Whether due to economy or…well…the economy, it seems that many who would normally find themselves wandering around Austin’s famed 6th Street at hours most people are dreaming will not be making their way to SXSW this year .  After speaking with many musicians and other music-related professionals this past week, I can say that there is a certain sense of hopelessness that seems to afflict all of us who are not attending.  It’s as if we all believe that our careers for the next six months will only be a shadow of what they could have been, all because we missed out on the networking and other opportunities that SXSW offers.

Now, don’t get me wrong–SXSW is an amazing experience, and I do wish that I was attending this year. However, not attending is not the end the world, and as a working musician, you can use this upcoming week to your advantage if you are smart about it.

Their Absence = Your Advantage

So what if that band from across town who gets all the big gigs you should be getting is attending SXSW. You’re not, and neither are most of the people who do the booking for your local venues, so use that other band’s absence to your advantage: set up meetings this week with every venue that you can. Most clubs have already booked April, but they are still looking for acts for May, June and beyond, both headliners and opening acts. Get in there, show them why they should book you, and lock in those gigs before the competition comes back from Austin.

The same thing goes for music blogs, indie record stores and more–even though it may feel like everyone involved in music promotion and booking and retail and everything else related to music is in Austin, they really are not. Connect with those who are not at SXSW, and you’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish this week.

Downtime = Your Advantage

With the world focused on SXSW, those musicians who are not there have a week to catch up–post those new MP3s to your website or record that video journal you’ve been meaning to finish. Most importantly, take advantage of the downtime to reach out to your fans–reply to the MySpace messages, set up a Facebook page and work Twitter into your daily routine.  You’ll reap the benefits almost instantly.

Time for Self-Assessment = Your Advantage

Maybe you’re not attending SXSW because your application was turned down by the SXSW Selection Committee–you’ve been sulking and depressed and down and utterly useless since getting the rejection email.

First things first, GET OVER IT.

Then, as you now have some time this week, sit down and determine why you were not selected. Use any feedback that you received from the SXSW Committee, but also reach out to friends and family who you can trust to give you an honest assessment of your music and marketing efforts.  It may be hard to hear some of what they have to say, but take it all in and use it to perform an honest self-assessment of where things are at for you as an artist.  Determine what is working and what is not, and make the appropriate changes: practice to get songs tighter, rewrite your bio, develop a larger local following, etc.  You will only find the success you are searching for if you start addressing these issues sooner rather later.

Finish Your CMJ Application = Your Advantage

There are two big networking events for independent musicians each year in the US, and only one takes place in Austin.

The CMJ Music Marathon is scheduled for October 20 – 24, 2009 in New York City, but the early-bird registration deadline is 3/31!

From CMJ.com:

Early Bird Rate is available until March 31 for only $35 so don’t miss your chance and apply today. When you submit early, you can save money AND have the chance to get booked early. CMJ has reserved…50 slots for artists who submit by March 31st (to be announced by June 15th).

Like SXSW, CMJ is an excellent opportunity to network with other musicians, the music industry and other like-minded individuals, as well as to connect with new fans and press.  Also like SXSW, the application process is not something you can finish in fifteen minutes, as you need to create a profile on Sonicbids and then submit that profile to CMJ for consideration.  So, why not use this upcoming week to finish your application and submit it NOW, rather than waiting for the July 15 rush like everyone else does? Not only will it be cheaper, but your odds of being accepted are SIGNIFICANTLY better when you apply early.

Yes, SXSW is wonderful, but not attending is not the end of your career as a musician, as there is a lot that you can do this week that you may not have found time for otherwise.

What did we miss? Share how you are taking advantage of the time you are not spending at SXSW…

UPDATE (16 March 09): Over the weekend, many of you forwarded suggestions for ways that people can network with others who are not at SXSW, as well as ways to vicariously enjoy SXSW. Here are a few of our favorites:

• A very enterprising soul has launched @NotAtSXSW: The world’s first non-conference, ever! Collecting Tweets from around the world, as well as listings for formal get-togethers, this should be your first stop for all events celebrating not being at SXSW!
• Drowned In Sound is sponsoring “A party for those off us NOT off to Austin this year.” If you are in London, I would not miss this. Details here.
• For those in Portland, @notatsxsw and @beerandblog are sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Day event for those not attending SXSW. Go – play Rock Band – have fun!
• SXSW Insider’s Guide has created a Ning site where those who are at SXSW can update what they are doing and seeing, and those of us who are not there can both get updates and discuss panels and announcements
• Twitmatic is aggregating all SXSW-related videos being shared on Twitter and other websites–you can watch specific videos, or just let it play like a traditional television channel. Check it out here.
• Use Hashtags to see what everyone is saying about SXSW on Twitter, both from those who are at SXSW and those of us who are not.
  
• While many music publications and websites are covering the happenings down in Austin, Wired actually seems to be providing the most complete coverage of all three events that make up SXSW (Film, Interactive and Music). Their reports can be found here.

Keep the suggestions coming in! You can continue to send them to me via Twitter, or as comments below. Thanks readers!

April 18, 2009, is the annual Record Store Day celebration–an excellent opportunity to both support these music-centric businesses and to promote your music to the locals. Read on to learn how…

What is Record Store Day?

This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the second Saturday every April. – RecordStoreDay.com

Why should you care?

As stated above, independent music retailers are generally at the core of any healthy local music scene. These stores don’t just sell music–they are cultural centers, acting as the proverbial water-coolers for any scene’s true music fans. Customers come to these stores as much for the experience as they do for the music, and the best of these stores deliver both in spades.

Employees at these stores are not just High Fidelity-like music snobs , but they do know their music, and most are either actual artists themselves or tied into the local arts scene in some other way.  These people eat, sleep, drink and breathe music, and as an independent musician, you need them on your side.

These stores are active supporters or local music, promoting local shows to communities of active music consumers, writing about local bands via their websites & blogs, and selling music by local artists (generally via consignment). In other words, they are an independent musician’s best friend.

Support your local record store!

That brings us to Record Store Day 2009, and an excellent opportunity for local musicians to support their local indie record stores. How?

• Book a gig at a participating store–As described above, almost every participating store will have live music performances on Record Store day, and you should be one of the acts! (In a quick informal phone poll of 10 participating stores during the afternoon of 3/9, 6 of the stores were still finalizing their plans, so there is still time!) Remember, though, that this is a gig to support your local indie store and local music fans, so don’t play the diva or expect payment. This is all about generating good karma.
• Tell all of your fans about Record Store Day, and urge them to participate–Use your email list, your MySpace page, your Twitter account, your Facebook page and any other means you have to tell your fans to get out and support their local independent music stores. If you want to use official banners and website badges, go here
• Follow @recordstoreday on Twitter, and encourage your followers to do the same! There are also many independent music stores who you should be following on Twitter, including @amoebamusic, @criminalrecords, @hoodlums, @WaterlooRecords, @ZiaRecords, @Slowtrain and @landlockedmusic
  
• Even if they don’t have room for you to perform at their celebration, be sure to spend some time at your favorite indie record store on April 18th, 2009!
• Even better, make every day Record Store Day–don’t let these essential music-focused businesses vanish! Become a regular at your local indie music store–you’ll be glad that you did…

Now it’s your turn to share: how are you going to celebrate Record Store Day? Will you be performing at a local store? Dropping money on the original vinyl pressing of Black Flag’s debut? Picking up one of the many cool exclusive releases that the stores will have on 4/18? Tell everyone all about it in the comments!