What are you listening to?

[isaacs]

Thanks, and also for the tips on my writing style. But I still write better than you play

[Kenny]

Hell, no argument there!

[isaacs]

Also Kenny, you've mentioned Adam and Fiona as two Melbourne musos who have this shit togther. Re Sydney musos I will cite Lloyd Swanton, Sandy Evans, Sean Wayland and Dave Theak as four examples of musicans who I think do that stuff really well. All have great talent but are not inhibited to use self-promotion/management to drive their careers, and it has payed big dividends. All spend a big part of the year touring internationally under their own names (not just tagging along as sidepersons when the leader has done the hard yards) and all have a portfolio of CD releases that have recieved international attention. In my opinion, as a gross generalisation Melbourne musicians seem to be in more of a torpor about this stuff than up here in Sydney when we're always "growing" things. Melbourne's an "establishment" town and it's very much an "establishment" idea that artists shouldn't get their hands (supposedly) dirty with that stuff or for that matter shouldn't use jargon when it perfectly fits the contextual bill

[vickihb2]

Fiona Burnett has an excellent grasp of how to promote to a niche market. She's done really well, especially with the latest work, investing in marketable images and putting a lot of energy into promotion. I would suggest anyone who wants a career as a band leader in a niche music industry would do well to follow her lead.

Marketing is increasingly image led. The image is God now.

[happy]

a few responses - first of all, most musicians I know bust their balls to earn a pitiful living which leaves precious little time, energy, enthusiam or cash for effective marketing (dare I suggest that many of those who do better in this regard are assisted by partners who earn a healthy wage.......).

- Not that I believe this excuses the laziness of a lot of other people.

Also many of the people who have been mentioned are natural networkers, never shy to put themselves forward. Contrary to popular opinion, many musicians are quite shy and bashful and the whole debilitating process of trying to convince people that your music is actually worth listening to can be a difficult and often damaging experience.

This is not an excuse, just a partial explanation. Personally I have had to work incredibly hard to change my natural inclinations and become more of the easy going charmer. Fortunately for me, I can do it without too much grief, but I know many people for whom it is just anathema

ps Coltrane transition but I wasn't in the mood
RRRFM
some early Miles
some more Courtney Pine, damn that record is growing on me
didn't enjoy going back to Art Pepper +11 as much as I wanted to, a bit too bombastic thick 50's Kentonish for me at the moment
Clarion Fracture Zone - zones on parade - what a corker that one is
Kynan Robinson 100 Miles Wide - very nice

[isaacs]

Happy, I understand what you are saying about natural networkers. But not all of us were born with this spoon in our mouth. It took me until the age of 27 until I had the guts to put my own band together and attempt to promote it, and it was scary at first. It took me another 7 years before I mustered up the courage to put together a tour. A series of jumpings in the deep end without a floatie realy.

If a musician naturally had stage fright to the extent that they couldn't get on stage, we'd definitely say if you want to be a musician you HAVE to get over it. Perhaps we can also say, if you want to maximise your career opportunities as a musican you HAVE to learn to network. Perhaps we could say it, I am not necessarily saying it though!

[Kenny]

Guest-happy said:

didn't enjoy going back to Art Pepper +11 as much as I wanted to, a bit too bombastic thick 50's Kentonish for me at the moment

Fair enuf - but hell I can't stand Kenton. Bombastic is the word. So is pompous. But in IMHO the Pepper album is a millions miles way from that kinda thing.

[happy]

isaacs said:

If a musician naturally had stage fright to the extent that they couldn't get on stage, we'd definitely say if you want to be a musician you HAVE to get over it. Perhaps we can also say, if you want to maximise your career opportunities as a musican you HAVE to learn to network.

Oh I agree completely, I will happily (!) say it. I can also understand people who aren't able to make that leap of faith in themselves

[vickihb2]

Anyone can learn to network. You just have to watch other people do it and copy them.

You can get over it if you need to, to achieve your goals.

First lesson in schmoozing: be polite to everyone you meet, keep eye contact, remember people's names and don't assume anyone is less or more important than you are.

Richard Branson is a GENIUS of the schmooze, he knows the receptionist is as important as the Boss and he always says thank you.

