From Scratch – Adventures in Independent Music Making

Tweet Hashtag #aiimm to share your own Adventures In Independent Music Making

As I mentioned last week in “Who The H*ll Am I? Where Am I Going?“, one main focus for the past 7 days was to create a 12 month plan and map out exactly what I want to accomplish and where I want to go over the next year. Unlike previous goal setting sessions/exercises, where I simply categorized and listed the challenges, this time I actually put them into a calendar. Knowing that it can take months of preparation (and waiting) to do things like write/record/publish and distribute a new album, the process and goals felt more realistic (and the goals more achievable) by writing it all into the calendar, which visually represents how much time I actually have to work with.

The overarching plan? – Release 2 eight to ten-song albums in 2011. One in late spring (for summer touring) and one around Christmas time (have both  albums available as a gift bundle for the holidays). Start gigging outside of Toronto again, including at least one international performance and college frosh week  gig in the fall.

The first half of the year can be broken down into 5 stages (some overlap): Pre-Production, Production, Manufacturing & Distribution, Press & Promotion, Touring.

Stage 1: Pre-Production : January 1 – March 1 ( ~8 Weeks)

-Creating a vision for the year (business and art)

-Writing and composing

-Upgrading the website and EPK

-Planning for a music video

-Booking for the summer

Stage 2: Production: March 1 – March 21 ( ~3 Weeks)

-Recording, Mixing and Mastering the album

-Designing the album art work and packaging

-Working on the live show production

-Booking for the fall (September – December)

Stage 3: Manufacturing & Distribution : March 22 – April 6  (2.5 Weeks)

-Send finished files for duplication and printing

Stage 4: Press & Promotions : April 7 – July 7  (~12 Weeks)

(I have to take most of June off for family commitments, so this stage is extended longer than I would have planned)

-Sending press releases

-Contacting publications for reviews, interviews, advertising

-Contacting TV and Radio shows for promotional opportunities

-Double CD Release party with You Left Saving The Planet on May 7th

-Webcast Season 2 Finale on June 21st (Summer Solstice)

-Local gigging & working on the live show production

Stage 5: Weekend Touring:  from July 8 – August 27 (~8 Weeks)

- Fridays: Gigging around the GTA

- Saturdays: Gigging further away (the travel to the Friday night gig gets us a little closer to a further destination on Saturday)

- Focus on College Frosh gigs in September

- Travel to perform in New York on October 22nd

That is plan so far. Dates may fluctuate, but that is to be expected.

I also started working on band cohesion last week by having an official band meeting as part of our first rehearsal of the new year. Next week I’ll be talking more about the approach and accomplishments of said band meeting, as well as the other actions I am taking to improve recognition of my band mates and how we are approaching the music as  a whole.

Meghan Morrison (aka “Lady Giggle” according to @Ampmods)

www.meghanmorrison.com
@MegsMorrison

Photo by Tony Hisgett /CC BY-SA 2.0

Tweet Hashtag #aiimm

The holidays were a great time to take a step back, spend time with family and reassess where I am going with my life and career. It really does feel like a new year. There is something different in the air, everyone I run into is more optimistic and excited, I feel more confident and determined, and new opportunities and connections are already presenting themselves in bushels. 2011 is going to be awesome!

This time last year, I wrote a blog post called “A Walk With Jean“. It was primarily about an amusing experience I had last year on New Year’s Eve while on a walk with a strange old lady.  At the end, however, I described my intentions for ringing in the new year and for what I wanted to accomplish in 2010. Reading it today, a year later, I feel amazed. An excerpt about my feelings at the end of 2009:

“This past year has been filled with struggle, fear, and uncertainty in many ways and I’ve been heavily reliant on my friends and family for emotional support. Last year, I celebrated NYE in a dim closet as a coat check girl at a restaurant where the ‘big boss’ looked down upon me. I want to start this year off with a statement of strength, focus, unwavering commitment to my passion, confidence in my ability to improve upon my situation, and the satisfaction of being able to stand on my own two feet as my own ‘big boss’.”

At the end of 2010 … I really was my own ‘big boss’. My business is thriving (though developing) I am fiercely independent, hell bent on establishing a career in music, and emotionally very harmonious. Last year I made my statement to myself and the world by staying at home, with a small bottle of champagne, writing lyrics as the clock struck midnight. This year I wanted the statement to be bigger, so I hosted a New Year’s Eve bash in a venue I’ve never played at before and my countdown happened on stage, with champagne and the man I want to make music with for the rest of my life. 2011 is going to be awesome!

Since it is a new year, it is definitely time for a new blog challenge (this time one that is self-designed). Last year was about getting the ball rolling. The year before that was about making decisions. I want this year to be about establishing quality … of life, in my music, and caring about everything I do. If I find myself not caring about something, I will work through the reasons why and, if that doesn’t change anything, I will let myself move on from it. I have decided to dedicate every Monday morning in 2011 to writing and posting my blogs and to focus this year on developing as an artist, now that I have a full band, small administrative team, strong website, and a good start to a marketing strategy (thanks to Ariel Hyatt’s Music Success in Nine Weeks Blog Challenge).

In order to create my own personal blog challenge, I sat down and reflected on the core challenges I want to face and overcome this year as an independent artist. The brainstorming process resulted in the following list of priorities, which I guess you could also view as New Year’s Resolutions:

Business Resolutions

Resolution #1 -> I want to run my business … not let it run me. Same thing with my schedule

2) I want to put my art/music first, while moving the business forward

3) I want to stay on top of the button orders and develop the webcast so that it is strong enough to justify sponsorship

4) I want to make the webcast more mobile and take it on tour

5) I want to finish writing my business plan, apply for small business grants, and develop a more efficient method of planning and tracking my finances

6) I want to be 100% financially independent and not in need of a part time “day job”

Artistic & Musical Resolutions

Resolution #1 ->  I want to perform my songs, not play them

2) I want to write better music (more of it and more often)

3) I want to be a stronger vocalist and instrumentalist

3) I want to develop and bring more movement into my live show

4) I want to learn theory and communicate more effectively with musicians

5) I want my physical style and outward appearance/presentation to reflect my musical and artistic style

6) I want to incorporate new sounds (especially effects) into my music

7) I want to learn more about audio production, specifically mastering

Band/Team Resolutions

Resolution #1 -> I want my band and team to feel and be recognized as a band/team, not just as a backing band of a solo artist.

2) I want to involve the band in more of the creative, administrative, and marketing activities as well as decision making

3) I want to record two 8 track, self-produced albums with the band this year. One for summer/touring release and one for Christmas release

4) I want to direct my own music videos from now on and bring the band into them

5) I want to establish a more regular routine with writing and rehearsals (having dedicated writing and rehearsal days)

The Action Plan

Now, I recognize that many of these things will have to be worked on simultaneously and all of this is going to take months, let alone 9 weeks. So this upcoming week I will be focusing on the 2 key themes/areas of development that I feel are most important right now:

1) Creating an action plan for the next 12 months

2) Fostering cohesiveness by bringing the band and admin team together in person (house party -band/team members only) and online (establishing their presence and importance on my website). These people are the closest members of my musical family, but I don’t feel like I have been really demonstrating that effectively or creating opportunities for all of us to become more tightly knit or to grow together as artists and professionals. This is a major priority for my music and business this year.

So, who the h*ll am I?

… I’m an independent artist. I can actually say that this year and really believe it.

And Where am I going?

… This year, I’m in search of finding my true artistic path while building upon the foundational business path I started last year. I am going to tour again this year (really missed that last year) and this time I am taking my band with me. I want to embark on a least one small tour outside of the country (in the fall, so we have enough time to clear the paper work associated with international gigging), though that will likely have to be as a solo or duo trip this time around.

