FaceWizard Viral Facebook Marketing

Progressive rock appeared in the late 1960s when rock artists wanted to break down the barriers of radio formatted pop and rock and progress this music genre to a place where it could achieve a more sophisticated sound, similar to that of classical music or jazz. Progressive rock is very hard to define in one conclusive way and we have progressive rock bands to prove that. Some of the most important bands of the 70s that defined this rock form did not have the same sound.

Psychedelic music is believed to be the starting point of progressive rock. Some people also believe that bands like The Beatles contributed to the progressive rock movement. However, the two progressive rock bands that most people see as being the first of this new- found genre were King Crimson and Yes. These progressive rock bands appeared at the end of the 1960s and although the first band was attributed to hard progressive rock sub- genre and the second to symphonic rock, they were both catalogued as progressive rock bands, as their sound was unique and more sophisticated. Genesis is yet another rock band that aspired to progressive rock. Their third progressive rock album set things straight for this band. They were a symphonic rock band and thus a progressive rock band.

Great Britain was the first country that started the progressive rock movement, but Italy was not far behind either. Banco Del Mutuo Soccorco and Premiata Forneria Marconi were progressive rock bands that led the way for all rock bands all over Europe to progress and define this rock genre. As far as the progressive rock movement is concerned, these two European countries were the ones that opened all doors and invited all rock bands to evolve and give the world great progressive rock albums. However, Great Britain is still the top promoter of progressive rock bands, with Caravan, another progressive rock band from this country, being the one that defined the third sub- genre of progressive rock: Canterbury. So, at the end of the 1960s, progressive rock bands established three sub- genres: hard prog, symphonic and Canterbury.

The 1970s represented the crowning of progressive rock as a genre and some of the greatest progressive rock albums were released in this decade. Jethro Tull’s “Thick as a brick” or Rush’s “2112” are only two of the most appreciated progressive rock albums released in the 70s. Moreover, this decade brought another ten sub- genres of progressive rock to life, and many progressive rock bands came forth in this period. As if progressive rock was not complicated enough, art folk, classical prog, folk prog, ambient, Rio, pomp prog, jazz fusion, electronic, Zeuhl and krautrock were listed as sub- genres of the 60s rock genre.

In the next two decades, progressive rock did not progress as much as it had up to that moment. In the 80s, it was dethroned by the punk movement and progressive rock bands chose to give birth to another sub- genre: neo progressive. There were few progressive rock albums released in the 80s, some of the most prolific ones being Rush’s “Moving Pictures” or Fate’s Warning’s “No Exit”. Progressive metal rock was also listed as a sub- genre in this period. The 1990s were dominated by the development of metal prog, through Dream Theatre. This decade is mainly characterized by the revival of the progressive scene of the seventies.

For more resources about Progressive rock bands or even about progressive rock albums please review this web page http://tormanmaxt.com

Music marketing system that teaches musicians how to work their business like an Internet Marketer. As used on artists on Cash Money, Warner Bros, etc. Pays 50%. http://genyrockstars.com/newmusiceconomy/affiliate s
New Music Economy – The Music Marketing System

There are probably ten million people online, looking for downloads at any given time. Of course, a lot of them could be looking for pornography or free software but still, reaching a minimum on a million people on any given day does offer some rather intriguing possibilities.

People like using file services to download music for two simple reasons, they’re free, and there is an incredible selection. The fact is Pandora’s Box has been opened. In Napster’s wake, other quasi-legal services quickly emerged… a lot of them. Even if they are closed, others will succeed them.

Major record companies would like to thing otherwise but they are never going to stop file sharing. Net users are file sharers…plain and simple. Long before the Internet came into being, people made cassette tapes of their favorite music for their friends…cd burners are so much easier and faster.

So how can you use this to help your viral marketing campaign along? Think about this. Once someone downloads your MP3 files and those files are available on that listener’s hard drive, viral marketing begins. After two users start sharing your files, suddenly, your music is on the hard drive of a second computer…then a third… and on and on. When users are searching and they find your music on a lot of different computers, they are more likely to download the files. It’s just a matter of time before you’ll find your files showing up in more and more places.

