The ping pong with nunchucks is almost unbelievable.
Sadly - Our crack staff has discovered that this is a digital creation intended as a viral advertisement for the Nokia N96 Limited Edition Bruce Lee cell phone, produced in 2008 (thirty-five years after Lee's death) by the Beijing office of the JWT (J. Walter Thompson) advertising agency. Such a good idea.
The video employed a Bruce Lee look-alike actor pretending to play ping-pong against an opponent, their movements sychronized to the sounds of a genuine table tennis match, with the final audio and the visual image of the ball being added to the clip in post-production.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/photos/advertisements/pingpong.asp
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Lefsetz' Buyers Guide to this and that. Why not?
Bob Lefsetz has an opinion about most things. I'm not sure if I like the guy (haven't met yet) but he has a way... Here, he hammers out sort of a nice little buyer's guide:
MOBILE PROVIDER
Verizon.
You live by your connection. It's the key to your life. We live in an era of communication and information, and if you don't have a signal, you're out of the loop. Verizon has more service in more locations and more LTE than any other provider.
Sprint is LTE challenged.
AT&T is a bit better, but still sucks.
T-Mobile is so lame, they had to reinvent their business model.
Don't be afraid to change. Just because tens of millions of people are on AT&T, that does not mean it doesn't suck.
You can either live in nirvana or nowheresville.
Switch to Verizon immediately.
(And don't trust me, trust "Consumer Reports," where Verizon is at the top and AT&T at the bottom in every survey. And, of course, Verizon is not perfect, it doesn't work at your house, get the service that does.)
MOBILE PHONE
iPhone 5.
I'm not going to get into an Android versus iPhone debate. If you are a power user and happy with your Android, that's fine by me. But the reason you use the iPhone is because of uniformity, they all work the same, support, you can just walk into the Genius Bar, the curated app store and its lack of malware, and the ability to upgrade the software easily.
iPHONE TO BUY
The iPhone 5.
Do not cheap out and buy a 4S or a 4. That's just plain ignorant. You think you're saving $100 or $200, but the real story is you're paying for these phones over two years, the life of the contract, so you should get the best. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.
And the reason you want the iPhone 5 is not the faster chip or the extra row of icons, but LTE. Surfing on LTE on Verizon is faster than many people's home connection. The 4S and 4 are 3G devices only. LTE is to 3G as cycling is to walking.
COMPUTER
The one you've got.
Don't buy a new computer unless yours is broken or doesn't do something. Yes, if you upgrade you'll get something faster, but you're mainly surfing the web, and that's more a function of your Internet connection than your chip/hardware.
IF YOU BUY A NEW COMPUTER
Get a Mac. Because Windows 8 sucks. Trying to be everything, it's nothing.
INTERNET CONNECTION
Cable or FiOS, that's it. Absolutely do not buy home DSL, it's positively glacial in speed. You think you're saving money on the triple-play, but the joke is on you. You want at least 15 down and 1 up. Go to speedtest.net and check your speed. If it does not reach these numbers, upgrade.
AUTOMOBILE
Japanese.
German cars are better engineered and provide a better driving experience.
Despite the hype, American autos still aren't as problem free.
Just buy a Toyota and forget about it. If you need European status, know that you're gonna pay for it.
California leads in automobiles. The best-selling model? The Toyota Prius.
Yes, the Tesla Model S is a dream, but if you don't think there's a penalty in being an early adopter, you've never been one.
STREAMING MUSIC SERVICE
Unclear.
Spotify is the leader, but its search sucks and there are too many pauses. MOG, soon to be Daisy, has high quality streams, but a bad interface. The problem with Rdio is no one else is on it. And first and foremost, music is social.
You must have a streaming service subscription. Otherwise, you're out of the loop. You need to be able to check out new music instantly. There are no long term contracts. Sign up for Spotify today and be prepared to switch if something else is better and that's where all the people end up going.
DOWNLOADS
Don't buy 'em. A waste of money. They sound bad and are not forever. Oh, they'll last forever, it's just that technology marches on and today's formats are left in the dust. Just try opening a Word 1.5 document in today's program.
Streaming wins.
