Karaoke Forums

I am starting a series of discussions driven towards the Singer’s ShowCase and Karaoke-Forum members I have now been in communications with over the past few weeks.  I am first and foremost an avid music enthusiast and have been for most of my life.  Recently some things occurred in my own life that caused me to rethink some of my mentalites in regards to both myself and my love OF music, and the artists that create this music.  I reviewed a ton of online forums, discussion groups, and submittal farms if-you-will and used some pretty sophisticated internet algorithms to find the best community for me to share part of myself with, and let me tell ya this.  Karaoke Scene Magazine has created an amazing portal for the true avid Music Enthusiast right here.  Now let’s get to business.

Streaming Media has presented many benificial aspects to 21st century artists.  These capabilities were available all along, it just seems that until recently.  Developers just began making use of certain technologies to place online for availability.  Believe it or not most of these tools are either free to use, shareware, ie comes with a pricetag under $20.00 or can be bought for an extremely reasonable price.

Taking the paragragh written above into consideration, today’s artists who are just starting out, or persons who have been struggling trying to get into the business needs to remember the following.

Example of perserverance, strength and conviction in one’s abilities
Phil Vassar
Notice the perserverance of one of the more recent and most talented singer/songwriters in today's music industry.  Please also note that the Label that Alan Jackson was under in 1998 is the same label that chose to record Phil's first album.  This man wrote songs for 4 years, WANTING to be a vocalist, having the desire, but he knew that one way to take baby steps was submitting music to accomplished vocalists, both male and female alike, and his baby steps were huge when you take a look at the artists he has written for.  It finally paid off in 2000, the same year that BlackHawk recorded Phil's hit "PostMarked Birmingham".  His first self-proclaimed album paid off with four smash-hit's.  I like using him as an example because while he was working towards his total goal, he was using some of his additional talents to keep moving while striving for his final destination.

SongWriter Phil Vassar Wrote Hits for the following artists from 1996 – 2000.
Engelbert Humperdinck,Tim McGraw,Collin Raye,Jo Dee Messina, Alan Jackson, Blackhawk

Phil Vassar signed by Arista Nashville 2000
Debut Album____Phil Vassar___2/22/2000

Think about this.  DSL or cable in most areas today, costs no more than from 25 to 35 dollars a month.  In today’s world, if you don’t have DSL or cable, you are at an extreme disadvantage, in all seriousness, regardless of what you use your PC for.

Musicians, now realize this.  Online today, you can obtain powerful mixer products reasonably priced.  You can also obtain powerful streaming media instrument panels for experimenting with and recording of the actual score music to any song you are inwork on.  These products also let you record.  There are products for under $20.00, with some pretty power capabilities

Thus please understand that I mean no disrespect whatsoever to anyone out here on the ww.net.  But now I must say this.  Dependant upon how serious you are about music, please know that with today’s technologies, if you truly love musc, if you want to succeed in music, if you have heart and desire.  There is absolutely no longer any reason that you can’t succeed.  Lack of finances can hardly be used as an “out” for why an artist can’t make it to whatever level their talents lend them to in today’s world.

One word of caution to anyone who desires to try and make it in today’s market.  The marketplace has changed considerably in the last few years, and persons like Phil Vassar (individual) and the Country group Musik Mafia has defined how the 21st century recording industry will interact with individuals and new groups.  You have to be respectful of all other artists, you have to have a desire to share your knowledge with your peers, OR you will be on the outside looking in.  The Holier Than Thou, and it’s all about ME mentality went out a long time ago folks.

This segment is part one of a multi-part discussion piece I want to post to the Singer’s Showcase performers.  I also plan on a second segment showing today’s aspiring artists how to protect themselves, their music and friends and family from marketplace fraud and thievery.  With streaming media just beginning in today’s musical marketplace, the items I outline will be extremely beneficial for anyone who creates works and want to share it to get thoughts from their peers.

You make me pause to think and recap the country industry as of late. There are many groups that are focusing on the grassroots method of advertising and becoming successful.

The truth of the matter is the term “success” doesn’t have a finite definition. I know many working musicians who are regionally known, or work in the studio, but whom most people would never know. They make a living doing what they love – music. To them that is success. Some people are completely dissatisfied unless they have their name up in lights and are the latest platinum selling artist. Obviously, the latter is a much harder objective to achieve.

The internet has become a massive catalyst for artists on many levels. I know many songwriters and bands who host their songs online with little exposure, but I also know of some websites that A&R reps actually do go to and listen to what’s going on – whether that give them insight to upcoming trends or exposure to a new artist, they do it. It provides them maximum exposure for minimum effort. That being said – no one who wants to be successful in the Industry can do so completely from the confines of their computer (or even studio). Musicians must be able to provide entertainment on more than one level. Having a beautiful voice or prodigy-like musical talent means nothing if you can’t bring it to an audience to enjoy. Talent takes you only so far – the rest is tenacity, ability to entertain, appearance (for women particularly) and connections. Now connections can be made without living in LA or Nashville – the internet can establish much of that. The marketplace is changing – opening music up to many other possible directions.

The real question for any artist is what are they happy doing? Are they happy playing regional clubs, selling their CDs around town and on the internet with marginal “fame?” Or do they seek that super-stardom? If either are options, absolutely people can be successful and “make it” in the industry. People love to be entertained and seek entertainers everyday. If the only option is super-stardom, the road is long and hard and the odds are against everyone – regardless of their talent. I see amazingly talented people everyday (some who have been signed) who play their music locally and have some notoriety overseas or in certain cities, but are not superstars.

