What will you do without your own music library?

For years I collected tapes, then CD's, and then digital downloads to build my own personal music collection. When I got hold of a third generation iPod back in 2003 I started to dump all of that music into my iTunes library. Today that library holds about 15,000 tracks.

But over the past year I, like most of you, have switched over from purchasing new music to streaming it through an online music provider. There are many of these services out there. Most notably Spotify, Pandora, and MOG. I choose the later, MOG, and pay about $10 per month so I can download as much music as I want to my fourth generation iPod Touch and iPhone.

Now, I have been pretty impressed with streaming over downloading.  It has allowed me to investigate new music, find new indie bands, and catch up on some old favorites, all without having to drop 99¢ per track or $10 per album. It just seems to make financial sense in these tough economic times.

But with every great idea comes some sort of risk.

I have been following music industry related news for a while now and have noticed two reoccurring themes that trouble me when it comes to my music collection. The first started in October of this year when financial analysts deemed Spotify's business model "unsustainable". You can read the article here.

"In almost a one-for-one scenario, every dollar Spotify is generating immediately exits the company due to licensing fees..."

The second reoccurring theme that is troubling is what is happening right now on Capitol Hill in regards to intellectual property. For months now Pandora has been leading a charge to get Congress to reduce the online royalty payments for artists. It seems investors for the online streaming service need the business to make more money, and they have deemed the best way to do that is by lobbying our Nation's leaders to reduce royalty payments do to the musicians' whose works they are exploiting for profit. Former TuneCore CEO Jeff Prince wrote a great article on this conundrum for Hyperbot. You can get to it here.  

So what do these two themes mean for us streamers?

The answer is simple. The two biggest leaders in the streaming market have been deemed unsustainable. Spotify is surviving through the assistance of venture capital and Pandora is trying to create a stronger business model by challenging the artists they rely on for product. Eventually the venture capitalists backing Spotfiy are going to want out, especially if their forecasts continue to demonstrate they may not get a return on their investment. Investors invest to make money, not for charity. And if Pandora continues to challenge the royalty payments of their artists, those artists are going to stop providing the second giant with product. And if you think musicians need Pandora, just ask Taylor Swift and her management team who proved streaming is a benefit, not a necessity.

This could lead to consumers without a decent streaming service. And for those of us who haven't purchased a CD in months that could lead to thousands of consumers with stale music collections. Imagine what would happen if Spotify and Pandora fell off the map. Sure other companies would take their place. That is the power of capitalism, but consumers would be scared, and chances are they would go back to downloading their favorite music through services such as Amazon and iTunes in record numbers. Maybe Apple and Amazon stock isn't a bad idea at this moment.

Now, I am not saying that streaming will fall off the map, and to be honest I am still streaming over downloading as I write this article, but imagine what would happen if these companies disappeared. How much would you have to charge to your iTunes account in the day after, the week after...the year after?

A Drumming Thankful List

This Thanksgiving I wanted to make a list of things drumming related that I am thankful for. Some items on the list may appeal to every drummer, others to just a few of you, and the remaining are special to me. Enjoy and Happy Turkey Day to all.

1. Buddy Rich - I am thankful for Buddy because he continues to inspire me to this day.
2. Modern Drummer Magazine - Thanks to all involved for giving the drumming community our monthly Bible.
3. Ludwig - For giving us the first bass drum pedal in 1909, paving the way for future generations of drum set players across the globe.
4. Steve Gadd - Thanks for giving us the white whale of drumming with the groove to "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover."
5. Kenwood Dennard - Thanks for never giving me a perfect grade during my private lessons, thus teaching this young drummer there is always room for improvement in everything he does.
6. Steve Jobs and the iPod - Thanks for giving me a convenient spot for all my albums so I can jam anywhere my kit takes me.
7. Amazon Kindle - Thanks for giving us drumming instructional books in digital format. Finally I can have all the lessons of the masters with me wherever I travel.
8. Electronic Drums - My neighbors thank you, and I thank you for giving me a way to practice without getting evicted from my apartment. 
9. Duct Tape - Thanks for giving me a way to fix my kit on the fly, help kill overtones, and for the million other uses you supply while on the road.
10. All the musicians I have and will play with - Each of you has and will continue to help me evolve into a better player and happier human being.

That's my list. What are you guys thankful for?

