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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,426 Likes: 16
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2009
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INTERNET LIVE, THE NEW NORMAL
Hello everyone. Hope you are all safe at this time. The newest deminsion that is now a fact of life for all of us in music are the LIVE PLATFORMS on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and all other Internet platforms. At this point for the past few week and on into the future are millions of artists, writers, are live video concerts, single songs, messages on internet, via, camera phone, computer, or video camera. AS social distancing has become a life and death situation, live venues have closed down, concerts are on hold, appointments and face to face interaction is off limits these days, this is becoming the rule rather than the exception.
Musicans and artists are using this to their benefits connecting with people around the world, some recording live, some doing teleconferencing with their fans and business partners. The biggest stars in the world, Garth Brooks, Lady Ga Ga, and most of the late night television shows, in fact, pretty much all news and programs are now being done from living rooms, bedrooms, music rooms, around the world. It's the fact of life for now, and probably going to be quite a bit in the future; There might come a day where it is more normal than large concerts. People get to see their favorite artists up close and personal and in many cases, get to talk to them direction through questions. Nothing could be more personal. Many are monetizing it through the sale of physical product, downloads or virtual tip jars and donations. It's doing well to keep many musicians alive who would otherwise have no income at all coming in.
So this should be reinforcing something that all songwriters need to know and understand. Your music depends on AUDIENCES to go past what only you can do. It has to have listeners unless you want to be the best writer in your living room which is really happening now at any rate. This is also opportunities for finding collaborators and even finding artists. you wouldn't be able to "pitch songs" to the majors any more than you can now, but you can find the newer and up coming artists and start relationships there. It is the best of times and the worst of times.
MARC-ALAN MORNINS' Personally, I am using it to great effect in my own life. I have "MARC-ALAN MORNINS'" every Monday and Friday at 10:00 am CST. I do a variety of songs I have written, mostly with other people over my 30 plus years in Nashville. I've written with number one and top writers, hall of famers, Award winners, and legendary artists, as well as thousands of average individuals, artists, young and old, different races cultures, creeds. For 20 of those years I've been called on to be a TEACHER and MENTOR of songwriting, live performance. I have been using it to great success, namely in re-connecting with friends, relatives, many that I have not seen in decades, but also a variety of people across the world fans of my music, co-writers, other interested parties. It's had an interesting effect of reaching people I've never thought of. Hit writers who have heard of me or are friends of mine, hit producers, label people, publishers, are all tuning in and I am actually getting some pitches on songs, most I would have never gotten an opportunity to do.
It's connecting me with people who might be candidates for my "Nashville songwriting tours" (private workshops) song critiques, songwriting lessons, and I am being contacted by all sorts of people privately. As they see the way I write my own songs and lead others through the process, they get a sense of who I am, and what I might be able to do in their own careers. Many writers and artists who have gone on to be successful in their own hometowns and regions have found what I teach useful in their own efforts. And many of those are going on to have their OWN live shows. It rising tide lifts all boats.
My approach is to have THEMES of shows. Grouping songs in their subject matter, tone, approach. In each show I have an element of teaching as well as the songs themselves. I've had shows that deal with Collaboration, Humor songs, Songs of Faith, Transportation songs, R&B songs, and tomorrow's selections, "TRUTH IS BETTER THAN FICTION" songs written from real stories, personal relationships, and from the current headlines. I talk a bit about the process, how pro writers develop story lines, avoiding "second verse hell" and other stumbling blocks in songwriting. I also tell some real stories of hit makers, and things friends of mine have gone through in their way to the top. It's a lot of fun.
For people who only know me from a distance in things I've written or blogged over the years, it provides a chance to actually SEE ME and helps me illustrate what I always talk about.
I hope some of you might find it helpful and tune in. If you can see it LIVE, they are archived on my "MARC-ALAN BARNETTE" or "MARC-ALAN BARNETTE MUSIC" Pages on Facebook. IT would be an honor to hear from some of you and try to help you if possible. If nothing else, it's a way for us all to connect, hopefully take our minds off of the current state we all are in. I invite you to join me.
Please take care of yourselves and good luck in your own efforts.
MAB
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 11,534 Likes: 28
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 11,534 Likes: 28 |
Thanks for this. Friend request sent on FB as Postel Hoek. Cheers
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,426 Likes: 16
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Thanks. I'll look. Add as soon as I see it.
MAB
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,831
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,831 |
Hi Marc:
Glad to see this avenue of communicating and bonding with other artists and songwriters... is working for you. I'm not sure which is worse... the Big Corona... or the cure. The long hours of watching TV and spending time working over my catalog are no substitute for normal human activities.
It must be even more taxing on parents unable to work and having to stay at home, desperately trying to find ways to keep the family entertained... and even worse, supplied with enough to eat!
I won't be able to join in but wish you and everyone success and escape from extreme boredom. I lived through WWII as a child and later, as an "Airdale" Sailor... did a brief indoctrination tour on an old diesel submarine, the USS Blackfin... and neither were this dull. LOL!
Stay safe and as active as possible, my friend.
All the best, ----Dave
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,426 Likes: 16
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OP
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Hey Dave,
Thanks. This has been one of the more interesting experiences I have had. I've done a few Facebook things before but never quite the "FACEBOOK LIVE" thing. I saw so many people doing it and most of them were having to do the "virtual tip jars" and such to try and make up for the loss of revenue. And at the same time it is so hard for people paying their bills, having no income, etc. I just didn't want to go that route. I am very lucky in that I have some investments that have done fine through a lot of bad times, and I am actually sort of "semi retired" so I'm not stressed out about my livelyhood.