No matter what genre music you play…Rock and Roll, Country, Tejano, Mozart sonatas, Heavy Metal, of Brazilian Jazz, there is an audience for it somewhere.

In this new paradigm, you aren’t hawking a product, you are offering free music via a medium that lets you be directly connected with your audience.

Concert promoters in tobacco probe
Concert promoters MCD have been reported to health chiefs over the alleged promotion of cigarettes at a music event. Related Stories 1.19m euro for flood relief effort Call for minimum alcohol pricing Staff suspended at power station Fleadh Cheoil ‘could head north’ Two killed in Co Kildare car crash

Do you have the music bug in you but do not seem to be getting as nobody seems to giving you a chance? You send your recordings to the bigwigs in the industry but of no avail. Nobody gives you an appointment when you seek one and you are an unknown entity. People you know say it is tough. It has always been tough getting there. However, these are a few steps which will help you. Here is a five step guide to getting Band Contracts

Step # 1: The first step is to choose a career in music. Granted you love music and worked hard, but you need to have that never-say-die attitude when you embark on a career in music. There are different ways to get into music and you need to pick the right music job for yourself. This should hold your interest and keep you going even when you find it tough.

Step # 2: The second step would be to send out a Demo. How will people get to hear you if you don’t send your recordings for demonstrate your prowess.! Learn about different companies in the market. Get to know their policies on receiving demos. Don’t send long recordings. All they want is to assess whether you have that spark in you to make it big. A short demo will be more than enough for them to take that call. Follow up with these companies. After all they are the bigwigs in the industry. Don’t be afraid if they reject you. Keep trying. You’ll soon be seeing those music industry contracts.

Step # 3: The next step would be to find a promoter. Promoters can do a wonderful job. They are the ones who get to work in getting you to perform; they are in charge of the nitty gritty of putting up shows. They are the chaps who can get you publicity. Now that is very important for you, the upcoming artiste.

Step # 4: Step four would be to take charge and promote yourself; you are your best PR person. So if you don’t have the backing of major labels, then don’t worry. You do not have to pay to get PR people to work for you. Just do it yourself. Once you begin to get noticed for your talent, the industry big wigs will approach you with music industry contracts.

Step # 5: The next step would be getting you an agent. Agents are guys who can make you a success in the music world. They are the ones who get in touch with promoters, arrange shows, the payments and all the logistics associated with getting shows to be a success. Your agent will also be largely responsible in getting you those Band Contracts  after all they do know the right people.

While these are just a few steps to help you make it in the music industry, do not ever loose heart. There will be a big break coming your way some time. After all, all our famous artists achieved fame only after facing disappointment. So stay put and work hard.

After attending countless artist showcases through the years as a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency, I’ve decided to touch on some practical ideas that will help promote your artist career and give you an increased chance at a possible record deal. After exploring much of the information available online, I determined to stay with easily grasped concepts and ideas that would help artists avoid some of the common mistakes.

First let’s make it clear that not every act deserves an artist showcase, at least not in the light of pandering to record labels in an ongoing campaign to secure a record deal. If you’ve read any of my articles, you know I try to tell it like it is and so once again, I will not shy away from the truth that not every artist deserves an outlet to showcase their “talent.” The reason is not simply because the band is no good, but because maybe there is not a maturity or serious quality from the members or a definitive goal in place that everyone is rallying around. Other reasons may include lack of a unique playing quality or an act that is simply playing cover tunes. Let’s talk about cover tunes for a minute.

Don’t play cover tunes unless they are specifically asked for, or unless you are a cover band playing wedding gigs, etc. If you are truly looking to get a record deal, then showcase your own music. This notion that your audience can relate to you and your band simply because you are playing music that everyone knows is false and misguided logic. Would you have cared, the first time you heard one of your favorite groups, that you knew any of the material – I bet not. You were so into the music and groove you wanted to hear more and buy the record. You think of big groups today that at one point were nobody, and just imagine hearing them for the first time, would it have mattered? – I bet I’m right again. Moral of the story, play your own music.