The Drumming Community... Another Reason it's Great to Play the Drums

I was on a mini vacation this past weekend and making my way around a small seafood festival with a margarita in my hand when another patron stopped me and said "hey man nice shirt".  Now, I had forgotten that I was wearing my Modern Drummer t-shirt and took a quick look down to remind myself, before giving him a heartfelt thanks followed by the appropriate question: "so are you a drummer too?"

That question opened up a small conversation between us. In a short time span we talked about the local music scene, the music scene from his hometown, who I was playing with, who he was playing with, and the types of tubs we used. It was nice to run into a fellow drummer on my mini vacation.

As I walked away I couldn't help but think that this is something very unique to us drummers. We seem to share a community that is open to anyone who bangs those skins. I believe we have more clinics in more towns than the players of any other instrument. We have strong magazines with long histories such as Modern Drummer and Drum! that are dedicated to our craft, and we have a plethora of websites that enhance our knowledge of that craft including www.drummersorld.com, The Drummer Cafe, and VicFirth.

It seems that drummers, more than any other musician, want to share their passion and the lessons they have learned with the future generations of players. You have Steve Gadd on his popular clinic tours across the U.S., Rich Redmond hosting his technical and business based Crash Courses for Success, and Tommy Igoe crafting manuals that help the next generation of drummers step up their game. This is something I am proud to be a part of, and why I developed my own book Rudimental Technique and Analysis.

I think the biggest reason the drumming community is so open and welcoming has to do with the nature of our instrument.

Drums were the first instrument on this planet. In fact drumming is even older than the human voice. This happened because the drum represents the heartbeat, and what early tribesmen saw as the soul of the body. To this date the most indigenous tribes in Africa still revere the drummer as the only member capable of speaking to the Gods. In their world the drummer is more powerful than our president.

I like to think that even today this tradition carries forward in every drummer out there. We are the heartbeat of the band and we still represent that pulse that gives music life. We are all part of the eldest instrument on the planet, and it seems we are all proud of what we do. No matter how big or how small.

Here's to the drummer!

Internet Radio...A Modern Drumming Practice Tool.

When I was a younger drummer we didn't have iPods, iPhones, or even computers small enough to set-up next to our kits. We had Sony Walkmans and a little later on CD's.  While these mediums were great to utilize in a practice session they had their drawbacks. Most importantly you were stuck to the single artist on the cassette or disc. If you wanted to change up your routine you had to waste time changing discs or worse yet make a mix tape before you began hitting the drums.

To counter this problem I would play along with FM radio. This allowed me to practice to a variety of artists without having to change out CD's or cassettes after every song. Jamming to the radio had some great advantages. First it allowed you to practice along with a multitude of artists and second it always kept you "on your toes" because you had little time to prepare for the next song in cue. For me this proved beneficial because it trained me to handle the many pick-up situations I would eventually encounter during my drumming career.

Thanks to the Internet and streaming services today's drummers have a radio on steroids to accomplish this same task.

I currently use Slacker Radio in the same fashion that I used the FM dial so many years ago. But Slacker has a number of benefits over traditional radio. First users can select a number of genres to listen to, or if you are a musician jam along with. These genres include country, jazz, hip-hop, rock, classic rock, hard rock, R&B, and even Christian.  Each of these genres has a number of sub-genres that allow you to dive deeper into a particular style. For example under the jazz heading you can choose classic jazz, modern jazz, smooth jazz, and vocal jazz, among many other sub-styles.  And all of these stations remain in radio format so you can stay on your toes as you move from artist to artist.

With such a deep selection of stations the drummer can really focus their practice routine on a particular style or a multitude of genres.  On some days I move from Slacker's modern country station, to classic R&B, and finally their classic jazz channel.  This has really helped me to stay on my game, find new artists, and develop my playing repertoire in each style.

Slacker isn't the only streaming service available. Available radio based stations include Pandora,  iHeart Radio, and Last.FM. There are also a number of streaming services such as Spotify, MOG, and Grooveshark, among many others that allow you to listen to virtually any artist of your choice instantly. Many like MOG allow you to listen to customized play lists that match the artist of your choice with similar acts. So if you like Hendrix you can listen to a station with Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jeff Beck thrown in the mix.

