I have met a lot of musicians and have read about musicians trying make gigs profitable. Some of them have told me to play for free.. wait what? I used to think that way too... and now the first thing I would tell you is to ask for what you are worth. Whats the worst that can happen? Not getting hired? Well that would be a good thing because you don't want to be hired at a gig that you don't receive payment. The venue and people will treat you poorly. HOW do I know this? Its because two years ago I performed in Coto De Caza at a house concert. I was treated like crap because they did not pay me. Imagine if you will it was 95 degrees out. The host would not allow me in the house ( I must have been some kind of animal or something) to cool down, and I had to change in this really bad smelling grotto like bathroom they had by their pool. There were other musicians, that they allowed in the house because they were paying for her, AND no cold water for me. Thank goodness I brought my own water and my gear. I am always positive and I did make a few connections that night.. but for the most part, it was insulting. It was the last time I decided to play for free.. unless it was a special circumstance, and it has to be a pretty amazing circumstance.
So before you say yes to a non paying gig, or a venue that wants you to bring in people to their venue. THEY should already have an established following of their venue. Always ask about the particulars, whether you can bring in your merch and sell it.
Most of all don't sell yourself short, because you are totally worth the money. Here is a fabulous article about this very subject:
Musicians and Venues, READ
Peace in Music
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
How to raise 20k in 10 days...
How can I raise 20k in 10 days? Every one of you can pledge, and you can tell your family and friends that "Fire in the Rainstorm" is an amazing solo piano project so they can pledge too. The project will not be funded if the funds are not raised by February 2nd, so there will be no risk to you.
There are rewards when you pledge certain dollar amounts. I have my M&M blankie I will be giving away, clothes I have worn at concerts, Artwork, signed photos, jewelry I have worn at my concerts, physical albums, skype call with me, t-shirts, liner notes made into a poster signed by me.
Come and pledge today!
Pledge + Me= Album
There are rewards when you pledge certain dollar amounts. I have my M&M blankie I will be giving away, clothes I have worn at concerts, Artwork, signed photos, jewelry I have worn at my concerts, physical albums, skype call with me, t-shirts, liner notes made into a poster signed by me.
Come and pledge today!
Pledge + Me= Album
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
CONCERT FEBRUARY 5th, 2012
I have decided to come out of my self imposed performance exile and perform in February. If you live in California and you need a break from the hustle and bustle of life, I invite you to California's Central Coast on Sunday February 5th from 1pm - 4pm. Songwriters at Play Concert I will be playing a 4 song set, and then featured artist Diane Arkenstone will perform with special guests. Tim Pacheco will be performing as well.
You can click on my "Events" page and find more info or you can visit the websites for where and when info. I hope you can make it because its going to be a wonderful artistic afternoon!
More to come...
You can click on my "Events" page and find more info or you can visit the websites for where and when info. I hope you can make it because its going to be a wonderful artistic afternoon!
More to come...
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
What is the Music Business Like and why do you need a "fundraiser?"
Is the latest question from FanBridge. At first I got a bit on the defensive side, but as I read the question over and over, and talked with a friend of mine. She pointed out that not everyone understands how things work. She never knew until she met me. This is what inspired this blog.
I have learned a lot. 1. don't ever take things personally, you can't. If you did, you would never survive the criticisms that come, and believe me people can hit below the belt. 2. Always be gracious, but don't let anyone run you over. You can get run over doing what I do. Its best you don't let anyone do that. You can be the best ever, but you can also be clever at not losing your cool.
Hokay so, if Will Ackerman believes in me, why doesn't he help out with the album? He is helping out, by me hiring him to be my producer. He is no longer the head of Windham Hill Records. He doesn't sign people to labels, that is not what he does now. He offers his unique perspective that he has gleaned over the years and you pay for that. Oh and he doesn't just magically appear. You have to email him and ask him. He then listens to your music, THEN he chooses to work with you or not.