Before you begin to look at the possibility of a showcase, look at your objectives. Each showcase doesn’t necessarily have to be about the record deal, but that should certainly be your ultimate objective and therefore, everything that you bring to the table ought to encompass and revolve around that goal. For example, you might showcase a particular groove and set of songs, which you would like to take out on the track and test. Is the audience really digging it or is it not you. Likewise, you can showcase for a lesser goal, but yet an important stepping stone to a record deal signing like pushing upcoming events or visibility to obtain additional bookings, etc.

As you start planning a showcase, who will attend? – Friends or will music industry personnel be present? Each artist showcase ought to be driven by a marketing approach. Do you have an artist logo, professional bios, pictures and press kits made? These can not be a “friend of the group did it for us,” looking press kits. They have to shine and look pro like music industry individuals are already in play and are looking at your act. Don’t overlook these elements. You might check out artist press kits, bios and press blurb writing at ReelMusician.com.

How will you go about promoting your showcase? You have to look beyond stapling flyers to telephone polls, etc. Have you thought about creating a jingle or station ID or local radio personality piece for free in hopes that you will get some radio and TV exposure? You ought to look at local radio stations and write a mix according to the style of the station and your band – see if you can’t get some promotion that way. Cable TV advertising is fairly inexpensive. You might consider going in with everyone in the band and buying some advertising from cable or local TV stations.

If you don’t already have it, and I’m sure most do, get your web site up and going and make sure that you have a page for upcoming events along with pictures, bio, contact page. Websites do not have to be expensive. You can get your website hosted for $5 – $10 a month. You most likely won’t get a lot of traffic, but you will get credibility with the public and within the music industry crowd – This will prove to be invaluable later on down the road.

What will your showcase consist of and what can you do to stand out from the crowd? Your act needs to look like they’ve been at this for years with a comfort level exuding from who the band is. How long is the showcase? You’ve heard the old expression, always leave the crowd wanting to hear more. Far better to do a rather short showcase with knock out tunes then a lengthy, drawn out, can’t wait to get out of there, gig. Work with your song lineup and tweak the number and length of your set at rehearsal until it feels right. Have everything figured right up front. Who’s going to speak when and try to hit all of the “what ifs,” as much as you can. You want this showcase to “wow” the listeners and create some momentum and energy.

Re-think your image and make sure that it matches who you are. People are not that stupid and can almost immediately recognize when an image is forced and manipulated and not natural to the group. Better to have a natural image, true to who you are, than an image that you think just has to go with your style of music.

In closing, make each and every showcase count, with calculated marketing and a thought through line-up so when the music industry execs start showing up, they have something to go back to the office with!

Part of the beauty of Twitter is that it can be many things to many people. As part of my effort to recruit as many people to Twitter as possible, I decided that I should write posts about how Twitter can be used in different situations. For example, of course you can just use Twitter to make plans with your friends, but the interactivity of Twitter can be very useful for people in all sorts of different professions. I’m going to attempt to come up with as many different uses for it as I can and I’m going to start with the one I feel (for better or worse) qualified the most to talk about: using Twitter to promote your band or music.

Your Fans Really Do Care What You’re Doing

Believe it or not, if you’ve been making music for a while, you’ve probably accumulated a not-insignificant group of fans who are interested in what you do on a daily basis. These are the fans that download all your songs (whether you want them to or not), go to all your shows and buy all your t-shirts. Every band has these, no matter how long you’ve been around or how bad your music is. These are the people that you can cater to with Twitter.

I suggest updating at least twice a day. Once when you get up you should post what you’re going to be doing that day, whether or not it’s related to your music, and once when your day is done to let them know how it went. Believe me, if Cedric and Omar from The Mars Volta or Daft Punk were on Twitter, you better believe I would be following them and would get super excited whenever they updated, even if it was just to let me know that they were eating a bowl of Cheerios.

Promoting Your Shows

Twitter can be an extremely effective promotional tool because you can ask people to come to your shows on several different occasions. If you are booking a tour, I suggest updating on Twitter when the dates are finalized and linking to the posted dates on your web site. Also, the day before the show, as well as the day of, you can update reminding everyone to come out to see you.

