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Sunday, November 17, 2013

Find the differences

Write down a core idea or topic, then create a mind map of related ideas. Find the differences between related ideas to spur creative insights that you would otherwise overlook.
Mind maps are great way to get a grip of what you have in mind, or grasping your head around at the time. This also plays apart of one of my other blog post: "Ignore time". With that in mind your gonna need it to really research, and draw up a virtual, and a physical plan for everything to come out.
Mind Mapping
Mind Mapping (Photo credit: sirwiseowl)

Overly ideas

Quickly consider several potential ideas. Take existing ideas from the real world and overlay them onto yours. What elements stand out when combined? Which elements disappear?
I do this most of the time with my blog posts. For me what I do is I have specific articles, or subjects that I wanted to know more about so what I did was signed up for a bunch of news articles, or blogs and started getting into my email. And then I would randomly pick out stories and used them for my blog posts. And it started from there. Sometimes it may be overwhelming but it works itself out eventually. I like doing this with my musical ideas as well.

Ignore time

What would you do if time stopped right now? If you didn't have to worry about the clocks moving forward, what would you do? What happens if you did that now?
Believe me this is a great opportunity to let all of your creativity out. No matter what your working on, and if you have a active normal family life, or even a regular 9 to 5 job and do any kind of art on the side. Then you know what I'm talking about cause you know that you will hardly ever have all this time in the world at this one time. So let yourself go feel free. You may have to do it in installments but get it done.

What’s it sounds like

Think about your project or problem in terms of how it might sound (or feel, or smell, or taste). Try to describe it as best you can.
This is a great way, if you're trying to be a writer. You know how all writers have to find ways to describe everything that is going on in the story that is being told. Well this is the way to do it. And don't feel like your saying too much cause to me there is never too much. It appeals to all your readers and will most likely bring your readers back to read more of your story, or stories.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Random word match

Open up a book and select a random word from it, then try to relate that word back to what it is you're trying to do. There are certainly ways the words can relate, you just have to find them.
I have searched in the apple app store awhile ago. And I have an app that does exactly what this posts can do. This is also good for songwriters as well. It might be a mindboggling at first, but just keep working at it. And it will finally strike you.

Read something odd

Pick up a wacky or odd magazine or book. Grab something with a cover that makes you laugh or cringe, the kind that makes you react to whatever is written in it. Try to read it cover to cover in your search for creative inspiration.
Well in this insert, I shoot this kinda creative inspiration all the time. That's why I like writing this way as well. I would say don't just use a book, or a magazine to inspire you, use life. And what I mean by that is use whatever you hear on radio, a conversation that you may be having with someone, maybe a little innocent easdroppin as well. Also search for creative inspiration as well.

Define your steps

Take a minute to list out the basic steps you need to take in order to start creating. Write them down on a sheet of paper, in order. Ask yourself what's preventing you from starting.
Take a minute to make a plan, list out what your goin, or should do. And then take a minute to understand and find out what would, or might prevent you from achieving each goal of your plan. And keep a record of it (very important part of your plan. Very important) now with technology, I would suggest putting all of your notes, and your plan. And saving it on a hard drive, or even in a cloud based program. And those are my suggestions.