All of these Internet streaming companies can be enjoyed via a web browser, or through one of their apps, which allow you to enjoy them on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Android device. And if you opt for their premium services you can even enjoy their music offline. This allows the drummer to have a pocket full of musical genres and artist to jam along with no matter where they are in the world.

Happy drumming!

Why You Should Love Rich Redmond

If you don't know who Rich Redmond is, let me help you. He plays for this little known country star named Jason Aldean. 

I hope you caught my sarcasm on that one.

Rich has also recorded, performed, or toured with other artists including Bryan Adams, Miranda Lambert, Jewel, The Pointer Sisters, Trace Adkins, and Hank Williams III among many, many others. Just visit his website at www.richredmond.com to see the overwhelming complete list of people he has kept the back beat for.

For all you music nuts out there you will be very impressed to know that Rich got his formal training at The University of North Texas and held the drum seat for their one o'clock lab band. For those who don't know that lab is the world series of higher level music education performance.

Besides his discography and impressive education here are four reasons drummers should check out Rich Redmond.

1. He ACTUALLY plays on all of Aldean's studio albums. 

This is a huge feat in Nashville where different drummers are allocated for an artist's studio and live performances, and a huge testament to Redmond's skills on the kit.

2. He has earned a refined groove.

Many drummers think that it is all about complex grooves, busy fills, double bass, and blazing speed. It is only after the artist develops himself over time in the studio and on the stage that they realize the best drummers keep it simple, pick their fills perfectly, and replace technique with an infectious groove. Rich has clearly done that. He plays for the song. That is a true testament to his superstar drumming status and puts him in line with greats such as Steve Gadd, Joe Porcaro, and Bernard Purdie. 

3. He puts on a show.

When Rich is in front of an audience he is an animated player. This elevates the experience for the fan, and helps him lock into the pocket. Watch this live video and see what I mean.

4. He gives back to the drumming community.

Over the past couple of years Rich has supplemented his extensive recording and live calendar with drum clinics across the country. Titled Rich Redmond's Crash Course for Success these clinics give drummers insight into his playing, practice routines, and how this chart topping drummer handles the business side of his craft. It is empowering and unlike any clinic you have ever witnessed.

These are just some of the reasons I enjoy Rich Redmond and his musical ability. I encourage you to check out his website www.richredmond.com for more information. 

To hear his amazing studio playing check out Jason Aldean on iTunes.

If you want to witness one of Redmond's clinics check out his Crash Course for Success Web page.

The newer prouder country artist.

Yesterday I posted a link to Jason Aldean's newest release Night Train on my Facebook page. A few hours later a musical comrade of mine made a comment that got me thinking about modern country music.

According to my Facebook buddy the new Aldean album "ain't country".

This got me questioning; "what is country anyway?"

I find that a lot of people I run into who aren't up-to-date on the genre still think country is twangy stories about drunk lonely nights, divorce, and missing your dog. And for years this was country. Throughout the 70's, 80's, and most of the 90's country music was pretty damn sad. Sure their were the occasional two-steppin' hits, but for the most part country music was sad music.

Over the past decade the genre has been changing. It has become more powerful, more "proud".

Take a listen to Take a Little Ride from Aldean's newest album. This isn't a song about loosing a dog, a wife, or a house. It's a song about a hardworking man whose "been workin' all day bailing some hay"; and now he is off from work, and on his way to hang out with his favorite girl to watch the corn grow, from the tailgate of his Chevy, on a country back road.

Now I know if you are not a country fan that sounds like a pretty boring premise for a song.  However, if you do feel that way, chances are, you never lived in the South.  Or a rural area for that matter.

Well in my short life I lived in Nashville and spent some time in Oklahoma, and I can tell you that this is how people of the south live. It is a wholesome lifestyle, where they work hard for their pay and spend their time enjoying the company of mother nature, close friends, and cold beer. And contrary to what the press, television, and the pundits may tell you, this is how the majority of Americans live. When I first heard the song Pontoon by Little Big Town I immediately though of floating on a homemade barge on Aker's Pond in a northern New England town with no cellular phone service called Errol, and another time tubing down New Hampshire's Androscoggin River with a beer in my hand.

