Friday, March 30, 2012

Muscle Shoals Music Association Christmas Party 2011



Alabama Music Office.com traveled to Muscle Shoals Music Association Christmas Party 2011. The location was the Cypress Moon Studios formerly Muscle Shoals Sound, The Decoys and several special guests jam the night away.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Reality and music business dreams. By Jerry W. Henry


First you need to ask yourself, “Is a life in music, what I really want?” The answer to this question might not be what family, friends, peers and spouses want. Think about what it takes to be successful in the world of music. Then ask yourself if the end results are worth the effort to get there? Much is required from those whom much is given. Another very important consideration is talent.


Once you have decided to make music your life, it’s becomes time for your master plan. Your master plan should be a series of attainable goals. Your career is a long journey that starts with a single step. In other words, YOU must take action. That first step should be toward changing you into the professional that you must be in tomorrow’s music business.


You will have to make sacrifices along the way. Success in any endeavor takes time and effort. It also takes smarts in managing your expenses and time. If you help yourself, others will help you along the way. Mentors will come your way to provide you skills, knowledge and support. The Universe will supply your needs along your journey as long as you do your part. You are the only one that can turn your dreams into reality.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Music: Alabama: SpeakPipe-Now you can hear from your fans free.

Music: Alabama: SpeakPipe-Now you can hear from your fans free.: John Oszajca is not an Alabama musician. He is a very knowledgeable musician that has helped many many other musicians. He is known for his...

SpeakPipe-Now you can hear from your fans free.


John Oszajca is not an Alabama musician. He is a very knowledgeable musician that has helped many many other musicians. He is known for his Music Marketing Manifesto, a course for selling your music online. I have studied many and John’s is the best for marketing online. I am a member of his Inner Circle where there is a constant flow of up to date information.
John turned us on to SpeakPipe, which is essentially a voice messaging widget. That allows your fans to leave you voice messages right on your site using their computer’s built in microphone. SpeakPipe will offer more features soon. They are still in the Beta stage and the service is free. SpeakPipe will bring you closer to your fans. This is a great tool for musicians. John nor I have any affiliation with SpeakPipe.

The widget is on the far right on this page. Speak to me >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Monday, March 26, 2012

VIDEO-Music: Alabama: Alabama Shakes, Dexateens, Lee Bains III & Glory F...

Music: Alabama: Alabama Shakes, Dexateens, Lee Bains III & Glory F...: Alabama Shakes, Dexateens, Lee Bains III & Glory Fires at Bama Theatre Tuscaloosa, Alabama March 24, 2012. $20,000 raised for Habitat for ...

Alabama Shakes, Dexateens, Lee Bains III & Glory Fires at Bama Theatre Tuscaloosa, Alabama



Alabama Shakes, Dexateens, Lee Bains III & Glory Fires at Bama Theatre Tuscaloosa, Alabama March 24, 2012. $20,000 raised for Habitat for Humanity-Get Up Tuscaloosa

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Alabama Shakes, Dexateens, Lee Bains III & Glory Fires at Bama Theatre


Music: Alabama: Alabama Shakes, Dexateens, Lee Bains III & Glory Fires at Bama Theatre Tuscaloosa, AL
Early Birds
























This was truly a happening of near historical proportions. This was a sold-out show and had been for weeks. This concert was for Habitat For Humanity where over $20,000 was raised.
Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard on the streets of Tuscaloosa.
Brittany and Alabama Music Office.com's Jerry W. Henry and Sylvia Parker


Bo Hicks event organizer.
                   
Bama Theatre Director David Allgood
Mayor Walt Maddox
The Champ" Deontay Wilder & MC Jim Dunaway

Lee Bains III's and his other band, Glory Fires.


The Dexateens




Alabama Shakes

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Music: Alabama:        Know your niche.    by Jerry W. Henry Fa...

Music: Alabama:
       Know your niche.    by Jerry W. Henry

Know your niche.    by Jerry W. Henry    
Fact: the majority of entrepreneurs fail in every industry. The success rate in any pers...