Just about everything available on iTunes is available for streaming. And when new, higher quality formats come online, you won't have to upgrade your collection.
CDs
For the ignorant. Vinyl sounds better. But they're both impractical, and we live in an era of convenience.
ONLINE VIDEO SERVICE
Forget Vimeo, DailyMotion is only good for porn, YouTube wins. That's what the old guard doesn't understand about the Internet. There's one winner. One iTunes, one Amazon, one YouTube...
TELEVISION
Samsung.
Everything's good, but Samsung is the best, and no more expensive than its direct competition. Of course you can buy a plasma with better blacks, but that format is not forever, just ask Pioneer.
BEST HOME COFFEE MACHINE
Technivorm Moccamaster.
It's about the water, getting it hot enough.
Don't cheap out. You drink coffee every day, you spend so much on beans, lay out the almost three hundred dollars, you'll thank me.
BEST PRINTER
HP.
Because they own the market. Competitors are good, but HP will update drivers first. In tech, you want to go where the swarm does.
BEST COLLEGE
The best one you get into. You can employ the ratings at the "U.S. News & World Report" to guide you. I'm not saying they're accurate, but they reflect perception. And you don't go to college to learn in the classroom, but outside of it, by interaction with the students. You'll upgrade your game by hanging with smarter, sharper, more worldly students. If you need training, go to graduate school. If you're worried about the money... Top tier colleges are worth it. They're worth borrowing for. If you don't get into one and are worried about cash, go for the cheaper option, save money, your mileage will be the same at the second or third tier liberal arts school as it will be at the state university.
BEST NEWS SOURCE
"New York Times" or "Wall Street Journal."
Because they both still have reporters. The locals have cut back too far and there's no depth in TV coverage, all they've got is the reporters you see on screen. Forget the financials, forget the supposed liberal bias, the "New York Times" sets the agenda for both parties, because it provides the most comprehensive coverage.
BEST PREMIUM CABLE CHANNEL
Showtime.
You really need both Showtime and HBO, but even though HBO shows get most of the press, there's more risk and more depth on Showtime.
BEST CABLES
Monoprice.
Don't waste your money on anything more expensive.
BEST E-MAIL PROVIDER
Gmail.
Get off of AOL, it's too slow. You could receive e-mail days late. Gmail's got all the features you want and Google keeps investing in it, everybody's there for a reason.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
MOBILE PROVIDER
Verizon.
You live by your connection. It's the key to your life. We live in an era of communication and information, and if you don't have a signal, you're out of the loop. Verizon has more service in more locations and more LTE than any other provider.
Sprint is LTE challenged.
AT&T is a bit better, but still sucks.
T-Mobile is so lame, they had to reinvent their business model.
Don't be afraid to change. Just because tens of millions of people are on AT&T, that does not mean it doesn't suck.
You can either live in nirvana or nowheresville.
Switch to Verizon immediately.
(And don't trust me, trust "Consumer Reports," where Verizon is at the top and AT&T at the bottom in every survey. And, of course, Verizon is not perfect, it doesn't work at your house, get the service that does.)
MOBILE PHONE
iPhone 5.
I'm not going to get into an Android versus iPhone debate. If you are a power user and happy with your Android, that's fine by me. But the reason you use the iPhone is because of uniformity, they all work the same, support, you can just walk into the Genius Bar, the curated app store and its lack of malware, and the ability to upgrade the software easily.
iPHONE TO BUY
The iPhone 5.
Do not cheap out and buy a 4S or a 4. That's just plain ignorant. You think you're saving $100 or $200, but the real story is you're paying for these phones over two years, the life of the contract, so you should get the best. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.
And the reason you want the iPhone 5 is not the faster chip or the extra row of icons, but LTE. Surfing on LTE on Verizon is faster than many people's home connection. The 4S and 4 are 3G devices only. LTE is to 3G as cycling is to walking.
COMPUTER
The one you've got.
Don't buy a new computer unless yours is broken or doesn't do something. Yes, if you upgrade you'll get something faster, but you're mainly surfing the web, and that's more a function of your Internet connection than your chip/hardware.
IF YOU BUY A NEW COMPUTER
Get a Mac. Because Windows 8 sucks. Trying to be everything, it's nothing.
