Unsigned Indie Music Artists

8 Good Tips on How to Become a Jazz Musician

2012-02-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Jazz is a type of lively music that has a strong and complex rhythm. Sadly, not many people like Jazz music. And because of this, Jazz became very tough to sell. Jazz musicians usually don’t fill arenas and are not able to sell millions of CDs unlike rock bands. But it doesn’t mean you can’t make money out of Jazz music - You just have to love the music itself more than the money. In case you still want to know how to become a jazz musician, we listed down 8 tips just for you.

Here are some of the tips on how to become a jazz musician:

1.    Try to learn about jazz music deeply. You can study about the history of this kind of music. It is actually more like classical music than rock or country. You have to understand its history because the rhythms, techniques, and sub-genres are all explained in there. Once you learn about it, you can be an effective jazz musician.
2.    Look for other people to go with you on gigs. It is great if you could start in a band so you will have the support and inspiration you’ll need in your journey.
3.    You need to practice at least four times a week. You also must keep at least one day to play with other people because the challenge of learning new instruments with others will definitely help you grow as a musician. But, you will still need some more time alone so you could experiment as well as perfect your technique.
4.    Play at any gigs that you can find in your local area. A great place to start playing is on a wedding or parties because the venues are small and the guests are not that critical. Once you have references, start checking out some clubs.
5.    Building your own website will give you a professional image. You have to include information about your experiences, interest, and musical philosophy. You may also offer free MP3 downloads and a page that shows your gig dates.
6.    You can network with other musicians so you will be able to know some opportunities and also to exchange ideas. You can go to Yahoo! and search for the group Jazz players in there. Those musicians have been around since 2001.
7.    You may create your own CD and market it. There are so many music softwares out there that can help you produce something that you may sell at local gigs and even on your own site.
8.    Once you have some needed experience on being a jazz musician, try to market your work to agents, record labels, and larger venues. Keeping a record of your record sales is a must and you have to make sure that your site looks very professional.

Being a jazz musician is really tough because of the fact that not many people can appreciate that kind of music. But if you really like to become one, then you should consider these tips on how to become a jazz musician and hopefully, they will somehow help you.

How to Become a Musician – Things to Do

2012-02-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

A lot of people dream of becoming a composer, singer, and most especially a rock star. It has always been hard to gain fame and fortune through music, but the dream of becoming a musician is a little bit more realistic and achievable. Like in any other profession, one must learn the basic skills and techniques in music in order to achieve success, most especially if you want to make money by having gigs. If you want to know how to become a musician, you are in the right place. We have listed down some tips you can consider doing to achieve your dream.

Just read on and learn how to become a musician:

1.    Decide which instrument you want to play. There are some musicians that can play a number of instruments; they all likely started playing with just one. By this way, it helps you stay focused on your practicing time and guides your creativity when it comes to playing instruments.

2.    Study and learn everything about music. It includes musical notation, chord progression, and the structure and melodic conventions of your musical style. Take note that classical, pop, and jazz have different theoretical traditions which takes years of study to master them deeply.

3.    Search for local musicians and practice with them. You will likely form a music group, quartet, or just a jam band, but, being able to share and sharpen your music ideas with other people is priceless.

4.    You can listen to other recording artists you look up to and emulate their style. There are famous artists like the Beatles and Elton John who fell in love with music and were able to build their reputations by somehow emulating their idols.

5.    Create a practice schedule. Making sure you have practice time every week is hard especially if you have other things to be busy about like another job or your family, so, you have to manage it wisely.

6.    You may consider taking private or group music lessons with the experts in your area. Some good sources for searching a qualified instructor are colleges, conservatories, and some public schools.

7.    Try to work hard on having concerts and gigs in your area. In case you are a rock or jazz musician, it is a great idea to gain experience in clubs and bars and eventually build a following or fans.

May these tips on how to become a musician help you achieve your dreams of being famous in the music industry.