If you have enough fans and followers, you could make them feel extra special by having exclusive shows or afterparties that you only mention on Twitter. Once your fans find out that you are having these secret events, they will start following you on Twitter, thereby increasing your reach.

Take Requests

Since Twitter makes it so easy to interact with your fans, why not ask them what they want to hear when they come to your show? Maybe you’ve been neglecting to play an old fan favorite. Twitter is an easy way to find out what your fans want to hear, straight from the source. All they have to do is either direct message you or reply to you using the @ symbol.

Twitter-Exclusive Downloads

Say thank you to your biggest fans by giving your Twitter followers the heads up on exclusive new songs and videos. Posting a link on Twitter and NOT your web site says that you really value your fans enough to give them something special. Of course, once word gets out that you have a new song available for download, your non-Twittering fans will download it, but your Twitter followers will feel special because you gave them the heads up first.

Get Instant Feedback

Not sure if that hook you’re writing is trash or gold? Post a clip on Twitter and if you have enough followers, you’ll get instant feedback in minutes! Jason Calacanis, founder of Weblogs Inc. and Mahalo, uses it to get feedback on new designs for Mahalo. Sure, you could say that the fans should have no impact on the music you make, but if you want, you have an instant focus group that has your best interests at heart, wants you to succeed and would love to have you take their feedback into consideration.

Twitter-Exclusive Contests

This falls along the same lines as taking requests via Twitter, except it’s more fun. You could create a contest in which they plug your new song or upcoming show in one of their updates and that enters them into a drawing where the winner gets free tickets to an upcoming show in their area. You get free promotion, they get to come to your show for free and their followers check out your new song. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

This is really just scratching the surface of how musicians can leverage Twitter to build their brand, increase their audience and get more people to hear their music. I’m sure as time goes on and more and more bands adopt Twitter the way they did MySpace, we’ll see some really innovative ways to use Twitter, but these ideas should be enough to get you started. Good luck and follow me on Twitter!

SellaBand (www.sellaband.com), the online music company where bands crowdfund investment, today announces New York based rock band BulletProof Messenger as the first wildcard band to perform at ArenaFest 2009. ArenaFest comprises 91 interactive concerts during the summer of 2009 that include: live music, sports, gaming, dating and competitions. During each live concert, two up-and-coming SellaBand bands will support a major headline act.

BulletProof Messenger was the 12th band to crowdsource investment on SellaBand and released its SellaBand album \’Arm Yourself\’ in January 2009, featuring 11 original compositions. Previously, BulletProof Messenger performed with Incubus and Collective Soul for their earlier release \’The Crucial Line\’ and was selected by XM Satellite Radio as one to the top unsigned acts in the USA. They have also established themselves as an exciting live act since winning a Clear Channel radio sponsored battle of the bands.

\”Writing \’Arm Yourself\’ was no easy process, especially with one member of the band miles away serving in the US Army. It presented us with a unique challenge and we literally wrote the entire album online by emailing demos back and forth. We are extremely pleased with all the songs on the album and excited to be performing them at ArenaFest,\” said Matt Litwin, DJ and electronics, BulletProof Messenger. \”ArenaFest is a great opportunity for BulletProof Messenger to fulfil one of our dreams.\”

\”With the support of fans and music lovers from around the world, anyone with musical talent and a dream can tour major US arenas. ArenaFest gives emerging bands the opportunity to share the stage with some of today\’s biggest music acts, all expenses paid,\” said Johan Vosmeijer, CEO SellaBand. \”BulletProof Messenger is a young, talented rock band that will provide the audiences of ArenaFest with great live performances.\”

Announced arenas include: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas; The Place, Detroit, Michigan; US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona; Toyota Center, Cleveland, Ohio and the Honda Center, Anaheim, California. Further arenas and wildcard bands will be announced in the coming weeks.

SellaBand is continuing to seek bands to perform at ArenaFest. To sign up bands from Europe and North America should visit arenafest.sellaband.com and register. On SellaBand artists and bands can crowdsource funding, record a professional album, utilise its worldwide distribution network and now perform live to thousands of people.

