February 17,
2010
Newsletter #132
Hello from Ariel!
In This Week's Issue:
- Where’s Ariel?
- Cyber PR Presents: Mubla 2.0 – Music
Made In Front of You
- THIS WEEK'S FEATURED ARTIST - Shawn
Fisher
- THIS WEEK'S FEATURED VIDEO -
"Golden Year" by Isaboe
- THIS WEEK'S FEATURED RESOURCES: A
BLOG, A PODCAST, & A STATION
- NEW MEDIA PIONEER: LaNita Adams of
QuirkyNYChick.com
March 4-7 – ECMAs – Cape Breton
Canada http://www.ecma.ca/
March 10 – 14
– Canadian Music
Week http://www.cmw.net/cmw2010/index.asp
March
14- 20 – SXSW http://sxsw.com/
Cyber PR Presents: Mubla 2.0!
Rob and Kal, two musicians from the UK, are
recording their debut album in groundbreaking
fashion and are inviting the whole world to take
part. Dubbed "Mubla 2.0", their interactive
project is allowing music lovers to see, hear, and
most importantly take part in the recording of an
album from start to finish. Using their website
(http://www.robandkal.com) as a base, the pair are
uploading early demo versions of their songs and
requesting that fans post their comments and
suggestions as to how they think the songs should
develop. Rob and Kal then return to the studio and
act on the comments to create new versions of the
songs. These get uploaded and the creative process
continues, with more comments further shaping the
direction of the tracks. "We knew
early on that with the two of us we could make an
album that we'd be happy with, but the prospect of
taking it further through collaboration was
something we couldn't say no to. We've found that
working with other artists also creates another
level of interaction, that wouldn't otherwise have
been possible." To get a detailed
understanding of the entire process check out
there site here: http://www.robandkal.com
Shawn Fisher –
Jacksonville, FL Genre:
Pop, Rock, Alternative, Acoustic,
SingerSongwriter, Rock-Pop http://arielpublicity.net/clients/2700 “When
I started to write my own songs, I tried to just
take in everything I heard and learn from it,â€ð
says Shawn Fisher. “It wasn’t until a few years
later that I really began to figure out my own way
of saying things.â€ð And these days, judging by the
rabid reactions of the crowds that buy Shawn’s
music and pack the shows by him and his back-up
band the Jukebox Gypsies, the 21-year-old
singer-songwriter’s way of saying things is one
that a lot of people are crazy about.
THIS WEEK'S
FEATURED VIDEO
"Golden Year" by
Isaboe Genre: Pop,
Alternative, Downtempo, Soft Rock http://arielpublicity.net/clients/2719
I started as a
wee lass of 5 yrs learning paradiddles from Dad on
his old 50’s drum kit. During school years, whilst
musical friends were busy perfecting other
people’s compositions, I was busy writing my own
on guitar, saxophone, bass, and piano, but all the
time thinking I would be the drummer in a band.
Eventually I realized I should be performing my
own songs, and it was just a natural progression
from there that led to “Love
Sunâ€ð.
http://blip.tv/file/3226204
Featured Blog: Bring
Me Up http://scrink.com/ Christy
runs a periodic blog features stories from her
life and about music. She welcomes all promotions
and bands wanting reviews written. She also
review books.
Featured
Podcast: Family
Movie Night Podcast http://fmnpodcast.com/
Intermixed in our review of
family friendly current releases will include some
old classics from childhood like BMX Bandits,
Flight of the Navigator, Godzilla the Final Wars
and Gremlins to see how they hold up for the next
generation.
Featured
Station: Behind the
Mike http://www.behindthemike.info/
The Radio Talk Show About...Whatever! The WBTM
Internet Radio Network is a collective of ideas
that formed to bring original talk programming to
the Internet. The network began as a single
talk show podcast, Behind The Mike, and grew to
the current setup of three shows and a network of
quality affiliates. WBTM also airs the best
selections of the 70s and 80s and is PROUD to air
the very best independent music from around the
globe.
New Media
Pioneer LaNita Adams of
QuirkyNYChick.com
QuirkyNYChick.com is a New York based music
blog that focuses on independent music from around
the world and music related events in the New York
area.
Website Link:
http://www.quirkynychick.com
Q) Tell us a little bit about your
blog. What inspired you to start
it?
A) QuirkyNYChick.com focuses
on music leaning towards events in the New York
area. While that is a rather large focal
point, it isn't limited to that. I attempt
to keep things positive and informative while
maintaining a bit of humor when I can.
I started the blog on a bit of a
whim actually. I like music and I like to
write. A blog seemed like the perfect forum
to express what was on my mind musically.
So, I picked a name and started writing. It
has become a growing work in
progress. Q) Why do you
believe new media resources (i.e. blogs, podcasts,
internet radio stations) have become so popular?
How have they been beneficial to artists? How have
they been detrimental?
A) I think they've become so
popular because they are a less formal, more
relaxed and often more personal platforms.
