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Tony Ginger
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What are you doing right now? What steps are you taking to reach the targets that you have set yourself? In fact, have you set any targets? These are big questions to start off this feature, but maybe it is time to get back to a few basics.
With the amazing and revolutionary thing that we call the Internet, music, band, and self-promotion has never been easier. Or is it easier?
Email or phone call? Poster on your nice new website or fliers on car windows in the local supermarket? Which should you use? I have no doubt the Internet has made a huge impact on all our musical lives, but like the marvellous microwave oven, there are some things that taste better cooked in a conventional oven. Sometimes it is combinations of both that get the best results. Email AND a phone call. Up to date website AND getting those fliers out. Let's not lose sight of tested methods that do get results.
Right, so what now? Take the weight off your feet and relax. Give yourself a target that you would like to achieve between now and next time you sit down to read this feature. Say 50 new people in your database over the next month or sell 20 CDs at your next few gigs. Whatever it is you decide to do, make sure it is a reasonable target. There is no reason to set targets that are unachievable. Make your targets just a little bit bigger than last month. Believing in yourself and what you do is paramount to being successful and so is hard work and determination. Did I say hard work? I don’t think I have ever done a single hard day's work in my life. Yeah I do 25 hours a day eight days a week, but I love it. If I didn’t, I would be doing a different job.
I am sure someone, somewhere said something like “take little steps in the right direction and you will reach your destination.” To finish off, using the Internet is great, but don’t leave out all the other ways of promoting yourself, your music, or your band. Believe me, a poster in a shop window advertising your next gig works wonders.
Tony’s Top Insiders Tip:
Have a mobile phone number that can be reached 24/7, or in my case 25/8. Yeah I know this might sound unbelievable, but some people still use the telephone to communicate rather than just email. And, if you are out there playing over the next few months, do one for me…Tony Ginger
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Funny really when I typed in promoter in to a search engine dictionary, it came back and told me “pro·mot·er prəˈmoʊ tər - [pruh-moh-ter]–noun “ a person or thing that Promotes, furthers, or encourages”. Well yeah but what about all the other things that we do? I was expecting it to tell me something like “Jack of all trade’s” because at the end of the day that is exactly what it means. From early college days when I first started putting bands on in music venues, usually my own band, I realised that the music promoter was in actual fact the guy that seems to be responsibly for everything other than… well no, everything … In actual fact it is important to realise this at an early stage because all the successful music promoters that I have contact with are all jack’s of all trade’s. The ability to take an up and coming artists and bring them to the attention of the world requires a mother like aptitude. I have for the last three years had the pleasures to promote one of the most successful British Country music artist’s, Jackie Barnett. From the initial concept for her first promo CD, to her most recent Euro chart topping CD “Wheatfield’s”. Of course the job is so much easier when you are lucky enough to work with such talent, but sight must not be lost on this, talent is inside each and every one of us, it just needs to be given the chance. I think a key word here is “belief”. Ok I don’t get paid to believe, but try to promote an artist with out it and you are already travelling down the wrong road. Of course talent is a very important ingredient to the cake of success, but so is belief. We all need it because if you do not have belief in what you do then believe me (Ha very funny Tony) no one else will. Unlike everywhere else in the world or at least it seems that way, Country music in the United Kingdom, is not by any imagination, a main stream music genre, this makes promoting so much harder as it starts to become an educational thing. Hello my name is Tony Ginger. I run a music promoting company called Luckytown Media. I am based in the United Kingdom, and work primarily in the country/acoustic music market. Musician, producer, song writer, promoter, and what ever else is needed to “make it happen”. And it is my pleasure to bring you thoughts, news and interesting information from the UK.
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I think we have all, at some time, sat and listened to an artist singing their heart out and come away thinking “what was that all about?!”. Having been an artist for many a year now, I learned early on that my role was not to be out there and play my songs for my own enjoyment, but to entertain. The ability to get your message across in a song or to put a smile on someone's face is a lot harder than it might seem at first. People are funny things and the desire to be entertained is immense. Of course one thing that seems impossible is to please all the people all of the time, but it is possible to please most of the people most of the time.
It is not just down to your ability as a singer or player that is important. A song sung badly, but with passion, can be more effective than a song sung well without any feeling. The reason for this is the sensation of being entertained. Your audience has a desire to be entertained, whether it be in a live performance or putting on the CD that has special meaning, it all comes down to being entertained. Even in the sad moments that we all have in life we entertain ourselves with a song with deep meaning.
Over the years, some of the greatest artists that I have had the pleasure to work with may not have been the greatest vocalists or musicians, but have had a unique way of presenting themselves and playing with fun, passion, and feeling and becoming great entertainers. So get out there, entertain, and have fun.
If you stop anyone in the streets over here (in the UK) and asked them a simple question, “Can you name me a male or female country artist?” the response is likely to be either Shania or Garth. This is a very good example of the mountain that has to be climbed when bringing a new up and coming artist to the public’s attention. Over the last few years the “Internet radio station” has been a leading force in getting new and established artists heard. This has resulted in a few “indie” artists making the trip over here, playing in smaller venues, but getting the message out there.
What I always find funny is when people tell me just how much they enjoyed the “gig” and that they never realised just how good country music is.
I will finish off by asking a simple question “how do you spell county music?”
Answer: “Q.U.A.L.I.T.Y. M.U.S.I.C.” because folks, that is exactly what it is and we are all very lucky, in our own small way, to be part of it.
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