Madalyn's Music Biz Blog

Attention Bands: Welcome To Facebook, This Is Not Myspace!

2009-11-05T12:17:00.000-06:00

by Guest Blogger Laura Marie

Welcome to Facebook. If you are new here and coming over from Myspace you have noticed many differences. Social Networks for Musicians can help you navigate those differences and make the most of your Facebook experience. For now, here are some helpful Do's and Don'ts to keep you growing your network and stop you from getting blocked.

Do: Post gig flyers to your wall
Don't: Post gig flyers to your friend's walls. On Myspace this was acceptable. Here it's like going to someone's house and posting it on their front door.

Do: Tag your photos, flyers and videos with people who are involved in whatever you are posting.
Don't: Tag everyone you want to invite to see your photos, flyers and videos. It's the same thing as posting it to their wall and, unless you have permission to do so, don't do it. Besides, if you post it to your own wall, it will show up in all your friend's home feed anyway.

Do: Create and event invite when you have an event to promote
Don't: Continue to invite people who have RSVP'd with "not attending". This happens all the time on on other social networks

Do: Create a fan page for all your band's music and info.
Don't: Use your profile as your fan page. Mostly because the fan page has so many more options for bands to promote their music but, also because Facebook did not design your profile page to be an advertising page and you might get deleted. Of course, you might not but why risk it? And, yes, it can be challenging to get your friends to also become fans but SN4M can help you with that. Plus, there are benefits to having both.

We recommend reading, How To Attract 3,000 Fans In 30 Days, The Ultimate Facebook Pages Guide

Do: Tell your friends about what you are doing in band related activities.
Don't: Make it all business all the time. This is a social network. Go. Be Social. :)

Remember there is a reason people are moving to this network. Don't try to buck the system. Go with the flow and it will be a great tool to spread the word about your music.

Copyright © 2009 Laura Marie, singer/songwriter/computer nerd

Texas singer songwriter, Laura Marie, can be found promoting indie music and helping artists with their internet presence throughout the web. She is currently preparing for her second solo release in January of 2010 and can be easily found on the following websites and networks:

http://www.lauramariemusic.com/
http://www.facebook.com/lauramariemusic
http://www.twitter.com/lauramariemusic
http://www.myspace.com/lauramarie

GoGirls Interview with Davina Robinson

2009-11-01T13:13:00.000-06:00

by Madalyn Sklar

What drives your music? When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

From a very young age, I've wanted to do music. I hardly watched TV; I listened to music instead, fantasizing being on stage, but I was extremely shy and had severe stage freight. I would write lyrics to future songs, sing them in my room or the shower, and just kept hoping I could be good enough and fearless enough to get on stage someday. Thanks to living in Japan and being dragged to karaoke bars, I got used to singing in front of people. I was a late bloomer. When I started my first band, there was no turning back.

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

I tend to weave my genres; it's not a conscious thing, but I chalk it up to my multi-racial background, growing up on R&B and rock. I like to sing in a bluesy way, I like to write stuff I can dance to, and I love hard guitars, bass and drums that I can headbang to.

As for my songwriting style, I wrote journals for years, so that autobiographical style/viewpoint seems to be prevalent in my lyrics.

Three musicians... difficult to limit to three. But Living Colour was particularly inspirational because, for one, it was the first concert I'd ever been to. I didn't know who they were, a friend invited me, and I was blown away. Of course for their unbelievable power and musicianship, but also because I'd never known there were African-Americans like me who loved rock music. A big eye-opener, and very liberating.

I really love Pink for her songwriting, her resilience and humor, and I like the way she (and her producers) can do different genres on the same album and make the album sound totally cohesive.

I love Chaka Khan for her singing range, her attitude, you name it. She can sing any genre, she can sing any cover and make it her own. She's an R&B legend, but to me, she's a funky rock chick. I want her to do a rock album so badly.

There are so many more...

What's your ideal venue atmosphere?

I'm sure everyone says this, but a great sound system with competent people to run it! I did the bar band thing for years, and from that experience I've learned that I love a venue where people come to discover something new, and actually appreciate it. I don't mean silently listening, though. I like an active crowd, dancing, headbanging, responding in some way. And if they sing the hook back to you, ahhhh.....

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

When I first started, I knew absolutely nothing about music (!) and had no idea who I was as an artist. I just basically got on stage and sang cover songs I liked. I let my band handle everything else, from the arrangement to setting up the PA for rehearsals. I certainly didn't know anything about the business/marketing/promotion end. Now, I know my voice, I know how I sing and what types of arrangements complement me. I do my homework, am prepared, keep up with the business/marketing/promotion, and let my existence known to various bookers, venues, and others in the industry. I'm my best and most enthusiastic cheerleader.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

Like most cities, venue attendance is down, including in Osaka. But there is definitely a market for "niche" type artists. The Japanese like quirky stuff and are very group-oriented, so once you find a group of fans, word will spread quickly, and they'll be loyal to the end. The underground scene seems to rule right now. My music isn't particularly quirky, but I am unusual enough in that I'm a plus-size foreign woman with a huge afro doing rock in English, so I stand out, so I guess that puts me into a niche. I've been getting more attention lately, so I'm looking forward to the next several months to see where this new attention leads.

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

My latest (May 08) and only release (so far), "The Blazing Heart", represented my determination. I'd spent years trying to get my music together, but it always seemed like my music would never see the light of day. It took years to find someone who understood my vision and could arrange the songs the way I wanted, or even surpass my vision. Of the four songs on the EP, two are older songs I'd written years ago; the other two were new at the time. So I combined the old me and the new me, and gave it the title "The Blazing Heart" to remind myself of how far I've come, and to remind myself to keep going.

What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?

Fortunately, I hired a very organized producer, and I learned a lot from him. He had a time schedule, he knew exactly how he wanted the song to go, the exact drum pattern, the exact tone of the guitar, and he hired experienced session musicians who could take direction. He did a lot in pre-production. So this saved a lot of time.

As for preparation for a CD project, I think the number one thing is to know your song and how you want to play it and sing it. Any song you plan to record, you should really have it down pat, by playing it live as many times as possible, not just in band rehearsals. New ideas - lyrics, phrasing, melody, chords - will always come. In a live situation, friends can give honest feedback, and you can see how the crowd responds to certain songs. The more you perform a song, the tweaks get worked out, so the smoother the studio session will be. So it's best to go into the studio with a song that you're confident in; that you'll be satisfied with. Because once it's recorded, that's it.

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion?

The ability to handle the fact that not everyone will like your music. Or the courage to venture out of your comfort zone and perform at a venue in a different state or somewhere far, in front of total strangers who aren't into you at all. You really need to be thick-skinned. It's cliche but true: Only the strong survive.

Describe your toughest moments in your quest for a music career and tell us how you overcame them.

A great opportunity that never came to be... Thanks to a GoGirls opp, I was to be featured in a print magazine called "Figure" earlier this year. But the magazine went bankrupt, so my feature/interview was never published. That kind of exposure meant so much to me. Really broke my heart.

Lots of money wasted/lost on a promoter who I realized didn't really promote me at all, during my acoustic tour of L.A. last November. That made me feel really stupid, totally violated and taken advantage of.

Both the good and (especially) the bad are learning tools. What you do with the new knowledge is the important thing. I know I won't make the same mistake next time.

These setbacks made me tougher, and made me change my strategy. So I decided to market myself where I live and perform (Osaka), even though I wasn't sure the Japanese audiences would dig me singing originals in English. But it turned out to be a very good decision, as things are really picking up, and I feel very confident and excited for the first time in a long time.