You stand a better chance at building an ongoing
working relationship using these resources, I
feel. A blogger or internet radio station is
more open to listening to an unknown, unsigned
artist and giving them a chance. Whereas
mainstream media generally aren't as likely to
want to hear from you unless you've already got a
buzz of some sort. The most
obvious benefit to new media resources is it
offers greater opportunity for artists to get the
word out about themselves. I also think
there might be a bit more honesty when it comes to
these resources. I'm sure many outlets are
making little to no profit so when they say they
like something it's most likely genuine, not
because it's the "hip" thing to say at the moment
or editor and advertiser influenced.
I think the same greater opportunity
to get the word out that is a benefit, is also a
bit detrimental. With so many outlets, you
have to decide who to reach out to and how.
If you bombard every online media outlet you come
across with information, it's ultimately going to
have a negative impact. You have to figure
out when to take a step back and focus on the
relationships you've made. Learn to maintain
and build on the relationships you already have
before trying to establish new ones.
Ultimately, I think it's better to have a handful
of contacts who genuinely support your work than
it is to have dozens of contacts that think you're
okay and are likely to forget about you if you're
not doing shows or while you're out of the public
eye working on your next
record. Q) Media 2.0 has
changed the way artists communicate with fans.
Where do you envision online communication going
next? Any thoughts on what Media “3.0â€ð will look
like?
A) From a fan point of view, I
see more and more artists personalizing their
communications with their fans and making them
more of the process. Artists are turning to
fans directly to help them fund their recordings
and marketing campaigns. I think that's
going to continue. You can do everything
with smart phones now. You don't have to
wait until you get home, to an office, open up a
laptop or be someplace stationary to interact with
your fans. Social media outlets continue to
evolve allowing more and better interaction
between artists and fans. Online
communications have become virtual grass roots
movements.
I do think the constant access
to immediate information goes a bit too far
sometimes. Do fans really want to be updated
thirty times a day about what you're doing?
I think if you're going to utilize online
communication tools you have to find the right
balance. At the same time, don't just
contact your fans when you're trying to sell your
product. You've opened the door to let fans
into your world. You have to maintain that,
maybe not on such a grand scale, but maintain that
contact. Q) What does an
artist have to do to get your attention? Are their
specific characteristics that you look
for?
A) If you've taken the time to
contact me, you have my attention. I make an
effort to listen to all of the artists that
contact me. But, I tend to pay more
attention to those that actually provide me with
information about themselves.
Presentation is important. I'm
not looking for anything flashy, just the
basics. I don't mind doing research but
provide me with the basic who, what, when, where
and why information. I've noticed of late, a
lot of people are sending emails suggesting I
check out something but provide me with nothing to
check out other than their band name. If you
want me to listen to your music, send me a sample
or as many do, ask if it's alright to submit
music. At the very least, send me a link to
your MySpace page. If you're hoping I'll
review your record, provide a .jpeg of the
cover. I always try to use artwork in my
blog posts. Tell me where the record can be
purchased if it's not on iTunes or another major
digital retailer.
If you're sending me gig
listings, provide all of the details. The
thing people tend to leave out most is complete
venue information. It's all fine and dandy
that you're playing venue x but, what's the
address? What's the venue website
address? I know where a lot of venues are
but there are many that I don't. Also, send a
promo photo. I use photos in my
listings. If I have your photo on hand,
there's a good chance I'll use it as you've just
saved me a bit of time now that I don't have to
search for a photo.
Also, a nice
little note along with your information goes a
long way. Even if you are sending the same
email to everyone, try to personalize it
some. Introduce yourself. Make me feel
like you really want contact with
me. If you're sending out your own
stuff, don't be afraid to let a little of your
personality shine through. Be professional
but not uptight. It's the little things that make
you stand out in my mind.
If you
contact me and I haven't written something or
responded to you, follow-up with me. Don't
assume I just didn't like your work. Often
times I listen to stuff and put it aside with the
intention of going back to it. Sometimes I
need a little
reminder. Q) What do you
ultimately hope to accomplish with your
blog?
A) I think I've already
accomplished what I hoped for. I want to
share my thoughts on music with a little humor
when I can, provide information and have fun all
of which I hope to continue for years to
come. The fact that others enjoy it is pure
bonus.
ABOUT US
Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Ariel Publicity
& Cyber PR, a digital public relations firm
that connects clients to the new media including
blogs, podcasts, Internet radio stations and
social networking sites. Over the past 13 years
she has represented over 1,435 musicians and
bands.
Educating musicians is her passion and several
times a year, she leads workshops teaching her
strategy of combining social networking with
Internet marketing to help clients grow larger
fanbases and earn more money.
The Second Edition of Music Success in Nine
Weeks is now available and has helped hundreds of
musicians navigate the new music marketing
landscape. "Sound Advice," her bi-weekly ezine and
Internet TV series currently reaches an audience
of over 20,000 music professionals. She is a
contributing blogger for Music Think Tank, and
Know The Music Biz.
Sign Up here: http://www.arielpublicity.com
CONTACT & INFO
Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR 389 12th
Street Brooklyn, NY 11215 http://www.arielpublicity.com http://www.bandletter.com http://www.myspace.com/ArielPublicityNY http://www.twitter.com/cyberpr
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