Mentor of the week: Mies van der Rohe, one of the masters of Modern architecture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Mies_van_der_Rohe
Mies is widely credited with the saying, “God is in the Details.” This notion is as applicable to your music as it is to architecture. Paying attention to every detail can move a listener from “Hey, that song is pretty good” to “This music is incredible”— so compelling, in fact, that they are willing to spend their hard-earned cash to have your music as a part of their life.
Remember, like it or not, your music exists in a competitive environment. There are plenty of messages competing for your potential audiences’ time, attention, and money, whether it’s music from other bands, video games, movies, phone apps, etc.
So when you release your music into the world, make sure you are satisfied with every detail: The arrangement, the recording, the mix, the mastering, the packaging, the artwork, the typeface on the artwork, the band photo, the words on your press release. It all matters.
Eight million bands are currently on on www.myspace.com. Last year, 105,000 full- length recordings were released in the US alone! By ensuring that every aspect of your music and presentation is great—not merely good—you improve your chances of moving up the mountain of sound, getting your music noticed, and building a career.
Tags: Career, Marketing, Odds & Sods
Great blog, Jim. I think it’s awesome to see someone with your experience taking the time to address questions and offer up advice without ulterior motives. Look forward to reading!
Thanks for the visit Brian. Btw, I visited Chicagosnacks. Cool site. In your publicity work with bands, are you a proponent of the 1 page bio for new bands or is longer okay?