Special Guest – KyMani Marley & Ilhame Paris – Reggae/R&B
? Performer - TBA
? Performer - TBA

What’s coming for the Artists In Music Awards?

Already we are planning the Nomination Event for this coming December. Once we have a venue and a date set, we will let all of you know where it will be and when. We plan on inviting ALL our award nominees and we will ask you to come on stage to publicly announce your nomination in front of the Press. It will be a huge event that you will not want to miss. We’ll have live performances and special guests. Stay tuned!

If you’re not apart of our newsletter, sign up here

If you are interested in performing at our Awards Ceremony, we are still accepting submissions right now, but this is a first come first serve opportunity. Go to www.aimusicawards.com/#!submit

NOTE: If you want to perform at the A.I. Music Awards, there is a presale minimum. To avoid paying a pre-sale, you may come in with a sponsor to pay your entry fee and you will perform for FREE, so if you have company endorsements, please talk to your representative and get them interested about our Hollywood event on the biggest music event weekend of the year.

The Emerge Radio Networks Top 10 Most Requested Artists OTY

2012-08-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Today, we are featuring the Top 10 most requested artists of the year. Since the launch of the KGUP 106.5FM “The Emerge Radio Networks”, we’ve been logging all the phone calls and Twitter request, so this isn’t just any playlist. This is what you demanded.

Top 10 (in order of appearance)
10. “Said and Done” by You Vs. Me!
9. “Since You Left” by Emil
8. “Restless” by Last Stand for Lucy
7. “I Don’t Like You” by The Como Brothers Band
6. “Spillin Liquor” this is Silvia J
5. “Me featuring D. Myke” by Shastina
4. “Say it All” by David Geftakys
3. “The Chase” Dru-Ha Baby
2. “This Life featuring Marka” by Nix the Future
1. “Kody Was a Killer” by Glitter Rose

Find more episodes like these in our section: Interviews & Shows and listen to all these artists and more on our radio station at KGUP 106.5FM "The Emerge Radio Networks"

Don't miss a single episode of The Great Unknowns Presents. Subscribe with iTunes and Zune

*COPYRIGHT NOTICE. All featured artists and writers retain all copyrights to their material

KGUP 106.5FM Compilation Mix, Ep 164

2012-08-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today, we're featuring five bands which were the most recent additions to rotation on KGUP 106.5FM "The Emerge Radio Networks" from five different genres.

The first featured song is by a Metalcore band from San Diego, CA. This is their newest release from their brand new album, Collide with the Sky and it's called, "King for Day featuring Kellin Quinn"by Pierce the Veil.

Next is a brand new single by the band Haster called, "You'll Never Know". Haster is a Hardcore metal band from Orange County, CA. They were a Final nominee at the 2012 Artists In Music Awards for Best Metal Band.

The third song is by a Punk band from Los Angeles, CA and it's called "Parallel" by Implants. If you like Tiger Army or Bad Religion, they bring some of that old sound back.

The fourth song is a cover by David Geftakys a Rock artist from Sherman Oaks, CA. The song is "Name" original recorded by Goo Goo Dolls. It's not on the album, but you can find it on his YouTube channel and his website.

The fifth and final featured song on the compilation is "She's Fearless (Reprise)" by The Ill Funk Ensemble. Their sound is a unique style of Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, and Funk wrapped up into one, hence the name "ensemble".

Find more episodes like these in our section: Interviews & Shows and listen to all these artists and more on our radio station at KGUP 106.5FM "The Emerge Radio Networks"

Don't miss a single episode of The Great Unknowns Presents. Subscribe with iTunes and Zune

*COPYRIGHT NOTICE. All featured artists and writers retain all copyrights to their material

Advice for Independent Artists: The Real Cost of “Making it”

2012-08-06T22:04:00.001-07:00

Los Angeles Music Awards Red Carpet event at the
Paramount Studios in Hollywood in 2010

There is an ongoing delusion about the music industry. As a result, artists with incredible talent just sit around and wait for their big break. While this is happening, they let opportunities pass them by. What are you waiting for?