       Know your niche.    by Jerry W. Henry


Fact: the majority of entrepreneurs fail in every industry. The success rate in any personal endeavor is terribly skewed toward those with talent. I personally believe that art is one of the only places where the true value or quality of something can only be judged when it's put to use or tried and tested. Anybody with a digital camera and garage band can make a music video, but only those who work at their craft will still be making music videos in 10 years. Marketing and a solid business plan is not all it takes.


In the music business, you are only as good as your next show.  There is so much new music now that it’s extremely hard to come out of the masses and be heard. Everyone has a different subjective perception as to what great music is. Plus, every generation seems to think that their generation’s music was the best. Add to that, music artists are also competing with all of the entertainment available at home. Your major competition is the Internet with its YouTube, Facebook, Farmville, video games and hundreds of thousands of entertainment sites. It's not rational or fair.


For those that want to spend their life making music, how do you do it? In my humble opinion, it’s time for bands to co-op events. Musicians need to join together to design a show that hard working Joe would pay his very hard-earned money to experience. This can be done in a small way or a large way. Have you considered playing in fan’s homes? Rent your own special occasions’ hall, theater or conference room in a hotel. In this situation, you are in control. You know the cost on every aspect of the event. You control the marketing/promotion/advertising. Make it an event rather than just another show. Feed off the creative juices of a gathering of music artists. It could become an event that tours.


Sell products that cover different price points. Have products as cheap as $1.00 and go up from there attempting to be able to meet anyone’s budget. It takes time, sweat and little money to succeed once. Succeeding over your lifetime requires talent, practice, creativity and the ability to write and perform songs that your niche audience loves. Know your niche above all else.


Music is in the ear of the beholder. Value is a perception.  Music is an emotional buy for people. They have to be touched on the inside to get their wallet on the outside. The perception worth paying for in music is the feeling it delivers. There's an audience for all kinds of music. You have to find them. I repeat, know your niche above all else. Your real fans will support you, if you have a genuine passion to create great music.

Monday, March 19, 2012




Larger view.

Music: Alabama: Chicken & Egg Festival 2 of 2 Alabama Music Office...

Music: Alabama: Chicken & Egg Festival 2 of 2
Alabama Music Office...
: Chicken & Egg Festival 2 of 2 Alabama Music Office.com traveled to Moulton, Alabama in April, 2011 to attend their Chicken & Egg Festiv...

Chicken & Egg Festival 2 of 2

Chicken & Egg Festival 2 of 2
Alabama Music Office.com traveled to Moulton, Alabama in April, 2011 to attend their Chicken & Egg Festival. In this video as you watch the happenings from last year, I tell of the happenings that will take place April 13-15 2012 for their 8th Chicken & Egg Festival. Helena, Alabama's Steve Norris sings his "Alabama My Hometown." A great low cost family event.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Tip Jar by Jerry W. Henry


There is a big difference between artistic and financial success. Realizing that music is something that many need to do, whether professional or not, and that is a good, healthy thing. Music is cultural, not just a professional way to make money. Music is art. Music is an art, to be certain. Much like a painter, you get what someone is willing to pay. Ideally, the better you are at your craft and the more you appeal to what your clientele want, the more you'll sell and at higher values.
As far as live gigs go, the market will always drive the price point for bands - simply because the financial realities prevent any sensible businessman from paying more than the band is going to earn for him. Music artists are sub-contractors. They get paid based on what they bring to the table. Look at what value you can bring to the club/promoter/booker and learn how to sell it to them. The difference between successful music artists and unsuccessful ones is really more in their business skills. Think of your career as a small business and successfully run it that way.
Because there's no such thing as a musician middle class in our society, no one honors or respects those musicians who simply set out to make a decent living at what they love and are most skilled at. In other professions it's perfectly acceptable to aim for a median income in your field and still be considered successful.
Your music has to be great. Great artists will create great art no matter how they get their daily bread. Top of the line music, that’s a given.
While on the subject of finances, there was a survey done several years back about tip jars. They found that the larger the container (within reason), the better the tips were. They also found that clear containers brought more tips. People are hesitant about being the first to put money into an empty tip jar. Always put “seed” money in your tip jar. Jars that were not labeled got far less use. When most give someone a tip they want them to see them doing it. Put your tip jar in a place that gets noticed. If your tip jar is not filling up like you think it should, try passing it around. Some people are too shy to come up and put something in it. I knew a young lady in Texas that put pint sized tip jars on every table.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Music: Alabama: Selling YOU by Jerry W. Henry

Music: Alabama: Selling YOU by Jerry W. Henry: This article is in response to some questions I received about doing-it-yourself (DYI) strategies. In today’s music world you have afford...