Very interesting post - looking forward to the next chapter.

_________________
"Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprints and begin." - Robert Collier

Ms. Heather, thank you very much for inputting into this discussion.  You also made some extremely valid points that maybe my posting was too vague on. I completely agree with your assessment of what I was trying to say.  One main point that I was trying to push across was that today's aspiring artist cannot use the old adage that "lack of funds" and lack of exposure was the reason they never hit it big.  By doing the research on the internet, finding the tools available for little or no money, the internet can be the beginning gateway, (if used with precaution).  Of course, yes the next step while doing this would be the footwork, roaming the cities, looking for groups, etc.

I had aspirations of being in the big time from the age of probably 22 until some point last year at 35. (NOOOOOOO it wasn't a mid-life crisis), .  I just realized that instead of following my heart and my true aspirations, i chose to party as hard as possible for a lot of years and expend all my additional energy into two things, girls and my business career (gag me with a pitchfork), .  I never took the necessary steps.  

Right now I simply want to listen to the talent out there, find out their goals and try and help them any way I can from being taken advantage of.  I guess you could say that with the love i have for music and the admiration I have for artists of all calibers, I could very well spend the next several years of my life helping others who want help and are willing to go the extra miles necessary.  

The only request I currently have is that these aspiring artists don't have the God complex and realize that by respecting current artists and OTHER aspiring artists they will only benefit themselves, enrich themselves and help the industry out as a whole should they really make it to the big time.

Ms. Heather, I truly appreciated your intelligent and well thought out response, and am looking forward to much more correspondence with you.
Your Friend
~~Randy

If I may; here is a Reprinted From Harder Beat

May, 1999 - Harvey Gerst's  Predictions For The Future

It's pretty exciting right now in the music business because music is in for a big change this year or next. It's going to affect everybody in the music business and how people interact with music. Call this month's column "Harvey's Predictions For The Future."

Some of you are aware of the "Web," "Internet," and "AOL," but what's that got to do with the way we make, listen to, and buy, music? Everything. Recording contracts have always been scarce because the cost to record, package, promote, and distribute music are very high. Record companies need a million seller just to break even sometimes.

Record companies are very good at recording, packaging, promoting, and distributing your music, they're just not very good at creating your music - that's your job. And until now, you weren't very good at recording, packaging, promoting, and distributing your music, you were just good at creating your music. But there's a change on the horizon and it's headed your way.

What if you had complete control of the entire process? The whole thing, creating, recording, packaging, promoting, and distributing your music. And at a fraction of the cost that a record company has to charge? Without employee overhead, or big costs in packaging, manufacturing, promoting, and distributing CDs?

What if you could make just one digital master copy and have everybody that likes your music make perfect digital copies from your master and pay you for their copy directly? And we're talking guaranteed payment. That takes care of the packaging, manufacturing, and distribution, but what about promotion?

Remember earlier, I mentioned the "Web," "Internet," and "AOL?" Those are networks," ways to connect millions of people together electronically. People with computers, and money. For a very small monthly fee, you could "create" a "digital record company" that exists only on these nets and in your bank account. You put on some short musical excerpts from your digital "master" and charge people $2.00 to download the whole album.

Why only $2.00 when a CD costs $15.00? Simple, the artist only gets about 10 to 15% of the selling price anyway. The rest of it is taken by the store and the record company as profit and to cover the costs of recording, packaging, promoting, making, and distributing the CD.

Here, the customers pay you directly by credit card (or an added charge on their phone bill) and the money goes straight into your bank account. If enough people buy your music, you've got a hit on your hands and you didn't even have to leave your house.

Okay, so how much is fairy tale, and how much is reality? Right now it's pretty much all fairy tale, but it's about to change by this year or next. Why? Because price are dropping fast on all the items needed to make this a real story. Computer digital stereo (at CD fidelity standards) is a memory hog. It takes about 10 million bytes of computer storage to hold just one minute of stereo music.

An hour of stereo music will just fit on a 850 meg computer hard drive (along with the software to play the music). Once your computer hard drive is filled up, you have to erase the old music to make room for more. That's like having a cassette recorder with one built-in blank cassette. To record another hour, you either erase the cassette or buy another cassette recorder. That's been one problem.

But CD recorders are plummeting in price. Sony plans to release a $600 CD recorder this year. If enough people show an interest, prices will drop even further, to about $350 to $500 for a new machine. The customers hook it up to their computers and make their own CDs of your music after they've paid you your $2.00.

You can even include the electronic artwork for their jewel box that they print out on their printers. The "net" becomes your music store, and the customer becomes the manufacturer, and packager for your record label. Stay tuned for more details.

And here's the kicker, gang - the above column you just read is the EXACT same column I wrote for Harder Beat in December, 1995. There was no MP3 back then, but everything I predicted is coming true. If you have a computer with Internet access, go to mp3.com. The times they are a-changing!!

_________________
I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

I was on the OLD mp3.com haven't checked out the newest version, maybe I should!!!

Very very interesting stuff!!!

_________________
Teri Jo
...May the road rise to meet you... just, not too quickly, and not too hard!

I think they close down and am not sure if they reopen. But most of the people move to other site like  soundclick.

_________________
I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott