One of the more useful blogs out there, MusicMarketing.Com, recently issued a survey that I found to be really interesting. I usually find surveys to be stupid, mush filled enterprises of multiple choice. But this one was a 9 question blank field survey that asked a few very thoughtful questions that got me thinking. So I answered them and discovered a few things about myself along the way. I thought I'd post the answers here for those that might find the answers useful or insightful for themselves as well... it's a bit personally revealing, but i suppose that's what the internet is all about these days
WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER ONE MUSIC INDUSTRY GOAL?
To find a manager / team to run my music businesses and find funding for my works so that I can focus on being creative.
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF YOU FULFILLED THIS GOAL?
This team would help my band and sell 10,000 albums a year. And release at least 1 album a year.
Book shows to tour and have it be lucrative enough that we can afford to keep doing it and make money from it.
Enable resources to draw in outside collaborators to help realize any creative / marketing / entrepeneurial vision that I have (video, online, musical, merchandise) and find ways to fund it
Ideally this team would also help in my other work as a producer of artists and help setup collaborations with my studio and allow me to work as an A&R role with artists I produce.
WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO YOU IF YOU ACHIEVED THIS GOAL?
It would mean that I can spend my time doing what I do best and quit focusing on peripheral issues that don't move me along. It means that the incredibly talented but seriously broke artists that I produce would be able to make their albums much more quickly. It would mean I could spend more time being creative and less time trying to figure out how to be successful as a marketing person. It would mean I could be what I've always wanted to be rather than feeling like I need to be 10 different people to do the few things that make me happy.
My life would only be different in the sense that the way I spend my time now would be much more artistically and creatively focused instead of market and promotion focused (which I can only do when I have the time because my day job is to be creatively focused after all).
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU
Because I know what makes me happy. I like creating and collaborating with people. I like helping new artists reach their potential. I like writing and co-writing songs. I like to be able to perform and record and produce. My work is only limited by the fact that there is no one other than me to promote it. If I had someone who could make the work I do bigger, then I could focus on making bigger and more work.
WHY HAVE YOU NOT ACHIEVED YOUR GOAL
I have not met the right person or team yet and feel at a loss on how to meet this team. It is not really a lack of connections. I know lots of people in the business and am told I'm very well "connected". I go to SXSW, CMJ every year. I am the secretary of my chapter of the Recording Academy. I write a blog and occasionally comment on other blogs but finding the right person to manage any part of your business is a huge leap of faith and trust and requires finding a very specific match, particularly since my business encompasses so many areas.
On a more personal, deeper level, I am also afraid of changing elements of my life (I have a bit of a fear of success and a fear of rejection). I don't like cold calling people and I don't like having to "sell" myself. I am afraid of asking for things for myself because it makes me feel very shallow. I would rather have people see what I do and then make an offer if they would like to. I realize much of this is self-defeating and simply answering the question puts a few ideas in my head...
WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER ONE MUSIC INDUSTRY FRUSTRATION?
Trying to bring quality products to people that might like them. I have an assumption (born of experience) that most busy people that you want to reach, really don't have time for new things, even if they are good. It is really hard to get the right type of meeting with the right person and you have to have both to make any new connection successful. This applies to fans as well as to managers and labels. It probably applies to life.
The other is just not having enough funding to achieve the goals I have. And finding the time to put together plans to make these goals happen, which again goes back to not having a team in place to multiply time for me.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST MOTIVATION TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL AND HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH YOUR FRUSTRATION IN NOT ACHIEVING IT?
I keep progressing as an artist and I love to learn. I study things that I can't get done and then figure out ways to do them.
I love to be creative both as a writer, a producer or a business person. I enjoy coming up with solutions to problems. This is a double edged sword because sometimes I don't follow through with my solutions and then come up with a new one before the last one has time to become successful... yet another reason why having a disciplined manager would help...
THE KIND OF HELP YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR MUSIC CAREER...
I need to find opportunities to meet managers / music business people / promoters in my area (meaning genre and work style, not necessarily geographically, but that would be nice and helpful) and have those meetings be personal enough to actual facilitate a connection that will lead to future work, not just exchanging cards. Or else I need to gather a team of competent young interns and figure things for them to do that will help accomplish these goals. And I need funding. I produce lots of new artists and finding funding for their projects is something I have zero experience with.