Monday, November 11, 2013

3 Crucial Whys & Hows to Get Out of Your Writing Comfort Zone

3 Crucial Whys & Hows to Get Out of Your Writing Comfort Zone
Written by Cliff Goldmacher
One of the many challenges we songwriters face is that we’re tasked not only with creating something from nothing, but our “somethings” need to be unique – and not only compared to what others have written but also compared to what we’ve written before. This is no small feat, and the moment you think you’ve “figured it out” as a songwriter is exactly when you need to leave your creative safe place and shake things up again. To help you along the way, I’ve listed a few “whys” and “hows” to get you out of your songwriting comfort zone.
The Whys
1. You’ll demonstrate your versatility to music industry decision makers.
By showing you’re not afraid to experiment and explore new musical and lyrical territory and be a bit left of center, you’ll show those in the industry - whether publishers, record label execs or music supervisors - that they can consider you and your music for a wide variety of projects. This can be essential when one area dries up and the industry is looking for something new.
2. You’ll broaden your opportunities for collaboration.
Quite simply, the more styles and approaches that you’re comfortable writing in, the more collaborations you’ll be suited for. The flexibility that you’ll develop by not writing the same style of song in the same way will help you step into a variety of co-writing situations. This concept of new and different collaborators is also a fundamental part of the “how” to leave your songwriting comfort zone.
3. You’ll keep yourself - and the people who listen to your songs - from getting bored.
Songwriting is difficult enough, but heaven help you if your motivation to write starts to fade. By challenging yourself with new songwriting approaches, you’ll stay engaged in the process. And, better yet, your core group of listeners and industry contacts will also stay interested in what you’re doing. It’s just as dangerous to have those folks lose interest due to the sameness of your songs as it is for you to lose your motivation.
The Hows
1. Put down your instrument.
We’re often limited in our songwriting by how well or in what style we play an instrument. Work on the melody (and the lyric) without your trusty guitar or piano, and you’ll be amazed at the new places your songwriting will go.
2. Vary your rhyming approach.
A typical songwriting mistake is to use rhymes that are so predictable that the listener knows exactly how the line will end before you get there. Look for unpredictable rhymes, which not only tell a more unique story but surprise the listener when they arrive. You can also deviate from your normal rhyming patterns and make use of internal rhymes to add an interesting touch both lyrically and vocally. Little variations like these can open up brand new areas in your writing with very little effort.
3. Write with new collaborators.
As I discussed earlier, varied collaborations are an excellent way of keeping your songwriting fresh. Even if your idea is unique, going to the same collaborator over and over will most likely result in a similar sounding song, no matter how new the idea. As much as possible, resist the temptation to fall back on the familiar. There’s also the fabulously motiving element of fear. It’s always a little nerve-wracking to go to a new co-write, but it’s that same nervous energy that creates great art!
It’s almost unfair - after you’ve spent all that time learning your craft and honing your songwriting approach to a fine point - to tell you to change it all up again. However, the benefits mentioned above, which come from stepping outside of your comfort zone, will far outweigh the extra work and mental gymnastics required. As I’m fond of reminding myself (when I’m resisting what I know will be good for me), fortune favors the bold.
Good luck!
Bio
Cliff Goldmacher is a songwriter, producer, session musician, engineer, author and owner of recording studios in Nashville, TN and Sonoma, CA. Cliff’s site, http://www.EducatedSongwriter.com, is full of resources for the aspiring songwriter including monthly online webinars. Go to http://www.educatedsongwriter.com/webinar/ for the latest schedule.
Cliff’s company, http://www.NashvilleStudioLive.com, provides songwriters outside of Nashville with virtual access to Nashville’s best session musicians and singers for their songwriting demos.
You can download a FREE sample of Cliff’s eBook “The Songwriter’s Guide To Recording Professional Demos” by going to http://www.EducatedSongwriter.com/ebook.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EducatedSongwriter
Twitter: @edusongwriter

Tools as solutions

How could the tools you're using become symbolic of the solution you're looking for? Look at the attributes of the tools or the way you use them and compare those things to the project or problem at hand.
Use what you have around you, see if it is enough to give yourself the answer that you are looking for depending on what the problems is. For me just having a computer, and the internet should usually be enough for most people. But if it's not then dig deeper if that's possible.

Seek a question

Instead of focusing on trying to find a solution to your situation or problem, ask questions about it. The more you explore through questions, the more likely you are to stumble on a good idea.
Asking a lot of questions about your own problem should, and realize, and breakdown everything. And seeing you own nuts & bolts, all this should give you a chance to analyze, break it down and then solve everything from there. Again once realizing what the problem was. By asking yourself a lot of questions.

Think about senses

Write down some experiences you've had in life and the senses you relate to each. Focusing on past sense experiences can cue up memories or thoughts that can help you get back into the flow of creating.
Take a sheet of paper, and draw a line down the middle. And then on one half write down your experiences, and then on the other half write down what your feelings were at that time. This may trigger some ideas in your head, or even expand what already in your head now.

Be a child

Children naturally ask a lot of questions about everything, do the same yourself. Do like the creative design agency IDEO does and ask "why" 5 times.
In this instance is a great thing to be a child again in this sense. Specially if it is something that you love. Don't be afraid to ask questions, I believe a lot of companies would love that people ask questions. So don't be shy, don't be ashamed for it.

