Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Vincent -

That ROCKS!  hey, it really does!!!!

Congrats!

R-


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Quaerite Primum Regnum

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line."
~ Oscar Levant ~

Twitter: @rossb

Hoo Hah! Way t`go, Vince!! :-) We`ll be looking for you on the Cover of the Rolling Stone.... :-D

As for the cover v. original band, having done it both ways, I`d never again invest in the cover band. Instead, I`d take a part-time job to pay bills, or do whatever else to focus totally on the originals band.

CraigL... I am thankful to hear what you thought about covers vs originals. The position you have stated is exactly what I have decided too. There is pay for being a cover band, but as a musician you become `stuck` in a cover tune world very easily. I am happy I discarded the cover band tryouts. I am sticking with this original material band...

Information about this band soon to come.


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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Hey Vincent, I just got wind of this thread for the first time.  So congrats!!!

I know you will be a great asset to the band, not only as a drummer but as a businessman.  One thing I`ve learned is that a successful part of being an artist is running it like a business.  I think most artists (visual, music, whatever) don`t have a clue that they need to think about marketing, finances, etc.

I don`t know if your band has a manager or not but I can bet that you will bring valuable experience to the stage.  Rock on!!!

CampSteve... Yes. You hit the nail right on the head. I have past professional music experience and now I have about 4 solid years of experience running my own business. 

I would have to agree. I am so much stronger in my business skills now. I know I will do a better job managing my own career today, than I did `back in the day.`

There is some question as to what the current manager is doing... Matter of fact, I have been stating my opinion about the managers skills and it seems the other members are seeing at least some of the light I am shedding on the subject.

You just never know how you use the skills you have learned throughout life.


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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

This is my attempt at a standing ovation!  My hearty congratulations!

Jillybeans

Steve`s right! I sometimes wonder at how much differently I would`ve handled my past experience in music had I known what I`ve learned in the business world.

One thing that stands out is when I went to see a friend of mine play. I`d been out of the business for 3 years by that time, and he`d put together a duo. I went in and sat down, and realized certain things about the music.

Being who we are, he asked my opinion. I told him about how now I was seeing the act as an "audience" person. I wasn`t a musician anymore and had been working the day-to-day world for a few years. My entire perspective had totally changed!

I told him that he needed something identifiable, perhaps in the singing voice. He disagreed, saying that his skill on the guitar, and how he`d organized the depth of music through synthesizers and digital recording was most important. He felt that people were listening to his music as if they understood music.

We disagreed and I let it go. I realized I didn`t care anymore how well a particular phrase was played. I was hearing the music not only in totality, but as background. I wasn`t aware, unless I really pushed myself, of each individual note, nuance, and lick. It just didn`t matter.

That`s where so many musicians go off track, I think. They forget that most people in the audience don`t hear music the same way, in all that detail. And so they forget about the presentation---the Show. :-)

Yep, a musician playing in a band for an audience is an entertainer above anything else.  There`s a reason why people love seeing live music over listening to recorded music.  The "show" is about the presentation, the packaging, the branding, as much as it is about the music.

Craig,

Love that perspective.

Now, how can we, as entrepreneurs, apply that insight to our own businesses?

As an example & thought-starter, here at SuN we can get quite caught up in some details in each of our individual team member areas of expertise in an attempt to create "art" while neglecting to consider our end product from our members` & site visitors` perspective.

How much time should I spend "creating" (& often perseverating on) the perfect most beautiful SuN newsletter or blog or new forum enhancement? Am I better off, as an entrepreneur, to spend more energies considering what my audience will "hear" and what they won`t even notice?

Joel,

Yes. It`s about them, not "us"! Prioritze by what the customer wants.

Nick

PS: Can you put some "BR`s" in that applause? It`s too dog-gone wide for my screen.