Everybody has a bad day. This might be my favorite example. Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift teamed up to sing Rhiannon at the 2010 Grammy Awards. Unfortunately, there’s this one note that’s tough to hit. It’s a minor 3rd which isn’t a huge vocal leap, but it just slightly unexpected and a big part of why Rhiannon is such a cool song. And Taylor just doesn’t hit it...
You gotta feel bad for the people of Springfield, OH. Those pesky Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats! Can you believe it? Of course not. But do people believe it? Apparently so. Rarely do I quote Nazis, but since we’re talking about Trump, it sort of makes sense: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. That piece of wisdom...
How many of you have worked in the corporate sector? You know, it’s the place where it’s all about the bottom line, driving revenue, and hitting those KPIs. Truth be told, it can be a pretty shitty place. My little corner of the world is music — specifically music marketing and promotion. When you’re inundated with Facebook ads, or scrolling through Instagram and seeing a...
There are things that just make you laugh. Others that make you scratch your head. Sometimes both. And then there’s this. I’ve got to wonder what Paul Simon felt when he saw this. And if he hasn’t seen it, maybe that’s better?
If you can’t laugh, what’s the point?
Today’s the 57th anniversary of The Day the Music Died … On February 3, 1959, rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, along with with the pilot, Roger Peterson.
We remember them in this immortal classic from … The Brady Bunch!
A long time ago, I didn’t know who David Bowie was. I was young, foolish, and in 8th grade. Without a drivers license, and desperate to “spread my wings,” I learned how to navigate the subway system. Now all of Boston was at my disposal, and I slowly mastered the city. My favorite place was a poster / merch shop called “Stairway to Heaven.” Incidentally...
The other day, I went to a grocery store. In an attempt to start eating healthier, I noticed they had wild-caught, Sockeye salmon from Alaska. Fish being healthy, and brain food, I decided that was going to be my dinner. I got a lovely filet and proceeded to the checkout line. When I got to the cashier, she told me that my fish was $18.49. I told her I was a musician, and didn’t have a...
A big chunk of what I do involves looking at endless numbers of spreadsheets and charts. Spotting trends, digging into referral sources, and trying to make facts rise from figures like some sort of marketing phoenix. What’s amazing to me is that with nearly any set of numbers and data points, we can draw all kinds of conclusions. It’s not enough to say “this clearly shows...
On this day in 1829, the first accordion patent was granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.
Lately, I’ve seen an increasing number of artists and musicians coming to me looking for help. What’s fascinating is that they’re very quick to point fingers at everything around them. Usually, fault lies within. Here then, a list of things musicians shouldn’t forget. Let me know if you’ve got one to add to the list! Let’s not forget…...
Marketing. Music. Occasional Wisdom.