USA Travels and Stories

I just returned from an amazing USA set of travels from Austin, Nashville and New York. These are three very different, but equally amazing cities. It also gave me and my wife a great chance to meet up with great friends and to see a whole world of great music. This was the first time I’ve seen Nashville and I can understand why Nashville is so renowned for music. The sheer concentration of musicians and the quality of the performance is quite amazing.

In Austin I picked up an amazing Waterloo guitar made by Collings Guitars. I had no intention of buying an acoustic, but this is one of the very best I have ever seen. Its already sparked some interesting comments. On the flight from Austin to Nashville one stewardess commented

“This guys got a HUGE guitar”

On the trip from NYC to UK for some reason I can’t fathom, I was called from the back of the line to board first on the plane. Maybe I was mistaken for a famous country star, I don’t know. Either way, this Waterloo seems to provoke all manner of curious interactions.

In NYC we saw Barry Harris at The Vanguard for a quite extraordinary gig. We also met up with an old friend and author of “Portrait of a Phantom” Zeke Schein. Zeke sold me my first uke and has become a great friend. He introduced me to the first ever 3D printed ukulele, which you see in this photo. His book is quite brilliant and highly recommended. This world is better for such amazing folks.

Music teachers, the good, band and plain crazy…

I’m a big fan of ongoing musical development and over the years have employed the services of many music teachers for ukulele, guitar, vocals and other instruments. To say that I have had extremes of service is an understatement and this particular blog tells some of my experiences.

Firstly I have a massive respect for anyone who decides to offer teaching services and without doubt in my opinion music is a truly wonderful exploration with all kinds of benefits. I live in Leeds which has a music college, so many folks would expect to find a wide rage of accomplished individuals as clearly there’s a big potential market, especially as there’s a thriving music scene. 

Great skills, but…

One of my first experience of hiring a music teacher was back in 1990s when I found John, a local blues musician. As with many teachers he ran lessons from how house. He was extremely knowledgeable, but also a chain smoker and his house was a good reflection f his own chaotic thinking. To say that he was unpredictable would be an understatement. In terms of playing local gigs he would often cancel at short notice due to anxiety issues and this drove his band mates crazy. In terms of lessons one of my most memorable recollections was after arriving for a one hour lesson one day he commented

“Shit, I’m out of fags. Wait here and I’ll be back in a while”

He then proceeded to leave me in the house by myself, drive off and return sometime later with a packet of twenty cigs. Like many music teachers he had good music skills, but terrible customer care skills and failed to appreciate how many opportunities slipped through his fingers as often he simply wasn’t paying attention to his clients most basic needs. 

In recent years I have looked for good vocal teachers as most of my musical explorations these days involve writing and singing. Again I find a similar pattern where some tutors have great skills but are completely unreliable in terms of any ongoing assistance. Yes I get that being a music teacher is probably not going to generate a substantial income stream, but reliable teachers will generate much needed predictable income, which is especially helpful in these touch economic times.  I had one vocal teacher who also had anxiety issues and often would not turn up for lessons. In the end she stopped doing lessons “to attend to other life issues” Another one in Headingley had extensive online advertising for his services. I rang him up, spoke to him and arranged a lesson. The first thing he tried to do was to reduce the hourly rate to make it more affordable for me as an intro lesson. I insisted on paying the full rate up front and said I could guarantee 4 hours a month each and every month on an ongoing basis. One day before the first lesson which had been booked for a month he decided he was going to focus on his music and would no longer be teaching.! I respect anyone making such a choice, but it shows poor regard to customers and can create a terrible reputation. As someone who trains people in customer service, here’s what he could have communicated that would have helped both our interests and left his reputation in tact

“Hi Nick, I’m sorry that due to changes in circumstance I can’t offer ongoing help. However what I can do is offer some limited time on an agreed basis if that works until I can hand you over to somebody suitable. Then at least you won’t be left high and dry as I know you have a number of recording dates coming up which you talked about. Does that work for you? Once again apologies for the change of plan”

Not complicated is it? However as my old communication mentor would remark in my other work

“Lower your expectations…”

Some good news…

OK, if you are not totally depressed at this point lets talk about some great examples of music teaching. Three years ago I employed the employed the services of Jessica Bowie to learn about the uke. She is the person who first encouraged me to start singing and I am forever in her debt. Over the years our initial teaching has now morphed into a songwriting partnership and I am delighted to pay for her time on a weekly basis. She has excellent skills and I regularly recommend people to her. She is also a founder member of The Small Change Diaries and has become a really good friend as well.  She also teaches my wife who adores their weekly lessons and Jessica has both the manner and skills to really help people. The world is better for such individuals.