Press Release Highlights
* BulletProof Messenger is the first confirmed SellaBand band to play ArenaFest
* ArenaFest is a series of interactive concerts during the summer of 2009 that include: live music, sports, gaming, dating and competitions
* BulletProof Messenger is a New York based rock band
* BulletProof Messenger was the 12th band to crowdsource $50,000 on SellaBand and release their album \’Arm Yourself\’ later this year
* Further arena and wildcard bands will be announced
* Up and coming bands can still register for ArenaFest

About SellaBand
SellaBand is an innovative online music platform based in Amsterdam, the creative capital of Europe. SellaBand unites Artists and Fans in an independent movement that aims to level the playing field in the global music industry. For the first time in history, a direct relationship is established between artists and fans; artists try to raise funds for a professional recording, fans can invest in unsigned bands and decide who gets signed to SellaBand. Since its launch in August 2006, SellaBand has welcomed 29 Recording Artists who had their albums funded by their fans. Close to $3,000,000 has been invested in unsigned bands on http://www.sellaband.com.

About ArenaWorks Entertainment
Based in Los Angeles California, ArenaWorks Entertainment, inc. is an innovator of interactive entertainment technology and the leader of Live Social Networking™. In addition to technology and event promotion, Arena Works initiatives include investment and development of; professional sports programs, music technologies, promotion of musical talent and a various charities including the Gift Music™ Foundation.

About BulletProof Messenger
BulletProof Messenger is a New York based rock band. They joined SellaBand in April 2007 and by December 2007 became the 13th band to crowdscouced $50,000 worth of investment, thanks to 1,171 Believers (investors). The band comprises of Matt Litwin, DJ and electronics; Voley Martin, guitar; Scott Martin, guitar; Jesse Downing, bass; Alex Straiter, drums and Marcus Klavan, vocals. For more information on BulletProof Messenger, visit http://www.sellaband.com/bulletproofmessenger or http://www.myspace.com/bulletproofmessenger

PENHI mom uses music to raise funds for schools
In the last several years, California legislators have cut $11 billion to $12 billion from education. Even affluent communities like Palos Verdes are not immune to the cuts.

If you are a musician then you are a business yourself. You are in the business of marketing yourself or figuring out how to promote your CD. This requires a lot of work and sometimes it may seem endless. You are constantly trying to solicit new “customers” for your business, your fans. Not only do you want your fans to enjoy your music but you also would love to turn some profits in the process. Marketing is going to be your best musician’s resource out there and you should take full advantage of.

You marketing ideas need to go beyond just a t-shirt and a CD because that is unoriginal. You want something that is distinctive and fresh. Don’t get me wrong, some of the best music promotional ideas are CD’s and t-shirts but you can do so much more now-a-days.

1. Have you considered an email address list? Each visitor to your website and your shows should have their email address collected. This will allow you to send them information like when your next show is going to be or when you new album will be released.

2. MP3 ringtones are hot music promotional ideas and you should definitely have some recorded. They are an awesome way for people to advertise your music every single time their phone rings. You also have the possibility of bringing in some profits from the sale of these.

3. Another hot music promotional idea has to do with the new mini DVD’s called pocketreels. Not only would you look technologically up to date when handing these out, but people are going to be super impressed. Look no further for ideas on how to promote your CD because these little mini DVDs are it. You can put your bands music video on there or anything else you think of. Be creative!

4. Sure, everyone has pictures of their band but have you ever thought of using a professional photographer. The price range varies immensely depending on what you are looking for. But, there is good news. You can try hiring a student photographer for relatively cheap. This way you will have a plethora of photos or videos to use for all types of marketing.

5. An awesome musician’s resource is a publicist. Of course, there prices can be a bit expensive but honestly, there services are worth it. They really know how to promote your CD and your band. A great publicist can get your band in magazines and newspapers all over the place.

If you have the opportunity to use any of the above marketing tools then you are guaranteed some results. The trick to all any music promotional idea is that you have to be persistent, consistent and creative. Constantly be searching for how to promote your CD in innovative ways. Technology is the key and will give you ideas you are looking for. Don’t get lost in the dust!