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New Music: Oh Land

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It may be cliché but sometimes the worst pain becomes something beautiful and musician/singer  Oh Land is an example of that. Oh Land, a pop artist from Denmark was once  ballet dancer when she suffered a devastating spinal fracture which quickly ended her budding dancing career. Luckily for Oh Land she had be exposed to music at birth by her musical parents, her dad a organist and her mom a opera singer. Oh Land poured her heart and soul into her music. Her new self-titled album is out now and she recently finished a buzzed about SXSW performance.

If you would like a taste of her music, Oh Land’s Facebook page is offering two free songs for “Liking” her page! I highly recommend checking her out!

Oh Land is currently on tour, this Saturday she is playing the Fox Theater in Oakland.

5 Tips On Getting a Job In The Music Industry

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I loved the post Tye White started and Hypebot picked up on advice for those wanting to work in the Music Business. I thought I would continue the conversation below:

1. Read Music Law in the Digital Age-The best book I have seen on the ever changing digital music industry.

2. Research. Whether you go into the concert industry or the digital music side of the business do research and make sure you understand how your company makes money. The music industry, especially the digital side is made up of very small margins. Try to think of ways to help your company grow and be proactive on how exactly you can help.

3. Attend conferences and mixers. Even if you are new and don’t have a job in the music industry yet you can still attend these. In the bay area there is a great conference called SF Music Tech and there are also SXSW mixers where you can mingle with people in the industry. Come prepared by making your own business cards, researching the speakers and attendees. Be sure to follow up after with thank you notes.

4. Find the people willing to spend time/talk with you and seek those people out. There a lot of people in the industry who guard their knowledge closely to the chest whereas there are folks who LOVE to talk. As an intern or someone looking to find out more information seek out the talkers and become close to them. Informational interviews are great way to learn more about how someone got the job they did. In these interviews focus all your energy and question on this person, they may give you great advice. This advice was borrowed from my interview with Andrew Prince, VP at the Venue Coalition.

5. Find a trusted group of colleagues/friends in the business. Whether you work with them, meet them at a conference or on twitter try to assemble a few trusted people to put in your corner. Whether they send you job postings, or you help them with your cover letter, someone in your industry around your level can be a great way to support each other to achieve your goals. Having someone to support each other during the difficult job impasses over a few drinks can also do wonders for the soul. Always make sure your giving as much as you are receiving.

Does anyone have any advice to add?

5 Tips To Maximize Your Experience At SXSW & A Free Music Sampler

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About 3 years ago I was brimming with excitement as I found out after years of longing I would be one of the chosen few to descend on Austin for SXSW for a week of networking and live music. Immediately I set to book my flight and hotel. I also contacted colleagues to set up meetings and compare schedules. Unfortunately not long after I booked everything and organized my schedule I found out from my boss that due to budget constraints I would have to cancel my trip.  While I understood and appreciated the possible opportunity I was crushed. I felt like Eddie Murphy’s neighbor kid that dropped his ice cream in Delirious. Fortunately I found someone I could transfer my badge to and all was worked out.

Since then like many of you out there I have had to live vicariously through my lovely friends and colleagues who throughout the years have become SXSW veterans. Facebook, Twitter, and blogs have become my best friends during the third week of March so I can get all the updates like I was there. I thought that I would ask the experts how they prepare for SXSW year after year. Perhaps one of these tips might help if you never have been or give veterans something else to ponder before you head out. So without further ado here are the top 5 tips for making your SXSW experience the best yet!

1.       Do your research with these online tools before you go

There are an abundance of opportunities at SXSW in terms of shows, showcases, parties and panels. Everyone I spoke with echoed that you HAVE to do research on bands, event, and panels you want to see BEFORE you get to Austin. Way back in the day Kelli Fannon of Rdio used to use a excel document and a highlighter to plan her attack on Austin but now there are some great online tools like Google Calendar to keep track of events. Kami Knake of The Orchard suggests using Sched.org to build your official calendar. Kami also suggests Scott Perry’s New Music Tip Sheet because it usually has the most accurate and up-to-date schedule of parties,  set time, and which events have free food and drink.   Caren Kelleher of Songkick recommends reading the blog  Done Waiting which helps to curate all the possible shows for you. Along with using these tools for research on your possible schedule it is important to listen to a lot of bands before you leave. Kami suggests “If you are going to SXSW to discover new music then you have a lot of listening to do before you get there!  First download the SXSW torrent which contains over 1000 free mp3s from artists playing official SXSW showcases.  These tracks can also be streamed via the official SXSW Shoutcast Stream. Also check out the Songza 2011 SXSW radio station.” Lastly, a new iPhone app was  announced today called Festival Explorer Austin Edition from The Echo Nest & Rhapsody. This free app allows you to create your own personalize schedule based upon your musical tastes.

2.       If you plan to attend a headliner show plant yourself there

We all know the popularity of SXSW has skyrocketed over the years and that has brought larger crowds and bigger bands. To combat this Caren suggests if there is a larger act you really want to see to camp out at that venue so you don’t end up missing the act and you might discover new artists. “For popular shows, you can end up waiting in a queue for so long that you end up missing the set you want to see. While it at first seems to miss the point of SXSW, this strategy has actually helped me discover a lot of bands I might have missed if I was instead trying to chase down every hot act in Austin. I camped out at Central Presbyterian Church for a show with Band of Horses and The XX and as a result discovered the incredible Holly Miranda, who played between the two.”

