California Blog
California Blog We are off to the golden state for ten days to learn what other municipalities are doing to support live and local music and musicians. We are heading west on I-40 through Windslow, Flagstaff and Kingman, on to Barstow and then south to San Bernadino, LA and Santa…
10 steps toward getting your music into film & TV
It's not easy and it's not cheap, but it is possible to get your music onto the big or small screen, especially with the number of film and television projects that take place in New Mexico. Before you pitch your music, know what the industry expects from you and comply…
Reflections on our Mission for Music Eduction
Cindy Cook | July 19, 2016 Cindy Cook is the co-owner of the Candyman Strings & Things in Santa Fe, NM and a board member of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). I consider myself a patriot. When I see someone clothed in an armed forces uniform or adorned…
Reinventing a Cliché
George Orwell defined a cliché as a "dying metaphor;" but the death of a metaphor is a stubborn one. Indeed, the peculiar nature of a cliché is all in the disparity between how loud it’s yelling, and how little we hear it. Once upon a time, the notion that a…
Piracy and the Copyright Connundrum
Online piracy has taken a devastating toll on the U.S. recorded music industry over the past 15 years, a problem owing in large part to the faulty “whack-a-mole” enforcement regime established under the DMCA safe harbor provisions of U.S. copyright law that makes it impossible for creators to effectively remove…
Show Me the Money
Finding Funding for Your Project-guest post from Jason's Music Publishing What is your project? Financiers have to know what your project is. Music? Film? Literary? Visual Art? Theatrical? Business launch? Product development? Finding a niche for your product makes people feel comfortable. The fear they have about investing is…
Marketing yourself as an artist to a larger world
First, the negatives. The biggest problem is so many groups out there. Venues tend to go with their proven product rather than take a risk on a new artist. And artists are very protective of their gigs. They would rather have a venue go dark than have someone fill in…
The case for recording professionally
Why hire a professional? Money, it’s got to be the tools. Most recording studios are designed for sound. Most bedrooms, living rooms, dens, bathrooms, garages, churches, etc. are not. You can actually fit the entire band into the studio. When you plug in all three guitar amps, the lights…