FROM THE DESK OF...SHELLY HARRIS


"KNOWING THE MUSIC BUSINESS: PART III


        This month, we discuss another issue not strictly music law related
(but just as important to your career).  That’s knowing and cultivating your
fan/support base and then utilizing them as your #1 ally and resource to
promote and sustain your career.  Some of these tips may seem like “no
brainers,” but I’ve seen that when bands/artists -- signed or unsigned --
get busy, they and/or their management often fail to follow through on many
of these very important areas of music promotion, mainly for lack of
resources or knowledge.  It’s ironic because they could have delegated the
overseeing and coordination of some of these “grass roots” strategies to the
competent, loyal, energetic, and diligent amongst their support base!
 
    Most of these tips and suggestions apply to “newbie” unsigned artists,
as well as artists that have been around the block – or the globe – for many
years.

    Whether you just have your sights on making a living or making extra
money by playing the local scene indefinitely, or you have ambitions of
having a long stay in the “Big Time” – know that even though the rules of
the game have changed in many respects, you will always need a loyal support
base if you plan on a career with any staying power.  A “mistake” made many
times by local bands as well as by the national flavor of the month is that
of arrogance.
 
    What goes up, must come down, and in the meantime – especially with the
advent of the Internet and the increasing difficulties of getting new song
“adds” on the mega-conglomerate radio stations these days – there are many
crucially important things that you can do from the “get go” to harness the
potentially awesome power of your willing fan base. 

    TIP #1:  Remember that the “human touch” seeds that you sow at any phase
of your career – but especially at the beginning – not only pay off in great
career support dividends at the time, but the returns on good vibes, loyalty
and support can potentially last throughout your musical career.

        Now, the small number of artists I’ve seen that have been around for
20 or more years and can still tour, draw in the crowds, and put out
successful new albums – no matter what the musical trends or cycles – not
only have well-known past “classics,” elite-level talent, and a progressive
approach to their new music, but – universally – they also have a large,
passionate, die-hard (if ever) fan base, that was often cultivated near the
earliest phases of their careers. In fact, many of those initial fans –
especially if there were a large number of them – were fundamentally
responsible for those artists’ success. The most recent case in point that
stresses this issue, John Waite.  (See S&M and CD Spins in this issue.)

      Waite’s career began with The Babys in the mid-‘70s, then he became a
mega solo success in the ‘80s, later fronted “supergroup” Bad English, and
now again is back to doing the solo thing.  At a recent solo gig in the
Chicago area, Waite still had eye-opening hordes of very ardent, loyal fans,
in addition to “newbies” who keep up with his every career move. Of course,
that dedication is not without reason, as became evident when I received an
email shortly thereafter from one of those long time fans, an intelligent,
busy mother of three on the West Coast, who was still looking for ways to
help promote his latest album and tour.  Now 40, she related to me that she
became an instant “fan” of Waite’s after seeing The Babys in their early
days in ‘78 when she was 17 and in her freshman year at college.  As teenage
girls often have wont to do, she sent him a fan letter asking for a strand of
his hair, and was totally floored when she received not only a personal
letter, but also a whole crimson lock!
 
     But the rest or what she had to say illustrates my point best of all:
“If John had simply never responded to my request back in ‘78, I would
definitely still be a fan of his, but the fact that he did respond gave me a
great first impression of him outside of just hearing his music... John’s
humble kindness adds to the impression that his music is sincere, and that
adds a powerful punch when listening.  The fact that his voice and music are
so excellent, combined with his sweetness and kindness, give me the drive to
wish I could do something to help him get what he deserves in his career.”

    What artist doesn’t need fans that ready and willing to help them promote
their new product?   Now, that’s not to say you need to begin giving away
body parts to your supporters, but it is never too soon to remember that – as
Waite himself has said – “The only thing that separates me and the audience
is the microphone.”  If you have willing supporters, you should try to
channel that sincere good will and loyalty so that it comes back to you. 
Here’s how:

   TIP #2: Select one or more “generals” amongst your most trusted fan base,
to focus and supervise your promotion campaign on several different levels. 
If there is infighting or factions amongst splinter groups of your
supporters, choose those that are neutral, but also the most competent. You
should discuss goals with the generals, but you can also delegate some of the
fine-tuning of the objectives.

   TIP #3:  Have one or more fans/supporters run your website, especially if
they are on the cutting edge of web page design. Your top goal should be to
keep that website up to date at all times!  This can’t be emphasized
enough.  Journalists, booking agents, and other media people often go to
artists websites not only for bios, but also for easy access to ALL your
contacts, not to mention your tour dates!  If tour dates are not posted in a
timely fashion, you are absolutely guaranteed to miss out on some press,
promotion, or even attendance at your shows.  

  TIP #4:  Your supporters can send letters or emails (en masse is best!) to
hard copy and online publications (both local and national) covering music
and entertainment, as well as daily newspapers all over the country
requesting that they interview you or review your new album. They can also do
this with national, local, or cable TV “magazine” or news programs. Many CD
sites like Amazon also encourage “layman” reviews, as long as your CD is
available to order there. Your fans – who better? – can write such reviews,
recommending your CD to others.

  TIP #5:  Your supporters in any part of the country can survey ALL the
stores that sell CDs to see if they are carrying yours. If not, they can
contact the outlet and request your product be carried there, and provide the
contact info to order it – even if it is your own indie label.

  TIP #6:  Radio requests – by far more effective if done en masse and
targeted at particular stations (usually smaller market ones) that actually
have the ability to make a programming decisions. DJs and local programmers
often do not have any say so if the station is a part of a mega-conglomerate
like Clear Channel, and the effort might be useless with those at first, so
concentrate on the indies, smaller stations, authentic “call in” program
segments, or college radio, until you’ve built a foundation. R&R magazine and
www.radio-locator.com are good places to start to decide which stations to
collectively target en masse. 

   Finally, for MUCH more on this topic, you (or your fan generals) can sign
up for my Music Advertising & Promotion seminar at the Music Industry Workshop
 in Chicago (www.miworkshop.com) or visit www.musicdish.com under “Career
Tips.”