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So you are new out there in the market, you want to get your music become more exposed to a wider network of people but you think you’re waaay far off from the big names in the billboard charts.

Of course no musician started out easy, especially if he has to do a lot of indie music promotion on his own. However, you know that you have to do it so you can call the people’s attention to the kind of music that you want to make famous/ introduce. So with relatively low budget and a limited network, you have to work your way in.

A lot of talent managers say that indie music promotion needs to have double or triple the efforts made by the entities who are already established. But those efforts may be made easier with these easy focus points:

Get Aggressive Online

The internet has worked for a lot of personalities, companies, advocacies and even in multinational political affairs. The internet has become a new hub of information-reliable information-and the nature of its openness paves way for checks and balances to happen. Aside from that, using the internet also incurs very little costs, as you only have to have a working computer and a reliable internet connection for your little indie music promotion to happen.

First, you can have your own online profile and then build a brand from it. You can do so simply by keeping a working email (with your band’s name) and have an online social networking account which can also double as an online “headquarters” where you can post pictures, updates of your events/ gigs, band member profiles, and even lyrics and chords of your newest songs. When you finally get enough funds, try to invest in a fully functional website. Get a domain. When search is easy and convenient, people will appreciate how you catered to their curiosity fast. THEN you bank on a network.

Get Aggressive In the Networking

Once you feel comfortable online, the next thing that you must do is to not develop a strong network both online and in the non-digital world. Get to know the people who are big names in the industry. Or the people who KNOW the big names in the industry. Befriend them, flatter them, get closer to the limelight. If you suddenly find out via your online accounts that you already have a fan base, keep in touch with them. Also, reach out to other musicians, especially those who belong to the same genre as yours, and try to link each other so you both have the chance to increase your publicity. In you can even plan gigs and events with them.

Get the Network to Publicize

Aside from the self-made efforts that you exert for your indie music promotion, it’s also good if you have press releases and promotions done by a third party. Positive reviews and mere blog mileage is good, actually. Just try to track the publicized material and make sure that you’ve got positive information circling in the web, on radio (befriend a DJ!) and on print. With this kind of indie music promotion, you get to build credibility and you can bank on this to become a more solid musical icon.

It was around four years ago now, when I decided to make an electric guitar for a course I was studying on. It was not a great feat of musical and design genius, but it inspired me to continue working with musical instruments.

The restoration of guitars in particular is not as hard as one may think. Once you have basic woodwork skills, the specialist skills required for instrument restoration are easily picked up. I think, by the time I had worked on my fourth parlour guitar I understood the methods sufficiently well.

I began my restoration projects by firstly identifying and writing down every small detail about the instrument I was to work on. I began with guitars because I am a classical guitarist. Once I had identified the jobs I needed to look over or correct I got started.

Usually the first thing I did was to either remove or replenish (by sanding and re-applying) the coat of varnish or lacquer. Quite often I would entirely remove it and replace it with a French polish finish. Next I would attempt to fill and re-glue any cracks in the bodywork. With these old guitars there are often many hairline cracks that need to be dealt with sooner than later. The next thing to do was to check the bridge and top-nut and if the either was broken beyond repair, it would have to be replaced. I replaced them with a handmade bridge of my own (design based on an original, of course). Once the actual body of the guitar was in good order, and the action of the strings had been checked (and lowered if necessary). Between 3-4mm is ideal. The guitar often just needed a good clean before selling it on.

Occasionally with some jobs, the fretboard would have groves in – these can be filled with ordinary wood-filler. As long as they are coloured to look like the original wood used. If you happen to have a large problem, i.e. the neck has warped and needs replacing, you can either sell the guitar with a warped neck and declare it to be so, or replace and rebuild the entire neck (including frets I’m afraid). Now for an amateur restorer that is perhaps not advisable without a lot of practice. In which case you could also buy a pre-built neck from a registered luthier, if you like.

Otherwise, simple problems like ‘bad tuning pegs’ can easily be replaced with the use of a screwdriver.

The most important thing to remember when restoring instruments is their sound! If you loose the sound, the instrument has no value other than the wood it is made of. I cannot stress that point enough. Many people restore these instruments as they would a chair. The most important thing to do whilst restoring it is to play it and check that what you are doing isn’t damaging the fundamental sonority of the instrument.
Happy restoring!