Selling YOU by Jerry W. Henry


This article is in response to some questions I received about doing-it-yourself (DYI) strategies.

In today’s music world you have affordable recording of sound and video. Once you have that sound and video in hand, you now have the ability to distribute your product digitally. When your distribution is in place, you can promote easily with social media and it’s millions of potential customers. Talk to them. They’re your fans; they want to connect with you and your creative life. If you can send emails to your fans, you can engage them in many ways, and continue to build a good relationship with them. The music business is about interpersonal relationships, connections, and networking.

Your music has to be great. You have to have a great show. Your plan will not work without these. A live performance should work the same as a recording in terms of determining value. Your music has to make folks want to give you their hard earned dollars to get a copy.

Use what you love and are inspired by in your own work. Everyday people have inspired many great songs. Pay attention to things that move you emotionally. Inspiration can be positive or negative. Your fellow music artists/musicians/songwriters can speed your inspiration process.

Many music artists/songwriters are secretive. They don’t like to reveal their works-in-progress. Talking about your projects can be the best way for you to give structure to your ideas and in turn can make your project more real. The creative process involves much more than your creative mind. It involves your subconscious mind and we never know when it will bring forth that magic thought. Keep a notepad or handheld recorder handy because once that magic thought happens, it’s gone forever. Don’t force things; let your subconscious take control.

The product you are selling is you. That includes all of the music you’ve ever made. To a new fan, all of your music is new. The more songs in your catalog, the better your chances are to make money. Just because you wrote that song a long time ago does not mean that it can’t be licensed today. Think about your musical offerings as a growing catalog.

Today you get label deals when you don’t need them. They only sign artists who have already proven they can be successful on their own.

The only thing stopping your success is you. This is a new day in music. You are in control. You can create, produce, distribute and promote.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Manifesting your music career. by Jerry W. Henry



What I am about to tell you may seem obvious to some and ridiculous to others. We are all exactly where we should be for the life that we’ve led up until this moment. Many music artists that I talk with tell me, “I should be more successful.” The truth is that we’re all exactly in the spot that we’re supposed to be.
Focusing on how much life can give to you as opposed to what it is not giving seems to be at the forefront of many minds. You have to realize that your music career is a manifestation. It all began with a simple idea in the brain. It might have been a thought, a feeling or a picture. As soon as that entered into your awareness, your brain began to “tune in”. You began to seek the opportunities to bring your idea into form.
It’s like how a radio works. There are thousands of radio waves in this room. I’m not aware of the music or sounds, because my brain lacks the ability to tune into the frequency. However, if I turn my radio on, all of a sudden I can hear the music. The radio didn’t create the music; it just simply found the frequency to bring it into form. Our brains are like the radio. We don’t create things out of thin air. We are constantly seeking to become aware of what already exists, so that we can bring our ideas, thoughts or pictures into form. We then begin to bring our ideas into form by taking action on the opportunities that are presented to us because we are “tuned in” to the frequency of the idea we want to manifest.
I work with people in all areas of this music business and all levels of success. My experience tells me that independent artists have more opportunity to make a good living today, doing what they love, than ever before in history. As a music artist, you are starting a business of your own. You can’t run a successful business without a plan. You must also have a clear awareness of why you’re doing what you’re doing. It takes time to accomplish that plan. You must stay positive. It takes action everyday. If you don’t take action each and every day then you are a hobbyist. There is nothing wrong with being a hobbyist. Just be honest with yourself as to what you are. To thine own self be true. Either way you need a real clear understanding of what your goals are. Unless you have a specific goal, it’s awful difficult to accomplish one.
You have the power to choose. To choose what you want to do for the rest of your life. Choose to enjoy the ride. It’s up to you. Believe it or not, the more you look for joy in every moment of your life, the more you’ll see it.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Video-Chicken & Egg Festival (1 of 2) 1080p

Alabama Music Office.com traveled to the Chicken & Egg Festival in Moulton, Alabama in April of 2011. There was 15 music acts on 3 stages, egg tossing contest, chicken clucking contest and much more. Headliners were Webb Wilder and Confederate Railroad.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Alabama SXSW Showcase

C4 and LUCY’S RETIRED SURFERS BAR  PRESENTS:
ALABAMA MUSIC SHOWCASE DURING SXSW!

