The first time that I saw the movie Once (affiliate link), it was via a less-than-perfect DVD copy in a conference room with two dozen music industry executives, assistants and interns. It was sometime in 2006 when I was still employed by a major record company, and we were watching the film to determine if both the movie and soundtrack justified a release in the U.S., and, if so, through which of our distribution channels.

As the film ended and several of us wiped tears from our eyes, one of the top executives (actually, the top executive) claimed that it would not sell more than a few thousand copies at most and said that, if we were to release it, it should go through our indie distributor, assuming the film even did anything at the box office.  Needless to say, I had some choice comments for this executive, though I can’t remember anything more specific from that conversation other than the word “heartless” and the phrase, “Did we just watch the same move?”

Of course, the film went on to earn more than $10 Million in the US alone, garnering an Oscar and various other awards along the way, not to mention the many soundtrack album sales, as well as Swell Season tour dates, increased sales from albums by The Frames and more.

*****

I watched this movie again over the weekend, and found myself just as impressed as I had been way-back-when in that sterile conference room (and my wife was similarly moved, especially as she was actually seeing it for the first time).  The delicate song arrangements, the honest performances and the subdued conclusion get me every time.

My point?

This is just one of many examples of how some of the most impressive and most successful music has been rejected by the music industry’s gate-keepers time and time again.  If you believe in what you do–if you believe in the music that you create–then trust that others will as well.

You’re audience is out there–don’t let a clueless gatekeeper tell you otherwise.

Comments? Thoughts? More suggestions? Share in the comments below or via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for more articles and useful goodness for independent musicians.

Too much trouble to remember? Subscribe to MusicIsMyDayJob via RSS or email and let us remember for you.

(full disclosure: all Amazon links in this post are affiliate links)

Most artists find completing one album a daunting task, so when we heard that the independent musician Mark Marshall was not only going to release four albums over the course of the next year, but also a documentary film, as well as launch a subscription-based social media experience around the creation of said albums, we had to discover if there was a method to his apparent madness.  Mark graciously accepted our email interview request and has given MusicIsMyDayJob a behind-the-scenes look at how and why he is doing this, as well as the challenges it presents to him as an independent artist.

This is the final entry in our three-part interview series with Mark, examining the ways that he is using social media to both promote and shape the final outcome. You can visit yesterday’s post on how he is funding and creating the back-end to do all of this, and you can learn more about the genesis of the project by clicking here.

Q: What have you found are the most effective ways to spread the word about the Four for 4 project? Are you using any traditional advertising, or is the focus on past fans and social media?
A: A little of all. The beauty of a project like this is the grace of time… I’m already watching the project evolve as new members come on board, new podcasts pick up on it, websites and blogs (not unlike this one)… in some ways, it’s a very organic process, knowing that it isn’t all about a single release date… more like a release year! And with every mention, new folks find the project and come on board. But I have done a bunch of Facebook work, MySpace, Reverbnation, various webvertising in some markets, and now that the project has some meat to it, working on local media as well. To date, past fans, including and especially podcasters, have been just phenomenal. Big shout out here to Dave Lee from the Bugcast, Skys and everyone from Indie Showcase and Awesomeradio.net, Wahya from Pheonixradio.net and Steve from the Dalecast…all diehard supporters, and I am incredibly thankful for them. There are more on the way…thanks to them in advance.

Q: This takes you from being a solitary musician to an active tribe leader (in social media terms)–how comfortable are you with that new role?
A: Very – and in ways you wouldn’t necessarily think of. The very nature of what I do is solitary to a point, in terms of the fact that I write, record and perform all the stuff myself… even though on this project, I am, for the first time, involving other musicians to a small degree. Having this “tribe” along adds an impetus that was previously just a hope in traditional music distribution – you write and record an album, and then hope someone wants to listen to it. In this case, there are already people listening – which is a wonderful gift. Bear in mind what I said about being a listener… I still cherish that experience, and hope to hell that what I create will provide someone else with that in the end. But I signed up for that role in creating the project to begin with, so yeah – I’m very comfortable with it.