Trust me, I used to believe all the smoke behind mirrors too, hoping for that big break. For example, thinking label A&R reps are constantly in the music venues waiting in the shadows looking to sign new talent. I notice artists scheduling meeting after meeting, only to be rejected time and time again. Believing your music is enough is a myth, a fantasy. I realized this very quick, it’s all a numbers game. To get those numbers, you need to spend money to get to the top. There are few, if any get free rides in the music industry. People think the winners of American Idol are given a million bucks when they win. They get a loan, so you had better hope your record goes double platinum, so you can make their money back, plus the expected return for their investment. If there’s anything left, that is your share.

If you make a lot of money on the release of your CD, you get to move forward with your national tour. At each arena or venue you play at, you’ll need to guarantee an average of $30,000 or more in ticket sales, plus pay for event staffing. It depends on the promoter or venue. This means, you put up the money first. Yes, this is pay-to-play.

People think there is no pay-to-play in the majors. The truth is, the artists pay for everything upfront. I was reading in Rolling Stone Magazine that Madonna coughed up over a million dollars to play during half time at the Superbowl this past February. The NFL didn't pay her anything.

I’ve heard other people say, “She must get paid a lot of money to play at the Grammy’s.” No one is paid to play at the Grammy’s. A few years back, Lady Gaga paid over $500,000. The only thing she got in return was $50,000 in free endorsement products that was donated by the company sponsors. If you want to perform with the majors, you have to dish out money like one. If you wanted to play with the big boys, you could rent Staples center for about $500,000. Spend $20,000 for 2 weeks worth of radio advertising at KIIS FM (By the way, they won’t play your music unless you’re with a major label), spend another $30,000 in billboard advertising and you might have a sold out show, granted you sell your tickets for about $100 a piece and hope you sell each and every ticket. If you’re lucky, you’ll make about $3 million, but after you’ve paid the event staff, roadies, and attorney fees, and other miscellaneous expenses, you might net $1 million…just enough to book your next 2 shows.

If you have not seen it, go see “Katy Perry: Part of Me”. She will not talk about how much money she spent to get where’s she is at, but she does talk about the struggle and how long it took and what it took to get where she is today. No one at the top will ever reveal to you what it took to get where they are and how much they spent until you are at their level. On a separate note, did you know that Katy Perry was a Los Angeles Music Awards nominee? Yes, she was. She is but one of many.

There are few people that understand this is a business. The few that do understand, they have made the sacrifices and are living the dream and making money doing what they love. They understand the basic principal that you need to multiply your initial investment by at least two times. I am talking about gear, software, professional recording, professional editing, CD artwork, duplication, design, and photography. Lump that altogether and that is what you need in additional money. The average independent artist spends $3,000 to $35,000 by the time they have released his or her first CD. If you want to make a dent in the industry, you need to spend an equal amount into advertising, marketing, public relations, entering contests, festivals, and radio, etc. None of it is free. If you’re doing your own PR, even a single news wire costs $700.

If you spend nothing after you’ve made your “killer” CD, you get nothing in return. You cannot get anywhere without spending money. If you don’t come from money, have family ties in the industry, you need investors. You need investment capital to get anywhere. It is an unfortunate reality. Very few are lucky to be as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, or Gotye who have come from nothing.

What those 3 have in common is they struggled for more than 10 years before they became stars. Coldplay struggled for only 4 years. Muse started in 1994, but we didn’t hear about them until they were on the Twilight movie soundtrack. Justin Bieber is as lucky as they come. He is an extreme exception to the rule that only happens about once every decade. You might as well play the multi-state lottery twice a week for 10-years. The odds are the same. He was fortunate Usher discovered him. Had Usher not been browsing the internet, JB would still be making YouTube videos and he would be still playing at some no name coffee shop in Canada. Usher would have never invested in him if he didn’t see the money making potential. JB was simply seen as a product, nothing more. Once you see yourself as a product, you will understand the business a lot better.

I have witnessed a few exceptions to this rule, but you need to be incredibly well connected, but even these folks are not running up success as you might think, but they aren’t struggling either. Of the handful of the hundreds I come across, only two or three are living the semi-lucrative dream as an indie artist. One of them is actually on her way to “mega stardom,” and will most likely play at the 2013 Artists In Music Awards. Two or three more will have similar success, but the majority of these great artists will give up long before and that’s because they are just waiting to be discovered and waiting for someone to pick up the tab. This is not going to happen.