Steps on How to Become a Studio Musician

2012-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

It is ideal for musicians who enjoy working with different performers and on different genres to become a studio musician or sometimes called a session player. Being a studio musician requires you to have a lot of skill, hard work, and luck for you to be successful. You just have to be determined and must have the necessary skills in playing music in any situation because who knows, being a studio musician is the start of your rewarding music career. For you to begin your journey to a successful music career, we first listed down some steps on how to become a studio musician.

One could become a successful studio musician by means of referrals or if someone has heard you played a song. Below are tips on how to become a studio musician that you can consider doing:
•    Learn more about your craft. If you can afford to go to school then you do it. It is not the degree that will get you jobs but the knowledge and ability you will learn from a music school. You need to learn the needed skills that a studio musician must have in any ways you learn best. The skills included are the ability to sight-read music, compose, improvise, and play different kinds of instruments.
•    Go to recording studios and try to talk to the producers and engineers. Give them a demo CD that shows your expertise on a variety of musical instruments. Use different musical styles that showcase your diversity.
•    Play anywhere and as often as you possibly can. You need to build a name for yourself while keeping your skills sharp by playing with other local bands, filling in for a musician, as well as networking on the music scene.
•    Make a portfolio and always keep it updated with every gig you played at. May it be a live performance or just a studio recording job, you still have to keep a record of it.
•    You may consider moving to any major music city like Los Angeles, New York, Nashville or to the closest major city to you. The idea of moving can be a big deal but you really must go to where the jobs are. In case, there is no studio in the place where you live, you only have very little chances of getting some work.

Learning how to become a studio musician is really not a hard thing to do most especially if that’s what you always wanted to do. Like in every job, you can only be successful if you give all your best and persevere no matter what.

Useful Tips for Musicians – How to Perform Well

2012-02-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Every time you perform, you are giving entertainment to your audiences. First among the most important tips for musicians is to try to see yourself as an entertainer, not just a musician, and your performance will definitely improve. It is because entertainers focus on the needs of the audience. In case you are having a hard time performing well, or your shyness and nervousness gets in the way of your performance, we listed down some performance tips for musicians like you. We hope that you may find these tips quite useful while preparing for your performance.

•    Understand Stage Fright. This is a frequent condition of performance, and even famous celebrities experience this from time to time. There are many factors that trigger stage fright and what contributes to performance anxiety is negative and irrational self-statements. You can still perform greatly even though you are nervous. Many audiences can be very forgiving of nerves and a few missed notes. But one of the greatest tips for musicians is that they have to play passionately and with complete dedication.
•    Make use of your 10 seconds wisely. “The most important part of any act is the first ten seconds and the last ten seconds… What happens in between isn’t that important.”- George M. Cohen, seasoned singer and dancer. This is a very big challenge for every performer - gaining and holding the audiences’ attention. These are some advice for musicians so that they will be able to gain and hold their audience’s attention:
1.    Communicate or engage with your audience visually. You can introduce yourself first, smile and make eye contact.
2.    Make a strong start.
3.    Make sure the piece you are going to use has meaning to you.
•    Be confident. Always be proud of yourself. You need a lot of guts to stand and perform in front of many strangers and bare your very creative soul. Always take pride and be proud of your uniqueness as a performer even though your piece has been performed a number of times. Every time you stand up on stage, you should make a direct connection with your audience.
•    Be Unique. Surprise your audience with something unique that will enable you to captivate their attention. You should keep yourself from being a boring performer; give them something new every time you perform.
•    Each and every great musician has the ability to perform in a way that moves his/her audience. You are once a discriminating audience yourself so you know what the audience wants to see in a performer; you have to perform for your audience the way you would like someone to perform for you.
•    One last thing about these tips for musicians is that you need to perform your piece with high intensity and absolute presence. You can forget about mistakes, just focus on the message you want to relay to your audience. Always perform as if it is your last performance and make your audience listen to you as if they are hearing it for the first time.

We hope these tips for musicians out there can really help everyone perform well in their shows, concerts, gigs etc.