Q: What are you doing to actively build the community that is developing as the project progresses? How involved are you with the comments and discussions on the website, and how do you find time to create music with these added responsibilities?
A: Well, obviously I have duties to promote the project, by its very nature. And this naturally builds the community. But I think the most authentic thing I can do to build the community is to be myself and keep creating – in every form I can. This includes video and written commentaries, as well as interacting with those who choose to leave comments on the site. And one of the neat parts is – I’m constantly exploring neat things to add to the site, to make it a better experience for the members – which makes the site better. As for finding the time to make the music – well, it’s my primary responsibility here, and having the project here is a constant tap on the shoulder… “psst… get back in the studio!”

Q: As many of us know, writing one song can be challenging, let alone writing four albums worth of music. Where are you finding inspiration and time to compose so much music?
A: Well, instrumentally speaking – I can write ’til the cows come home. It just flows out of me. Now from a lyrical and melodic perspective, that’s a lot tougher – ’cause it’s difficult for me to write about something I don’t care about. But one more beautiful facet of this project is that it pulls this stuff out of me. It makes me constantly turn my attention to it – so I find myself looking at things through a writer’s eye more than I would otherwise, just because the project is here.

That having been said – talk to me at the end of the project, and I’ll let you know how much of it felt like pulling teeth. :)

Q:How comfortable are you with the idea of giving people such an intimate look into your creative process?
A: That would depend on the song, really. In some cases, the track feels so solid to me that after hearing it a number of times, even in its’ roughest form I’m reasonably sure that people who share my sensibilities about music will get it. So discomfort doesn’t apply there. In other cases, I state it right up front – “Hey – I dredged up this old song, which I kinda like – so I recorded a scratch version… whaddya think? Should I run with it?”

And look… the premise of the project is, for all intents and purposes, that a member is treated to the unvarnished. So I have to be comfortable with providing that. And, if you think about it – there’s a level of kindness folks are showing by supporting the project in the first place – which makes me more comfortable with letting it all hang out.

Q: Do you see the community shaping any of the music? For example, if you post a work-in-progress and people have specific suggestions, would you incorporate those? If they were to respond less-than-favorably to a given track, would you scrap it and move onto another?
A: Two separate aspects – the first I just addressed with asking folks about whether or not to use a particular song. But also – and this goes for life as well – one has to consider the source. I placed some tracks from my “New Eye” album on sites like garageband, where folks get to review your tracks. I can’t tell you the number of times I got comments like “great track, but the guitar has to be louder.” – where there was not one hint of guitar on it at all. Another great example – there’s a track on that album called “Something to Believe”, which has an extended intro of almost 2 minutes before the vocal starts. I can’t begin to tell you the number of people who were highly offended by that opening. Me personally? I love it. And though I did make a “radio edit” version with a shortened intro – I have gotten the most wonderful comments back from people who LOVE that intro. So, in the end – I’ll listen to anyone’s opinion, but in the end, I’ve got to be able to not just live with, but love what I produce. So every instance is different.

But I will say this – I value the opinions of the project’s members. So there isn’t a single opinion there that I won’t take very seriously.

Q: In one sense, the community members are your investors–how do you balance your responsibility to them with your artistic integrity?
A: Well, what they’re investing in to begin with is my process. It’s a healthy form of investment, in that they aren’t taking a dividend from future sales or anything – they are paying for an experience, and the finished product. So in the end, what they’re investing in IS my artistic integrity. The way I balance it is by being true to myself, communicating with them as much as I can, and making the best music I can, too.

Q: When May 1st 2010 arrives and you are looking back at the last year, how will you determine that this has been a success?
A: I’ll have survived! Seriously – I’ll have a bunch of great music done. I’ll have made some wonderful friends – which has already started to happen. I’ll have made a bit more of a name for myself, which will be really important for when I announce the next project – where I complete six albums in six weeks, while simultaneously running for public office. HA! Seriously, though… in the end, what I really love is to make music. If this project puts me closer to that, I’m blessed.