Alex McCartney-Moore was born in York in 1991, there he studied the classical guitar from the age of 7 with Mark Curry. Whilst performing regularly in prestigious venues, he performed several solo recitals to much acclaim. During this time, Alex won the district final of The Rotary Club’s ‘Young Musician of the Year’ competition. Alex is now studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with his current tutors Robert Brightmore and David Miller. He also studies the renaissance lute and archlute with William Carter. During his first year Alex has been involved with several musical projects, including the performance of a world premiere by Mark Troop at the Draper’s Hall as part of the City of London Festival. Alex also regularly performs in master-classes, the most recent of which was with Graham Devine. copyright alexmccartney

There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the term “royalty free” music as it applies to the music licensing industry. Some believe that this means there is no cost at all associated with the music in question, which is not the case. Others believe that the music being licensed under this arrangement is “copyright free”, which is also not true. Different libraries will offer different types of deals and the agreements will vary to a certain degree, however, as a general rule of thumb, ¨royalty free¨ music simply means that the end user has purchased a “lifetime synchronization license” for a given song or group of songs. In other words, they have the right to synchronize your music with your audio and/or video productions an unlimited number of times without incurring any additional expense.

There are other types of production music licenses, these include “Needle Drop” licensing where the user pays a fee each time they synchronize a piece of music, and “Blanket Licensing” where the user essentially leases a group of music or CDs, and is able to use the music for a specified set of uses during the duration of the lease (typically a one, two, or three year commitment). Each of these licenses are actually more like renting the music than buying. While the end users don´t actually own the music with a buyout (royalty free) library, they do own a lifetime license to synchronize your music with their productions.

The other big misconception about royalty free music is that the creators of the music don´t receive performance royalties. Television broadcasters pay annual royalties to the Performing Rights Societies for the right to broadcast music on their shows. When music is broadcast on television or cable TV, it is tracked by something called a Cue Sheet. This is precisely where the term Royalty Free does NOT apply and can be easily misconstrued. Cue sheets determine where the royalties previously paid by the broadcaster get distributed. There are no costs associated with cue sheets and most Royalty Free music libraries require that cue sheets be properly filled out when the music is for broadcast use. A cue sheet is a paper trail that ensures writers get paid what is due to them out of the money that has been previously paid by the television stations and broadcasting entities.

In conclusion, a “Royalty Free” license means that the end user does not continually pay a “synchronization royalty” each time they use a given piece of music and instead only pay a one time fee upfront. It does NOT mean that the writer will not receive the performance royalty, or broadcast royalty, due him or her when his music is aired. This royalty has already been paid in advance by the broadcaster and should be distributed appropriately through the filling out and submission of cue sheets.

As we all know, a musical career is never a sure path. This is why no matter how well we play the guitar, drums, piano or sing, we were never encouraged to take on music full time. In fact, our parents are most likely to even discourage us from this path, and motivate us to take the more “normal” path like get a college degree and land a good job or start a business.

However, music, for some people, is not just a passion but a calling. After all, you can still do music part-time, but some people really go for tackling it full time and taking on the musician’s life. Maybe it’s the rock star bling that’s pulling them further. Maybe it’s the income that some stars make. Or maybe, just maybe, they really treat music as their life.

So if you want to take on the full time musician’s path, the best way for you to go through it while keeping your finances stable is to develop a great music marketing plan. Music marketing is difficult; you may have to incur a lot of expenses / investments at the beginning but eventually you will reap good results if you just go the right path.

Aside from that, music marketing also is time consuming. You need to keep your brand on top of people’s heads at the niche that you belong to so that you continue to be in the mainstream. You have to keep up with the latest trends in marketing and go head-to-head against the top musicians who have already made a mark in the music industry, and those who really have ample-paid talent managers to work with.

Now, for you to not lose yourself at the complex web of music marketing, here are a few tips to have your goals set straight for your music marketing plan:

First, you have to start with the people you trust and the systems which worked for them. You can bank on their loyalty to you to help you develop a great marketing strategy. Once they start talking about you and your music, people will eventually begin to see it and they will get curious. After that, you can also get them to help with the promotions. Gain their loyalty. Eventually you can widen your breadth and who knows, you might be opening your very own fan base.

Next, when you find the people who will be willing to work for the betterment of your music and your music marketing plan, you do your research. The internet is a wide hub of information; you can do so much while sitting down. Be open to changes and make sure that you’re moving forward.

Lastly, remember to develop a system that you find most efficient and don’t stop persevering. Be organized. Have a schedule and keep it. Track your development well. Numbers don’t lie.