Believe me. I don’t like to see anyone give up their dream, but this industry isn’t kind or giving. I get frustrated when I see all these incredible artists continue to be turned away, because they don’t have the capital to back themselves. This is why I have the radio station and the music awards. I’m tired of good talent not getting any recognition and taking a back seat to mainstream and getting lost in a sea of talentless music. More frustrating is when artists scoff at what I do, because it’s “Pay-to-play”. If I don’t charge to play your music, then it would not exist. You get exactly what you pay for. If you get on a station for free, look at what is being played before and after you. If the music being played is garbage, guess what? No one is going to hear your song anyway.

There is also this delusion that radio play is free in the mainstream world. Trust me, you pay for airtime and it’s more than you think. Unless you’re in the Billboard Top 50, you’re spending more then what you get back in royalties. For the last 3 years, I’ve been reinvesting every dime I have collected in order to expand and grow. If I see that someone is doing better than I am, you had better believe I am adapting and making changes. Getting to the top is always ongoing process and it’s not as easy as it may seem.

As a successful artist, you must have everything in the right place and you need to hustle. By hustle, I don’t mean by just blasting someone’s Facebook wall everyday. That will do nothing except annoy people and then you will wonder why people are unsubscribing and unliking your page. I get hundreds of alerts everyday and I get annoyed too, which is why I don’t write 10 daily updates in my Facebook groups or Fan pages. That is what Twitter is for.

For the most part, Facebook is pretty useless to the average independent artist unless you’re spending at least $20 a week in advertisements. I see artists post on multiple walls, but few people actually pay any attention. A mindless MEME will get 100 times the impressions than your post about your hit song.

So, how do you build a fanbase that will gain attention? You need to relate to your audience. Engage them in conversation. Don’t ignore people and don’t make yourself unattainable. Until you are at the same level as Coldplay or Justin Bieber, act like a real person. Use Twitter to publish your thoughts and have it connected to Facebook. If you use an AutoTweeter like I do, then this is not a good idea to auto-publish your Tweets on your Facebook page. You will annoy the hell out of your friends and you’ll soon discover who your real friends are, because they will be dropping like flies. Definitely utilize Twitter. If it wasn’t for Twitter, The Great Unknowns Presents, Artists In Music Awards, All Indie Magazine, and KGUP 106.5FM would have never gotten off the ground.

Other ideas is to send a weekly newsletter and talk about your future plans. Create a weekly video diary, perform a cover song (make sure its good), hold contests giving away a song, tickets to your next gig, etc. Give your fans a reason to tell their friends why they should listen to your music and go see you perform at your next gig at midnight on a Tuesday night.

Go to major city events in Hollywood and New York and attend red carpet events. Don’t just perform at some coffee shop, bar, or club just because it’s free. You are limiting your potential when you only do free events. Events cost lots of money to produce. No one puts on events out of the kindness of their hearts or because they have extra money laying around. If there was no profit to be made, there would be no such thing as the Grammy’s, the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, Los Angeles Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards, Artists In Music Awards, Youth Rock Awards, etc. Perform at all of them if you can. Every one of these events has an audience and whenever there is an audience, there is Press exposure that ultimately comes with it and the potential for you to gain new fans.

In Air performing at the Hottest 100 Music Festival

Now, let’s talk about festivals. Here’s the truth about festivals. Yes, there are lots of them going on and people flock to them by the thousands and spend hundreds of dollars to go, but guess what. You’re not playing on the same stages as the headliners, and all those hundreds of thousands of people may not even see you, because the truth of the matter is, it’s all about ticket sales.

If you sell the minimum 40 tickets at $10 each as stated in the contract and you gave them $400, you will get the early show at 11am and you’ll only play on the smallest stage off to the side somewhere where no one can see you. If you sound awesome, you may attract about 20 to 30 people, and that’s because there are 4 other stages with bands playing at the same time as you.

HOWEVER, if you sell 200 tickets, you might get the main stage and the 7pm slot. The more tickets you sell, the later the time slot and the bigger the stage. When the next year comes along, and you sell another 200 tickets when everyone else is only selling 100, you’re playing during primetime on the main stage at 8pm. It’s all a numbers game and it all comes down to how many fans you have. If you keep doing it, you may go on tour with and become a regular name on the list and it could land you a record deal.