But most importantly? One night, someone will put on a pair of headphones… they’ll put on one of the albums, and they’ll have an experience that will enrich them in some way… the way that so many pieces of music have done for me in my life. If I can achieve that, well… there’s not much more I can ask.

Q: Any final words of wisdom for those who are considering something even remotely similar to this?
A: Well – I suspect that I’d be WAY better equipped to answer this after the project is done. But at this juncture, I’d say… first and foremost – be yourself. Be prepared to share it all. Accept it all. Fall in love with the process all over again. And if you’re not in love with it all, go do something else.

And stick with it. Don’t rush through it. Some of the most magical stuff I’ve ever written took months of writing, re-writing, recording, listening, rewriting and re-recording. Go listen to Elizabeth Gilbert from the TED conference about freeing yourself in the creative process. I’m JUST starting to use that, but it’s a revolutionary way of approaching your art – and incredibly self-humane.

Lastly, and most importantly – there isn’t one aspect of this that you can’t consider art. If you approach it all as art, it will all be that much more beautiful – not just the finished product, but the journey to it – which is art in and of itself.

*****

Special thanks to Mark Marshall for allowing our readers to learn more about this massive undertaking. You can learn more about his Four for 4 Project here.  You can also find him on Twitter.

*****

We hope that you’ve found this series useful. Please share any comments, thoughts or suggestions of other people you would like us to interview in the comments below or via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back regularly for more articles and useful goodness for independent musicians.

Too much trouble to remember? Subscribe to MusicIsMyDayJob via RSS or email and let us remember for you.

Most artists find completing one album a daunting task, so when we heard that the independent musician Mark Marshall was not only going to release four albums over the course of the next year, but also a documentary film, as well as launch a subscription-based social media experience around the creation of said albums, we had to discover if there was a method to his apparent madness.  Mark graciously accepted our email interview request and has given MusicIsMyDayJob a behind-the-scenes look at how and why he is doing this, as well as the challenges it presents to him as an independent artist.

This is the first in our three-part interview series with Mark, focusing on where the idea came from and why he has chosen to release his music in this manner.  Check back tomorrow to learn how he is making it all happen.  Friday we will examine the ways that he is using social media to both promote and shape the final outcome.

Q: For those who are not familiar with it, can you sum up the Four for 4 project in a one or two sentences?
A: Well, there’s the marketing language: “One Man… One Year… Four albums… and You.” which does sum it up pretty nicely… but in essence, I’m making four albums over the course of one year, and sharing the experience online with a group of people who have chosen to join me and support me in it.

Q: The genesis of this project was a blog post you wrote encouraging people who say they support artists to show that they are sincere by actually using services that generate revenue for musicians. Explain a little how you went from that general concept to determining the details of the project.
A: Madness really.  No, really.  I should preface all of this by saying that I have a deep abiding love for recorded music.  It grabbed me when I was four years old, and never let go.  I could easily describe 20 or 30 times in my life where putting an album on took me into an experience that in one way or another, at the moment or over the course of time, changed my life.

As such, recorded music means SO very much to me. Not only as an artist, but primarily as a listener.  I’ll give you just one example.  On a New Year’s Eve in the Bronx, I was taken to a party – I was all of 11 or 12 – and the guy throwing the party had a massive quad stereo & turntable.  Well, I’m there with all these people in their twenties, feeling a little small – when this little swell came out of the speakers.. this zen swell from outer space that just grew and grew… it then quieted, took a little breath, and these four notes rang out that just shook me.  It was the opening to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” album.  And this was probably the 20th time in my life that this kind of thing had happened.

And in every instance – someone sat in a room and WROTE that album or song – maybe for MONTHS.  And after the fact, one or more people went into a room or rooms and joyfully / agonizingly spent hour upon hour upon day upon day being the vessel for this amazing creation.  As listeners, I believe that we have a responsibility to recognize and acknowledge that. In essence – it has become WAY too easy to hit “play” without recognizing what went into the art that we get from the play button.