Those are the crucial parts of developing your music marketing plan. At the end of the day, take time to evaluate your efforts and have a clear view of where you’re headed. Don’t hesitate to drop something if it doesn’t work for you anymore; trends will keep on changing. And don’t forget to develop your artistry as it is your ticket to having a successful musician’s life.

A platinum album in less than two months of release, seven songs from a debut album hitting the top pop 100, awards and nominations, live performances and world tours, this is now the life of a sixteen-year old Canadian pop and r&B singer, Justin Bieber. After his video was discovered in the YouTube by a former marketing executive, Scooter Braun, Justin Bieber’s success has taken the music scene by storm.

Bieber was born on March 1, 1994 in Stratford, Ontario. At an early age, he taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar and trumpet. When he was twelve, he joined in a local singing competition singing Ne Yo’s “So Sick”. His mother, Pattie Mallete, posted the video of his performance on YouTube and several other videos of him singing various covers of pop and r&b.

The amateur footage caught the Atlanta manager’s attention, Scooter Braun, who later became Bieber’s manager. Braun then introduced Justin to RnB superstar Usher whom the latter arranged an audition with Antonio L.A. Reid at Island Def Jam Music Group. Reid in turn signed him to Island Records in October 2008.

On July 2009, while still recording his debut album, Bieber’s single, “One Time” was released in the radio. After merely a week, the song charted within the top 30 in over ten countries and was a certified Platinum in Canada and the US, and Gold in Australia and New Zealand. Before fall ends, on November 17, 2009, his debut album My World was released. Three consecutive singles from the album, “One Less Lonely Girl”, “Love Me”, and “Favorite Girl”, were released exclusively on the iTunes store with the first debuting on radio, too.

The lead single, “Baby” from the second half of his album, was released in January 2010. The single was his biggest hit so far winning awards namely, International Video of the Year, Ur Fave Video and Ur Fave New Artist. It was then followed by the studio release of My World 2.0 on March 23, 2010.

Justin Bieber also made several appearances in different live shows in the US and Europe. He has performed in some awards night and special gatherings and was invited as one of the vocalists in the remake of “We Are the World”.

Bieber will begin recording his next album this summer. Fans all over the globe are already anticipating its first single that will surely dominate the top music charts after its release.

The recordable cassette represents the moment music was first put in the hands of the world. For those who couldn’t strum a guitar, a mixtape was the ultimate expression of youthful self obsession. And an underground cassette culture continues to flourish, courtesy of a new online coalition. A funny story is the members of the International MixTape Project, they put a homemade cassette in a Jiffy bag and send it to one of their 1200 fellow participants, in 30 countries on six continents. An to email each member with another members name and address and, there you have it, music sharing the old school way. Cassette from my Ex is a blog where writers share their mixtape cds memories of past flings and stream the resulting soundtrack for everyone to enjoy. Mixtape cds is today’s music sharing medium most used when an artist or DJ release new hip-hop mixtapes.

Young people yearn to share music, they set up streamed playlist, they send mixtape CDs to each other, they exchange iPods for an evening. It can still be a make or break moment for a blossoming love affair, or the social glue that binds two new friends together. But, in a world where iTunes rules, its nice to know that mixtape cd`s still get play. Buying mixtape cd`s online is one of the ways to get the freshest material another is to email the DJ`s directly. R&b mixtapes, 80`s mixtapes, Motown mixtapes, and all the new hip-hop mixtapes for that matter are now obtainable to anyone with a few clicks of a keyboard. Back in the day you had to wait after a show and hope that the DJ had a few mixtapes left to sell.

If you are a serious musician, you might take your artistry on top of everything. There may be times when you had to accept gigs and deals which might not really translate into getting monetary revenue, just as long as you get publicity or you get to make your music available to a wider public base. This usually ends up with the artist spending a lot more for the publicity and his “musical expression” rather than earning from it.

Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. After all, the real essence of art cannot be measured in terms of how much it is sold for. However, as you go on and pursue a musical career, you will incur expenses along the way. Also, you’d want to grow bigger and bigger as a musician, and that usually means more expenses. Want a new guitar? Want new clothes to wear during gigs? What about communication expenses? Truly, the financial aspect of being an artist can get in the way of your artistic success.

This is why, if you are given a chance to earn (and really earn!) from what you already love doing, why not push your envelopes and make money out of it? Perhaps you can sign up with legitimate music business programs which can help you manage your finances well while helping you move forward as musicians.