Austin’s funky surfer bar and fun spot for music, drinks and food to work with C4 production company and the
Alabama music community to showcase Alabama talent during SXSW week as an unofficial event

WHO:               Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant

WHAT:             Lucy’s in conjunction with C4 is teaming up with the Alabama music community! Lucy’s will host an unofficial SXSW showcase, presenting a strictly Alabama music showcase during SXSW week from 6 pm – 2 am on
           March 15 featuring:

«      1 AM Nightmare Boyzz (Muscle Shoals)
«      12 AM  An Abstract Theory (Florence)
«      11 PM The Pollies (Greenhill)
«      10 PM – Chase Davidson Project (Birmingham)
«      9 PM – Glossary (Florence)
«      8 PM The Bear (Florence)
«      7 PM Shelly Colvin (Huntsville)
«      6 PM Some Dark Holler (Birmingham)


Clayton Colvin, owner of C4, Austin resident and Alabama native teamed up with Lucy’s and is working with the Alabama Music Office, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Muscle Shoals Music Association and This is American Music to host the one night event during the week of Austin’s music festival SXSW, where thousands of bands and visitors come to Austin to celebrate live music.

Sponsored by
Alabama Music Office http://alabamamusicoffice.com/
Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://www.alamhof.org
           Muscle Shoals Music Association
This is American Music http://www.thisisamericanmusic.com/

WHEN:           Thursday, March 15
                         6PM - 2AM

WHERE:        Lucy’s Surfer Bar and Restaurant
          506 West Avenue, Austin, TX 78701
                         http://www.lucysretiredsurfers.com/



WHY:             Growing up in Alabama and then moving to Texas, Clayton Colvin decided to combine his Austin and Alabama connections to bring a bit of
                   Alabama to Texas and provide a lively new experience to Austin!


ABOUT LUCY’S RETIRED SURFER BAR AND RESTAURANT
Lucy’s brings to mind those great moments in your life with friends, food and fun. Marked by a zany staff, ice-cold beer, great food, and live music, Lucy’s has become a refuge for misplaced surfers, gremmies, and ho-dads. Lucy’s has it all – live music, great Chef Travis Ballard, terrific food, awesome drinks and specials, lots of space to roam – and topped with loads of fun every night. The Light Lunch Menu is a big hit, and the Happy Hour signature cocktails are great - like the famous “Shark Attack”, “Bikini Bellini” or “A Drink Called Wanda,” just to name a few. Or, catch the great brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 am – 3 pm with special prices on Mimosas and Bloody Marys. Lucy’s is dog-friendly with their canine menu and space on the patio for your Fido. Guests can also enjoy the Tiki Bar and large deck outside, or can book the area for events and special functions. Lucy’s Austin is located at 506 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701, 512-236-0083, http://www.lucysretiredsurfers.com The restaurant is primarily owned by Bruce and Susan Rampick, who have been in the restaurant business for over 20 years. Visit other Lucy’s locations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.   http://www.lucysretiredsurfers.com

ABOUT C4

The main focus for Clayton Colvin's Consulting Company (C4) is to help musicians and venues help themselves. Clayton does this by assessing the unique strengths and challenges of each client, and providing guidance that takes advantage of those strengths and offers ways to meet the challenges. Clayton's company is not limited to local musicians and venues, but his specialty is Austin. Clayton is a musician himself, and has successfully managed, booked, promoted, written and recorded songs, as well as performed with various bands for the past ten years. He has helped countless musicians and venues in Austin further their careers and business with his advice and expertisehttp://www.facebook.com/C4Austin

Friday, March 2, 2012

Video-Shawna P Interview. by Jerry W. Henry

The transcript of this video is in March (part 1 of 2) & April (part 2 of 2) issues of the Tannehill Trader. The articles will also be available in the Tannehill Trader archives online.

The Queen of Earthfunk tells it like it is.