The Yukon makes moments...

I was recently in Whitehorse Yukon. Amy Wolter and I were there working with some of the top bands in Whitehorse. The bands we worked with will be showcasing at the WCMA's next month. We had the privilege to spend 3 hours of one-on-one rehearsal and than working with all 8 bands the last day.

The diversity in music was very intriguing. We had everything from Folk, Pop, Rock to Rap! The one thing that I wanted to emphasize was that rules never changed. Each genre of music had the same goal...an emotional connection with the audience. Working with the rap artist really helped reinforce that. We had no instruments to work with, no back up singers, nothing to manipulate other than the rapper himself (Kelvin Smolers)!

Every artist had to find a way to create a connection. We had singer songwriters with either a piano or guitar, we had full bands in costumes! I was once again reminded of the simplicity of our goal. Create Moments, Capture and Engage, and see lives moved to change by the power of your music...by the power of the CONNECTION. Tom explains this so well - check out this DVD Series: ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE STAGE The DVD series is the most comprehensive in the industry. No one else explains our reason for performing like Tom does. No one can give you the insight as to why and HOW we do what we do as musicians.

Without an emotional connection there is no way we can communicate our music to it's fullest potential! I relearned that while working in the Yukon! We do not hit the stage to play music!! We hit the stage to connect with a group of people, the method for this is the music!! I challenge you to take off your musicians hat and place it to the side while putting on the hat of a performer. Allow yourself to be transformed into a communicator, a story teller, an emotional conduit! Allow your audience to feel what you felt when you were stirred to write the song, or the feeling you had when you decided to sing that song!

Tom always says, " People do not buy songs, they buy moments!" GO CREATE MOMENTS!!!

Kevin Pauls

Investing in your career

I want to talk about the money that musicians spend on their careers...from a sampling of what I have heard, seen and experienced in the industry. Your spending speaks volumes about what you think is important. And I'm hoping to challenge the "status quo" thinking when it comes to your money and your music!

Let's breakdown a fairly typical example: A singer/songwriter, has been playing in clubs for a while and fans are looking for some music to buy. The Artist decides to do a recording and make a presence online (iTunes, a website, YouTube, social media etc). Now, the artist needs to create actual "in your hand" product to sell at their shows. The artist duplicates 5oo units, pays for artwork and design as well as any royalties (if recording covers)

Investment (the "status quo" approach)
Recording/Duplication - $22,000
Social Media, Website (ie.Bandzoogle)Artwork/Design - $500
Live Show - $0
Cost: $22,500

Now, let's look at a DIFFERENT approach:
Recording/Duplication - $17,000
Social Media, Website, artwork/design - $500
Live Show - $5,000
Cost: $22,500

The cost/output is the same...so what's the difference?
Revenue from the live show typically accounts for over 90% of a band or artist's revenue!! When you talk to managers, artists and record companies - they consistently indicate that every band they work with will generate well over 90% of their revenue from their live show. (Now, this does not include the "lottery winners" - The bands and artists that hit the jackpot and get a #1 record or a #1 single etc.)A great Live Show will not only create higher paying gigs but when you connect with an audience and create moments...you create FANS and FANS BUY MERCH! Your overall revenue from the show will increase exponentially! This will translate into more sales at the gig, more promoters re-booking you, higher fees for playing - ITS ALL GOOD!

My experience with 25 years in the industry would back up these numbers. Artists/bands typically spend 100% of their resources trying to make great recordings. They then do not have the resources to market their product effectively. If you do not win the "lottery" you are stuck playing crappy gigs to hopefully earn a living. This model of a "career" does not allow artists to thrive - it allows you to MAYBE survive at best!! In other words, your investment is not earning ANY interest!

SO, now we are left with a decision. Here are the facts:
We make more revenue from playing music than we do selling it.
What do we do with that information? How do we plan a career based on this kind of data?

Here is my suggestion:
Invest in the recording for sure - you need to have that music available. BUT - if you have a limited budget be creative - don't blow 100% of your budget on the music side and ignore the LIVE SHOW!!!

Look at your money...where have you invested it? Do you have more guitar pedals than Van Halen? Do you have boxes of hundreds of CD's? Do you have more sound gear than your local studio??

Invest in your LIVE SHOW!!! Than, you will generate more revenue and create fans that will follow your entire career!!!

Kevin Pauls
LIVE MUSIC PRODUCER