So – present day – I found a bunch of “creative freedom” advocates online – who, I’m sorry, seemed in reality to be nothing more than “I want it and don’t want to have to pay anything” advocates… I understand where they are coming from – they are accustomed to an environment where music is plentiful, and at little or no cost to them at all.  But I’m reasonably sure that this breeds a level of apathy for all but those who feel most touched by music.  But there the “advocates” were, making a stink about DRM and ISP intrusions and the like – and I agree with much of what they were rallying against… but they were cloaking themselves in the guise of being for artistic freedom.  And I was sitting here thinking “how are you really advocating for an artist?”

…the commonly-held thinking is to point fingers at the “industry” – which is an easy misnomer to apply now, because one can paint it as the “big bad companies” – but in truth, in this day and age, the “industry” is also people like me – who record and self-distribute…

And anywhere you go online where filesharing is discussed – go look at the comments section of any article – you’ll find dozens if not hundreds of comments like “Screw the industry… I just hooked up my 500 gig drive, and I’m going to town, man.”  When the commonly-held thinking is to point fingers at the “industry” – which is an easy misnomer to apply now, because one can paint it as the “big bad companies” – but in truth, in this day and age, the “industry” is also people like me – who record and self-distribute.  We’re NOT the RIAA.  We’re NOT out there filing lawsuits.  But our stuff is being fileshared.  It’s happened to me, and it’s happening to others. But there’s no one out there legitimately advocating for the artists here – I’ve had die-hard music longtimers say to me “you can’t fight filesharing – it’s not even worth having the argument.”

Great – so there I am with this giant quandary in my head – thinking “God – where does a recording artist go now?”  We are an endangered species, if you’re talking about actually ever making a living just recording music.

And yet…

I was born to write and record.  I was fortunate to spend a little time in recording studios when I was a kid, ’cause my Dad was a session singer.  I was infected – am still infected, and glad to be.  So here I am – knowing why I was put here.  And knowing I’m going to do it again.  And again… as long as I’m breathing.

So here I was, writing this blog post, and this germ came to me – make the process public.  Make the very thing I love to do, and was born to do – public.  Make that the product instead of just trying to sell a CD.

Now back to my point about madness – it might be more clearly defined as flow – or congruence of events – or the sum total of experiences that converged at this particular moment… but sitting here at this keyboard, the idea just came to me – and I followed it.  Over the next three weeks, it consumed me, which is why I describe it as madness.  From conception through launch was less than two months – which is just crazy.  But I spent anywhere from 8 to 16 hours a day for days on end building the project… I couldn’t stop.  Like Richard Dreyfuss in “Close Encounters”… I was just possessed.

But the deeper part of this is that many who write do so out of personal experience.  Sometimes, that experience isn’t in just a single song – but a series of songs, that can, and often do tell a story. Or just plain take you for a ride.

And from the viability perspective – one could easily make the argument that making indie film is dead, and that one should be focusing on making sitcoms, because that’s where the quick revenue is – hence, “viability”.  But, like an indie filmmaker, I’m not doing this to be commercial.  Yes, I’m hoping to hell that the end result will be brilliant, lead to other work, etc. etc. – but I can’t make viability my impetus for doing it in the first place.  So it’s not a primary goal – singles OR albums.

And, by the way, speaking of indie filmmaking – I should say that I am simultaneously making a documentary of the whole year.  Like I don’t already have enough to do…

…to be continued…

*****

You can learn more about Mark Marshall and his Four for 4 Project here.  You can also find him on Twitter.

*****

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions? Share in the comments below or via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for details on how Mark is making this all happen, including technical info and more.

Too much trouble to remember? Subscribe to MusicIsMyDayJob via RSS or email and let us remember for you.

Do music pirates say, "Arrrgh?"

Many music-related blogs today are examining music piracy and, more specifically, if piracy actually hurts or helps independent artists. The genesis of this was an alleged reader comment left on MusicianWages.com, and while I’m not positive that this was an actual comment or simply a creative way to inspire writers to participate in this blogging event, I do think that it is a topic worth examining, especially for the readers of MusicIsMyDayJob.