3.       Attend a few great panels

When most people think of SXSW they think of the shows and parties at night, but there is a conference going on during the day. Kami suggests that “Panels are a great place to learn and network!  Everyone should attend at least a couple but do your research first!  I always select my panels based on a speaker I want to meet or subject I want to learn more about.” Important thing to remember that Caren points out is that the panel’s conversations can be a little hit or miss because relatively anyone can nominate themselves for a panel.

Here are 2 suggestions on interesting panels at SXSW

– Who’s Gonna Make Me a Star Now? Panel

– Indie Label Roadmap Panel

4.      Wear comfortable shoes, come hungry

Erik Siebert of Revelry Media recommends wearing very comfortable shoes for those long days and coming to SXSW with an appetite. Looks like Austin has some amazing food trucks that offer anything your stomach might desire. Kelli Fannon also suggests the benefit of renting a car “I learned the power of having a car when everyone else is waiting for a cab.”

5.       Plan a loose schedule but allow for some deviation

Caren had some great advice for newbies like me, “I would also recommend that newbies put together a loose schedule but be diligent about not keeping to it. You can drive yourself mad trying to fit in everything you want to see, but SXSW is so much more interesting if you let your curiosity inform some decisions.”

I hope these tips will help you make the most of SXSW. Here are some of the bands my friends have discovered through SXSW:  Holly Miranda, Mates of State, and Starlight Mints.

If you are at SXSW this year be sure to attend:

1.   “Unburied Treasure Party,” a SXSW Day Party Thursday, March 17th presented by The Spellbound Group, Indiefeed, and Bands Under the Radar.  RSVP here and to download 10-song sampler from the bands playing the party.

2.   2nd Annual SXSW MusicTech Happy Hour Tuesday, March 15th

3.   The Orchard Day Party, Friday, March 18th

4.  Songkick Open House, Wednesday, March 16th

Album Review: Daybreak By Sierra Hull

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When we think of music prodigies what  immediately comes to mind? I think Mozart or Yo-Yo Ma. In the bluegrass world 19 year old mandolin/vocalist Sierra Hull is one of the newest musical child prodigies. She started playing the mandolin by age 8 and hit the festival circuit where she became nationally known by her inventive picking techniques. By age 11 she was personally invited by Alison Krauss to perform at the Grand Ole Opry and then at the ripe age of 12 she was being pursued by Rounder Records for a label deal. This spring she will be graduating from the Berklee College of Music. Hull is one of the first bluegrass musicians to be awarded the Presidential scholarship worthy of $175,000.  During her time at Berklee she managed to record an album called “Daybreak” that is available at your favorite retailer today.

Daybreak is Sierra’s sophomore effort and it is already starting to move beyond traditional bluegrass outlets. Her first single/video “Easy Come, Easy Go,” will be premiering on CMT this week. Hull’s introspective lyrics on this song appeal to country fans with nod to love lost, “I can look back on our story, but that chapter is closed.” The video shows Hull moving on from her childhood becoming a grown woman, where she sings “I’m not a child anymore.” Other tracks that stand out are the instrumental “Bombshell,” where Hull quickly strums her mandolin with such control it feels effortless. Amazingly for this 19 year old she wrote 7 out of the 12 tracks on her album. Her album varies from straight ahead spirited bluegrass, soulful gospel and pop ballads. Her voice and harmonies with her band are extraordinary and she is able to look  at all her subject matter in a very mature way.  It does not seem that traditional boundaries like genre will fence in Sierra Hull. She will appeal to music fans everywhere looking for exceptional musicianship, soulful singing, and lyrics they can relate to.


5 Ways To Prepare For A Meet & Greet

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Yours Truly With Lady Antebellum

Imagine this: you have just won an opportunity to meet one of your favorite musicians. You can barely contain the excitement. You have picked out an outfit and practiced what you are going to say. The world comes crashing down when you arrive at the concert and your name is NOT on the list.

Meet & Greets are the “dog and pony” show of the concert industry. Some M&Gs involve a group of fans invited by radio stations, fan club members, or select people affiliated with record labels, sponsors, or other special people. I have some tips on how to be fully prepared to rock out with your favorite rock star.

1.       Day of show contact-whomever set you up with your M&G be sure to ask who at the venue will be your contact day of show. You should ask for their full name, email address, and cell phone number. Should there be any problems at the door you can easily hit up the contact for help. You would not believe how many times people show up at the show and someone forgot to put their name on the list.

2.       What to wear?-Most M&G’s are a cattle call; a long line of concert goers and two seconds with the artist. Wearing a dress and heels waiting an hour or two in line probably not going to be comfortable. Make sure you are wearing something flattering so you are not stuck with a picture that is not Facebook profile worthy. If you are given a snazzy sticker pass to stick on your clothes put it on your pants. I have several pictures with a dorky pass on my chest.

3.       Do you bring your camera?-Some venues and artists are extremely strict about bringing cameras into the venue. Be sure to call the venue or check their website to find out for sure if you can bring them. Sometime M&G’s provide professional photographers that will take your picture and give you a website to collect your picture from later. It might seem dorky but practice a possible pose. Ladies, please make sure to put your purse down so you don’t have an unflattering lump on your body.

4.       Bring your ID-the only way you’ll get to meet your favorite artist is if you bring your official ID. This is for security purposes and is non-negotiable.

5.       Autographs-some M&G’s allow time for personal autographs while others only allow for a quick picture. Bring something small just in case the artist is willing to sign something. In other cases there might be some promotional material the management will bring that the artist can sign. Either way the best way to find out is ASK!

If you follow these tips you should have no problems at the door and more time with your favorite artist!

Do you have any tips to add?

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