Pretend that you’re ten

Pretend that you're ten years old again and full of curiosity. What would you differently than what you are doing now? What questions would you ask and how would you use your imagination?
I had never really stopped asking questions. When I was in school, I was under the impression that if you asked too many question. That you were kinda stupid. But by the time I had graduated high school I learned that even the smartest people do ask a lot of question, mostly to feed their brain with knowledge. And I have taken that with me after I had left high school. I have used to feed my brain with knowledge and let my imagination run wild with the knowledge.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

What would _____do?

Seeing your problems or situations from another person's perspective is a powerful way to getting unstuck. Asking yourself: "What would someone else do here?" is an easy way to getting yourself unstuck.
Yes it's true that seeing other people's problems and seeing how they solved it is a big help. Now for yourself see how you can analyze what was done, or even finding out what a person did is possible on your end. I would say google your idea (search the internet), look on You Tube. You Tube has a lot of different videos on just about anything that you want to find out. And go from there and see what you can do with what you had found out.

The Next BIG Hit: 5 Marketing Tips From Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop”

How to Score the Next BIG Hit: 5 Marketing Tips From Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop"
BY: LUKAS CAMENZIND
Written by Lukas Camenzind
With over 7 million copies sold, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop” is one of the highest selling singles of the past few years.
But WHY was the song such a huge success?
And what can you learn from it if you want to score the NEXT big hit?
Here are 5 key insights:
1. It’s A Single
Did you know Thrift Shop was the 5th in a series of singles released from The Heist?
The first single was “My Oh My” (released December 2010). It completely failed to chart. About a month later came “Wing$” (released January 2011), but it didn’t really catch on either. Then, “Can’t Hold Us” (released August 2011) as the third, and a year later “Same Love” (released July 2012) as the 4th single…
…but it wasn’t until AFTER “Thrift Shop” (released August 2012) blew up in October of 2012, that the previous songs climbed the charts, too.
So what’s the lesson? Release and promote a series of individual songs. And: If it’s not a hit, switch. Don’t keep pushing a song that’s not getting any traction on its own. Keep releasing new songs until one catches on.
2. It’s Different
If you don’t want to drown in the sea of new releases, the first challenge for any (new) artist is: How do you stand out?
The simple answer: Be different.
“Thrift Shop” IS different: It’s an ode to resourcefulness and getting fabulous even when you can’t afford to touch the luxury items that rappers usually talk about.
In fact, it’s the exact OPPOSITE.
The lesson: If you want to get noticed, don’t do what everyone else is doing. Dare to be different. You will alienate some, but connect more with others - and that’s what matters in the end.
3. It’s Fun
As Jonah Berger shows in his book “Contagious: Why Things Catch On”, funny stories are among the most likely to go viral (because humor is a high-arousal, positive emotion, which makes it highly shareable).
And “Thrift Shop” IS a fun song… about a “controversial”, but not-so-serious topic: Whether you are a thrifty-hipster or not, it’s safe to have an opinion and fun to “argue” about it.
So, remember: Even if your music isn’t comical, don’t take yourself too serious. Make sure it’s fun to talk about your music, if you want anyone to share it.
4. It’s an Anthem
Thrift Shop is not just a song - it’s an anthem.
Why? Because the song is a symbol that captures the ACTUAL cultural phenomenon of the cash-strapped hipster (by choice or not), on the hunt for vintage clothes.
Here’s the good news: If you want your song to become an anthem, too, you don’t need to start a whole new movement.
All you need to do is draft behind a trend that’s ALREADY happening within the audience you want to reach.
Write a concept song with a clear and focused message, and you’ll have a better chance of it becoming an huge hit like Thrift Shop.
5. It’s Visual
With “Thrift Shop”, the song’s message doesn’t just come across through the music and lyrics:
The music video (currently at over 430 million views on You Tube!) communicates the song’s concept visually: It’s fun, different and out-there, and captures what the song is all about.
In todays online world (where everyone’s attention span is short), using stunning, extraordinary visuals to go along with your music is crucial.
If you want your next song to be a big hit - or at least more successful than your previous song - don’t skimp on the visuals.
Now tell me this…
Why Do You Think Some Songs Become HUGE Hits? And What Are You Doing To Increase Your Chances Of Scoring The Next One?
Leave a comment and let me know!
Author Bio:
Hi, my name is Luke and I have two passions in life: music and marketing. Have you ever wondered why some artists fail, while others have HUGE success online? If you’re a talented musician, I want to help you reach and engage more fans. To find out why some artists fail while others succeed, download my free report now: http://bit.ly/posteram
How to Score the Next BIG Hit: 5 Marketing Tips From Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop"

Relocate your problem

Imagine what your problem or project might be like if it were relocated. Rather than being in its current surroundings or environment, what if it were moved or transformed?
This is just causing you to think, or imagine, and better yet stretching your imagination of your current, or upcoming project. But also at the same time your project might be about the scenery at the time.