Is Music Piracy Wrong?

I will let Billboard, the RIAA and NARM worry about the specific numbers and the alleged loss that Piracy may or may not be causing the music industry and musicians. Why the ambivalent wording? Because, despite their arguments to the contrary, it really is all just speculation.

Here are the facts:

• Physical music sales are down significantly from previous years
• There are significantly fewer music retail outlets than there were last year, let alone 5, 10 or 15 years ago. Much of this is due to lower overall physical music sales.
• Digital music sales, while up significantly over previous years, are not compensating for the severe declines in the sales of physical music goods
• Many music files are traded each day via computers
• Some of the files are traded via semi-legal peer-2-peer technologies/communities
• Music files are also traded via perfectly legal peer-2-peer technologies (IM services, etc)
• Many music files are also traded via third party file hosting and transfer companies. Rapidshare, for example, is not an illegal service, though some users choose to share copyrighted music files there.

Here is the speculation:

• Those who illegally download music would have purchased the albums/music in the first place
• Music sales are down directly because of piracy
• Musicians are making less money now than in previous eras specifically because of piracy

Don’t Misunderstand

Musicians should be compensated for their art, and I believe that stealing music that you have a legal and convenient way to purchase is wrong (music that is no longer available is another story).  However, there is simply no way to prove that every illegal download is a lost sale, and that those same people, if they were not illegally downloading music, would not be content with just listening to the radio, streaming music online, or borrowing music from a friend (like they would have in the times of cassettes).

Maybe people simply decided that an $18.98 list price was absurd? (It is!) Maybe people got tired of Top-40 Radio and TRL claiming a given album is excellent in order to keep shady independent music promoters and major labels happy? (They did!) Maybe all of this and so much more is why sales are down? I’m not saying that these are the reasons, and I’m not saying that piracy is not to blame for decreased sales, but I am saying that there is not necessarily a direct relationship between increased piracy and decreased sales, despite what many would have you believe.

The Question We Should Be Discussing

Rather than continuing to re-hash ethics-related piracy debates from the late 90s and running around in philosophical circles, what we should all really be discussing is how musicians can earn a living making music, despite the rampant music piracy, as it’s not going away, regardless of what the RIAA and others may believe that lawsuits can accomplish.  Why not spend our time determining how best to thrive in spite of music piracy?

For some musicians, beating the pirates at their own game and giving away your music may be the best option.  For others, packages that contain more than music are an excellent way to generate music sales.  Still, some others may find that piracy actually helps their ticket sales and increases revenue via live shows.

You Have the Solution

As each musician’s situation and fan base is unique, there is not one universal solution to the challenges that music piracy presents.  However, one thing I think that we can all agree on is that spending your days bemoaning the fact that people download copyrighted content without paying for it accomplishes nothing.  Rather than dwelling on the ethics of piracy, why not spend your time determining how you are going to create real fans who will eagerly pay for your music?  Rather than sulking about the current state of the music industry, why not prove to everyone there is still money to be made as a musician? You’ve got the tools, and you’ve got the talent–now go create your solution.

Comments? Thoughts? Angry rebuttals? Share in the comments below or via Twitter.

Over the next few weeks here at at MusicIsMyDayJob, we will be featuring interviews and Case Studies with musicians who are finding unique ways to thrive in today’s challenging market, so don’t forget to check back for those articles as well as other useful goodness for independent musicians.

Too much trouble to remember? Subscribe to MusicIsMyDayJob via RSS or email and let us remember for you.

In our Case Study features, we look at artists and music-oriented companies who are striving to do something different.  They understand that being successful as an independent musician requires innovation and risk, and they embrace both, generally with phenomenal results. Today, we look at Minneapolis-based electro-rockers modernsextrash and, more specifically, their website, modernsextrash.com.