Now, who the h*ll are you? And where are you going?

I really enjoyed the collaborative nature of the MSI9W blog challenge and the interactions in the forum. I want to keep that flame burning in a new way. If you are going through an artistic revitalization, please share a link to your blog in the comment section below and tweet about it with the hashtag #aiimm .

All the Best to All of You! Did I mention that 2011 is going to be Awesome!?!

Meghan Morrison
www.meghanmorrison.com
@MegsMorrison

It’s the last week of the Music Success in Nine Weeks Blog Challenge … again!

Double Rainbow All the Way!!

Photo by (Paul Johnston-Knight) / CC BY-SA 2.0

I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that the second time through this program was far more rewarding than the first. Looking back at my Week 1 entry for the second wave, I smiled. At the time, I was so enthusiastic about how much more fun the second wave would be and my main focus was on integrating the techniques and practices from the first round into a more healthy and harmonious framework for organizing my business, life, and development as an artist.

During the first wave I was pulling all-nighters, drinking way too much coffee, skipping meals, barely seeing friends, hardly touching an instrument and freaking out over deadlines because I scheduled way too much for myself.  Writing this blog now, with the sound of my new songwriting partner jamming out on an electric kit in the other room and with me feeling rested, well nourished, and stress and guilt free after a night of socializing with friends and catching up with family … I think I pulled it off.

Because of this program, my determination, and the help of some really awesome people, the business side of my music is moving forward in really great and exciting ways:

1)The webcast is running smoothly and we have our first ever online art auction happening this Tuesday, streaming live from Aspetta Cafe in the heart of Kensington Market, Toronto, Canada. The fine art pieces our musical guests created on the show over the past 6 months are being auctioned off to raise money for our local food bank this holiday season (Tune in at 8pm EST to check out the madness, hear some really great performers and, of course, bid on the art pieces).

2) The button maker campaign with RocketHub was a great success and I now have more button orders than I can presently keep up with. Thankfully, I have partnered up with The Fine Print copy shop for all my printing needs (they’re really cool guys and they give me a great deal for doing regular business with them). The bands and artists are really excited to be able to get buttons made at such low cost and everyone feels good about knowing that the proceeds go back to musicians and improving the webcast (paying performers and saving for better gear/programs, etc.).

3) I’ve been receiving more promotional opportunities: was invited to a SAC photoshoot to help promote their soon-to-open co-writing studio, recorded a feature interview being aired on a local college radio station in January, have SNAP magazine coming out to the webcast art auction, have had more podcast plays, was introduced to Ethan Waldman‘s fans by doing a list exchange for our last newsletters, and had a feature interview about my crowdfunding experience in the RocketHub blog.

4) My network is growing daily (attended the IGDA social meet up and the Professional Sound Anniversary Party) and I have connected with really insightful and inspiring people, like Derek Sivers.

5) My behind the scenes team, band and fan base are growing, as well as the readership rates of my blog and newsletters. Best of all, people are demanding new music… that’s the kind of peer pressure that makes me very happy :)

Journalling my experiences and interacting with other bloggers/readers has been meaningful and fun; documenting the process, in a strange way, has made my accomplishments feel more real because I can see the proof in front of me; connecting with other people inside and outside the Cyber PR forum has introduced me to a new sense of community and affirmed my belief that independent musicians have an amazing strength when they work together. The industry is changing in very exciting ways for artists and there is an incredible support network of professionals out there who are reaching out and trying to help us:

Ariel Hyatt -CyberPR (Marketing)
Tom Jackson -On Stage Success (Live Performance Production)
Derek Sivers – CD Baby (distribution)/MuckWork (help with uncreative work)
Bandzoogle (websites)
Vlad and Brian at RocketHub (Crowdfunding)
SOCAN (Canada)/BMI & ASCAP (USA) (Royalty collection)
SAC/ NSAI (Songwriter development)
NMS/CMW/NXNE/SXSW (Music Conferences you can learn from. Can’t afford it? Volunteer)

(leave a comment with anyone else you think should be added to this list)

All the tools and resources are out there to build our own careers, all we have to do is make the decision to do it :) … That’s pretty cool.