Forget about perfection

Ask yourself if you're simply fretting over being out of flow. If what you're working on isn't life or death, remind yourself that it's ok to be less than perfect in order to move forward (for now).
Ok I agree with most of this statement. But my only thing is that I would like to say is that if you have a vision of what you want to achieve, go ahead and achieve it. Because most of the time, no one has this vision but you and or whoever your working with.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Seek help


Ask a friend or stranger for help. Talk with someone who has worked in the same area as your focus or who will be able to provide insights into your creative process.
I had done this a lot of times myself, while I was goin to school at Full Sail University. I had fellow classmates, and friends that I had made while attending school at Full Sail. And most of the time what we would do is depend on ourselves in whatever we were doin the time in our classes that we were in at the current time, or what would also happen too as well is that some of us that would have moved on to other classes, or even behind in classes. We would always try to help each other out when we could. But that kind of help was always appreciated by me.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

The Future of Music Marketing: Direct-to-Device BY: COREY CROSSFIELD


The Future of Music Marketing: Direct-to-Device BY: COREY CROSSFIELD

facebook
facebook (Photo credit: sitmonkeysupreme)
Digital marketing has only been in its current form for the last decade. Despite the application of digital marketing within various industries, the majority of initiatives and campaigns have focused on the idea of direct-to-consumer (or within music as direct-to-fan). The focus lies solely on cutting out the middleman and reaching consumers directly.
The current conventions of digital marketing within the music industry focus on basic direct-to-consumer tenets but these ideas are now beginning to become obsolete. With the rise of hardware-focused technology such as the smartphone, the relationship between an artist and fan is facilitated through their devices.
The new way to reach fans will be direct-to-device.
A Real Meet and Greet
Reaching fans in decades past was simple because there wasn’t a technological barrier. Fans were able to go to a local record store, buy an album and connect with the artist through their music and their cover art. The anticipation of finding out what an artist was like was emoted through interviews, television appearances and fan magazines, which told you what your artist’s favorite color was.
Fans were able to connect with their favorite artists and support them through items such as zines.
The Riot Girl music movement of the Pacific Northwest found its strongest support in zines from around the country between its two epicenters, Olympia, WA and Washington, DC. The scene quickly spread across the country by and large due to the network of fans. Marissa Meltzer offers her take on how the word of the Riot Grrl scene spread in her book, Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution In Music (22). “In those pre-Internet times,” she wrote, “word spread through the punk community via zines, letters between pen pals in far-flung music scenes and bands going on tour.”
As Internet use became more prominent amongst fans, the way artists used technology to communicate with their fans changed the scope of how music is sold.
Introducing Topspin
In 2007, Topspin launched their direct-to-consumer software, which was available to artists by invitation only.
Topspin introduced the concept of direct-to-consumer to the music industry using their easy-to-use software comprised of a central dashboard. The suite of software offered tools such as an email for media widget, allowing fans to enter their email address for access to an exclusive piece of content, such as an MP3.
Topspin took a simple idea and suite of tools and was the first company to make them for the artist instead of the record label. By utilizing the technology the company provided, artists were able to market their music directly to fans. They could offer music and fan packages directly to their super fans. With the email tools, they were also offered a chance to educate themselves on email marketing.
As the old model of distributing music was disrupted, artists such as EminemBrian Enoand the Beastie Boys used Topspin to release their music. When Eminem released his last record, Relapse, he had a few special packages that were offered to fans on his website. They were able to choose from special packages, which included limited run t-shirts, special memorabilia from the album and prints autographed by the rapper.
One of the most successful features offered by Topspin was the ability to use their technology to bundle certain packages and sell them directly to fans, as was the case with Eminem’s album release campaign.
As artists increasingly used Topspin, they were able to cut out the label directly and sell their music on their own. With this sort of power, the artists are able to communicate directly with fans through their music. However with the rise of artist applications, the way an artist communicates with their fans is changing yet again.
Artist Applications
As the focus of digital marketing switched to direct-to-consumer initiatives, there was a shift in how artists communicated with their fans online. Suddenly the need to be on social networks such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter were a main focus of digital marketing teams. Artist focus was directed to two areas: their websites and their social networking profiles. The focus shifted to fan aggregation and retention within both areas.