There is a deafening amount of talk concerning the need for companies to embrace “Web 2.0″ and use social media to engage consumers, creating ongoing conversations that convert people from curious onlookers into invested fans.  Some companies are failing miserably, while others are so forward thinking that many marketers are beside themselves, trying to duplicate their efforts.

modernsextrash definitely falls into the forward-thinking latter category with their brilliant web-portal modernsextrash.com and (self-owned) record company, Panacea3.

From their website description:

The website showcases portals into alternate realities for fans and/or curious individuals, allowing the viewers to escape their everyday lives by discovering and interacting with the group. The plan is to create the “mst virus” to spread the word through social groups and the media.

The ever-evolving group will never “disappear”, for they will always be within reach for their fans

It may sound like marketing fluff, but in this case, it is exactly what the website accomplishes.

Connection

Running across the top of every page on their site is a menu highlighting the myriad of ways that fans can interact with the band and their music online, from flickr and YouTube to Facebook and Twitter and more, as well as a link to a Google search for the band, their store and more.

This menu bar not only allows fans to find the band anywhere and everywhere online, but it also shows that the band has been putting in their time across the web. Their fans can interact with them as much or as little as they like in whatever their preferred forum may be.

Not Your Typical Artist News

One of the most innovative parts of their site is found within their news updates. They tend to avoid typical music website updates (“Request us your local radio station…” and other ineffective calls to action) and focus on news that interest the band members (and, one can assume, their fans): stories on social media, links to what band members are doing when not with the band, etc.

By taking this portal-like approach, they can guarantee that fans will spend a longer time on the website, increasing the odds that they will click through to purchase music or one of the other options.

Creative Commons 3.0

modernsextrash have also taken this social media-based perspective in their copyright, licensing all of the site an its content under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommerical-Share Alike 3.0 license.  In layman’s terms, it means that fans can remix and share the content there as long as they attribute it back the original rights holder, do it for noncommercial purposes, and maintain the same Creative Commons License.  Many savvy fans see this as forward thinking step, and with the potential audience that user-generated content can reach, we recommend that more artists consider this type of license.

Almost Perfect

While they are doing an amazing job of connecting with the fans online and achieving near-omnipresence through social media, the one area the band seems to be lacking is under the “access” section of their menu, the section where they intend to, “…bridge the gap between the digital realm and your real life experience.”  As of right now, there is nothing there, and this section may be the most vital, more important than YouTube or Twitter or any of their other parts of the website.

Why is this so important? This is area where the real power of their web 2.0 strategy will manifest itself, as it will pull everything the band is doing online into the real world lives of their fans, completing the circuit.  This is where the physical interaction will be initiated, creating an actual community where the fans will see and feel the results of all of their virtual interaction through phone calls, video chats, contests, forums and, of course, live performances and other events.

Per the band, this section is still a work in progress, and needless to say, we can’t wait to see the results and discover the ways that the band takes things to the proverbial next-level.

Additionally, parts of the site tend to feel somewhat bare-bones and lacking in the deep content that satiates fans who wish to immerse themselves in everything that an artist has to offer.  Granted, these will fill in as the band continues to create content, tour and incorporate user-generated content, but it is still an issue, especially as the early-adopter fans are those who generally become an artist’s most-vocal champions further down the road if they’ve been taken well-care-of in terms of content at the beginning.

Conclusion

Despite the unfinished “access” area and lack of deep content, and while the site layout and graphic style may not be for every artist, the principles behind it are indeed something every independent musician should be putting into practice.  In the post-Platinum world that the music industry finds itself, the artists who will succeed are those who are able to convert the curious listeners into avid (rabid?) fans.  A significant part of doing that comes through communicating with fans on their terms and providing access to not just the music, but the experience that you (and your music) create.  modernsextrash are an excellent example of a band that is striving to provide their fans with that very thing.

Thoughts on modernsextrash.com? Things you would do differently? Other ways that you have seen success from musicians implementing web 2.0 design principles and content? Please share in the comments below or via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for more articles and useful goodness for independent musicians.

Too much trouble to remember? Subscribe to MusicIsMyDayJob via RSS or email and let us remember for you.