Many people will hoot and holla' that modern country has become commercialized, lost it's roots, and isn't even country music at all. I beg to differ. I think the new generation of country musicians and songwriters don't see their lives the same way their predecessors did. Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, and Toby Keith are all telling us that it's OK to work hard, love your country, your truck, and to be proud of who you are. Life is short so Take a Little Ride, hop on the Pontoon, have Another Beer in Mexico, or just hop in your Truck Yeah.

So yes, these new artists are country music, but they are part of a new trend in the genre. A trend where the musicians are proud of who they are, where they come from, and their down home values. This has come through in their songs.

This is country.

How Touring Can Elevate Your Career

This week I want to talk about touring, and just how powerful it can for your musical career.

Last week I received my copy of Rolling Stone, and was pleasantly surprised to see that one of my favorite groups, The Dave Matthews Band, had reached number one with their eighth studio album Away From the World.

Dave Matthews hit the mainstream back in 1994 with Under The Table and Dreaming, and close to ten years later, the 45 year old Matthews still leads a group that can sell records and sell out concert venues. This is a rare feat in today's musical landscape. One hit wonders and passive fans have made it almost impossible for a young band to gain national stardom and then maintain that position for close to a decade. So how did Dave Matthews and his group of rocking minstrels do it?

It all boils down to touring. Even before the group had a major label record deal they toured. Their manager Coran Capshaw put them on the road in the early nineties and they crisscrossed the United States a number of times picking up fans at each show. A fan of The Grateful Dead, Capshaw understood the importance of coordinating a fan base for the group and then motivating them to buy into the brand. This proved quite successful because by the time the band was ready to sign a major label deal they really didn't need to. When asked about the group's powerful fan base A&R man Bruce Flohr explained why RCA decided to sign the group in an online article. "I only realized how lucky we were the more shows I went to go see. I was working at a label where 90 percent of the acts we had signed couldn't draw what this dude was drawing. All of a sudden I realized that if RCA did everything wrong, we had a gold album under our belt.

The newer generation of musical dreamers should take notice of the importance of touring. First it helps you support your career. In today's day in age you probably will not sell a huge amount of $16 albums, instead you will sell a larger amount of 99¢ tracks, and you will probably give more away than you actually sell. To earn income you need to get fans to buy into your brand. Many younger musicians think this is done through FaceBook and Twitter, but trust me this rarely works. In order to connect you need to play live in-front of your fans or potential consumers.

When you play a concert, no matter how big or how small, you have a captive audience. If you can give them a performance to remember they will buy your music, your merchandise, and tickets for future shows.  All of this income adds up pretty quick, and like Coran Capshaw knew, can actually help keep a band on the road earning more fans and making more money. 

If a major label deal is your ultimate goal you MUST, and I repeat MUST, tour. As we all know there are fewer and fewer major labels out there today, but hundreds of thousands of musicians fighting for their attention. It is time for musicians to accept the cold hard fact that the music business is a business, and no matter how great your songs are these labels want to see how well you can connect with an audience and get them to buy into your brand.

I want you to step outside your rock attire and into a suit for a minute and look at it like a music industry professional. You are looking at two bands. They both have decent music that can be made marketable. They both have the look, and they are both pretty talented. But band one is touring. They play to an average of 400 people per night. They have merchandise at their shows and are selling t-shirts, thongs, stickers, and music. The other band plays occasionally, usually to about thirty people because they haven't been collecting and mobilizing a fan base, and they do not sell merchandise because they feel their music should speak for itself.

As a music executive it becomes simple math. The first band has proved they can captivate an audience and get them to buy into their brand. If on their own they are playing in front of 400 people per night and most of those people are walking away with music or merchandise, than imagine how much money the label can make when that group is introduced to 1,000, 5,000, or 10,000 fans.

For the executive band two isn't even an option. Even if they had better music, they have not proved they can connect with an audience and make them break out their wallets. Musicians must remember that if you want to make a living at your craft you need an audience that is willing to buy into your product.

This mentality is what put Dave Matthews on the national and global stage, and is why close to a decade later they can hit number one in the Billboard Charts whenever they release an album. Through touring they have built up a fan base that is always hungry to buy into the group's brand. This is what record executives want. They are investing in your small company and want to know that ten years later you will still be making them money. If you can accept that premise than you have a huge chance to get your music heard by the world. 

In an upcoming article I will offer insight as to how to keep records of your sales, motivate a fan base, and sell merchandise so you have the evidence those major executives need when the time is right.