"Go Forth Music"

Yesterday I received an email from a friend in New York who studied entertainment law and had recently partnered in started a new LLC. Her email asked me to vote and comment on a panel discussion she and her partner are trying to have at an upcoming conference. The panel discussion they want to have is centered on a new demographic of artists, “Music Middle Class”. When I saw this new demographic I thought about my friend 3D and how he could be placed into this demographic. Music Middle Class is defined as musicians that fall between “superstar” and “starving artist” status, make a steady income, and maintain a level of control over their careers. As I read more about what she and her partner were doing, I began to think about how many artists or artist managers out there who would find this new demographic a helpful selling point? I am sure there are more than one might think, and just I was thinking this my friend and her business partner have thought of this and provided a solution, “Go Forth Music”.

“Go Forth Music is an artist services firm dedicated to providing quality strategies and support services to musicians and music industry entrepreneurs” (goforthmusic.com).  As I looked at the site I thought to myself, this is exactly what new artist needs and what a valuable source this is. The services offered are the exact services in which most new artist need the most help with or do not have the time to deal with. Along with offering services such as website design and planning an album release, the site also offers artist professional mixes and press kit examples.

For me the press kit examples are key! Having recently done a press kit, I know how valuable they are for an artist, which I think most already know but knowing what goes into the press kit is even more important. By providing this example Go Forth Music has given artist and mangers a reliable and valuable tool to use as a guideline. I can honestly say if I did not have press kit example to follow when I did my press kit, I would not have known where to start.

The last thing I thought was very cool about the site and services was that they are coming from two people who have worked in the industry and have the educational background in the industry. This helps a new artist and managers feel comfortable using the information provided because the source is reliable. Overall the message and feel I take from Go Forth Music is that they are there for the artist and that’s most important whether you are artist yourself or managing an artist.

I will be using Go Forth Music for some consulting and working with my artists. To checkout the website and learn more about Go Forth Music please visit http://goforthmusic.com/

"Ready As Now"

This week I was introduced to a new song from local hip-hop/rap artist and friend, 3D. I am helping 3D with some guidance on his musical career so when he has a new song he ask me to listen and tell him the best place to introduce his new music. 3D’s new song is titled “Ready as Now” and compared to his later works the track introduces a new 3D that is definitely ready to take his musical career to the next level. The title itself gives the impression 3D is ready!

So after listening to the song I thought wow this song is READY AS NOW and where can we get distribute this song to get the most airplay out of it and push his career. The song can definitely be played in the club atmosphere, but it is not a song to be played on the radio. The radio version would need too many edits and I think would take away from the song and lyrical content, so with that in mind I thought of other outlets. I sent the song to some friends in California and New York who are also in the music industry and they suggested using the song in local strip clubs.

At first I thought wow the strip club, but then I thought about the words in the song and it actually makes perfect sense. After thinking about how opportune this song could be to introduce to that scene I begin thinking about how beneficial this could be to 3D’s start up. I thought about how the DJ’s in the strip clubs also DJ at the other clubs in San Diego and if they see how much hype it gets then they will give the song play when they are DJing in other clubs. Along with DJ’s promoting the song at different clubs, the people at the strip club hear the song; ask who the artist is, and then look 3D up on YouTube. Once they view his YouTube page they can hear other songs and are able to purchase his music through iTunes.

A strip club theme song will not be the song 3D introduces to radio and mainstream to launch his career, but it will be the song that will help him get more of a buzz and help him when he does burst into mainstream. 3D and I are going to start contacting local strip club DJ’s and getting them the song this week. We will have to come up with a distribution plan focusing on the right strip clubs to connect with and maybe some club DJ’s we are already connected with. Again 3D is “Ready as Now”.

To listen to the song checkout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9UbZsRLo-8