The music industry is in a flux of change. Its not the same like it used to be. Say for instance, if you are George Winston during the late 70's signed to the Windham Hill Records Label, the label paid for the recording costs, ie: producing, musicians, studio time, engineering; which included mixing/mastering, manufacturing. They told you how you were release the music, and tour. Touring is another whole can of worms. Let me just focus on the production. Producing an album can vary in costs. It can cost from $5k to $100k or more. "Trillium" was staggering. It cost me... yes ME $80k. THAT includes production, recording, mixing/mastering, musicians, encoding, manufacturing, a publicist, radio promotion team no tv. If you want advertising on TV, that will cost you more. To be really rounded out to market something you need the marketing web. Which includes mailing, emailing, internet, online radio, radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, reviews, interviews. Oh and I had Ed Bonk working with me to promote "Trillium". He and I were a team together. He didn't do all the mailing of the albums, I did. He did all the phone calls to all the radio stations which includes internet radio/organic radio. All of those things MUST be put in place because none of this stuff is easy to tell people about it all. If you look at a commercial nowadays, you will see these commercials repeated during a tv show or during a radio broadcast or even a podcast. We are all creatures of repetition. We have to be told several times before things sink in.
So now, I need funding. Since I am an independent musician, I don't have the financial backing of a major label like Universal, Sony, EMI or any of those companies. Have I submitted my music? Sure I have. Since I was rejected, I chose to do this on my own. Would I like to be on a label? I did that with an Independent Record Label and got burned financially by them. The conditions have to be favorable for me to consider a label. I am still submitting, so who knows?!!
In order to produce a really good album worthy of Windham Hill of the past, which is my goal, I want/need a few things in place. Will Ackerman is part of that, then his studio and engineer is another part of the puzzle, I want great mastering, so that is another cost. All of these things are money driven. Which is true for most things in the Arts. I decided to change up the album I am working on, to do a solo piano project. Simply because, making another album like "Trillium" is expensive. VERY expensive. I had funding for that. This time, that funding is not there. I am looking to people to pledge $1, $30, or more dollars if you can spare that. I am not looking for thousands of dollars from one person. Wait, didn't "Trillium" sell? Sure, but I have not recovered my costs for that. Not even close. Then why do I do what I do? Because I am not in this to make money. I am in it because this is something I love to do. LOVE it, BREATHE it... its what motivates me to get up in the morning and "Carpe Diem"!!!! I am certainly not poor, but I don't have that kind of capital and that is why I am using Kickstarter.com to help me with this.
That is why I am coming to you to ask for help, which is not easy for this prideful chick to do. If I could do this on my own I would and never ask, but here I am asking because I feel that its worthy of my time and yours.
I hope you join me and pledge today!
Peace in Music,
Kori
I have learned a lot. 1. don't ever take things personally, you can't. If you did, you would never survive the criticisms that come, and believe me people can hit below the belt. 2. Always be gracious, but don't let anyone run you over. You can get run over doing what I do. Its best you don't let anyone do that. You can be the best ever, but you can also be clever at not losing your cool.
Hokay so, if Will Ackerman believes in me, why doesn't he help out with the album? He is helping out, by me hiring him to be my producer. He is no longer the head of Windham Hill Records. He doesn't sign people to labels, that is not what he does now. He offers his unique perspective that he has gleaned over the years and you pay for that. Oh and he doesn't just magically appear. You have to email him and ask him. He then listens to your music, THEN he chooses to work with you or not.
The music industry is in a flux of change. Its not the same like it used to be. Say for instance, if you are George Winston during the late 70's signed to the Windham Hill Records Label, the label paid for the recording costs, ie: producing, musicians, studio time, engineering; which included mixing/mastering, manufacturing. They told you how you were release the music, and tour. Touring is another whole can of worms. Let me just focus on the production. Producing an album can vary in costs. It can cost from $5k to $100k or more. "Trillium" was staggering. It cost me... yes ME $80k. THAT includes production, recording, mixing/mastering, musicians, encoding, manufacturing, a publicist, radio promotion team no tv. If you want advertising on TV, that will cost you more. To be really rounded out to market something you need the marketing web. Which includes mailing, emailing, internet, online radio, radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, reviews, interviews. Oh and I had Ed Bonk working with me to promote "Trillium". He and I were a team together. He didn't do all the mailing of the albums, I did. He did all the phone calls to all the radio stations which includes internet radio/organic radio. All of those things MUST be put in place because none of this stuff is easy to tell people about it all. If you look at a commercial nowadays, you will see these commercials repeated during a tv show or during a radio broadcast or even a podcast. We are all creatures of repetition. We have to be told several times before things sink in.
