Helplessly hoping

A brief glimpse at self-promoting your band

by Bob Gulla

Let me tell you something you probably don't want to hear: If you're a musician and you wanna make it in the music business, your music doesn't matter much. It's sad, but true. How do you think most of the crap on the radio gets there? Because it doesn't really matter what it sounds like. Because your music is only a tiny tile in the mosaic of an industry erected from massive boulders. Why do you think the marketing and promotion and publicity arms of the music industry are so muscular and high-powered? (contrary to what you might think), lots of bands make decent music. That's not even the challenge. The real hurdle is to get that music heard. Who cares if you've written a great song or even 10 great songs? I mean, look at all the great songs out there. Multiply that times a million and you have the number of all the great songs ever written that nobody's heard.

It's easy to put your efforts into making music. For one thing, it's all yours. You don't have to rely on anybody -- except maybe a few lazy bassists or weirdo drummers. Your song is the one thing in the music business that you can control. You can manipulate how it sounds, you can change the words, you can dress it up or dress it down however you like.

But what happens after the song is written? What happens to that song after you teach it to the band, after you bring it into the studio, after you bring home a CDR with the title emblazoned on the label? Do you frame it? Do you rest on the Seventh Day? Do you play it for your mother? What do you do? The job, friends, has just begun. Think of the writing and recording of the song as the interview process. Now, after the song's done, the real work begins. Congratulations on conducting a fine interview. Now sit your ass down and get cracking. Once you understand that making music is merely the first step in a perilously long and tortuous journey, you're more than halfway toward averting premature disappointment at best and suicidal behavior at worst.

If you want a record deal, a deal that'll help hundreds, even thousands of people hear your song, you have to focus on self-promotion (assuming, of course, you don't have the cash to hire a real promotion and publicity expert). Self-promotion is a critical next step in getting the word out. First, you have to send people your music. Make sure you send your CD to a specific person. Call your prospects and ask who buys music for the targeted label. Send your promotional package -- which should contain the disc, a photo (if it's decent), a short letter, and a bio -- directly to that person.

Don't overdo it on the mailing. You're a rock band (or something), not the delivery service at Tiffany's. Flashy packages, glossy envelopes, hot-pink folders all make it look like you're covering up for some kind of shortcoming. But you have to have a little class. In this instance, it doesn't pay to be cool. If you drop your CD in the mail with nothing more than a sticky note attached, don't expect your prospects to take you high on the priority list. Your letter, photo and press clips (if any) should be presented neatly. Have someone proofread your materials. If your prospective label sees you can't spell or organize your thoughts, they might not even play your disc.

Plan for your package to arrive on a Tuesday or Wednesday when the mail is lighter. This reduces the competition for attention you may face. Don't forget that a lot of people in the industry are way busier than you are and it's easy for them to ignore your disc. And be realistic. Sending one disc out to one person is like sending a message in a bottle and hoping for a rescue. You should never rely on one single mailing or contact to do the whole selling job for you.

How do you follow up your mailings? Suffice to say that A&R reps, no matter how sublime your band, won't come crashing your door down. About a week after you've dropped your music on someone, call them back and mention it. Briefly outline your past projects and why they should be interested in you. Plan these comments out beforehand. Don't have someone answer the phone only to hear someone who sounds like Nell on the other end. Be terse, intelligent, and respectful.

Focus your mailings on a specific audience and on the right labels. Do research about a label; find their catalog online. See what they've put out and what they've been successful with. Do you see yourself in line with their acts? If so, say so. Use that as a selling point in your letter. Find out what these people want to gain and/or what pain they want to eliminate. Make sure you adjust your music products to what they want. They will tell you what that is if you listen.

As for the actual disc, obviously, the first track is hyper-critical. Put your best music up front. Grab their attention and hold it. You might consider using a three- or four-minute montage of your best work instead of full-length tracks. This way only the best parts of your music are showcased. That approach can really make prospects sit up and take notice. Remember, your CD alone is never going to close sales for you. It's one step in an often long, arduous process.

If sending CDs out blindly doesn't feel right to you and you sense you're wasting your time, then get clever and try other promotional strategies to get people interested in your work. Persistence is the key. Don't be a pest, but keep your name alive. By doing so you'll feel connected (at least partially) to the business you'd someday like to help pay your bills and feed your habits.

One last thought. If promoting and selling music products and services were so easy, we'd all be millionaires. Success doesn't come overnight. It requires hard work, dedication, constant purpose, and a carefully considered strategy that you work every day. Following this process you will, slowly and steadily, build your music career to the level of success you desire. It's you, your talent, and your commitment that will make it happen.

WANDERING EYE. In his neverending quest for completeness for his Providence music scene website wrap-up, Sean over at Rattlehead Records is looking for some important information. He writes: "I am embarrassed to say that even though we've spoken to hundreds of musicians the past few months and collected a large number of profiles and contact info for bands, we do not have 70 percent of the bands in your Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll. Twenty-seven of these bands have been on our wanted list for seven months and have stubbornly remained 'unfound.' " If anyone nominated for a Providence Best Music Poll award reads this column and has not registered with Sean, please contact him. His email address is webmaster @rattlehead records. com. C'mon, just do it.

On Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6, the Sixth Annual Mexifest punk blast roars into nearby Connecticut. Friday's show --all ages, from 3 to 11 p.m., $8 -- includes bands like All My Sins, A Better Tomorrow, Stikpin, and Sci-Fi Lullaby. On Saturday -- 21-plus, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., $10 -- features Stitch, Forced Reality, Darkbuster, Razorwire, M-80, Tommy and the Terrors, Windfall, and Smoke the Prophet. Mexifest 2000 takes place at the Prospect, CT VFW Pavilion on Route 68. Rain or shine, $1 beers on Saturday and, fresh Mex grub. The phone number for specific directions is (203) 758-4763.

Bob Gulla can be reached at b_gulla@yahoo.com.