Also figure out how to make myself attractive to a manager type of person so that they end up coming to me.
So that's the spilling of the guts, so to speak...
To sum it up, too much to do, not enough time...slow down and make time... i'm working on that part.
WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER ONE MUSIC INDUSTRY GOAL?
To find a manager / team to run my music businesses and find funding for my works so that I can focus on being creative.
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF YOU FULFILLED THIS GOAL?
This team would help my band and sell 10,000 albums a year. And release at least 1 album a year.
Book shows to tour and have it be lucrative enough that we can afford to keep doing it and make money from it.
Enable resources to draw in outside collaborators to help realize any creative / marketing / entrepeneurial vision that I have (video, online, musical, merchandise) and find ways to fund it
Ideally this team would also help in my other work as a producer of artists and help setup collaborations with my studio and allow me to work as an A&R role with artists I produce.
WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO YOU IF YOU ACHIEVED THIS GOAL?
It would mean that I can spend my time doing what I do best and quit focusing on peripheral issues that don't move me along. It means that the incredibly talented but seriously broke artists that I produce would be able to make their albums much more quickly. It would mean I could spend more time being creative and less time trying to figure out how to be successful as a marketing person. It would mean I could be what I've always wanted to be rather than feeling like I need to be 10 different people to do the few things that make me happy.
My life would only be different in the sense that the way I spend my time now would be much more artistically and creatively focused instead of market and promotion focused (which I can only do when I have the time because my day job is to be creatively focused after all).
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU
Because I know what makes me happy. I like creating and collaborating with people. I like helping new artists reach their potential. I like writing and co-writing songs. I like to be able to perform and record and produce. My work is only limited by the fact that there is no one other than me to promote it. If I had someone who could make the work I do bigger, then I could focus on making bigger and more work.
WHY HAVE YOU NOT ACHIEVED YOUR GOAL
I have not met the right person or team yet and feel at a loss on how to meet this team. It is not really a lack of connections. I know lots of people in the business and am told I'm very well "connected". I go to SXSW, CMJ every year. I am the secretary of my chapter of the Recording Academy. I write a blog and occasionally comment on other blogs but finding the right person to manage any part of your business is a huge leap of faith and trust and requires finding a very specific match, particularly since my business encompasses so many areas.
On a more personal, deeper level, I am also afraid of changing elements of my life (I have a bit of a fear of success and a fear of rejection). I don't like cold calling people and I don't like having to "sell" myself. I am afraid of asking for things for myself because it makes me feel very shallow. I would rather have people see what I do and then make an offer if they would like to. I realize much of this is self-defeating and simply answering the question puts a few ideas in my head...
WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER ONE MUSIC INDUSTRY FRUSTRATION?
Trying to bring quality products to people that might like them. I have an assumption (born of experience) that most busy people that you want to reach, really don't have time for new things, even if they are good. It is really hard to get the right type of meeting with the right person and you have to have both to make any new connection successful. This applies to fans as well as to managers and labels. It probably applies to life.
The other is just not having enough funding to achieve the goals I have. And finding the time to put together plans to make these goals happen, which again goes back to not having a team in place to multiply time for me.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST MOTIVATION TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL AND HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH YOUR FRUSTRATION IN NOT ACHIEVING IT?
I keep progressing as an artist and I love to learn. I study things that I can't get done and then figure out ways to do them.
I love to be creative both as a writer, a producer or a business person. I enjoy coming up with solutions to problems. This is a double edged sword because sometimes I don't follow through with my solutions and then come up with a new one before the last one has time to become successful... yet another reason why having a disciplined manager would help...
THE KIND OF HELP YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR MUSIC CAREER...
I need to find opportunities to meet managers / music business people / promoters in my area (meaning genre and work style, not necessarily geographically, but that would be nice and helpful) and have those meetings be personal enough to actual facilitate a connection that will lead to future work, not just exchanging cards. Or else I need to gather a team of competent young interns and figure things for them to do that will help accomplish these goals. And I need funding. I produce lots of new artists and finding funding for their projects is something I have zero experience with.
Also figure out how to make myself attractive to a manager type of person so that they end up coming to me.
So that's the spilling of the guts, so to speak...
To sum it up, too much to do, not enough time...slow down and make time... i'm working on that part.