INTERNET CONNECTION
Cable or FiOS, that's it. Absolutely do not buy home DSL, it's positively glacial in speed. You think you're saving money on the triple-play, but the joke is on you. You want at least 15 down and 1 up. Go to speedtest.net and check your speed. If it does not reach these numbers, upgrade.
AUTOMOBILE
Japanese.
German cars are better engineered and provide a better driving experience.
Despite the hype, American autos still aren't as problem free.
Just buy a Toyota and forget about it. If you need European status, know that you're gonna pay for it.
California leads in automobiles. The best-selling model? The Toyota Prius.
Yes, the Tesla Model S is a dream, but if you don't think there's a penalty in being an early adopter, you've never been one.
STREAMING MUSIC SERVICE
Unclear.
Spotify is the leader, but its search sucks and there are too many pauses. MOG, soon to be Daisy, has high quality streams, but a bad interface. The problem with Rdio is no one else is on it. And first and foremost, music is social.
You must have a streaming service subscription. Otherwise, you're out of the loop. You need to be able to check out new music instantly. There are no long term contracts. Sign up for Spotify today and be prepared to switch if something else is better and that's where all the people end up going.
DOWNLOADS
Don't buy 'em. A waste of money. They sound bad and are not forever. Oh, they'll last forever, it's just that technology marches on and today's formats are left in the dust. Just try opening a Word 1.5 document in today's program.
Streaming wins.
Just about everything available on iTunes is available for streaming. And when new, higher quality formats come online, you won't have to upgrade your collection.
CDs
For the ignorant. Vinyl sounds better. But they're both impractical, and we live in an era of convenience.
ONLINE VIDEO SERVICE
Forget Vimeo, DailyMotion is only good for porn, YouTube wins. That's what the old guard doesn't understand about the Internet. There's one winner. One iTunes, one Amazon, one YouTube...
TELEVISION
Samsung.
Everything's good, but Samsung is the best, and no more expensive than its direct competition. Of course you can buy a plasma with better blacks, but that format is not forever, just ask Pioneer.
BEST HOME COFFEE MACHINE
Technivorm Moccamaster.
It's about the water, getting it hot enough.
Don't cheap out. You drink coffee every day, you spend so much on beans, lay out the almost three hundred dollars, you'll thank me.
BEST PRINTER
HP.
Because they own the market. Competitors are good, but HP will update drivers first. In tech, you want to go where the swarm does.
BEST COLLEGE
The best one you get into. You can employ the ratings at the "U.S. News & World Report" to guide you. I'm not saying they're accurate, but they reflect perception. And you don't go to college to learn in the classroom, but outside of it, by interaction with the students. You'll upgrade your game by hanging with smarter, sharper, more worldly students. If you need training, go to graduate school. If you're worried about the money... Top tier colleges are worth it. They're worth borrowing for. If you don't get into one and are worried about cash, go for the cheaper option, save money, your mileage will be the same at the second or third tier liberal arts school as it will be at the state university.
BEST NEWS SOURCE
"New York Times" or "Wall Street Journal."
Because they both still have reporters. The locals have cut back too far and there's no depth in TV coverage, all they've got is the reporters you see on screen. Forget the financials, forget the supposed liberal bias, the "New York Times" sets the agenda for both parties, because it provides the most comprehensive coverage.
BEST PREMIUM CABLE CHANNEL
Showtime.
You really need both Showtime and HBO, but even though HBO shows get most of the press, there's more risk and more depth on Showtime.
BEST CABLES
Monoprice.
Don't waste your money on anything more expensive.
BEST E-MAIL PROVIDER
Gmail.
Get off of AOL, it's too slow. You could receive e-mail days late. Gmail's got all the features you want and Google keeps investing in it, everybody's there for a reason.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Always true?
 |
Tennessee Williams |
Monday, February 25, 2013
"A Slow Drag With Jospehine"
Put this in the category called Great Stuff.