What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don't give up?

You really have to do your homework, not just the performing side, but the business side. It takes patience, time and consistency. Do research. Read books. Read biographies of famous artists, to see what they went through before hitting the big time. Be prepared for the setbacks and enjoy the big opportunities, but with a grain of salt. When something doesn't go your way, you have to be able to say to yourself, "That opportunity wasn't right for me," instead of thinking "I'm not good enough." You can't sit back and wait someone to "discover" you and help you. You have to make it happen for yourself. Even when things look bleak, or don't turn out as you'd hoped, you have to keep your focus, keep believing in yourself, keep selling yourself and take control, of both your career and your emotions.

Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

I am the Rock n' Roll Soul Chick!!

I'm working on material for my next CD project, and one of those songs will be used for my first music video. Hopefully I can shoot it by next Spring. The material this time will have simpler arrangements but with a harder feel, perhaps more blues-rock/hard rock, and the lyrics...hmmmmm....I'll need a "Parental Advisory" label for this one! LOL.

Would love to visit my hometown Philadelphia (go Phils!) next summer and be able to do a few shows.

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

Though I live in Japan and as of yet there's no chapter here (I've been thinking of starting one, actually), and I can't really fly out to do showcases, I still think GoGirls is such a valuable resource. Members offered advice when I was planning my tour of L.A. last year, and I even met a few face-to-face while there. What a cool group of chicks! :-) There are always new opportunities to check out and new things to discover from the websites and group discussions. Even though I'm far away, I never feel alone. Sounds corny, but true. I always recommend GoGirls.

More on Davina Robinson at these sites:

WEBSITE http://www.davinarobinson.com/
FACEBK www.facebook.com/davinarobinsonmusic
YOUTUBE www.youtube.com/rocknrollsoulchick
CD BABY www.cdbaby.com/cd/davinarobinson
MYSPACE www.myspace.com/davinarobinson

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

How To Attract 3,000 Fans In 30 Days, The Ultimate Facebook Pages Guide

2009-10-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

I have come across the best marketing guide that will help you attract Facebook fans. It's put out by the people behind AllFacebook.com, which I read regularly.

How To Attract 3,000 Fans In 30 Days, The Ultimate Facebook Pages Guide

This 75-page guide to Facebook Pages teaches you:

1. What’s New? - Our guide will walk you through all of the new features in the Facebook Pages product and explain how to use them.

2. How To Develop A Successful Brand - The course doesn’t just provide lessons on how to use Facebook Pages but also how to build a more powerful brand on the web.

3. Mastering The Art Of Conversations - Social media is a two-way conversation and Facebook is no exception to the rule. We walk you through some of the best strategies for more effectively engaging your audience.

4. Creating A Content Strategy That Sells - At the end of the day, building out your online brand presence is not just about attracting fans but making sales. We will discuss some of the best tactics to developing content that will help you sell more.

5. Using Facebook Ads To Promote Your Page - Want to get more fans through Facebook’s advertising platform. I will walk you through the process of building out an advertisement and discuss some of the best strategies to improving your results.

6. Turn New Visitors Into Fans - As I just mentioned, not all visitors to your Facebook Page are fans. In this guide I walk you through the best techniques to converting new visitors into fans.

7. More - There are over 30 priceless techniques to attracting more fans and developing a magnetic presence on Facebook.

How To Attract 3,000 Fans In 30 Days, The Ultimate Facebook Pages Guide

I know you find this handy resource invaluable in your quest to elevate yourself on Facebook pages. Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you!

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

Top 10 Places to Get Online Radio for Free

2009-10-27T15:31:00.000-05:00

Madalyn's Note: I'm passing this info along... Enjoy!

Got work to do on the computer and need to make it go faster? Then grab a pair of headphones, the below top ten places to get online radio, and make the work fly by with your favorite music. Best of all, these stations are completely free to listen to and work with a pop up blocker.

1. Slacker An outstanding site, it allows you to create your own personal radio on the computer. Simply select from stations such as Today’s Hits, New Country, Comedy, and others to begin. The site even has options for iPhones, iPod Touch, Blackberry, and anyone with a Wifi connection. You can even type in the name of a particular artist or song to find them.

2. Pandora Part of the Music Genome Project, this radio station actually analyzes how people listen to music. Another feature of the site is the ability to allow visitors to type in the name of a song or artist into Pandora. The site then scans its entire database of both new and old songs to find musical similarities to your choice. Create up to 100 stations of your choice and start listening.

3. Live 365 Stop here for over 6,000 internet radio stations run by real people, not computers or generators. Genres available here include the blues, reggae, metal, and many others. They even have specialty stations such as Xtreme Prank, Horror Old Time Radio, and many others. You can also get a free app for your iPhone.

Read the entire blog post and get all ten at http://onlineitdegrees.org/top-10-places-to-get-online-radio-for-free

Are We LinkedIn?

2009-10-20T11:38:00.000-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

When we talk about the top social network sites that are a must for you to be on it's important to include LinkedIn. Because it's a professional networking site, there are incredibly great contacts for you there if you take the time to work it. Wouldn't you like to tap into the over 50 million professionals who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas and opportunities? I feel it's not being utilized by most musicians and should be quickly added to your mix and updated regularly.

One of my favorite features is "recommendations" where people you know can leave a testimonial about you and your work. Over time I have accumulated some amazing recommendations from people I know, love and respect.

Here is my latest:

“Madalyn has been our biggest resource for help both in career coaching and through GoGirlsMusic, giving us a platform for our music. Madalyn is the utmost professional, and her experience and knowledge is second to none. Here generosity and kindness towards us, our goals, our music, our business has been invaluable. Madalyn taught us how to fish, and because of it we now eat. You will not find someone more qualified or dedicated. Madalyn our deepest gratitude.” September 22, 2009

Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity

LnZ and Chris of A Melodic Daydream

This is truly what social networks are about, connecting and sharing. Whether you are searching for work or wanting to reach and connect with people who can help you in the music business, this is the place to be. If you are not LinkedIn yet, get moving. It's well worth the time to set up. If you have a LinkedIn profile, be sure to review it from time to time, tweaking it and keeping it fresh.

You can check out my profile here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/madalynsklar
I encourage you to connect with me here on this extremely valuable site.

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

The Dewey Beach Music Conference Rocked My World Yet Again!

2009-10-09T18:13:00.001-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

I am a big fan of any music conference that does things right and I have to say I have now attended the Dewey Beach Music Conference fours years in a row and they do not skip a beat. It is hands down one of THE best conferences I attend and participate in each year. Vikki Walls and her amazing team do it so well and they do it right. It's located in the little beach town of Dewey Beach, Delaware, just a few hours from Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

We arrived on Thursday at The Rusty Rudder in time for the first of many VIP Parties. It was fun hanging out with old and new friends while watching great live music. I was most excited to see one of our GoGirls Elite member bands, God-des and She perform for an eager crowd.

On Friday Kelly and I got to work setting up the GoGirls/Social Networks for Musicians booth over at the trade show. We spent the day talking to lots of people about what we do. And a big shout out to all our great GoGirls volunteers who helped out. I was also a speaker on the Social Networks panel which was moderated by my friend Lou Plaia of ReverbNation. We spent well over an hour giving out lots of great information and advice to the attendees. Of course I talked about how I was using Ping.fm to send up photos/status to all my sites while at the conference. I can't help it. I'm a techie geek and love sharing how I use social networks to my advantage.