Helpful Guide on How to Write Independent Artists Music

2012-02-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

Everyone can write independent artists music without any formal training, gather a fan base, and even have several hits on the radio as well as on YouTube. You can write rock, reggae, Celtic, or country music, even if you are a solo artist or just a band member. It is just easy to learn how to write indie music most especially with the help of the tips listed below:

•    Select the instrument that will reflect your style. An independent musician knows how to write using guitar, piano, flutes, brass instruments, or even a kazoo. You must choose an instrument that you are comfortable with and compose a melody or a riff.
•    Be able to write catchy and individualistic lyrics. It can be about a lover or a zoo trip that is written with an intellectual, historic reference at least in a song. It will make your song stand out from the others on the internet and on the radio, and will also give your band an identity.
•    As independent artists, music you write should have a distinctive vocal style. You can look for inspiration from the vocals of the bands Strokes, the Killers, or the subdued style of My Morning Jacket. You must fit the vocal phasing so it will be matched with the lyrics and melody.
•    You can rewrite your song even if it already sounds perfect. Refine the lyrics and riffs until they sound exactly like you want them to be; do it even if takes you hours or nights to finish it. Then, you have to perfect all your instruments - bass, guitars, keyboards, and drums - until your music has a very distinctive and seamless sound.
•    You must record all of your music’s demo versions. Most of the time, the indie artist releases several versions of his music. The recorded version of a certain song is somewhat different from the MP3 or CD version.

Writing independent artists music also needs you to be talented in playing instruments. You must have musical talent so your songwriting task will not be difficult for you. Remember that you should not over-think every time you create your own music. Everything will come easily to you if you don’t think so hard about it. Like in any kind of songs, you will be able write a perfect song with the help of an inspiration. Just continue writing because you also have the time refining your song after you finished writing.

2011-2012 Unsigned R&B Artists to Watch Out for

2012-01-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

Thousands of talented singers or musicians out there are waiting for their time to shine - for the right time that they would be recognized by a record label and be able to have thousands of people listening to their songs and screaming their names out loud. These unsigned R&B artists are sometimes as good as and sometimes way better than the ones who have already signed a recording contract. Most of the times they are actually more gifted than those who already have record deals.

This article lists some of those unsigned R&B artists who are talented (and more gifted), and who deserves to have their big break with a major record label someday soon.

•    Paul Hill – He is a singer-songwriter-producer from Detroit who has already worked with Dallas Austin, George Clinton, and Too Short. He’s a soulful R&B artist who has a few songs listed on the internet including his laid back, romantic jam entitled “Spacing on MySpace”. Hill has already toured with George Clinton and the Parliament/Funkadelic, shared stage with the likes of James Brown, Lauren Hill, Snoop Dogg, etc., appeared on both Jay Leno and David Letterman, and performed at the Grammy Awards, and the BET 25th Anniversary Show.
•    Fernando Carlo – He is a soulful young R&B and Gospel singer who’s very talented like any of the top Soul vocalists in the US. He has a smooth, Latin lover-type style which can be compared to big artists like Brian McKnight, Will Downing, George Benson, and even Luther Vandross.
•    Jayms Madison – She is a singer born in 1987 from the Bronx, New York which later on moved to Jamaica at the age of 2 then Venezuela at 9 years old and back to the US a year later. Jayms has managed to develop her talent for singing and songwriting. By going to her MySpace Page, you can hear her songs about relationships and love.
•    Singnature – they are a traditional male vocal group from Rochester, N.Y. and who was formerly known as Street Squad. This group has already performed at many festivals, venues, major shows, and concerts. They have opened for Trey Songs, Luducris, Tank, and many more.
•    Just Perry – This guy has a pure voice, songs with great lyrics, and unique sound. His first single was “Born a Hero” from his self-titled CD, and draws influences from R-Kelly to Jay-Z.
•    Melanie Rutherford – Rutherford is one of the many talented unsigned R&B artists out there who deserves a record deal. She is from Michigan and independently released an album called “Relationships in My Own Words” in 2007. Her album talks about real issues such as broken relationships, life struggles, as well as unconditional love.

How to Get Signed – Tips for Unsigned Acoustic Artists

2012-01-26T03:17:00.000-08:00

All artists need remarkable talent, marketability, and a bit of luck in order to get signed, although, it doesn’t guarantee you fame and success. As one of the many aspiring unsigned (acoustic) artists, you need to have these qualities so record labels will come running after you to get you signed under their label.