And songwriters, artists, musicians are actually very used to being able to develop a lot of income and interest streams. So some of the people are doing pretty decently. It's not all doom and gloom, although no one would say they are thriving. Some people just are good at making the best of bad situations. There are several session players, producers, etc. doing online tutorials and even some doing continuous demos and other recordings. With technology, pretty much anything can be done. If anything, it's showing ways that people can utilize their talents in ways they didn't see.
For me, it's been a really interesting experience. Each show I do, I do is "THEMED" and each theme requires me to research my own catelogue, and find songs that fit that theme. So that has required me to go WAY BACK into my catalogue, and find all sorts of things I have completely forgotten about. You have to remember, that I've written over 3000 songs since 2003, and quite a few before that in my 32 years in this town. So I've got a few to go through. I'm at 18 shows now, doing one tonight, because I am picking up "extra shows" for different groups. And that brings in people becoming aware of my music and my teaching and mentoring things, which is where my real bread and butter is. I am contacted most days from people I have never met, asking for song critiques, questions about my services, and of course, getting quite a few downloads. They find me, go to my web site, and let it go from there. I have reconnected with relatives and friends I have not seen or talked to in 40 years, let relatives see what I do, opened up lines of communication and found a TON of new listeners. It's been eye opening.
It has all kinds of interesting by products. Our neighborhood here, is a pretty close group of people. But there are plenty that we have not known. So on Fridays, we gather up our street at a "cul-de-sac" and everyone brings their own snacks, drinks, tables, chairs, etc. and we gather for a neighborhood "happy hour" party. One of the neighbors had a ton of Bamboo in his back yard he was going to cut down anyway (now is the time to get all those household things you put off done) and cut them into 7 foot strips. Then we brought those out, and laid them out so that everyone keeps their social distance. It is a lot of fun and we get to meet all our different neighbors, which helps not just getting to know each other, but in our "neighborhood watch" so we all know what's going on, have each other's information, etc.
And it has also brought out musicians. We have about three singers and songwriters on the block. And one happens to be DOCTOR. We also have a Researcher from Vanderbilt, who is learning to play fiddle. He and his wife actually went through the entire Covid 19 experience. He had barely a headache and she was really down and out for about 5 weeks. But they both have totally recovered and we get some insights into things to do and not to do from them.
They all have gotten to know me through my shows, and it provides some insights into who their crazy neighbors are. And it has really helped us in a ton of ways. Two weeks ago, one of our neighbors, had their driveway paved. We all have some pretty long and steep driveways and those of us that have priced them before have foujnd the prices WAY UP. But they did some really thorough research, and foujnd a great price, and a very dependable third generation paving company. They did such a great job, we had the do ours, and last Friday another neighbor got their's done. We all got great work at really great prices since the company had all the equipment, labor here, and all the jobs were right next to each other. On others, we recommended a company that did our kitchen and bathroom renovations a couple years ago, and three other famiiles have had work done as well.
So all of this has just created opportuntiies, not just for music, but for social intereaction in a very tough time. The overall time has been okay for myself and my partner, Tina. Since we both work mostly from home, and do most of both of our jobs online, there has not been a huge amount of things that have changed. My trips to the store, and other nessasary things have been pretty easy actually. Just takes some planning, paying attention to what the govt. is saying and taking care of yourself and neighbors.
Now, the City is opening up and most resturants, and other places, hair salons, nail salons, and many other businesses are opening. All are practicing safe things and we are adjusting, which is what we do best here. This state is called "THE VOLUNTEER STATE" and that is basically the attitudes you get here. WE look out for each other and try to do all we can. And it comes back ten fold.
Okay. Got to go take my dog to the groomers. Those are opening up too. Pretty soon I'll even be able to get a hair cut and get out of my "weird Emmett Brown" look. LOL!
Stay safe everyone. Show is tonight at 7:00 PM CST, and on Friday, I'm VERY EXCITED, because I'm doing my NEXT BIG THING CD in it;s entirety. At one point, after my publishing deal ran out and another one was destroyed by a well intentioned but misguided attorney, and before my teaching really kicked in, I decided to do my "last CD." In order to make it interesting, I did it in the form of a play. It told the story of two 85 year old guys, Bobby and Billy, who had grown up together, had bands, learned and played music and basically had a ton of adventures. At 85, one night they decide to escape their old folks home and head for one last blast in Las Vegas. Along the way, the tell their stories of their lives and all the songs are sort of their lives in flashback. It goes through loves, cars, loss, death, and most of all, life. It's pretty funny, and I put all kinds of pictures of my kids, friends,parents, band members, celebrities, former girlfriends, etc. and made up the stories and did it in a booklet form with the CD in the back of it. A freak pipe burst happened while 'i was on the road destroying most of the booklets, and CDS. So this is the only time I've ever done this, and I'm really looking forward to it. That one will be Friday at 10:00 am CST.
Gotta make the best of hard times. I do have that much from My Father in me.
Take care. MAB
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 19,579 Likes: 13
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How are you enjoying your live broadcasts MAB? I have checked bits and pieces out, it looks like you're getting better and better at it and it is a lot of fun.
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@gmail.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..." -Brian Austin Whitney "Sometimes all you have to do to inspire humans to greatness is to give them a reason and opportunity to do something great." -Brian Austin Whitney
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"If one man can do it, any man can do it. It is true. But the real question is, if one man did it, are you willing to do what it takes to do it as well?" –Brian Austin Whitney
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