On Friday night we were off to the best VIP party of the conference at Venus on the Half Shell. It's madness I tell ya. And when I say VIP I mean not just industry peeps like me but for ALL conference attendees. The party was filled with complimentary beer, vodka and amazing food like salad, pasta, lobster tails, and so much more! All while watching the sun set from the deck. If you want to be wow'd at a music conference, this is it! I really enjoyed spending time with a bunch of our GoGirls members. There is nothing like getting a group of us together in a relaxing atmosphere like this.

Later that evening we geared up for our GoGirls showcase. It was our 2nd year to host our Friday night showcase at McSheas, which is a cute pub that serves up cold pints and large vodka redbulls! Um, pint size cocktails to be exact. You gotta be careful at McSheas!

You can see tons of photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/gogirlsmusic/sets/72157622397632491/

Saturday was filled with hanging out at the GoGirls booth and catching a few panels. I enjoyed the Talent Buyers/Booking Agents panel. My friend Allie Shaw of Listen Records and Hyperfestival was giving out some great advice to the bands.

Saturday night we were off to Gary's Grille for our annual Saturday night GoGirls showcase. It was our 5th year to party at Gary's. We had some great performers including a brand new band out of Philly called HiFi Asylum. Keep an eye out for this group because they can surely rock.

To all musicians and industry peeps... this is truly a gem of a conference. You cannot beat the laid back environment at the beach where you can rock out to tons of great bands in venues that are in walking distance from each other and enjoy complimentary beverages, tasty treats and awesome music at all the VIP parties. This was my 4th year to trek to Dewey Beach all the way from Texas and I'll tell ya, I'll do it again next year.

Learn more about the conference here: http://www.deweybeachfest.com/dbmc

And see my photo album here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gogirlsmusic/sets/72157622397632491/

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

GoGirls Interview with Madame Scorpio of Scorpio Rising

2009-09-30T14:32:00.002-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

What drives your music?

Not too sure, there is something within that keeps telling me to not stop this... seem to always end up at music somehow?

When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

Think it goes beyond music, I discovered early on I wanted to be center stage, even though I am very very shy and always screaming inside... when it comes to switching into performance mode I just know I feel it and able to own it...

I have felt that way since elementary school plays and playing cello with the UT String Project concerts.

I just have always felt very comfortable performing whether it is dance, acting or music

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

As far as my band Scorpio Rising, the music style is very Motown slash Rock style.

Me personally - I dig music period... and hate trying to label or separate into specific genres..

I can feel deep into music like some old school Pink Floyd or King Crimson to hot driven aggressive Rob Halford with Judas Priest... Rob is very inspiring he is so great. So hard to narrow down to 3 individuals when I have been inspired by maybe just one song from a band to an entire record from 1st to last song... but as far as power and success Madonna is pretty darn cool to admire and be inspired from. I have always said that Gene Simmons was a good inspiration, that dude just keeps pumping out the products in so many forms it is insane but as far Gene the bass player in the band and his character - fuckin’ rox, I love that stuff!

What's your ideal venue atmosphere?

As far as a music venue and performing... good PA with monitors and a sound engineer that knows the room and really runs sound while you play.

Scorpio Rising will play to any cliental and with any other band on a bill.

Playing a venue where the staff does not act as if you are a pain in the ass and waste of time is always really nice.

I don’t need a lot of bells and whistles for a club to be cool to me.

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

I started performing in a band called Retarted Elf back in 89-90 to 00-01. We took ourselves serious and made a name for our selves. We were making $1500.00 guarantees at clubs across Texas on a regular basis... now... things have changed and people don’t go out to see live music as much, so hard to say it has evolved in a growing sense ahahah seems to have definitely changed though... its all about different media these days and what I see is how it affects the music career in how it is marketed, distributed and packaged now. Personally as a singer I have evolved more in the studio and perfecting my sound, I am always learning. The music career seems to be spinning.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

Austin will always be one of the coolest cities to live and perform in. Austin is going through a lot of growth changes and the music scene is affected in many ways, however there always seems to be a place to perform but just not as much local support as you would think for the “music capitol” which means no money... no pay.

There are too many places that want to do live music but don’t know what they are getting in to... expect you to perform for no money and bring a PA! These places have no business trying to do live music in my opinion for some reason a lot of places expect to get rich off booking bands... but don’t support the bands they book.with advertising.... no promotion at all... sort of a loose - loose situation.

There are plenty of artists in Austin, not running short on that, just running out of good vibe venues to play with good vibe staff and location that know how to conduct business right.

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

To finish a project! Our inspiration was not having anything new and we had to get something out there with our new drummer!

The last CD was with our new drummer - having new blood is very inspiring.

What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?

#1 Homework - know your parts. The worse thing is to half ass it and then when listening to the final product saying, "oh man wish I would have done this or that."

You will probably end up with a box of CD’s sitting there for a long time so when ordering your numbers order in bulk to keep cost down but don’t get too crazy, unless you have 1000 pre orders... do not get more than that!

Have your art ready to go - that can hold your project up for ever.

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion?

Seen more break than make to be honest... distractions and additions will always bring the musician down.

Just starting out - deal with it... you will be hungry starving... no money... struggling better have thick skin and be able to handle criticism. Be ready to have your heart broken and turn it into stone…hide the weakness!

Describe your toughest moments in your quest for a music career and tell us how you overcame them.

It has been tough the entire time. When my band Retarted Elf stopped playing that was tough to deal with... when there was a burning desire to rock the stage it made me get Scorpio Rising up and running in more full force. Scorpio Rising dealt with having our drummer quit right after finishing our CD “Vain Bastard” for release... that sucked... having to back up and put it in a different gear... but we managed to find another drummer and have put out a CD with him on it which is very cool

What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don't give up?

Thick skin... and don’t show gaze, give the fans what they came for - practice.

Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

I am Madame Scorpio here to rock with you.

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

Couple shows, we are playing the GoGirlsMusicFest at Momos Oct 27th

Would like everyone to know we’re playing at Cactus Café in the Texas Union on UT campus Friday Oct. 2 - Wonderbred’s bday party!!! Would love some gogirl support!!

More on Scorpio Rising at www.myspace.com/scorpiorising and www.facebook.com/scorpiorising

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

Need Help With Facebook?

2009-09-22T19:09:00.000-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

I get this all the time from musicians and music biz professionals:

"I have a Facebook 'fan' page, now what?!"

So in response to this, I have launched a brand new video tutorial,
How To Maximize Your Facebook "Fan" Page

I know in these tough times not everyone can afford one-on-one time with me and my staff, so I've been developing a series of video tutorials at a fraction of the cost.

You will learn new tips and tricks including how to easily navigate around your page, add the ReverbNation and YouTube applications, beef up your "Boxes" tab using HTML and so much more!

Check out a clip from my video tutorial.

Get more info at http://www.sn4m.com/

Please let me know if you have any questions! I'd love to hear from you.

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

Madalyn Sklar Recommends...

2009-09-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

When it comes to getting your CD mastered and manufactured you want it simple and easy. Am I right? I know we've all been through our share of disappointments, missed deadlines and errors when it comes to getting our CD just right and ready for launch. This Fall marks the 9th year I've put together the annual GoGirlsMusicFest Compilation CD. It's in conjunction with our annual GoGirlsMusicFest benefit showcase series across the country. (http://www.gogirlsmusicfest.com/)

I'm here to share my good fortune and experience with two top-notch companies in the industry. First Mike Milchner of Sonic Vision Mastering. This is my first year working with Mike and I am completely wow'd by his professionalism and experience. He has totally exceeded my expectations. And we know how rare that can be in this biz.

Second, I'm thrilled to once again work with Jim Cocke and his great team at Crystal Clear. They are the kings of CD manufacturing! They currently have our CD in production and I'm amazed at how easy they made this for me.