The snitch, the snoop, the tattletale lead a threadbare up the stairs
Adieu, my little ballyhoo, you broke my heart in two
And now I haunt the bars and scent those trite affairs
She went home to gather her comb and caught him unawares
And there was her man enjoying the lay of the land
He took a walk in the dark with a dish from the stand
Girls and their creations, tight in the brightest grenadine
But I'd take all that I've seen for a slow drag with Josephine
Josephine, Josephine
But I'd trade all that I've seen for
A slow drag with Josephine
Gavotte, garrotes, Cotillions and slow Arabesques
Drum rolls and Farandoles were all made in jest
But when you make that move, I can't resist
When will you declare your armistice?
Josephine, Josephine
But I'd trade all that I've seen for
A slow drag with Josephine
In another time and place, a different fate was cast
He tried to skeddle-daddle-do, she might have slapped him
Just for saying, "Grant one more chance before you pass
Then curse the nurse that named me the first or bury me at last"
And in three-quarter time, the true and the false
Dancing the 'Hesitation Waltz'
Then comes the flirtation and temptation
Hip, hip, hooray, listen to what I say
Then you can take it away
The snitch, the snoop, the tattletale lead a threadbare up the stairs
Adieu, my little ballyhoo, you broke my heart in two
And now I haunt the bars and scent those trite affairs
She went home to gather her comb and caught him unawares
And there was her man enjoying the lay of the land
He took a walk in the dark with a dish from the stand
Girls and their creations, tight in the brightest grenadine
But I'd take all that I've seen for a slow drag with Josephine
Josephine, Josephine
But I'd trade all that I've seen for
A slow drag with Josephine
Gavotte, garrotes, Cotillions and slow Arabesques
Drum rolls and Farandoles were all made in jest
But when you make that move, I can't resist
When will you declare your armistice?
Josephine, Josephine
But I'd trade all that I've seen for
A slow drag with Josephine
In another time and place, a different fate was cast
He tried to skeddle-daddle-do, she might have slapped him
Just for saying, "Grant one more chance before you pass
Then curse the nurse that named me the first or bury me at last"
And in three-quarter time, the true and the false
Dancing the 'Hesitation Waltz'
Then comes the flirtation and temptation
Hip, hip, hooray, listen to what I say
Then you can take it away
Monday, February 4, 2013
Who's spying?
Today Show - How web cams are easily hacked and used to watch you. Actually, any ports in any device are susceptible. The camera sends images, other ports send data. "Put tape over the lens"... really?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Zombies?
Since getting involved in media production, movies and TV, I have always sensed that a lot of the people in the biz were way too fascinated with Zombies. It seems like every other idea includes Zombies. What is it with you people? There are no Zombies.
I thought... stop writing stories with Zombies in them. Geez.
Then I watched The Walking Dead. Love it. Forget that the Zombies are in it. They're part of the circumstances. The filmmaker's tongues are in their cheeks. I'm only up to Season Two and the stuff may find a shark to jump but so far... Nice! Terrific use of music. This highlight reel includes a song used in the show. It's a Wang Chung tune (Space Junk). Good stuff.
Zombies... yup, Zombies.
I thought... stop writing stories with Zombies in them. Geez.
Then I watched The Walking Dead. Love it. Forget that the Zombies are in it. They're part of the circumstances. The filmmaker's tongues are in their cheeks. I'm only up to Season Two and the stuff may find a shark to jump but so far... Nice! Terrific use of music. This highlight reel includes a song used in the show. It's a Wang Chung tune (Space Junk). Good stuff.
Zombies... yup, Zombies.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Four reasons your version of better might not be enough
- I might not know about your better, because the world is so noisy I can't hear you.
- I might not believe it's better, because, hey, people spin and exaggerate and lie. Proof is only useful if it leads to belief.
- The perceived cost of switching (fear, hassle, internal selling and coordination, money) is far higher than your better appears to be worth.
- Your better might not be my better. In fact, it's almost certainly not.
Seth Godin
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Bob Lefsetz on Making it in Music
Bob Lefsetz on Making it in Music.
1. THE INFECTION
It's either a song or a video, you hear it or see it and say to yourself I WANNA DO THAT! That's what created classic rock in the U.S., everybody seeing the Beatles on "Ed Sullivan" and picking up instruments and playing in bands.
