Why cycle alone when you can cycle with friends?
Being a creative person, I often enjoy reinventing the wheel. Of course, this statement only applies to FUN wheels. Accounting wheels, laundry wheels, homework wheels … I’m 100% happy sticking with what works and what everyone else is doing regarding those wheels. But when it comes to being a Work From Home Mom, and a Music Business Entrepreneur, I will quite happily reinvent that wheel until it fits my wagon!
FACT: The Traditional Music Business Model Sucks.
Here’s Why: Running my own business by myself is overwhelming. The traditionalist says, “Get a Manager!” But a Manager would require about 10% of my income. Now, I would not mind paying 10% at ALL, except that iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other sites like that, only pay me about $50 a month. That means my manager would somehow have to survive on only $5 a month, and I just don’t see that realistically happening. It’s the same story with Booking Agents, Promoters, Producers, etc. Everyone wants a slice of the pie. But my pie is a tiny, low-fat flan, not an extra-large, meat lovers pizza.
Now, I know many of you are thinking, “So play concerts! That’s where all the money is at!”
Not so. At least, not for my genre. Maybe if I were a Rock N’ Roll cover band and could play at Over The Hill Birthday Parties and such, that would be true. As it is, I’m stuck making roughly $100 per gig at coffee houses, AND I now have an 8 month old baby, so gigging like mad doesn’t really suit my lifestyle. In order to play enough gigs to make a decent income, I’d neet to play about 30 gigs per month. Just booking that many gigs is a full time job, and I think I’d get burnt out pretty fast.
HERE’S MY BIG REINVENT-THE-WHEEL THEORY:
SPONSORS: Back during the Renaissance, the Pope, the King, and Particularly Cool Noblemen would sponsor artists and musicians, and commission works. I intend to come up with some sponsorships so that businesses and art patrons can invest in my music and writing, commission works, and enjoy special benefits in return.
START A CLUB: A fun team of friends who love my music, enjoy my writing, and have 2 or 3 hours of spare time a week to help me with creative projects would be a BLAST! We could coordinate over getting my music aired on radio stations, reviewed in magazines, and come up with artsy themes for music videos and CD and Website Art together. Of course, members of this club would have to have access to my unreleased music, books, and poetry, and we’d need to schedule Skype meetings about once a month so we can brainstorm ideas.
OFFER INTERNSHIPS: I’m ging to create a simple curriculum for high school and college students interested in Business Management, Marketing, and the Music Industry. Every week they’d have a new, easy project. In return, I’d work with their school to earn them extra credit, and I’d also write them letters of recommendation when they apply for college or a job.
RESULT: A fun and friendly community of art patrons, entrepreneurs, friends, and students, working together to make the world better by creatively supporting the art that they love.
What are your thoughts? Post comments below!