Here is the bottom line: with these two companies you get personal attention. I know, real customer service is becoming obsolete because many are getting too "corporate", making it about their bottom line, not you the customer.

Those who know me well know I willl not work with just any company. In the sea of music businesses, I look for those with professionalism and integrity. I look for companies that will take care of you and me.

Make your production the best that it can be. Sonic Vision provides world class mastering to the independent music community at extremely reasonable rates. 20 plus years of experience will put the finishing touches on your music that will ensure impressive first impressions and preserve long term enjoyment. Hear for yourself with their free no obligation demo. Just visit their website for all the details and mention GoGirlsMusic for a 10% discount. We highly recommend it!

Details at http://www.sonicvisionmastering.com/

They rock! Plain and simple. You know, there are so many CD manufacturers out there but who really knows their stuff and cares about the customer? Hands down, it's Crystal Clear. Give 'em a call and see why we are happy customers! -- Madalyn Sklar

CDs – DVDs – T-SHIRTS - PROMO
Madalyn Sklar at IndieMusicCoach & GoGirlsMusic.com recommends her friends at Crystal Clear Disc, Promo, and Apparel for your CD/DVD replication, T-shirt/apparel, and other music promotional needs. Serving the regional and national independent and major label music industry for over 35 years, Crystal Clear has grown to become one of the largest, most experienced and respected replication and music promotional products companies anywhere in the country. Visit them on the web at http://www.crystalclearcds.com/gogirls or contact the head of Crystal Clear, Jim Cocke directly at 800-880-0073, ext 114 or jim@crystalclearcds.com. Be sure to let Jim know you were referred by Madalyn Sklar for great discounts and special offers!

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

GoGirls Interview with Dawn Botti of New Day Dawn

2009-09-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

What drives your music? When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

I think two main things drive my music. First I'm driven by the song writing process and the never-ending quest to write that "perfect" song. I love the potential and endless creative possibilities of not knowing what you are going to come up with next and always feeling there is room to improve. Second, I'm driven by the pure love of performing and being part of a band. After my last band, Slushpuppy, broke-up and my husband and I were busy having a baby, I thought I'd "take a break" from music.-- at least the performing aspects -- and it just felt like a lost some core part of me. A friend of mine even said "It's like Dawn isn't Dawn anymore" -- and that was my wake up call that I needed to get back on the saddle !

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

My musical style is pure rock and roll -- classic rock, alternative rock, "pop" rock...basically anything that has distorted, chunky guitars and a great beat and strong memorable melody. Since I'm the lead singer, guitar player and main songwriter of the band, I have different musical influences for each piece -- but if I had to name top three: U2 , Foo Fighters and Pat Benatar --- all three of these have influenced me vocally, guitar-wise and in songwriting.

What's your ideal venue atmosphere?

My ideal venue is any place where there is an appreciative and attentive crowd that is there to really listen to what you are doing. I've played festivals/ venues with hundreds (even a couple thousand) of people and sometimes you don't have as satisfying of a gig as you do in the club where you played to only 20 people...because the audience of 20 was more attentive and there to really give you a chance and listen to your music...

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

I've gotten a lot pickier with the gigs that my band will play. This is not due to being a "diva" or anything...but really more just a function of the fact that I am juggling a lot more in my life these days (a demanding day job and raising a family) and therefore have only limited, precious time to devote to my music. Also every time the band plays, I have to pay my side players and I have to pay a babysitter since my husband is in the band too --- so we really need to be careful about how much we spend vs. what we are making with the band. Sometimes I miss those days with my former band where we would literally just jump at any and every chance to play -- sometimes playing 4 or 5 gigs a week. Then on the other hand, I think that is also a sure fire way for an unsigned band to "burn out" -- these days you need to be more strategic about where , when and how you play. I also do a lot more acoustic solo gigs -- these are great b/c they don't cost me anything and I can have a greater flexibility to just show up somewhere on short notice. I used to be uncomfortable doing things without the support of my band behind me. Playing stripped down you feel much more vulnerable when you used to having all those loud amps and drums around you... but out of necessity I've forced myself to get comfortable doing it this way and it's been really good for me and well-received.

The other way my musical career has evolved is that I no longer am chasing around that always elusive major record label deal. The biggest mistake I with my prior band is that we never officially released a product -- we made "industry demos" and would shop them and then be completely at the mercy of all the labels. We would sell or give away those demos at our shows -- and since they weren't a complete packaged product, we always sold them for like 3 dollars.... we made at least 4 demos over the years and sold a couple thousand of them, but since we never had a UPC code or any way of tracking them...all of that went unnoticed and the money went to buy drinks, etc... instead of being systematically re-invested back into the band. I've learned since then to take more responsibility for the fate of my own career.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

The music scene in the greater New York metro area is always a difficult nut to crack -- on the one hand, there are a ton of venues to play (especially in the city itself), but on the other hand trying to keep up with which venues are the "hottest" underground places to play is a daunting task. It seems to change weekly ! Secondly, there are just soooo many bands and musicians which makes the scene very crowded and very uneven. The clubs care more about how many people you can bring than how good you are. Quite frankly, it's not a great situation for the music fan -- Think about it, they come to a club to see your band play -- they pay the usually high-priced cover, then buy an overpriced drink, then the venue is usually running behind and the music fan has to endure one or more bad bands before getting to see the band that they came to see. Then the sets are only 35 minutes or so, so usually after that they want to stick around more...but again the band that follows may not be good. This is why what we always try to do is get on a bill with bands we already know -- or better yet, get the venue to let "us" book the entire night. At least this way we can ensure that all the bands are of the same caliber.

I live about 30 minutes outside New York City in a great eclectic town called Maplewood, NJ. There are a lot of musicians and music lovers out there and a bunch of us got together about a year ago to start a musicians collective called "Rock The House" NJ. We rent out the local community center and put on a rock show compromised of all local bands. It's all ages, so folks bring their kids. It's a great alternative to having to go trek into the city to see a rock show (and endure what I was talking about before). We've done 5 installments so far and have had over 200 attendees at each. We've just started to branch out and invite out of town talent onto each bill to keep the bill's fresh and not over exposure the same

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

Many of the songs on the latest CD were the result of personal heartbreak -- but not from a romance as one might think, but actually from the breakup of my former band, Slushpuppy. That band was like my family. In fact, each of the members (all male) were like my songs... since it was before I had any children of my own, I definitely looked over and cared about those boys like I was their mother (or at least older sister :) When the lead guitarist and bass player when behind my back and started jointly plotting to leave the band -- I saw it as a real betrayal and was devastated. They had both joined the band after the group had already been out there for number of years, they came in at a time when the band already had label interest, had carte blanche playing the top venues in the airing, and was getting radio play. Looking back, I don't think they realized how lucky they were and how much effort it takes to get a project to even that level. They left for the promises of "greener pastures" --- which of course never ended up materializing. The story is actually quite tragic b/c my former bass player ended up in a sever depression that he was never able to climb out of....and in fact, he is no longer of this earth because of that sickness. Looking back on it now with clearer vision, I can see that it was all just self-sabotage behavior on his part , but at the time I took it all VERY personally. Songs like "Misunderstood", "We Are" and "See Me Fall" were all written as a direct response to their actions. At the same time this was happening, my two best-childhood friends (who married each other in 1990) decided to get divorced after 14 years of marriage..... so... let's just say there's a lot of darkness on that record, which is a little weird for me now because I'm in a much happier place. Some fans have commented on the disconnect between my upbeat, positive outlook and the dark, aggressive lyrical content on the CD, but that is where I was in my life then and an artist can only do their best to represent what is going on in their lives (and in their heads) at that moment. I'm now in the midst of writing many more upbeat and happy songs. I have a new song called "You Are My Everything" that is written for my husband (been married 15 years) and that's getting a lot of good response.