The trappings always count. But they can never be the essence. When you're young you want to be famous, everybody wants to be rich. But if these are more important than the music itself, you'll probably have a very short career.
2. PLAYING
You ask your parents to buy you a Strat.
In the old days, you could learn how to play in school. Before people believed taxes were bad and not only were school music programs excised, teachers had to bring in their own paper, kids had to bring in all their supplies.
So the pool of musicians is smaller than ever before. I'm talking about people who have experience playing an instrument. Yes, you can create music using a computer program, but it's not the same thing. One can argue strongly that those who use the computer tools best are those with the greatest underpinning in music education.
3. LESSONS
There are a few self-starters who can do without, but they're the very small minority. Furthermore, you build upon fundamentals, get them wrong and you're just reinforcing bad habits.
You can take classes in person, you can take them online, but it's best to learn from a teacher.
4. PRACTICE
May not make perfect, but it makes you a whole hell of a lot better than everybody else. You should be able to switch keys on the fly. You should feel as comfortable playing as talking.
5. PLAYING 2
At first you play in your bedroom, then you play with others. You learn from others. Sure, there are the exceptions who create great tracks in their bedrooms, alone, but they are rare. Playing with others you learn so much.
Like how good or bad you are.
Good players want to play with better players. If you're bad, you're gonna be with the other losers.
6. THE TROUGH
You've put in all this time.
First, you have to evaluate if you've got it. If your friends have so much more skill than you, if you'd rather watch ESPN than practice, you're a hobbyist. That's fine, the sooner you own it the better.
7. PLAYING LIVE
Gigs are hard to get and you're gonna suck.
Friends give you gigs. If the venue owner is not your friend, if you have no relationship, unless you can show a track record, and as a beginner, you've got none, your efforts will be fruitless. Who does your father know? Does someone in the band know... Play school events for free. You know you're worth getting paid when if you say you'll pass, you won't do it for free, suddenly an offer of cash comes through. It's raw capitalism, supply and demand.
8. THE ARC
If it's getting harder to get gigs, get better or give up.
9. RECORDINGS
No one wants to hear your recordings except your fans. You've got none. Your mother and friends might be interested, but they're not honest reflectors. Until someone not related demands tracks, you're not good enough yet.
Your first recordings will suck. Just like playing your instrument, recording is a skill, that you learn.
10. DEMAND
There will be next to none even if your recordings are good. If you haven't done the work, there will be no demand at all. If you're depressed and want to give up, do so.
11. VIDEO
If you're getting positive response, if you're getting better, post your music online, in both MP3 format and YouTube videos. These are land mines waiting to be discovered. You hope you become so successful everybody wants to check out everything you've already done. Promotion is worthless. Everybody's overloaded with too much information. Presence online gives you the possibility of traction.
12. AFTER TRACTION
Then you play bigger and better venues, mobilize your fanbase by giving them perks, which will motivate them to spread the word, and continue to make live performances and recordings available online.
But still most people won't care. You're an amateur.
13. GETTING LUCKY
If you're working the connections to break through, you probably won't. You'll get the opportunity, but you'll fail. Today there's a plethora of people looking for talent. If you're good, they'll find you. First it might only be venue owners, gigs will become less rare and better. Then it will be agents and recording companies. Development will be slow, but you can feel it. If years go by without this development, get better, give up, or change musical direction.
14. GIVING UP YOUR DAY JOB
This is more important than getting a deal. Record companies don't support bands anymore, only Top Forty phenoms. If you can't make it alone, you're never gonna survive. Don't complain, keep working, or give up.
15. BUZZ
You will continue to grow if you've got it.
16. SUCCESS
Will come much later than you think, long after you've become comfortable being a journeyman. It takes just that long to reach everybody and convince them today.
SHORTCUTS
1. TV TALENT SHOWS
It's about television, not music.
Odds of success are low even if you win.
As for the exposure, you just become a trivia question.
Furthermore, they're looking for pretty people with good voices. You need neither to make it in music, only on TV.
2. GARAGEBAND
Just because you can make it, that does not mean anybody wants to hear it.
3. POSTING & iTUNES
Just because it's available to view and buy, that doesn't mean anybody wants to see it or purchase it.