So what does all of this have to do with Chapter 9: Creating a Continuum Program? Everything. In this chapter, Ariel dives into strategies for generating income from your music but, on another parallel, the idea of a continuum program is what the whole book is about. It’s not just about selling your music and merch, but creating a meaningful, long term career in the music industry. I got the button making project underway (an idea I chose to focus on during week 9 of wave 2) during this wave and part of the campaign itself involved creating a funnel-like structure of goods/services that could be offered in exchange for funds (just like Ariel teaches: offer a range of low cost paraphernalia to higher cost items/content/services). It worked really well for the button making campaign, so I have transposed that funnel into my store on my website and will continue to use it as my regular model until I am ready to come out with the next album.

The marketing process doesn’t stop after Chapter 9 though. It’s a lifestyle change, like eating better or exercising, not a magic diet pill. That’s why I signed up for the third wave after completing the second. The list of accomplishments/successes I listed above is greater than what I could claim after the second wave and the list will get bigger and better as I continue to implement the strategies I have learned and bring more people on board who want to be part of my vision. That thrills me.

I have decided to start again this week with chapter one. Because I have already been through the process twice, I have a foundation. It’s not starting over though, it’s building on top. For blogging, however, I want to take a new direction and have decided to start my own blogging challenge to help me work through the re-visioning of myself as an artist while preparing and writing the next album and refining my live performance. I’m doing this for myself, but encourage anyone who wants to join me to blog along with me and leave a link to your own blog in the comment section so I (and others) can read about your experiences too. We can all learn from each other :)

Perhaps we should have a Twitter hashtag too, like Ariel does … #aiimm (that’s short for “adventures in independent music making”). Then we can find each others’ blogs through twitter when they’re posted.

This coming week: Who The H*ll Am I? Where am I going?

Like Week 1 of Ariel’s marketing strategy, I’m going to take the next week to think about an action plan for refining who I am as an artist (as opposed to a business head) and decide on a few key components of artistic development I need to focus on in order to bring my authentic inner artist out. Maybe it will also be a 9 week plan… we’ll see. Regardless, I see this as a good opportunity to overcome insecurities I have as an artist, come out of my shell and learn how to be a better musician, writer and performer.

Nothing to lose, right? Who’s on board? :)

Meghan Morrison

www.meghanmorrison.com
@MegsMorrison

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Here we go.

After completing the second wave, I am joining the third wave of Ariel Hyatt’s Music Success in Nine Weeks Blog Challenge, not to compete for a prize, but to challenge myself to build off of what I have started and hopefully be a resource for those who are starting out or trying it again.  I accomplished a lot and learned a lot during the second wave, but I neglected other parts of my life (especially health and social life) in order to push myself bootcamp style. I don’t regret it one bit! I knew it was only temporary and I knew I needed it. While the blog challenge is only 9 weeks long, however, music marketing is an aspect of the business that will go on for as long as you are pursuing your music as a career. I plan to be doing that for a long time, so now I need to focus on finding balance and/or harmony.

I imagine the second time through this program is going to be more fun. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the first challenge series, but being a very reflective person, I’m actually excited to look back on my older blog posts and see how much my project has grown since the last time I visited a particular challenge. This week: Setting goals and acknowledging accomplishments. It feels like forever ago that I sat down to evaluate my goals in a formal way, which probably means it is high time to be doing it again! … or that I should be purposefully making it a part of my regular routine.