What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?

Do a lot of pre-production ! Let a non-invested third party expert (e.g. a producer) listen to your tunes and comment on them. As songwriters and musicians we get so used to hearing things a certain way sometimes you can't see accurately what the song may need --- e.g. removing a verse, adding another chorus, shortening a part... etc... I also think that we are so lucky today to have such powerful digital editing tools -- and given that a musician should really be focused on capturing the energy of their performance as opposed to hitting every note accurately. Those little errors can be fixed with the magic of the editing... but no amount of editing can capture the "magic of the moment".

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion?

I can think of two things that will break a musician: 1) trying to keep up with the "jones" and following trends in the industry as opposed to playing what is "authentic" for that artist and 2) thinking that you can just concentrate on the "music" part of the music business and leave all the business stuff for someone else to do.

Describe your toughest moments in your quest for a music career and tell us how you overcame them.

Well the Slushpuppy break up was definitely probably the toughest moment. We were getting played on KRock, had Jagermeister sponsoring us and talking about adding us to the next Ozzfest... we had lots of buzz and momentum behind the band, and when the guys all up and quit I was so hurt and angry I just didn't think I had any fight left in me to keep going it alone. I needed to take a break and really look in the mirror and think about what I really wanted from this thing called music. What I found was that I wasn't really being authentic in terms of the music I was writing or playing back then. I was trying to be something I wasn't just to placate the other members of the band (that wanted the music to be really heavy, angst-ridden hard rock). So I decided to retire Slushpuppy and start my current band, NEW DAY DAWN with music that was created on my own terms. Now when I get up on stage, I don't feel like a phony.

What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don't give up?

I would say if you are pursuing music primarily for the reasons of becoming rich and famous, then you should really take another look at it. There's certainly easier and more guaranteed ways to make a living out there. The best advice I can give is to continue to take a good hard look at yourself and decide whether you are speaking your truth. If you are speaking your truth than your music will resonate with others. Also, redefine success. If you are doing what you love... even if it isn't making you rich or famous... isn't that in and of itself "success" ?

Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

I'm not only a musician and songwriter, but a corporate lawyer by day...and a wife and mother of a very energetic 4-year old. Specifically, I am the Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for NBC Universal Television. This means I spend my days negotiating and drafting contracts for multi-million dollar content licensing deals and I also am an adjunct professor at NYU where I teach a course called "Music and The Law". Of course my legal experience certainly helps when I'm doing the "business" side of music, but at the same time it also can be a hindrance. When people hear that I'm an accomplished lawyer, they will usually dismiss my music as just a 'fun hobby' --- that is until they hear it and then I get the surprised "oh my god, you are actually really good ?" I used to try to hide my multi-faceted personality ... but now I'm over that. I am who I am :)

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

As Madalyn always says, you get out of it what you put into it and to be honest, I have only started really getting involved in GoGirls over the past few months. That said, I'm looking forward to all the wonderful opportunities to gain exposure for my music and establish an ever better support group. Knowing that there is a group of women around the country (and beyond) that all share a similar dream (in one form or another) and all are willing to help each other is really invaluable. I can't wait to get out there and play shows with many of them and to meet many of them! It makes it especially great that we are all women -- I think that as women we have a unique way of seeing and interacting with the world, and we also need each other (especially those of us in the rock genre) since the field is so dominated by men!

Check out the following links for more on New Day Dawn:

http://www.newdaydawnband.com/
www.myspace.com/newdaydawnband
www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/New-Day-Dawn/26363442129?ref=ts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnyVj0IOSj8&feature=related

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

FREE 3-MONTH MUSICIAN’S ATLAS ONLINE ACCOUNT

2009-08-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

Madalyn's Music Biz Blog and GoGirlsMusic.com have arranged for you to get 3 FREE MONTHS of the Musician’s AtlasOnline – the ultimate music biz machine.

Regarded as the industry's most comprehensive and accurate networking database, the Musician's AtlasOnline makes it easy for you to book more gigs & sell more music with updates and new listings added every day.

Artists, managers, record labels, and other industry professionals use the AtlasOnline to book Club, Festival, College and other gigs; get Radio Airplay; promote their music to Print & Web Journalists; and network with industry decision-makers.

The AtlasOnline interactive tools make it easy for you to:

• Contact Talent Buyers, Record Labels, Publishers, Music Supervisors and more
• Book & Manage Tours
• Conduct Email Campaigns and Generate Mailing Labels
• Plan & Implement Promotional Campaigns
• Build, Manage & Email Fan Lists
• Track Merch & Record Sales

Click here to get started!

How I Got A Bunch Of New Facebook Fans

2009-08-25T12:29:00.000-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

So many people ask me how to effectively increase Facebook fans on their music or business page. First I have to say it's not an easy task. We are all used to easily adding friends on Myspace and seeing instant results from it. When it comes to Facebook, that isn't the case. They don't allow you to add friends on public profiles (fan pages). You can only do so through your personal profile.

This is where you have to get creative... or just go ahead and steal my ideas. Actually I'm giving you this information so you can try it out. All I ask is that you report back to me on your success - what worked, what didn't.

A few weeks ago I devised a giveaway to try out on the GoGirls "fan" page. I did what I learned from Jack Canfield (author of The Success Principles and Chicken Soup for the Soul books and was featured in The Secret). He says instead of Ready, Aim, Fire it should be Ready, Fire, Aim. That means just do it and figure it out as you go. Many times we over plan, over think and in the end get nothing done. I don't work like that. I just do. So as I developed this giveaway I was ready and fired. While aiming I came up with a name for this type of Facbeook giveaway: "FAN US, SHARE US, COMMENT US".

Side note: If you're not familiar with GoGirlsMusic.com, it's an online community I developed well over thirteen years ago that promotes, supports and empowers indie women in music. It's interesting because in looking back I created a social network before any of us knew what a social networks was.

Here is the GoGirls Facebook "fan" page:

How I did it:

I started the giveaway on Friday, August 14. My thinking was do a quick one that would end on Monday afternoon. I wanted to see if over a weekend I could generate more interest in our site. And keep in mind GoGirls is a niche so it doesn't appeal to everyone. On that day we had 299 fans. I wanted to give away something I knew our audience would want - a 2009 Musician's Atlas. I posted a comment on the wall at 4:34pm announcing the giveaway and encouraged our fans to click on the "share" button located at the bottom of the left side column on our page. I even attached a screen shot image showing them and highlighted the "share" button. Hey, I wanted to make this as easy as possible! I then said to come back and post a comment on our wall letting us know you did this. That was it. Simple! And it worked. Within minutes comments were cropping up letting us know they posted this to their wall.

Here is where it got cool. Less than 30 minutes later I received a message from my friend Steve at Music Business Registry saying he wanted to donate some prizes to this too. He offered up an A&R Registry and a Music Publisher Registry. I was floored how viral this was in such a short period of time. So I now had three prizes to give away!

My thinking was it's late Friday afternoon so I'll let this sit over the weekend. On Monday I posted a reminder on the wall that the giveaway would end that afternoon. I couldn't believe how many comments came in. As promised on Monday afternoon I randomly selected three winners. And we now had 401 fans. I was wow'd at how easy this was. And the best part was reading all the cool comments and what people posted about us on their own wall.