4. CDs
A souvenir to be sold at gigs, nothing more. Anybody who will get you ahead does not want a CD.
5. YOUTH
You've got nothing to say. And like a date with a beautiful person with no personality, it doesn't last.
6. TV SHOWS & ENDORSEMENTS
Tying in with a corporation or getting your music in the background of a TV show may yield some cash, but it will never yield a career, not unless you've got one to begin with.
THE HIDDEN SECRET
WRITE
Because that's where all the money is, in publishing.
It takes years to be able to write good material. Start now. Right after you learn how to play your instrument.
IF YOU'VE GIVEN UP AND STILL WANT TO BE IN MUSIC
Go into the business.
You do this by working for free. Not even as an intern at an established entity. But by being on the college concert committee, helping manage a friend's band... None of this is for money, it's all for experience.
The easiest way to make it in the business is by attaching yourself to a great act. But great acts tend to want experienced people. They leave you for those with more seasoning, with connections. Furthermore, there are few great acts out there.
Many are clamoring to work in the business. Even if you get a gig, it's gonna be hard to keep it. Enjoy the ride, don't be in it for the money. Those in it for the money, who make it, could have made it doing anything, it's their personality.
Furthermore, there just ain't that much money in music anymore.
FINALLY
Nobody needs your music. They need air, food and water. And personal, physical comfort. If you want a career in music you must do your best to be necessary. And that's got nothing to do with marketing and everything to do with the music itself, which is all based on the bedrock outlined above.
1. THE INFECTION
It's either a song or a video, you hear it or see it and say to yourself I WANNA DO THAT! That's what created classic rock in the U.S., everybody seeing the Beatles on "Ed Sullivan" and picking up instruments and playing in bands.
The trappings always count. But they can never be the essence. When you're young you want to be famous, everybody wants to be rich. But if these are more important than the music itself, you'll probably have a very short career.
2. PLAYING
You ask your parents to buy you a Strat.
In the old days, you could learn how to play in school. Before people believed taxes were bad and not only were school music programs excised, teachers had to bring in their own paper, kids had to bring in all their supplies.
So the pool of musicians is smaller than ever before. I'm talking about people who have experience playing an instrument. Yes, you can create music using a computer program, but it's not the same thing. One can argue strongly that those who use the computer tools best are those with the greatest underpinning in music education.
3. LESSONS
There are a few self-starters who can do without, but they're the very small minority. Furthermore, you build upon fundamentals, get them wrong and you're just reinforcing bad habits.
You can take classes in person, you can take them online, but it's best to learn from a teacher.
4. PRACTICE
May not make perfect, but it makes you a whole hell of a lot better than everybody else. You should be able to switch keys on the fly. You should feel as comfortable playing as talking.
5. PLAYING 2
At first you play in your bedroom, then you play with others. You learn from others. Sure, there are the exceptions who create great tracks in their bedrooms, alone, but they are rare. Playing with others you learn so much.
Like how good or bad you are.
Good players want to play with better players. If you're bad, you're gonna be with the other losers.
6. THE TROUGH
You've put in all this time.
First, you have to evaluate if you've got it. If your friends have so much more skill than you, if you'd rather watch ESPN than practice, you're a hobbyist. That's fine, the sooner you own it the better.
7. PLAYING LIVE
Gigs are hard to get and you're gonna suck.
Friends give you gigs. If the venue owner is not your friend, if you have no relationship, unless you can show a track record, and as a beginner, you've got none, your efforts will be fruitless. Who does your father know? Does someone in the band know... Play school events for free. You know you're worth getting paid when if you say you'll pass, you won't do it for free, suddenly an offer of cash comes through. It's raw capitalism, supply and demand.
8. THE ARC
If it's getting harder to get gigs, get better or give up.
9. RECORDINGS
No one wants to hear your recordings except your fans. You've got none. Your mother and friends might be interested, but they're not honest reflectors. Until someone not related demands tracks, you're not good enough yet.
Your first recordings will suck. Just like playing your instrument, recording is a skill, that you learn.
10. DEMAND
There will be next to none even if your recordings are good. If you haven't done the work, there will be no demand at all. If you're depressed and want to give up, do so.