Here are several tips that will make a record label notice you and eventually sign you up for a record deal.

·         You must write great songs, polish your live shows, and play for an entertainment executive that can take you to the next level. Some artists are signed to major labels because that is where they should belong, while others may sign to an investment group which is just looking for a write off. It’s not actually the “label” which can help you, but it has something to do with which company can be able to give you the best exposure and turn you from one of those unsigned (acoustic) artists into signed artists.

·         You need to make a good music which is well-written because this most especially can be marketed.

·         Every artist becomes successful because they never forget to practice their craft. Therefore, you need to practice regularly to help you hone your talent.

·         Don’t forget to save money. Find cheap but good and creative ways of making demos and getting noticed. There are a lot of very expensive ways to make your demos, just try to avoid them.

·         Try to market your gigs on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and local music stores with other artists like you, and have them bring all of their friends along. It is actually more than just playing in a gig; it can help you develop your talent and confidence and build you a following or fans.

·         Look for an experienced manager that can help you get started. The manager may not be your best-friend, or your great guitar teacher, but he’s someone who can understand the ins and outs of the music industry. Your manager can also help you secure an entertainment attorney when the time comes that you’ll be needing one.

·         You must record a very remarkable sounding demo with a great producer so you can have a professional label that includes your contact information. Remember that you have to send your best sounding and original music, not the covers.

Lastly, as unsigned (acoustic) artists do, you should never lose hope. Don’t let anyone put you down and discourage you. Negative comments must give you courage to go on and do better. Never give up. You will soon meet the right record label and eventually get you signed.

5 of the Most Popular Indie Music Artists (2011)

2012-01-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

Rising Stars:

Independent music is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries. It is often called “indie music” or simply “indie”. Currently, we already have many indie music artists that are existing trying to make it big in the music industry. Some have already made a name and are now popular while some are still striving to get noticed.

Here is a list of the most popular indie music artists in the United States, based on their play count and “scrobbles” in Last.fm.

1.    Death Cab for Cutie – this band is commonly referred to as “Death Cab”. They are an American Indie rock band from Bellingham, Washington. Formed back in 1997 by the lead singer Ben Gibbard, they have already achieved a loyal following of hipsters and emo kids. Their top songs include “I Will Follow You into The Dark,” “Soul Meets Body,” and “Crooked Teeth.”
2.    Animal Collective – they are a new hip breed of indie rock which is sometimes described as psychedelic folk or noise pop. This band originates from Baltimore, Maryland. Their music is so hard to describe because it is sometimes experimental and changes from show to show. Their popular songs are “My Girls,” “In the Flowers,” and “Summertime Clothes,” while their most popular indie albums are “Feels,” “Sung Tongs,” and “Strawberry Jam.”
3.    The Decemberists - formed in the year 2000, a band that comes from Portland, Oregon. Lead singer Colin Meloy is the one who write most of the band’s whimsical lyrics as the one you hear in “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect.” They are now signed to Capitol Records and have already performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and have eventually gained critical acclaim.
4.    The Shins – this band debuted in 1997 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and after their success with the popular indie rock album “Oh, Invented World”, they moved to Portland, Oregon in 2002. They helped popularize indie music with their “Beach Boy-esque” indie pop sound, and their most popular songs are “New Slang,” “Caring is Creepy,” and “Australia.”
5.    Modest Mouse - formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington by Issac Brock, Jeremiah Green, and Eric Judy. Most indie rock purists mock at Modest Mouse being labeled as indie because of their contract with Sony but in spite of that, they are still categorized as indie rock and are still branded as one of the most popular indie music artists. Modest Mouse got significant mainstream appeal with the help of their song “Float On” from videogames like Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

How to Become a Successful Musician – Simple Tips and Ideal Characteristics

2012-01-16T05:50:00.000-08:00

So you want to be a successful musician someday? Do you want to know how to become a successful musician? Well if your answer is yes, then you have to know a few things first to achieve your goal. Keep in mind that great musicians are not magically produced, nor did they become great over night. If you really want to become one, you need hard work, dedication, and passion to keep growing and enriching your knowledge or talent.