So I now had a cool way to quickly increase our number of fans. It shows us all the power of marketing yourself on Facebook.

Then an interesting thing happened.... someone copied my idea. It was actually one of our winners. She was so impressed with this that she did the same for a site she manages and thanked GoGirls for the contest idea. In thanking us she included our Facebook fan page link which promoted us even more!

What will I do differently next time?

I'm planning to do this same giveaway on my other fan page, Social Networks for Musicians. This time I plan to launch it on a Monday and let it run for a week. I'll send out periodic reminders throughout the week.

So try it out and let me know how it goes for you. The only thing I ask is you not steal the name I gave it... "FAN US, SHARE US, COMMENT US". Take my idea but at least get a little creative here and come up with your own name.

Until next time...

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

Myspace Disables Auto-Play Songs

2009-08-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

If you haven't noticed yet, Myspace has disabled auto-play on the song player. Why? Seems they can't afford 10 million per month in streaming fees. Turns out the auto-play streams account for a billion plays each month. That is a lot! However, I wonder what the true number of real listeners are when you take away those who scam the system using bots to increase song plays. I am amazed at how many music pages I come across that have a crazy number of song plays yet very small number of fans.

Now if you are fearing that Myspace is dead, think again.

According to Tech Crunch:

In July we reported that traffic grew tenfold over the nine months since launch: niques have grown 190% since launch in September 2008 and 1017%. It has grown 4.2 million unique monthly visitors to 12.1 million since launch. It is now solidly in the no. 2 position behind AOL Music, and growing fast.

For some interesting Myspace Music stats, check out: MySpace Music Appears To Be A Hit, Increases Traffic Tenfold Year-Over-Year

And of course this week Myspace bought out iLike. This will be interesting to watch unfold because iLike is the largest music application on Facebook and well we all know that Myspace and Facebook are rivals. It will be very interesting.

Let me know what you think about what's going on at Myspace. I'd love to hear from you.

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

Win HD Digital Camcorders for the Whole Band!

2009-08-21T15:30:00.007-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

Do I have your attention? That is quite an attention grabbing headline. I found this blog post today and have been sharing it all over the web ~ Facebook, Twitter and now my blog. I think it's awesome when a cool site like Blue Comet TV wants to give indie artists the chance to promote themselves and in the process give them free camcorders.

About Blue Comet TV:

Blue Comet TV is a video service for bands and fans to share music videos. Like if YouTube were only local acts and cellphone clips. We’re a group of musicians and audiophiles who started the site to share the stuff we love. And we love a live show, whether it’s a small room or a stadium.

To enter this cool contest, head over to the Blue Comet TV blog for all the details.

Good luck!
Madalyn

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

Facebook for iPhone 3.0

2009-08-18T17:30:00.008-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

If you're an iPhone user like me who spends a great deal of time on Facebook you are probably waiting on the edge of your seat for the new Facebook for iPhone 3.0 app to emerge. And if you're like me you've probably been following the reports about how awesome it's going to be, what all it will do. I know, it will definitely rock.

Head over to Inside Facebook and read today's review showing you cool screen shots and all the awesome capabilities.

Here's a list of new features:

1. Full News Feed Interaction, with Likes and Comments
2. Full Support for Facebook Pages
3. New Home Page Navigation
4. See Upcoming Events and RSVP
5. Video Uploading
6. Complete Photo Management
7. Write Notes and Read Your Friends’ Notes

Finally, an app that will help us manage our "fan" pages on-the-go! I can hardly wait. They say it's been sent over to Apple for review and should make it into the app store very soon. I'm waiting patiently...

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

We Recommend Crystal Clear Disc, Promo and Apparel

2009-08-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

They rock! Plain and simple. You know, there are so many CD manufacturers out there but who really knows their stuff and cares about the customer? Hands down, it's Crystal Clear. Give 'em a call and see why we are happy customers! -- Madalyn Sklar

CDs – DVDs – T-SHIRTS - PROMO
Madalyn Sklar at IndieMusicCoach & GoGirlsMusic.com recommends her friends at Crystal Clear Disc, Promo, and Apparel for your CD/DVD replication, T-shirt/apparel, and other music promotional needs. Serving the regional and national independent and major label music industry for over 35 years, Crystal Clear has grown to become one of the largest, most experienced and respected replication and music promotional products companies anywhere in the country. Visit them on the web at http://www.crystalclearcds.com/gogirls or contact the head of Crystal Clear, Jim Cocke directly at 800-880-0073, ext 114 or jim@crystalclearcds.com. Be sure to let Jim know you were referred by Madalyn Sklar for great discounts and special offers!

GoGirls Interview with Laurie Jones

2009-08-01T15:40:00.007-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

What drives your music? When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

Fortunately, (or unfortunately.... depending on the day) I got infected with the "music bug" at a rather young age. I was playing in a rock band when I was 14 years old and began writing my own material out of frustration for all the covers I was having to play and for the lack of inspiration on popular radio. There really isn't anything I've been more passionate about than writing and playing music... so it's been "bust" from the get-go.

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

It's hard to put music in a genre, I think. I've been called everything from "chick rock" to Euro Americana to alternative folk. I'd like to consider myself a singer/songwriter first, but playing live with a band certainly puts an edgier spin on the lil' folk songs I compose. I'm a huge fan of Chrissy Hynde because she not only rocks, but she is an animal activist and overall kind human being. She really inspires me to strap on my guitar, be feminine, yet give the songs hell when need be. I can't help but love the Rolling Stones. Great songs.... consistency.... legends that just wont stop. Ya gotta love it! Adam Duritz (counting crows) is my favorite songwriter... he fascinates me with his use of words, phrasing, and his melancholy approach.

What's your ideal venue atmosphere?

My expectations have changed drastically over the years.... my ideal atmosphere now is really a good sounding venue with people who love live music and songwriting in general. In the perfect scenario they would also know my material and be able to song along to what they may have heard on the radio or previous shows. I've become a bit burnt out with the club scene ..... I've outgrown having drinks spilled on me half the night and having Lynard Skynard request yelled from the back of the room by the drunkest local.

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

It's been a great journey and I've learned so much. Looking back over the past 10 years I do have so much to be grateful for .... I've been promoting my own material...working from an indie label....doing basically my own radio promo and then finally having the opportunity to have a publicist work the latest CD in Europe. I've gone from having my music reviewed in my local hometown newspaper, to having reviews in countries that I can barely translate the language. It's more than exciting and at times seemed surreal.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

I live in Maine, so the music scene is not as obvious as NYC OR LA... but there are definite opportunities to play and make your mark. We have great venues in New England.... I've lived close to Canada for several years and take the opportunity to tour Atlantic Canada at least once a year. Being in Maine has also forced me to travel a great deal, but it's been a great experience. It's actually quicker for me to fly London than LA anyway- you gotta love that!

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

I think I quit the music business every other day while I was writing this record. I was promoting my Better Days CD and was on the road pretty heavy and feeling like maybe it's not all worth it. I was going through a lot of personal stuff (who isn't right?) and just knew I needed to make some major changes.. professionally and personally. I really love this last CD. If it's my last, I'm very proud of how it ended this extreme adventure. That is why I titled it Laurie Jones... because I think it just about sums up everything. Maybe it should have been called "Meet Laurie Jones". Either way, I'm very happy with it.

What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?

Plan ahead! Practice, practice, practice..... be prepared when you go in the studio. it saves so much time and money. If your taking a full band with you make sure you're well rehearsed for sure. On another note, be true to yourself and your vision. Recording is so permanent... make sure you're happy with the outcome and stick to your guns.

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion?