So now, I need funding. Since I am an independent musician, I don't have the financial backing of a major label like Universal, Sony, EMI or any of those companies. Have I submitted my music? Sure I have. Since I was rejected, I chose to do this on my own. Would I like to be on a label? I did that with an Independent Record Label and got burned financially by them. The conditions have to be favorable for me to consider a label. I am still submitting, so who knows?!!
In order to produce a really good album worthy of Windham Hill of the past, which is my goal, I want/need a few things in place. Will Ackerman is part of that, then his studio and engineer is another part of the puzzle, I want great mastering, so that is another cost. All of these things are money driven. Which is true for most things in the Arts. I decided to change up the album I am working on, to do a solo piano project. Simply because, making another album like "Trillium" is expensive. VERY expensive. I had funding for that. This time, that funding is not there. I am looking to people to pledge $1, $30, or more dollars if you can spare that. I am not looking for thousands of dollars from one person. Wait, didn't "Trillium" sell? Sure, but I have not recovered my costs for that. Not even close. Then why do I do what I do? Because I am not in this to make money. I am in it because this is something I love to do. LOVE it, BREATHE it... its what motivates me to get up in the morning and "Carpe Diem"!!!! I am certainly not poor, but I don't have that kind of capital and that is why I am using Kickstarter.com to help me with this.
That is why I am coming to you to ask for help, which is not easy for this prideful chick to do. If I could do this on my own I would and never ask, but here I am asking because I feel that its worthy of my time and yours.
I hope you join me and pledge today!
Peace in Music,
Kori
Friday, January 6, 2012
Kickstarter Album Campaign
My purpose in writing to day is to ask for your help with the production of my new album "Fire in the Rainstorm".
I really want
to continue to create and release my music. The past year, I have been writing
some very innovative songs. Being influenced by so many things this time, friends,
family, the ocean, poetry, history, current events - this album has been an
extremely wonderful emotional journey.
I am very excited to share with you, the music that is coming out of me.
Will
Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records and Grammy Award Winning
guitarist, is my producer. This is my fourth album and the second album he and
I will be working together on. He believes in my ability as a composer
otherwise - he wouldn't work with me in order to create a solo piano album
worthy of a Windham Hill production.
Everything is
set in place; the producer, studio, engineer, songs. I need a little help from
you to make this happen! Every dollar will go towards the album:
paying engineer(s), studio time, getting the piano in tune,
mixing/mastering. Everything that makes a record a truly wonderful creation of
music.
I had a few friends talk to me regarding Kickstarter.com. It is an innovative way to raise money to fund creative projects. Kickstarter sets up a project webpage for potential investors to learn about projects and make pledges for the projects they want to support.
I have created a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of "Fire in the Rainstorm".
Please make a pledge to help make this album a reality. Please tell your friends and family about this project, that would help too!
If the campaign is not fully funded by February 3rd, then the project does not get funded and the pledged money is not collected.
To learn more about this project and make a pledge, go to this link:
If you have any questions please feel free to email me: kcarothers(at)mac(dot)com
Peace in Music,
Kori Linae Carothers
Thursday, January 5, 2012
OWR - One World Radio UK
Join me today online as I am interviewed by Steve Sheppard, on the Perfect Remedy show!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Kickstarter.com Rewards
This entry is to show pictures of the rewards when you donate to my project on kickstarter.com.
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| Black Leather Jacket |
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| My Blankie I will give away! |
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| Otazu Bracelet |
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| Plaque Example, this is not the CD that will be on the plaque, "Fire in the Rainstorm" will be the album you will see |
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| Catalina Art I bought that has inspired "Fire In The Rainstorm" |
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