To get there, you must engaged your fans, plus your music must be fresh and cutting-edge, and it’s something that is tapping into the 13 to 25 year-old demographic, then you WILL be successful.

Don’t wait for opportunities to find you. Too much time will go by and by the time you meet the right people, suddenly your music is outdated. You will end up missing the boat by waiting or by holding out because it cost a few bucks to pull your weight when you don't have an audience.

Interview with Willie Ames, The Great Unknowns Presents, EP 163

2012-08-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

Today’s featured guest is a multi-award winning Folk/Rock artist from Poway, CA. While it says he lives in Los Angeles, CA, his real home is on the road and on a stage at a venue near you.

Having toured and played in all 50 states, he was recognized for this accomplishment with an award for National Solo Artist of the Year, plus he was invited to perform at the 2011 Phoenix Music Awards.

Willie Ames has been honored for several other awards and accolades including two awards at the Los Angeles Music Awards in 2010 and 2011 for Solo Artist of the Year and Instrumental Artist of the Year, plus he received another nomination for Hot Adult Contemporary Artist for the 22nd Annual Los Angeles Music Awards which coming up on November 15.

You might be asking, “how is a man whom I’ve never heard of is gaining so much attention?” Perhaps, it’s his honest lyrics and guitar play with a genre that is slowly dying from mainstream radio. As the younger generations are flocking towards more flashy scene with the likes of Hip Hop, Dubstep, and Metalcore, but the truth is, Folk Rock has never gone away. In fact, it’s more popular than ever. We just don’t hear it on the radio as often as we should.

Since the age of 5, Willie Ames has been developing his skills as a precision guitarist with the ability to play several string instruments including the 5-string banjo, steel guitar, and any current or classical guitar around. In his latest album, Night Owl, Aames demonstrates his finger picking style throw out, especially in songs like Human Race, Night Owl, and in the Fleetwood Mac cover, “Never Going Back Again”.

Throughout the 10-track album, there is distinct inspiration of musical greats like Lindsey Buckingham of Fleedmac, Dire Straits, even the vocal style of John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater, so if you enjoy music that is both modern with an American Folk Rock fusion, then you will absolutely enjoy the sounds of Night Owl by Willie Ames.

Find more from Willie Ames:
Willie Ames Official Website
"Like" on Facebook
"Follow" on Twitter
Add to MySpace
Purchase Night Owl on iTunes and Amazon

AIMA Summer Showcase Finale and Showcase II Recap!

2012-08-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

Get ready for the AIMA Summer Showcase Finale as we head back to Voodoo Lounge inside the House of Blues on August 26, 2012. Doors open at 6pm. Show starts at 7pm.

Live performances include:

Glitter Rose – www.glitterrose.com
Glitter Rose is a Southern Rock artist from Ft. Worth, TX. Glitter began her career at the age of 13. She is an accomplished guitarist, a simply genius songwriter, and has vocals packed with power, grit, and originality. Her live show is that of legends, captivating the audience with her high energy performance, and her passionate presence.

Melanie Taylor – www.melanietaylorofficial.com
Originally from San Diego, CA, Melanie Taylor may seem to fit in the Pop category, but she is much more resonating with a sound that combines reggae, 80s pop, hip hop, and dance pop.

David Geftakys – www.DavidGeftakys.com
Only one word can describe this artist’s genre and that is Rock. He has several releases already under his belt. His first EP, 'Lines In My Hands', was met with strong reviews from both critics and fans. His single 'Say It All' was rated in the top 5% of song reviews by SoundOut, a partner of Fontana music, and his 3rd track from the EP, 'Stellar Phoenix', has become a favorite with Radio DJ's and fans alike. David appeared on the late-night style show, 'Live Taping with David Valdez' at Universal Studios, and was a guest on KCLA's 'The In Show'. But by far David's biggest hit with his fans has been 'Games We Play' which was released along with his first music video.