Learning how to become a successful musician can be achieved by following the very simple steps or tips listed below.
•    Hard work is very important in every endeavor. You need to work your butt off and become excellent in everything that you do. Your passion will be seen on how much hard work you put into the things that you do. If you’re a guitarist, you can take lessons and practice playing many hours within a day.
•    Let people know about you. You should start performing and keep performing. You can as well distribute your music. By this way, people will be aware of your existence and your name.
•    Get a good company or agent to notice you and eventually let you sign for a contract and make them invest in marketing your music.
•    Keep writing hit songs. This is sometimes a combination of luck and hard work. This could be hard to control because it is up to the listeners if your pieces would fall in the right places for you.

Once you finally get the success you are aiming for, you should maintain a behavior that helps you through it. Below are some of the characteristics that a successful musician must have:
•    They practice consistently. You must maintain a regular practice schedule and make sure you have time to practice every day. Time management is the key to efficient and effective practicing.
•    They are inquisitive. They are curious and often ask many questions. They are always happy to learn from other musicians like them. It is healthy if a successful musician keeps on seeking for new systems and methods of learning because it will definitely help them hone their craft.
•    They are analytical. They are focused so they can avoid distractions. They pay attention to details when practicing to ensure their success. Make sure to think through your problems so you can find ideas that can solve them.
•    They are self-motivated. They always take the initiative and are very proactive self-starters. Self-mastery provides you many wonderful things that can be accomplished.
•    They are good listeners. They know that listening to others first and then making them listen to you is the quickest way to create a very caring, positive, and respectful resolution to conflict. If you never fail to listen, you will create an environment where misunderstandings can be avoided and have harmonious music making with others.
•    They are persistent. They know very well that success doesn’t happen overnight. If you never fail to persist working toward your goal, you will someday realize it. You should never give up even though there are rough patches along your way.

After reading this, you may start asking yourself if you have some of those characteristics that a successful musician must possess. May you take time to consider the tips on how to become a successful musician mentioned above, and try having the characteristics that can help you succeed someday.

Powerful Tips on How to Become a Music Artist

2012-01-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

To become a famous music artist, you just need to believe in yourself. The first step to greatness and success is believing in yourself. You have to believe and have faith in yourself that you can do everything you wish to do most especially if you put your heart and soul to it. If you do this, becoming a famous artist will not be that hard for you to achieve. This article gives you tips on how to become a music artist and we hope that it will somehow contribute to your future success.

Here are the tips that will guide you on how to become a music artist someday.

Be a good artist. Even if you are already famous, you need to take many classes as you can. You have to learn how to work with different media. It is also important to seek the advice or to learn from the masters or the ones that are already an expert in their music careers.
Establish connections. In any kind of endeavor, it is really important to build relationships along your journey to help you get what you want in the end. Don’t ever use people but instead make friends. Great opportunities often come with the help of your friends, or your friends’ friend. You will never know how to become a music artist if you don’t know people and don’t have good relationships with people around the music industry.
Be a lead in your local scene. In case you do not have a lot of artists in your area, you may move to a city that will provide you more opportunities. Always display your talent anywhere you can. You can be a little bit choosier when you get famous, but always be accessible or easy to get in touch with when you are just starting out.
Try to be notorious. There are some cases that talent and hard work are not the only things that can get you famous. Some artists have built an aura around themselves by doing things that are not related to their craft. But never go overboard. It is still your ability and perseverance that will help you achieve the success you’re aiming to achieve.
Be creative with your craft. You have to be unique and stop doing the exact same thing that other musicians do. It would be very hard for you to stand out from the crowd if you don’t innovate and are not creative. Make sure that when people think of you, they will already have an image of who and what you are as an artist.

With all these powerful tips on how to become a music artist, there’s one thing you really need to remember always, that is to be yourself. Never try to be anybody other than you are, let your audience know and love you for what you are as a person. And if ever you become famous, don’t let it get into your head. You have to be humble so you can stay in the music industry as long as people want you to be in there.