My “Start of November 2010” newsletter.

This will only take a moment.
The band has one performance currently planned before the end of the year.
 
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 – 8PM
Brennan’s in Marina del Rey
4089 Lincoln Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 (map)
50 minutes of music with the band. If you are in the area, or know someone who is, come on out.

On the Horizon
We are going to finish out the year with some new recordings and a new t-shirt design or two. Plus, look for an announcement, we have some shows planned in January and February already and two workshops on Business Strategy, Technology, Tools,  & Online Presence for Musicians.

Upcoming performances – house concerts and full-band performances:
We are going to be scheduling house concerts in: Salt Lake, Seattle, Scottsdale, Chicago, Colorado – and the list is growing. If you are interested in helping by hosting a house concert, please check out the house concert information page.

As far as full-band gigs: Las Vegas, Phoenix, Ventura, Santa Barabara, North Hollywood… (actually, all around So Cal).

Also, look for New Mexico, Florida (planning a "Festival in the Ferns" – this needs to happen) and hopefully both a workshop and a performance in Atlanta.

Until then, there will be some new music and new recordings and you will be the first to know.

Help spread the word and don’t be shy, say hello from time to time.

Thanks,
Matt Moran

facebook

Upcoming shows at Butler’s Coffee in Palmdale, CA and with the band at Yankee Doodle’s in Simi Valley, CA.
My latest musical obsession – Paul Thorn.
And FREE CD update.

A few other items to let you know about…

The Band:
I’ve auditioned a couple guitar players and have one rehearsing with us tonight.

I am tentatively looking for a keyboard player and a backing vocalists. I say tentatively because I am not adding anyone to the band unless the fit is really ideal.

House Concerts:
We continue to reach out and get new house concert hosts. If you’ve wondered about house concerts – what they are, how they work, check out my house concert information page, the simple guide to house concerts, and the one page house concert guide.

A couple of days ago I spoke for the LA Chapter of Songsalive! The topic was technology and strategies to treat your music business more like a business. During the workshops, a lot of material was covered but at the Songsalive! meeting and during the tour, a common theme popped up. FREE Samples!

I had just completed a mini-tour involving 5 workshops and 5 performances over 10 days or so. On the way back I stopped back over in Utah and had coffee with my friend Marc. He had hosted a house concert for me to start the tour.

As we talked he said I should have a FREE CD with my songs and asking for people to spread the word. He’s right. He told me to look up the book FREE: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson (The Long Tail). Turns out, you can get the unabridged audio for. . . free?

During the workshops across the country and by no less than 3 people at the Songsalive! workhshop, I was asked variations of this question.

Should I put FREE 30 second music samples online?

My response was varied…

How many albums of previously unknown artist have you purchased based on 30 seconds of music?

Are you more interested in $10 or 10 fans?

A 30 second sample isn’t really FREE, is it?

Would you buy your music based on a 30 second clip? Come to think of it, would you buy your music based on a 2 minute clip? (that’s a tough question).

Of the first question, one person responded that they occasionally purchased new music based on samples. I’m certain they were lying – mostly to justify their heels in the ground position that they never need to offer their music for free. It’s their product for God’s sake. You wouldn’t expect a grocery store to give you something for free?

I would but that’s a discussion for another day.

CD Baby, Amazon, and Others

A closely followed and associated question was how they could put their music for sale online…(Amazon, CD Baby, iTunes, etc.)?

The notion that many of these performers have is that by being available on these websites and having 30 second clips of their music, they are going to start making money! Whether they admit or not, they want to, hope to, dream to, make big money! If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be so determined to pay to put their songs online – without any radio play, exposure, or marketing.

The idea of being “discovered” is intoxicating. The idea that the web makes it easy to be discovered is the silver-bullet.

Unfortunately, these musicians, many others, and myself at times, is placing the value in the wrong column. Which brings us back to my initial premise…

Music is Cheap! Fans are Priceless!

When I performed at the house concerts and the venue in Vegas, I was asked by several people at each venue if I had a CD. I am in process of recording a new CD and re-recording the tracks from last year’s CD, so I did not press more of last year’s CD. In fact, I had left my t-shirts at home and had NO CD’s with me.

That was a big mistake. Almost un-forgivable. People wanted to take me home with them and now I am not there to consummate our relationship. I’ve heard the consummating the relationship is the funnest part and I missed it!!!

I am in process now of creating a CD with a smattering of songs from last year’s CD, working demos of this year’s CD, and some additional songs – acoustic workings of new and old tunes.

