And following on the heels of I Just Want to Fall in Love , here’s another sneak preview of the upcoming Live at FWA 2010 DVD release. Now with more blunt force trauma!
Here’s a sneak preview of the footage we got from FWA this year. Many thanks to all of you who donated footage (you’ll be in the credits when we get a final edit worked up). And, of course, a thousand internets go to Aaron (Tsaro for those of you who were there) for actually editing all this raw video!
If you weren’t at the 140 Characters Conference in NYC, you probably missed our little chat about the real-time web and the modern music industry. Fortunately, the modern music industry has the real-time web so I can show you what we did!
I’m on the left, next to me is Syd Schwartz from EMI, then Ted Cohen from TAG Strategic, and finally Steve Greenberg from S-Curve Records.
I’ve mentioned Pandora a few times as the future of internet radio, at least here in the states. If you’re still not clear as to why I’m in love with it, check this video out.
Last weekend I played a show for the awesome crowd at FWA . There’s something about the convention that puts everyone into a fun-loving, energetic mood. I really want to play more conventions like this, even make a tour out of them if I can.
I Need Your Help!
Because I spend so much time releasing two new songs and a live recording every single month, I really don’t have much time left over to email conventions and festivals repeatedly.
If you want to help out, you can do that for me! All you really need to do is:
Pick your favorite geek conventions (comic, anime, furry, sci-fi, whatever) and track down the people in charge.
Then send them emails or call them up and try to get them interested in booking me as a live performance. Send them MP3′s, point them to my live performance videos , whatever it takes. Just keep emailing/calling them until they tell you NO or they want to get in touch with me.
Don’t worry about things like payment or travel, once they’re interested in the music I’ll deal with them directly. The hard part is getting their attention in the first place and getting them interested in booking a show!
What I Don’t Need
I don’t need a list of websites to check out or names of conventions I should contact. Like I said earlier, I don’t have the time to follow up on every suggestion people throw at me. What I need are people to get in touch with these conventions directly and have them contact me .
I don’t have a “my people” to contact “their people”, you are my people . You are the only people that matter. If you’ve got a favorite convention you go to every year and they need live music, then I need you to take action and get me out there.
I’m counting on you, just as I always do. Thank you.
Okay, so this isn’t the only post I’ll be making about FWA last weekend, but it’s certainly the first. Until I have the time and sanity to go into further detail, here’s a little candid clip courtesy of Robby Davis …
absolutely need original music .
On that note, Creative Directors and agencies are facing budget cutbacks that would make a public librarian shudder. In fact, most of the people I worked with back in 2007 had to jump ship to other companies as their budgets sank with the stock market. Musicians like me that run small, professional-grade studios are a Godsend for these folks. In the past, small budget meant weak sound, but there is enough power in an iMac with Garageband to create truly compelling albums. Imagine what a guy like me can do with his own independent studio.
My Name is Matthew Ebel, and I Produce Audio
That’s right, I make more music than you can find here or at Matthew Ebel dot net . I’ve done behind-the-scenes work for Coca-Cola , Porter Novelli , Bigelow Tea , and more. If you think I only write about robots and ninjas, believe me there’s a lot more going on here. Check out some of the stuff I’ve done for business clients in the past:
The Down & Up Theme for the Depression is Real Coalition
Life is Ikea for an internal pitch by Porter Novelli (This was my first attempt at something like this. Ah, those were the days.)
There is plenty more where that came from at matthewebel.com/worksforhire – If you’re intrigued at all, I’ve got a Demo Reel here:Producer Highlights
Why This Works For Me… AND Creative Directors
Why pay a big studio tens of thousands of dollars for a 30-second clip that could be done just as well by an independent artist at half the cost ? It’s a match made in heaven, the only real difficulty is making that match in the first place.
I’ve been able to establish myself with these companies as a guy who can get the work done in record time, but I’d love to hear how other musicians and producers pair up with agencies. Whether you’re the Creative Director or the musician, what’s worked for you?
Photo by Psyberartist
long-term strategy .
I’m a musician, so I have to think long-term. The entry-level position for most business is either mail room, receptionist, or dishwasher. For musicians it’s playing hours of classic rock tunes in bars where people are annoyed that you’re interrupting the football game. It’s spending thousands on an album that might just sell 50 copies, if you’re lucky. It’s setting up message boards on your website and talking to the same 3 friends who are bored at their day jobs playing Farmville.
If musicians only thought short-term, nobody would go into this business.
Apple’s new iPad is a lot like a new indie band. Read More…
Check out this awesome article on the future of the music business from Techdirt. Here’s an excerpt:
Matthew Ebel is a singer in Boston who started building a fanbase by playing live and actively participating in social networks and other sites…Ebel has discovered that he’s making enough so that music is his full-time job…Connecting with fans and giving them a real reason to buy has made it so that he can have career as a musician.
I especially like the focus on connecting with you guys . Sure, I jumped onto Podcasting with both feet, started a new service over at Matthew Ebel dot net UStream , but the technology is totally just a means to stay in contact with you. That’s what’s important.
All I’ve seen thus far is the preview (many thanks to Hypebot for the heads-up), but this is something I’m telling EyeTV to record when it airs on PBS. This looks like it will be a great feature on sampling, remixing, and all the other developments that have blurred the line between “fair use” and “stealing”.