Two other superb teachers are Martin Simpson and Phil Doleman. I have been seeing Martin for a number of years now and have over 100 hours of recordings from our sessions. He is a genuine professional and brilliant musician. He has also become a good friend and its great to know him. His new album Trails and Tribulations is just out and its fantastic. Phil is also a 100% reliable professional with tremendous musical knowledge and wonderful skills. He teaches 1 – 1 and by Skype. He has also been invaluable in my musical development.

I recently had a percussion lesson with a very well respected London musician, Sam Gardner. I approached this with some trepidation has I have zero experience of this. In one hour he managed to take me from a total novice to actually being able to play along to a track. Again he has the excellent and most welcome combination of great skills and great manner to teach students. Pete Wraith my dobro teacher also deserves a mention. This was another new instrument and Pete coaxed me into being able to get some really great sounds out of the National I bought off Martin Simpson. Pete is also a superb musician and great guy to know.

Conclusion

These are some personal observations from over the years. Many teachers can be highly skilled but lack good personal skills. Even more teachers lack good organisational skills and miss the importance of the big picture in building a professional reputation. The music business is somewhat mercurial and its smart for any performers to have many sources of income for purely practical reasons. Not every teacher will be a great match for every student, but some basic common sense communication will ensure that all parties remain satisfied. I suspect that there is a big gap in the market where I live in providing such services in these times. 

 

 

 

New models for music promotion?

I have spent the last six months talking to many seasoned artists and music industry professionals about music promotion  for live events and for music products. I’ve been thinking about this subject for a few years as some of what I see and hear makes no sense to me. In my other life I work internationally as a consultant, so my brain is naturally geared towards problem solving. I make no claims to have any magical insight into a perfect formula for music promotion, but it does occur to me from everyone I talk to that there is lots of scope to rethink many strategies that are not that effective.

In one of my discussions one producer who had previously worked for a major record company commented that in days gone by the company would have A list artists, medium level artists up and coming talent. These days he observed that with the same global company the focus was solely on established acts and there was zero interest in investing in any acts that would require some level of “business risk”.  My discussions led me to the conclusion that traditional models of charging for events and products and now increasingly ineffective and there’s a genuine need for new thinking. The established artists from days gone by still seem to have some useful momentum for success in music and event sales, but its far tougher for newer artists.

Many of the most popular artists are not especially my taste, but I have a healthy respect for anyone who can create music that reaches a large audience as clearly they are doing something that resonates with a large part of society. Clearly they are doing something that is working in terms of musical delivery. Inevitably there will then be people who have issues with such folks and even try to make a buck out of negative attacks. This n my opinion does little to promote musical creativity and credibility. I read recently about an attempt to raise money for a book entitled “Ed Sheeran is shit, and other musical malfunctions”  Interesting that the writer still leverages the popularity of Sheeran’s name in trying to  promote his own artistic aspirations. Some may think of this as a touch hypocritical of course, while others will no doubt consider it a worthwhile cause to support.

Music delivery system trends

In these tougher economic times, people are understandably more cautious about how and where they spend their money. This caution is reflected in changes for how people are listening to music. 

Digital Music news noted

“Audio streams have also reached a new high this year, landing at 179.8 billion, up 58.5% over last year. People have also jumped behind paid subscriptions on services like Spotify and Apple Music. Paid subscription streams grew 69.3% and accounted for 78.6% of total audio streams in 2017. This number went up 73.6% over last year.

Spotify now has 50 million paid subscriptions. Apple Music has “well over” 27 million paid subscribers since its launch two years ago”

Interesting observations about formats and the fact that vinyl and CDs are not going to disappear anytime soon

“Confirming multiple media reports, vinyl album sales have seen a huge increase, up 20.4% over last year. Also proving the medium won’t die, CD album sales went down a paltry 3.9%.

So what’s going on? For starters, Record Store Day had a huge hand in helping push up CD and vinyl sales. On April 22, combined CD and vinyl sales went up 6% compared to last year’s Record Store Day on April 16. That same day, vinyl album sales went up 14% at independent music stores.

Actually, Record Store Day scored the single largest vinyl sales day for the entire year. On April 22, 224,000 more albums were sold over last year.