In newsrooms they used to say be nice to the copy boy coz next week he could be your editor. Theory appplies to arts admin and Jazz club Tzars too.

[isaacs]

OK something else.

Vicki you mention Richard Branson. I used to love the British comedy "The Royle Family" which was a forensic and deadpan satire of working class mores (I was brought up in a solidly working class suburb). In one episode the family were sititing around in front of the telly (as usual) and Richard Branson came on and the father said "He must be as tight as a fishes ass to be that rich!". The satire was in the fundamental misunderstanding of people sadly enslaved to the wage/price schemata that the only way to experience heightened abundance is through being tight.

Richard Branson is an entrepreneur. His success must be by definition a reflection of the exact opposite of "being tight", founded on risk taking as it was/is.

I believe that in our own small ways we can advance as musicians by taking on a little of the entrepreneurial spirit (many of us know this already). A good friend who is an excellent player AND writer was discussing his problem in getting his writing before the public. For him it boiled down to "Nobody will give me a writing gig, whinge, whinge". The only scenario in his mind was being called and asked to write for a fee. "Wage-slave" rather than entrepreneurial thinking. I said "Why don't you yourself create a project specifically as a vehicle for your writing". Of course in that scenario (rather than his guaranteed fee scenario) he MAY not get paid. Let's say he paid for the promotion of the gig and split the door with the band, if it was not briliantly attended he might lose money. He might PAY for the experience.

And is that so terrible? Let us assume that he has other sources of income, other paid gigs. So if he drops $100 to present his music to the pubic in a completely unfettered way, so what? He would spend $100 purchasing CDs, or on a couple of dinners with drinks, or just driving his car round.

The entrepreneurial spirit says that that $100 is well spent. He music is presented publicly. Maybe reviewed. His profile is raised a bit. It leads to other opportunities, paid opportunities. Even if it doesn't, the whole experience was artistically nourishing and cleansing, and with the greatest respect probably even more so than buying 3 Coltrane imports because artists NEED to nourish their own voices.

This stuff is second nature to many musicians, but I know some are still trapped. Everyone can afford to play for nothing sometimes, and sometimes pay to play.

And when there really is money on offer to play, get as much as you can, negotiate hard so you can live in the world and do your work.

[vickihb2]

Mark you are a very wise man. You are also, I think, an excellent marketer, networker and writer although I'm not sure you'd ever get a job on a UK 'popular' tabloid.

I really would love to have a long conversation about your latest post but I have to do the 'paid gig' work today. Rats.

Went to to the grand opening of Umbria last night at the Forum. I think 'God' was a bit mean about about the speeches, it is the opening night of a new festival you've got to expect boring speeches sometimes. I'll be writing about the festival for another website soon. I do that in my 'free time' because I enjoy it.

All the musicians were having a lot of fun and Morrison and Chindamo were sublime. Some of those imported Italians are excellent musicians.

[Kenny]

VickiHB said:

Some of those imported Italians are excellent musicians.

When it comes to Italian imports, I much prefer tomatoes myself.

[vickihb2]

Yes Kennyweir you! Skiting about your yummy meal. You freeloading newslimited hack you. Watch out or I'll throw a can of imported tomatoes at you next time.

[Kenny]

Moi? Freeload? Hah!

Actually, the food was pretty good considering the less than optimum circumstances presumably faced by the chefs. Only thing, was me, my handbag Gord and my boss all found it so freaking dark that we were often unsure about what we were eating. The choccies during the break were things of Indescribable Yumminess.

* Theak-Tet - Gamla Stan. This may be the best Jazzhead album of all, and ditto Muller's work on record. For today, anyhow.

* Teddy Edwards - Smooth sailing

* Hank Mobley - No Room For Octagons

* Al Cohn-Zoot Sim Quartet - You 'N' Me

* William Parker - The Peach Orchard

[happy]

a few treasures I just picked up -

Bessie Smith collection

north african traditional music compilation that I thought might be really nasty and overproduced but is actually gorgeous

Josh Redman elastic - I've always found him one of the more interesting of the young American tenor players

Janacek string quartets - sumptuous and spiky!

and a Gato Barbieri compilation, who I've heard a lot about but never really heard much of. Don't know what I think yet, it'll take a few listens. I love the spirit of it, in any case