Attitude is everything! Focus, Focus, Focus!

Describe your toughest moments in your quest for a music career and tell us how you overcame them.

I did the whole Nashville scene and recorded w/ a small label several years before my CD "After the Crash". To make a very long and sad story short... it ended up sour. I was very disappointed... lost a great deal of money and ended up with cases of CDs that I'm not happy with. I was heartbroken for several years over the experience. I was so naive, but gosh was it good for me! It made me understand the music biz a bit more and realize that I was in charge of my own destiny. No one was, or ever will be, handing over anything to me on a silver platter.

What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don't give up?

I would say that staying positive is so important. What you put out there in the universe is gonna come back to you.... see it, think it... believe it. Ultimately you ARE doing it.. perhaps on a different level than you may be satisfied with, but hell, you're living the dream girl! You're playing your music and have the courage to pursue it. That alone is success in my book.

Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

I'm currently taking a breather to reassess the next big move and have cut way back on my gigs. I'm loving having the freedom to write new songs right now without the pressure of having to travel and keep up with a hectic tour schedule. I'm rediscovering how much I love being a songwriter... how rewarding it really is... and perhaps the songwriting really IS the best part. I'm working on a new project to touch back on my "folk tendencies" and I'm at a comfort level that I have not felt in years.

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

It's been a great resource. I've been able to do showcases in other parts of the country... meet fantastic musicians.. network on so many levels. there is so much power in numbers! chicks do rock!

More about Laurie Jones at http://www.myspace.com/lauriejonesband

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

Web Site + Blog To Check Out - We Are Listening

2009-07-31T15:44:00.011-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

As you know, I read lots of music business blogs. There is so much incredible information out there that can help you and your music career. I know, it can be hard to sift through it all. That's where I can help. ;-)

One of my favorite blogs is brought to you by the good people at We Are Listening. It's simply called Music Industry Blog.

According to their web site:

We Are Listening is the leading provider of international music contests for recording artists, songwriters and lyricists. Our exclusive career-launching contest prizes have landed our winners on the stages of the world’s largest music festivals, placed their songs on internationally syndicated television shows, and secured the most desirable co-writing, publishing and recording opportunities in the business. Our distinguished and prestigious panel of contest judges includes executives at EMI, Universal, and SonyBMG; songwriters credited by Faith Hill, Lenny Kravitz, and Chaka Khan; producers credited by Sting, Bjork, and Dido; and professors at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music.

I love blogs that offer up great advice with lots of valuable information. This one is no exception. Their latest posting, "How to get 200 new fans a week" is a great read. Blogs like this should be in your RSS reader!

What are YOUR favorite blogs? I'd love to hear from you.

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

If You Had To Give Up One Of Your Social Networks, What Would It Be?

2009-07-20T14:04:00.029-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

I posted an interesting question on our Social Networks for Musicians Facebook Fan Page today.

I asked, "If you had to give up one of your social networks, what would it be?"

Of the 13 that has responded so far, 7 said they would give up Twitter. Wow!

I am a firm believer when it comes to your music or music business, the top three social networks you should be utilizing are Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. But what if you had to give one up? I know, it's thought provoking.

Mashable says Twitter has grown 1928% from June '08 to June '09.

I first fell in love with Twitter back in March 2008 when it was mostly dominated by Internet techies, not online marketers. Most musicians I talked to at the time had not heard of it yet. Many laughed at my "twittering" excitement at both SXSW and the ASCAP Expo that year. I would take photos with my iPhone and send it up via Twitpic. Yes in real-time I was Twittering my music festival and conference escapades. It was cool. I was cool. Well I wasn't doing it to be cool. But everyone was quite amused with me. I couldn't help it, I was doing what I do best which is to embrace and utilize new media and technology. I've been this way since the mid 90's when I discovered the Internet.

Twitter was a different beast a year ago. No spam. Yet. No "we can get you 1000 followers a day". It was a great tool to get relevant news info on the fly that was fresh and exciting. It was cool to read tweets from people in-the-know. A great way to share info and ideas with colleagues. Reading what was on the mind of powerful CEO's. I was very intrigued. Fast forward to July 2009 and it seems to be incredibly cluttered up. I'm still a fan of course. I regularly share information and resources that I think my followers would like. But now that everyone and their grandmother is using it and telling me they are busy eating grape jello or how they can help me be an online millionaire, I have to really say... "WTF?" Yes, I know we can use neat little programs to keep tabs on the few people we actually give a tweet about. Or we can choose to not follow them at all. Sorry, but I'm from the school of if you follow me, I'll follow you. It's a courtesy.

Side Note: Of all the Twitter programs I've played around with on my desktop and iPhone, the best hands down (for me) is Tweetie. I think it's the best Twitter iPhone app.

So just about everyday we hear about how Twitter is growing by leaps and bounds in comparison to Facebook, Myspace and all other social network sites.

Last week Mashable posted this:

Wow, 1928% is amazing growth in one year! I think the stats are great. Twitter is huge. I knew it would be some day. I was proud when CNN's Larry King started talking about it regularly on his show. Next thing you know it's on the CNN ticker constantly. More and more people found great uses for it. Remember last year an American student alerted friends via Twitter he was arrested in Egypt, it made international news. Journalists are keeping us informed by the second. This just goes on and on.

Side Note: I highlighted above that Myspace leads social media sites in video viewing (excluding YouTube of course). That is quite interesting too!

I was always curious as to how many people who signed up for Twitter actually used it. I've been watching this closely for some time. I wanted to share this with you because when I read a headline like Twitter's 1928% growth in one year, I start to wonder what is really going on.

Here's something quite interesting from Nielsen:

Many have told me themselves they sign up then don't use it. Some say they don't get it or don't like it. For most it's plain and simple: I'm already posting what I'm up to on Facebook and Myspace. Why do I need to do it on Twitter too?

Reports like the one above have confirmed what I figured was true. People sign up (thank you CNN and Oprah) to see what the fuss is about then many of them don't return.

Marketer Insight just posted this great little nugget of info last week about how the top 10% of Twitter users account for 90% of Twitter's content. Wow, that is interesting. The article goes on to say that many use Twitter simply to grab information. It has become quite the search engine.

I really feel all this information is quite interesting and makes you think. I would love to hear your take on it. And I'll pose the question to you too...

"If you had to give up one of your social networks, what would it be?"

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

How To Maximize Your Facebook "Fan" Page

2009-07-08T16:53:00.007-05:00

Integrated Music Marketing Campaign

2009-07-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

as explained by Mike King of Berkleemusic

This video has been circulating all over the Internet lately even though it was created a few years back. The info still hold trues today. You need to integrate your music marketing campaign. As a DIY indie artist, the brief video will give you valuable insight on how to break ahead.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Berkleemusic

Maximizing Your Marketing Dollar as an Independent Artist

2009-07-06T14:38:00.002-05:00

Madalyn's Note: this video offers up some great advice. Check it out!

In this http://www.artistshousemusic.org interview, Corey Webb and Leo Larkpor of MogulTunes discuss why an independent artist can't hope to compete on an even footing with major labels that might spend millions promoting an album, and how to research and overhaul your marketing efforts to maximize the bang you get for your buck.

