tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211910878271447535.post2856714006698284669..comments2024-03-22T01:04:20.640-04:00Comments on Ted Lehmann's Film, Books, Music & Commentary: Performers & Promoters: Help Yourselves! - EssayTed Lehmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12948477139450253563noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211910878271447535.post-50273306796954105842012-03-16T18:53:00.882-04:002012-03-16T18:53:00.882-04:00Ted, you as usual hit the nail on the head. The m...Ted, you as usual hit the nail on the head. The music business, like most businesses, is about building relationships. Using social media to help build these relationships seems like a natural to me. But it does take a lot of "work" and "commitment" and there is the rub. The playing music part of music is fun, the business side of music is "work". So many musicians are just not willing to put in the time and effort. It has somewhat to do with talent of course but once you have the talent it is the "work" of networking, connecting with the fans and staying connected is what will put bread on the table. I always floors me when bands/artists aren't willing to do the "work" and wonder why they can't get gigs, fans, etc. How many artists sit down and make a mission statement, a 5 year business plan complete with goals and milestone and develop their path to achieving these milestones. I enjoyed reading your thoughts Ted and I for one agree 100% :) Your songwriting fool...er...friend. BrinkBrink Brinkmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211910878271447535.post-80055904341375593712012-03-15T22:06:03.945-04:002012-03-15T22:06:03.945-04:00Thanks, Ted, for including this essay in your blog...Thanks, Ted, for including this essay in your blog; I'm one of those who would never have read it in the CBA posting.<br /><br />My reaction to your post, and to the helpful comments, is to come away with a sense of "well, sure..." It seems so obvious, so elementary, for a blue grass group to engage in marketing. If it's not the skill of one of the artist's, then certainly there is someone who could pick up the slack and do it, e.g. Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Roads.<br /><br />I mean, c'mon, this isn't brain surgery (or whatever the current metaphor might be).<br /><br />As for those who persistently refuse to engage in such simple actions as getting a Facebook account or sending pictures to the promoters, I can't wring my hands over their dalliance. Let them hide in the shadows of obscurity.<br /><br />It also occurs to me that the most successful groups, by any measure, are those who not only love their music but also love their audiences. That, over time, will show in the work they do, and that's a sad reality.<br /><br />It's too bad you have to write a thoughtful essay about such a self-evident topic, but I'm glad you did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211910878271447535.post-71869711316476134172012-03-15T21:36:42.711-04:002012-03-15T21:36:42.711-04:00Thanks for the insights Ted! We've had great ...Thanks for the insights Ted! We've had great success connecting with our Kickin Grass Band fanbase through our official website, online newsletter, Facebook and ReverbNation, and everything you wrote rings as true for us as it does for the Gibson Brothers or Rhonda Vincent or the Carolina Road Band. It's hard to find to the time to do it all and still practice/write/play music, but current internet and social media tools have made it much easier to connect with folks and distribute information. We rely on all the band members to keep up with things online, and it seems nowadays the trick is stay current with all changing resources and tools available to us! But an abundance of resources is a good problem to have.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02202587361232974604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211910878271447535.post-58037311851763837132012-03-15T17:24:29.079-04:002012-03-15T17:24:29.079-04:00Speedster - One of the commitments I've tried ...Speedster - One of the commitments I've tried to maintain with my blog is to cover all the bands and make sure I use pictures of the side men as well as the stars. I think folks notice it and appreciate it. On the other hand, when I write previews, I have a harder time getting solid information about local and regional bands, even those who are seeking to widen their reach. It may be a double bind: they can't get wider attention unless they improve their outreach, but they have difficulty building the kind of sites that help them reach the next level.Ted Lehmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12948477139450253563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211910878271447535.post-25564798169932234352012-03-15T16:46:48.050-04:002012-03-15T16:46:48.050-04:00Thanks Ted, I agree with alot of what you are say...Thanks Ted, I agree with alot of what you are saying however it appears to me that unless you are one of the Top Professional Bands you won't get much assistance from Bloggers such as you or the media regardless of whether you spend significant time updating your websites/social media sites (in our case several). So there are two sides to every story IMHO and yep it can be frustrating for all.speedsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03943898396475947111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211910878271447535.post-56402175616924292072012-03-15T12:45:59.652-04:002012-03-15T12:45:59.652-04:00Ted,
Astute and erudite observations as always. I ...Ted,<br />Astute and erudite observations as always. I have countless friends and fans that reference one or another Facebook post I made when I interact with them in person. When I "crowd sourced" some of the funding for my solo project last year, I gave an interview to WAMU's Bluegrass Country, in which I made te following point: bluegrass is a genre in which traditionally, there have been very few barriers between artists and fans. It is one of the features of this community that drew me to it. I have always viewed social media as a modern extension of that same ethos. Connect directly with the consumers of your product, make them emotionally invested in what you have to offer, and it will pay dividends. Keep up the good work, my friend!Savnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7211910878271447535.post-11702236358224158372012-03-15T10:10:47.961-04:002012-03-15T10:10:47.961-04:00Thanks, Ted. There was actually also a context fo...Thanks, Ted. There was actually also a context for my remarks to bands about their web sites. I was in the process of putting together the web site for this year's Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival (shameless plug - www.delawarevalleybluegrass.org). Bands line up at the Gig Fair every year to pitch themselves to us to play. And we've been at it now for over 40 years. You'd think that it would be easy to do something as fundamental as getting a picture of each band we've hired so that we can promote their appearance. After all, they want so badly for us to hire them. But no... <br /><br />In spite of the apparent interest in playing the festival, I can go to an artist web site and find myself unable to download a simple promo photo - there may not actually be a photo available at all, or it might be wrapped up in a Flash display so I can't download it, or I might be directed to send an email to the artist or their agent to ask for a photo to use.<br /><br />Sorry - those are too much effort for us to undertake in order to make <i>YOU</i> look good. Make it easy for us, and we'll promote you to the best of our ability. Make it hard for us and next time, we may just hire someone else. <br /><br />-- ArchieArchienoreply@blogger.com