Content management systems such as NING or WordPress offered artists ways to upgrade from static websites and offer fans ways to not only communicate with each other but with the artists directly. By allowing fans a central portal to communicate, their audiences were all pooled into a location where they could effectively promote upcoming initiatives such as tours or album releases.
As more and more artists shifted focus to their social networking profiles, the need to be able to creatively promote their initiatives became more relevant. Fans were looking for new and innovative ways to hear and share their favorite artist’s music. Innovation came in the form of one off applications, which supported a certain marketing driver for an artist’s campaign.
While there are many artist application examples to choose from, the execution and originality of the use of these technologies is key. When Slash from Guns ‘N Roses was about to release his last album, Apocalyptic Love, there were standard tools used to market the music such as Topspin. The originality behind the use of his marketing campaign came in the form of an application called, Slash360.
The application was developed by Mativision and showcases both the music from the album and provided the fan a compelling interactive element: a 360 degree view of Slash in the studio with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators performing tracks off of the new album. This sort of application use case as both a native application for iOS and a creative way of engaging fans with the use of a mobile application was a great way to showcase the future of mobile marketing.
Most of the application use cases audiences are familiar with are the standard artist application which is basically an extension of their website. These native applications really have no use other than the power to send push notifications to their audiences. If artists or their digital marketing teams, were more willing to extend themselves beyond the basic applications they would be able to participate in the new form of engagement and leave the stale ideas behind.
As artist-to-fan communication evolves beyond social networks, it is crucial for digital marketing to shift its focus to the future of music marketing: direct-to-device.
Snapchat, WhatsApp, and More?
Data is the most valuable asset to an artist. It can help show them who their fans are, where they are located and the amount of them who actually engage with their content and purchase items from them. Since data is so valuable, marketing initiatives, which focus on how to collect these data insights, are increasingly valuable. As social networks such as Facebook close off access to valuable data, the value in driving traffic to the artist’s central point of information their website is becoming more prominent.
Distribution points such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, are seen as places where you post content to either engage with artist specific content (Youtube videos for example) or links to blog posts on the artist’s website. A way of collecting valuable data besides on an artist site is through either partnerships with applications or partnerships with platform service providers through specific marketing initiatives (a campaign with Creative Alliesfor a poster promotion for example).
Snapchat is the perfect application for the multi-tasking and short-lived memory of the millennial generation. Their audience takes snaps of themselves and sends them to each other with the promise of the content deleting itself automatically after a certain number of seconds. With the release of their new Stories features, the application is allowing artists to focus on the content of the messaging with their audience. For example, an artist could debut 15 seconds of a new single through the application without worrying about a fan sharing it online because of the unique deletion feature.
WhatsApp is another example of an application with significant data collection and massive distribution. The application, according to their Crunchbase profile, is a “cross-platform mobile messaging app, which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS.” By partnering with a messaging application, an artist would have the ability to directly communicate with fans through their smartphones, which is the future of marketing for both music and every other industry. An artist could directly communicate with fans through the application without ever having to go through Facebook or Twitter again.
As more and more fans use their mobile devices for every facet of their lives, a marketing campaign should take into account the new way of communicating. An artist with the ability to send push notifications to an audience they have specific information about will be a more effective way to promote an album. If you had the ability to geo-target push notifications based on a fan’s location, the messaging and data would be more complete.
An artist with deals within applications such as Snapchat, WhatsApp, and other popular mobile applications will have the ability to distribute their content more effectively to a fan’s device. A device they have with them for the majority of the day and something they use in their daily lives. The ability to have such deals in place is something few artists are really taking advantage of and using to message their music.
There has been a lull in the past few years within the digital marketing field. Everyone uses the same tactics to sell music to their audiences with a comparable number of sales each time. As the technology of applications and devices advances, marketing tactics should shift to the consumer’s behavior with their device.
The future of music marketing is direct-to-device.
The Future of Music Marketing: Direct to Device