Look at the people who earn from what they love doing. They maximize their productivity well. If they earn, they can buy things to upgrade what they already do. Anyone can always use a better phone, laptop, car or a musical instrument. Or maybe get extra assistance from a PR entity, use the money to produce your next album, invest in other non-music related things (music as a career is not that stable, after all), et cetera.

Also, another advantage with enrolling yourself with legitimate music business programs is that you will learn some technical music handling stuff, some things you might find difficult to ride on with if you just plunge into the music industry without any form of orientation. Such programs will help you understand and appreciate industry essentials such as artist royalties, proper trainings, professionalism and networking. The certifications that you get from such music business programs will help you build a more solid repertoire in music once you get across the hardcore technical managers, producers or hotshot music network.

Most likely these programs were made with emphasis on helping the young indie artists get their names on the mainstream music. So the design that you will be working with will be a ladderized design, something which won’t overwhelm you.

Are you convinced with taking a look at some music business programs which boast of the potentials they’ve made famous? One of these artists could be you! So do you research as soon as now and get hooked with the best programs in your side of the country. This is one musical investment you don’t want to miss out on!

Eugene Sturdivant is the CEO of www.StreetDreamerZ.com, an online project oriented entrepreneurship program that gives everyone a chance in training and real-world experience in the music industry. This site offers a project-based curriculum that teaches you on starting up your own music business and making it big in the long run. Get involved in their music business programs now and you’ll get extra benefits to reap in the future.

Ancient Greek mythology has always fascinated me. Ever since I was a teenager I have been drawn to the stories and lore associated with Greek mythology. In my eyes, there’s no other history, culture, or back-story that is as complete and classical as that found within Greek mythology.

For those who have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing Greek mythology first-hand, let me qualify it first and say that there is so much more than what is found in modern cinema and video games. What you see in the theatres is the watered down, “en masse” version of Greek mythology. It does little to showcase the sex, family drama, arts, and the religious spider-web that brings Greek mythology to life. Allow me to digress.

Sex in Ancient Greek Mythology

Greek myths are rife with sexual encounters, incest, and affairs between ordinary man and the gods. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was married to the god Hephaestus. Hephaestus was known for being both homely and, in Aphrodite’s eyes, boring. Aphrodite, being the enchanting and beautiful female goddess, was known for having affairs with both immortals and immortals alike.

Achilles, son of the king of the Myrmidons (Pelus) and his immortal sea-nymph wife (Thetis), was described as being the most handsome warrior to do battle during the Trojan war. His long list of accomplishments including capturing 23 Trojan villages and hundreds of sexual encounters between both men and women.

Throughout Greek mythology there are dozens of stories of infidelity, god/human love, and other sexual deviances. For those of sexual intrigue, this mythology may be of particular interest.

Family Drama in Ancient Greece

Contrary to what may be believed today, family drama didn’t take it’s root from the Young and the Restless. Did you know that Zeus, son of the Titan Cronus, forced his father to release his captive brothers and sisters and then usurped him from the throne, banishing him to the underworld of Tartarus. In fact, Zeus ended the age of the Titans and brought in the age of the Olympians.

Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, is the daughter of Persephone, who was abducted by Hades and forced to live in the underworld as his bride. Wouldn’t you feel great knowing that your mother was, for all intents and purposes, a prisoner when she had you?

In fact, the founding members of the mythological family, the Titans, usurped their parents (Uranus and Gaia) for control. They were led by Cronus, the youngest to be born from Uranus and Gaia. It’s kind of ironic that the Titans overthrew their parents, only to be overthrown by their children, isn’t it?

The Art of Ancient Greek Mythology

The ruins of the ancient Greek civilization are perhaps some of the most famous on Earth. Left over from their prime are temples, theatres, architectural wonders (most notably being the Colesseum, which bears significant Greek influence, and the Parthenon), and entire underground sections of major cities.

Greek pottery is anointed with imagery of the Olympics, combat, luxury, and wealth. Much like modern art, which often projects wealth and dominance, Greek art projected the values of the time: athletic ability, military dominance, and intellectual reign.

The Religion of the Ancient Greeks

Called the founder of all modern religion, Greek mythology is filled with gods, demi-gods, Titans, heroes, demons, creatures, and other immortal beings that both terrified and excited mankind. The Greeks had gods for just about everything, from food to feelings, and their stories have them all interconnected in intricate ways.