I’m going to also have some recorded narrative explaining the songs and telling the story. I have a spindle in front of me with 100 CD’s. It cost me about $20. I have a CD burner and I have black and white labels. The labels list the songs, my website, my facebook page, and ask the listener to connect. To get on the mailing list. To pirate my music and spread it around.

I’m making a sign that says

“1 CD = $10.

2 CD’s = $0
If  you promise to give 1 CD away”

The CD label also says, “If you like what you hear, copy this CD and then give it to a friend. If you don’t like what you hear, give it to an enemy!”

I will ask that people who listen and enjoy consider a Paypal donation to cover future FREE CD’s distribution.. the cost of the CD and the cost of mailing them out.

The truth is, my music is valuable to me. And it is thankfully, valuable to a few others. But, for me, until some type of critical mass is reached – and maybe not even then – passionate listeners (AKA fans) are the most valuable commodity. I am happy to buy them with my music. It is a fair trade.

What about you?

http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410384995

In it I announce tour dates and workshops for The Songwriter & Social Media Tour, plus a video to an old song, redone, Wait For Me. I’ve included the YouTube videos to that song and 2 others I recorded below.

Live Video Streaming

I also announced 2 live-streaming videos I’ll be doing. One is Tip-Stream – Tuesday and Thursdays. Technology, Strategy, Tools and Q & A for musicians.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/thesongwriteronline

And Song-Stream – where I will perform 2 songs and discuss songwriting and whatever else you might want to know about:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/matthewmoranmusic

YouTube Songs

Wait For Me: a song written in 1986 or 1987. Recently redone.

American Dream: a song from 2009, Girls, Songs, and Other Delusions

Everyday Lies: a song we are recording for the new CD.

Enjoy, send to others, and leave me a comment.

Thanks.

I’ll be traveling through various cities both performing music and providing workshops on various technologies and strategies for musicians who wish to both organize and promote their music business.

July 24, 2010 – time to be determined Sam Ash Music, Westminster Workshop: An Effective Roadmap for Online Success

Other performance and workshop dates

Current Sponsors (more coming)

	PLACE YOUR LOGO HERE

If you are interested in sponsorship, go here.

I, in turn contacted the band and said let’s do it. We are planning on STREAMING IT LIVE as well.

We had rehearsed the weekend prior and I had gotten together earlier that day with two of the guys to cover some of the songs. Our first performance is supposed to be June 11th but I felt, “no time like the present!” and decided whether we just did 3 songs – or a couple more, I want the band to make an appearance.

We rehearsed Wednesday, picking 6 songs that were “close”. They played well. We added a 7th – and here we go!

songwriter promo postcard

(my quickie postcard for email)

Where to see the show:

View Larger Map

Hope to see you there or online…

I also showcase a new song, “Running”. See below.

As explained in the newsletter, Running, was inspired by The Zac Brown Band’s song, Highway 20 Ride – about a divorced father visiting his son (child).

I recorded in on my PC camera yesterday for Youtube. Enjoy!

Running
Copyright (c) 2010 – Matthew Moran

VERSE 1
I pick her up early Friday morning
Begging for a little extra time
I’m battling the guilt, time and the schedule
And praying about the impact on her life
She’s pays for my mistakes with smile
And she pays me back with tender-lovin’ grace
Not what she deserves, not what she asked for
My selfish tears fall as I drive away
(Chorus)

CHORUS
Sometimes I feel I’m running in circles
Sometimes I feel I’m just running down the line
But when this life and living leaves me longing for more
I know that I’m just running out of time

VERSE 2
Once upon a time I played the hero
Once upon a time I lost my way
And once upon a time I was so certain
Now I’m certain I know so much less today
I can’t redeem those calendars discarded
I can’t pull back the time that’s passed me by
And memories are sweet but their just memories
It’s making them that makes us come to life
(Chorus)

Next week, Tuesday, February 9th, I’m playing Genghis Cohen.

Performance time is 8:00PM and they have a few other songwriters filling the bill.

If you know of songwriters or the music interested in Las Vegas, let them know…

SONGWRITER PERFORMS AND TEACHES PERFORMERS HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO LAUNCH CAREERS, DREAMS

LAS VEGAS, NV – Songwriter Matthew Moran used his expertise as a published author, social media expert and marketing consultant to launch a second career and now is leading workshops to teach other performers to do the same.

http://www.prlog.org/10485434-songwriter-performs-and-teaches-performers-how-to-use-social-media-to-launch-careers-dreams.html

I am presenting the following workshop:

The Songwriter & Social Media: An Effective Roadmap for Online Success
Monday, January 18
Sam Ash Music (map)
2747 S Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-734-0007 directions only
Time: 6:00 pm

Look for more information soon.