11. VIDEO
If you're getting positive response, if you're getting better, post your music online, in both MP3 format and YouTube videos. These are land mines waiting to be discovered. You hope you become so successful everybody wants to check out everything you've already done. Promotion is worthless. Everybody's overloaded with too much information. Presence online gives you the possibility of traction.
12. AFTER TRACTION
Then you play bigger and better venues, mobilize your fanbase by giving them perks, which will motivate them to spread the word, and continue to make live performances and recordings available online.
But still most people won't care. You're an amateur.
13. GETTING LUCKY
If you're working the connections to break through, you probably won't. You'll get the opportunity, but you'll fail. Today there's a plethora of people looking for talent. If you're good, they'll find you. First it might only be venue owners, gigs will become less rare and better. Then it will be agents and recording companies. Development will be slow, but you can feel it. If years go by without this development, get better, give up, or change musical direction.
14. GIVING UP YOUR DAY JOB
This is more important than getting a deal. Record companies don't support bands anymore, only Top Forty phenoms. If you can't make it alone, you're never gonna survive. Don't complain, keep working, or give up.
15. BUZZ
You will continue to grow if you've got it.
16. SUCCESS
Will come much later than you think, long after you've become comfortable being a journeyman. It takes just that long to reach everybody and convince them today.
SHORTCUTS
1. TV TALENT SHOWS
It's about television, not music.
Odds of success are low even if you win.
As for the exposure, you just become a trivia question.
Furthermore, they're looking for pretty people with good voices. You need neither to make it in music, only on TV.
2. GARAGEBAND
Just because you can make it, that does not mean anybody wants to hear it.
3. POSTING & iTUNES
Just because it's available to view and buy, that doesn't mean anybody wants to see it or purchase it.
4. CDs
A souvenir to be sold at gigs, nothing more. Anybody who will get you ahead does not want a CD.
5. YOUTH
You've got nothing to say. And like a date with a beautiful person with no personality, it doesn't last.
6. TV SHOWS & ENDORSEMENTS
Tying in with a corporation or getting your music in the background of a TV show may yield some cash, but it will never yield a career, not unless you've got one to begin with.
THE HIDDEN SECRET
WRITE
Because that's where all the money is, in publishing.
It takes years to be able to write good material. Start now. Right after you learn how to play your instrument.
IF YOU'VE GIVEN UP AND STILL WANT TO BE IN MUSIC
Go into the business.
You do this by working for free. Not even as an intern at an established entity. But by being on the college concert committee, helping manage a friend's band... None of this is for money, it's all for experience.
The easiest way to make it in the business is by attaching yourself to a great act. But great acts tend to want experienced people. They leave you for those with more seasoning, with connections. Furthermore, there are few great acts out there.
Many are clamoring to work in the business. Even if you get a gig, it's gonna be hard to keep it. Enjoy the ride, don't be in it for the money. Those in it for the money, who make it, could have made it doing anything, it's their personality.
Furthermore, there just ain't that much money in music anymore.
FINALLY
Nobody needs your music. They need air, food and water. And personal, physical comfort. If you want a career in music you must do your best to be necessary. And that's got nothing to do with marketing and everything to do with the music itself, which is all based on the bedrock outlined above.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Top Brands - The list is in!
Forbes has a ranking of the world's top brands. Apple is #1. Oddly enough, there are four auto makers with more revenue than Apple; Toyota, VW, Ford and Nissan. The BMW brand at #9 is the highest ranking automaker. That surprised me a little. I would have guessed Toyota which showed up in spot #14. I would have also guessed that BMW would have come after Honda (19) and Mercedes (16) as well. Remember - this is the world, not just the USA. Ikea (43), Nintendo (40) and L'Oreal (25) come in well ahead of 59th ranked Ford. Fox was 99th and Kleenex nosed in there at 100. Hermes International (well, laadeedaa) made the top 100 (#85) beating out Lexus (87) and even John Deere (89). Hermes slipped past me. I gotta get out more. So it's official, both Indiefair and Priceway Systems didn't make the make the top 100.
Click here for the full article in Forbes.
Click here for the full article in Forbes.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
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