Special Guest - CassieM
Orange County native CassieM has hit the music scene running and it will be forever changed...for the better. Her vocals are an inspiring and ethereal blend of warm tones and soulful legato; and her music verges on a blend of Katy Perry meets Kelly Clarkson; the sound is a bold, colorful surprising mix of Pop meets rock with a bit of R&B thrown in for good measure.

Rie Sinclair performs "A Moment You Never Dreamed"

This is an all ages event, so the family is welcome to attend.

Location: Voodoo Lounge (2nd floor inside House of Blues) Address: 8430 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Time: 7pm Cover: $10

(All the proceeds go towards costs associated with the 2013 Artists In Music Awards)

AIMA SUMMER SHOWCASE II RECAP

On Sunday, we named The Controversy as the winner of the Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase II.

Saint James Band performing "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"

As the sun fell and the night sky lit up as four incredible artists took the stage on Sunday at the Voodoo Lounge inside the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA.

The night began with the beautiful and talented, Rie Sinclair. The artist played a full set of original work that was familiar if you are a fan of popular television shows like Vampire Diaries, Ghost Whisperer, Californiacation, Nurse Jackie, and many others. She appeared with her entire band and played an acoustic version of her music.

Derik Nelson, a regular on the set of the FOX television show GLEE, made a last minute appearance and graced the stage with an acoustic set of his own. With only an acoustic guitar, he had the crowd swaying to some of his own originals. Derik Nelson’s been performing since the age of seven and his music has appeared on other television shows including, Raising Hope and Felicity.

The third band to take the stage was Saint James Band. This American Folk Rock band rocked it delivering the audience with a modern rock sound infused with a bit of the 70s greats like Led Zeppelin and Bad Company.

The final act of the night was The Controversy. Led by Barcelona, Spain native and 2012 Artist of the Year winner Laura Vall, this Alternative Rock band absolutely won the crowd by playing their fan favorites including “Real” and “Little Star”.

Throughout the show, the judge panel consisting of Uncle Earl of The Ultimate Underground Experience, Rodney & Dawn of At A Glance Talk Radio, and Deborah Huey of Media Nite Radio scored each performer based on composition, vocals, stage presence, and overall delivery. Out of 150 possible points, each band was given a final score.

The Controversy performing "Real"

At the end of the night, only two bands stood out from the rest – Saint James Band and The Controversy. With a dead-even score of 102,
the audience made the final decision and advanced The Controversy to play at the awards ceremony on February 8, 2013 at Key Club in West Hollywood, CA.

For more information about the Artists In Music Awards, go to www.aimusicawards.com

Interview with Chance You Take on The Great Unknowns Presents, Ep 162

2012-07-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Chance You Take is a young group of guys from Baltimore, MD with Chris Meagher on Vocals, Michael Meagher on Guitar and Vocals, Adam Christopher Henderson on Bass and Vocals, Bryan Kotcher, on Guitar, and Mikey Knaus on Drums.

Together, their music compares to the likes of All American Rejects and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, but they also have a Top-40 Pop Rock side to them that compares them to One Republic, The Fray, The Script, and Keane.

While this band is brand new and completely off the radar, their music is quite the contrary. Their newest single, “Love Again featuring Da Kid Emm” is of course, a love song, but it is much more. Perhaps to the typical metal fan, it is too “cheesy,” but not bubble gum enough to turn away the typical music lover. In fact, the song is a quite catchy and more mature than you might think. It might even be the perfect song if you’re longing for a good old fashion pop-love song. You might even find yourself singing along in your car and getting tons of attention with either shaking heads or smiles pointed your direction. They’ll be flipping through their FM dial with attempt to find what song you’re listening to, but they won’t find it. …at least, not yet anyway.

Recently released is their 5 song EP. It has a combination of love songs followed by songs about life’s lessons. Some are upbeat like, “Love Again” and “Using You” and other songs are ballads. While it may appear to be redundant from the outside, don’t just assume there is no diversity, because there is. You might be surprised how good this entire EP is.

Listen to an exclusive live interview with Chris Meagher on The Great Unknowns Presents, originally aired on KGUP 106.5FM “The Emerge Radio Networks”.

Find more of Chance You Take:
Official Chance You Take website
"Like" on Facebook
Follow on Twitter
Fan and join their newsletter on Reverbnation
Purchase the Unbelieveable EP on iTunes