During the first week of the last wave, I made a ridiculous number of goals for myself; both long and short term. Though I have always been a dreamer and have always had big picture goals in mind, going through that process certainly helped me achieve a clearer picture for what I want to achieve overall.  Where I struggled mostly during the past 9 weeks wasn’t so much with goal setting, but with goal planning.The marketing process was very clearly laid out (thanks to Ariel), but I didn’t have a handbook for all my goals outside of the marketing side of music… or life in general … or how to work with unexpected responsibilities that cut into the time I needed to do the challenge work that week. This became more evident to me during the first few weeks of the challenge as I consistently missed goals;  partly because I planned far too much for myself and partly because I didn’t realize how much time the blog challenge work was actually going to take. Since my long term goals are still basically the same, this time around I want to try a different approach for week 1: focusing more on short term and intermediate goal “planning” vs “setting“. The strategy is to build off the work I did under Ariel’s tutelage during the last wave by blending in the Pomodoro Technique and, what I’m going to call, “1 Thing at a Time”.

How I’m doing it and what this means:

Ariel’s Tutelage: I have used the focus areas that Ariel suggests in her book (as well as a few custom areas that I felt were necessary for my project) and the 3 techniques Ariel teaches on page 16 (Clarity, Involve Only You, Achievable) to generate ideas for goals and setting goals. My Statement Piece survived the move and is still hanging up in my room so that I can see it every day. This time around, however, I have created a more organized system for storing and working on my goals: A binder with tabs. Go figure. Just like I have a binder for my daily 5 Successes.

1 Thing at a Time : Because I set so many goals for myself, I need to start breaking them down into what I can plan to achieve this week and evaluating my progress and goal setting on a weekly basis. A lot of the time my goals are really just ideas; being ambitious, I tend to treat the two things equally. A goal, however, is more formal than an idea. As such, in my goal binder, I have included one page of loose-leaf under each focus area tab/divider just for ideas (goals in training) and a separate “Activity Planning Sheet” (from the Pomodoro Technique) for formal goals that have specific dates and time allotments.  This has helped me develop a clearer picture of the success I can achieve over the following 7 days. To promote this feeling of achievement (and eliminate the feeling of being overwhelmed), I have decided to plan 1 goal and only 1 goal as a “priority goal” for each focus area that week. Other goals that I will attempt to achieve during the week are listed under each focus area tab, but I only put one goal for each focus area on my ‘This Week” page (that goes at the front of the binder) which absolutely must get done -no excuses!

Pomodoro Technique: This technique was introduced to me by fellow #msi9w3 blogger, Ethan Waldman.  After seeing in my Google Alerts update that he had blogged about me, I checked out his Week Zero blog (clever, Ethan!) and learned about it there. Basically, this technique makes you break down your tasks into 25 + 5 minutes chunks to help you get more value out of your work time. It also teaches you how to manage interruptions (from outside and within) and stay on task. Though I am very task oriented, focused and determined, as a creative person my mind is still always wandering. Often to things that make my project better, but also often to things that are completely irrelevant and can wait until later.

In my strategy for goal attainment during this wave, I am going to use the Pomodoro Technique not only to to help me organize the time I spend working on tasks, but in planning my weekly goals as well. At present I have my 1Thing at a Time goals (organized by focus area) planned out for the week based on how many ‘Pomodoros’ it takes to complete the task and have left time open for unexpected tasks that need immediate attention, free time/personal life. Like Ariel recommends, no more than 6 things to do per day. At the end of every day, I will sit down with my goals and successes binders to track what I have done and reflect on how I can plan my time better if I didn’t achieve what I wanted to.

I found that writing blogs on Sundays (to have ready for Monday) left me feeling too rushed because of band commitments on the weekends. So this time around I’m going to try posting on Fridays, before the weekend, and then promoting on Mondays. This gives a couple of days for reflection and editing and offers the die-hards a chance to comment before everyone else reads (*ahem*… James), huzzah! If you know of any other time management strategies or have success stories of your own that you’d like to share, I’d love for you to leave them in the comment section below.

Here’s to week 1 of Wave 3! Kudos to everyone who has signed up and blogged.

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