GoGirls Interview with Laura Payne of Rhythm and the Method

2009-07-01T17:28:00.018-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

What drives your music? When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

For me personally, music saved my life in many ways. It is my anti-depressant, my best high, my love, my family. I simply can't live without it. :) For the rest of Rhythm and the Method, the love of music is very strong in each and every band members, especially the lead singer/songwriter Rhythm Turner. Music and creativity just seeps from her pores! Rhythm and the Method is driven by the following belief and mission:

The music we create is meant to awaken human beings to the realization that they themselves hold the key to unlocking their highest potential; that they, as all of us, are living during this certain time, under these certain circumstances, for a very profound reason: We all have deep, individual missions to fulfill in this life. Rhythm and the Method knows that our mission allows us to tap into our own limitless potential through our gifts of song and word. These gifts can (and will) change the world. Political struggle, social change, environmental awareness, and overcoming internal strife: These are topics often exemplified by Rhythm and the Method's poetically passionate lyrics. They signify the desire to contribute to the propagation of positive thinking, peaceful resolution, and the enlightenment of human beings as a whole in this lifetime.

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

Rhythm and the Method's style is rock/blues/folk/funk/indie (in that order ;). So many artists/musicians which have inspired us all, here are a few that come to mind:

- Johnette Napolitano: singer/songwriter/bassist extraordinaire, I saw her live with Concrete Blonde many mexican moons ago and she has continued to awe and inspire me ever since. I also get inspired by her politics and activism, which is a big part of her music & performances.

- Annie DeFranco: This is one of Rhythm Turner's biggest inspirations, for alot of the same reasons above. she's a dynamo on stage and has blazed an amazing trail for independent artists.

- Nancy Wilson: damn that girl can play some guitar! Listen to her solo acoustic stuff and be amazed. Her musicianship has been very underrated in my opinion, and she still jams it out to this day. She was the first female rock guitarist I knew of when I was a kid, and really inspired me toward learning how to play rock guitar through the realization that yes, Girls indeed can ROCK.

What's your ideal venue atmosphere?

The ideal venue is one with a good sound system with an engineer who can run it, good stage lighting, and great vibes from management, staff and patrons. Also, good food is important! It brings in the peeps and allows them to stay longer for the music :) Lastly, the venue should put in at least an equal effort to promoting your shows.

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

I started performing in rock bands when I was 18, and been hooked on it ever since. When I first started it was mostly parties organized by friends in a central CA town. Now performing consists of live TV spots, video tapings, and playing venues anywhere from 50 to 1000+ capacity all over Southern California. Rhythm and the Method has been together just over 2 years, and we are just starting to see a noticeable up-tic in publicity and being known as one of the top bands in the area. It took consistency, hard work and promoting to build it up to this point. GoGirls music has helped us tremendously along this road by opening doors, establishing new contacts and broadening our network US wide.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

San Diego is a great music scene! Lots of diversity in sounds & genres, there's alot of great female singer/songwriter and female-fronted bands around these days too. More than I've ever seen at a given time. We team up frequently for "female bands that rock" type of nights at our residency venues. Of course just like anywhere else, there's some politics, cliques and other obstacles to contend with. Just need ignore, or go over/around them and continue to move forward.

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

We've released one CD so far, the printed copies are sold out but the songs can be purchased/downloaded from amazon.com or itunes.com. The songs on this 6 song EP release were inspired by Rhythm Turner, from social consciousness and matters of the heart.

What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?

Number one is practice practice practice and nail down the songs prior to recording them! :) One of the things we've learned that saves us tremendous time in the studio is to record the songs slated for your CD project during rehearsals and listen back, so you can discuss / fine-tune the arrangement and dynamics as a band.

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion?

Attitude is everything, it doesn't matter how great you sing and/or play, if your attitude sucks no one will want to work with you and the audience will get turned off by your demeanor very quickly. In other words, check any negativity, attitude, bad vibes at the door no matter what's going on, and show up with a positive demeanor, an open mind and an open heart. This does wonders in attracting your audience and keeping your band mates happy! :)

Describe your toughest moments in your quest for a music career and tell us how you overcame them.

One of the toughest moments (and the most recent) was when our lead singer was attacked in a hate crime. It has caused us a major setback in many ways, we've had to cancel many high paying gigs and lost out on some great opportunities as a result. We are still in the process of overcoming the fall-out from this attack, mostly by the tremendous support we've received from the music community (i.e. GoGirls music members), the LGBT community, and our love and support for one another. We have no doubt that we will come through this stronger than ever!

Watch the video of Rhythm Turner talking about her hate crime experience:

What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don't give up?

Hit alot of open mics to build up your name and music biz contact list! Follow up with booking at these same venues, because open mics tend to help open lots of doors. Leverage your GoGirls music network, when you go to a GoGirls chapter city, hit up the local chapter community and ask what venues/open mics and any other gogirls music related events that you can participate in. Leverage the internet via social networking tips for musicians to build your network throughout the world!

Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

Hello music world! I've been with you since I heard my first song on the radio, I love you and I'm here to stay ;) Seriously though, if anything I'd like them to know is that my personal goal in music is to make a positive difference in the world through the gift of music, continuously grow my skills and strive to become the best female bassist on the planet. I don't know if I will ever make it there, the most important part of going after my goal is enjoying the journey itself.

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

All sorts of great stuff! including but not limited to:

- Connections for female musicians from all over the place! I've met fellow GoGirls music member Sharon Hazel http://www.myspace.com/sharonhazel when starting up the local San Diego chapter and we've hit it off instantly as musicians and friends. Sharon's music is a very unique blend of jazz/funk/folk and I've experienced a whole new level of creativity in bass lines by playing in her group. Also met Holly Ransom aka Snakeoil through GoGirls music http://www.myspace.com/hersnakeoil who's voice is alot like one of my fave vocalists, Chrissie Hynde's. Playing with different artists helps me to grow my creative and improvisational skills

- Useful tips and information from the GoGirlsmusic.com website. There is so much useful content to read, written by the women who know their stuff. We should call it "GoGirls Music University" ;)

- Concalls with fellow GoGirl members: what better way to figure out your next step or to overcome an obstacle in your music career than to have a sounding board of like-minded peers from all over the US?

- The overall GoGirls Music community. As they say, it takes a village...to make it in music and with the large community of strong, independent female of musicians available through GoGirls Music there's just no stopping us now!

Check out Rhythm and the Method at www.rhythmandthemethod.com

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar, GoGirlsMusic.com

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

PLAN YOUR BAND! a must-have eBook by Peter Spellman

2009-06-23T08:16:00.012-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

I'm a big fan of really good books and eBooks on the music business. After all, we can't know it all. We must always strive to keep learning more. Peter Spellman is one of my favorite music biz authors and happens to be on the faculty at Berklee College of Music in Boston. His books are top-notch and extremely informative. One of my favorites is Plan Your Band! Sample High-Impact Band Business Plan and Music Investor Proposal All-In-One. It's a great read that will give you plenty of great ideas when it comes to planning your band's strategy for success. There are tons of resources in here too plus a sample Investor Agreement. You can't go wrong with this eBook in hand.

This eBook is a steal at only $19.95. click here for more info...

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians

Facebook Marketing for Bands

2009-06-19T14:09:00.004-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

From time to time I come across a really valuable resource that helps you market your music on the web. I was excited to find this eBook simply called Facebook Marketing. It's geared for musicians and is filled with many useful tips on how to get the most out of Facebook.

When I read this paragraph on their web site, I was compelled to buy the eBook.

These Facebook marketing techniques come from years of experience; they aren’t screwy tips like “message your friends” or “write on their wall,” and this isn’t a flaky ebook. They are hand-picked and customized, being the most effective and efficient techniques for Facebook marketing.

I bought it and was impressed. Yes, I learned new things!

This eBook, Facebook Marketing, is a valuable investment for only $16.49. See for yourself. It's on my recommended list.

Copyright © 2009 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 13 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
GoGirlsMusic.com
Social Networks for Musicians