On the cassette side, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 became the biggest selling cassette album with 3,934 sales. That’s 3 thousand, not million, but hey: it’s a cassette.”

Charlotte Gunn from NME Digital editor commented

“There are so many ways musicians can interact with their fans now and I think we’ll see a lot more creative, engaging musical releases in 2017.”

One of the boldest examples of music promotion in recent years was by Prince who decided to totally buck the trend and give away a CD in a UK national newspaper. Inevitably this created a massive amount of publicity for him and some concerns for music executives.

Time magazine reported 

“When Prince’s new album Planet Earth was released in the U.K. on July 15, almost 3 million people picked up a copy. Normally, that kind of news conjures up images of record industry execs high-fiving each other and fans streaming into record stores to empty the shelves of their hero’s latest offering. But in this case, the record industry execs are livid. And it’s true there isn’t a single copy of Planet Earth in any store in the country — but only because they were never there in the first place. In fact, Prince didn’t sell any copies of his album in the U.K. He gave them all away.

In an unprecedented deal, Prince granted British tabloid the Mail on Sunday exclusive rights to distribute his new album as a freebie. Cutting out record stores, online sellers, and even his U.K. label, Sony BMG, he decided to take Planet Earth straight to the people, and all it cost them was the paper’s $3 cover price. “It’s direct marketing,” the pint-sized popster said when the deal was announced three weeks ago. “And I don’t have to be in the speculation business of the record industry, which is going through a lot of tumultuous times right now.”

Live events, festivals etc

Discussions strongly suggest that people are becoming more selective about booking for festivals and live events. Many festivals have had big problems in recent years and some have folded for financial and other reasons. In my discussions I was interested in what people looked for when booking to attend events.

Key considerations include

  • Ticket price and booking fees (booking fees are usually not seen as an attractive additional cost) Options like “Pay as you feel” are increasingly attractive and popular for customers
  • Accommodation/travel costs – depending on the location of the event these additional costs can really make a difference
  • Food and drink options – increasingly customers expect to be able to have these options. Its also smart to look after these needs if you want to maintain a captive and happy audience
  • Entertainment value and quality of performances – these need to be of a high standard and people need to feel they have value for money in terms of set times.
  • Developing a niche audience – artists increasingly need to have a multi dimensional delivery platform for music that includes social media, video and other mediums

Pricing for events is always a filter for attracting different kinds of people. I did some research recently asking what they would expect to pay for an evening of acoustic entertainment (not an A list artist) and the overwhelming favorite option was the fifteen pound mark and/or pay as you feel. 

Its useful to remember that for some niche musical genres, music is not the primary focus of the festival, its a social meet up. This is not my personal preference, but there’s a place for such activity, although it tends to be for relatively small groups of a few hundred customers rather than thousands. 

Added value is one of the keys to success

Smart businesses appreciate the need for added value. In the cinema world Everyman Cinemas are expanding in the UK. Everyman are masters of added value in offering more comfortable bookable seats, better screens and far better food options. All this makes it a better overall experience for the customer. Musical artists appreciate the value of adding value to what they offer to customers. One of the successful strategies is to offer a more personalized service so the fans are able to feel really connected to the artist and the music.

Final Thoughts

I’m currently beta testing some of these considerations this year and in 2018. The proof will of course be in the  results, but already the evidence suggests that many of these and other considerations not mentioned here cumulatively create a far more substantial and viable model. I was alerted today that a very well known musician from Leeds was running a strategy for a new project that was amazingly similar to something I am running at present. I find this somewhat reassuring in that I’m not the only person who realizes that its time for substantial change.some rethinking. 

 

Instrument explorations and inspirations by Nick Cody

Many will associate me with the ukulele as an instrument with my band The Small Change Diaries and in Nick Cody music, but the uke is  only one of many instruments I play and love. Others include acoustic & electric guitar, mandola, mandolin, dobro, walking bass dulcimer and of course concert, tenor, soprano, baritone ukuleles. Each instrument inspires different ideas, playing styles and different end results. My many years learning from Martin Simpson taught me the value of playing a variety of instruments and the importance of having an attitude of sonic exploration. This is a key ingredient to becoming a more creative and skilled musician.

For the last three years I have been writing and recording with my band The Small Change Diaries. To date we have recorded two albums (2nd album released Nov 3rd this year) and an EP. Its been an amazing journey and in 2018 we will continue to focus on live work and return to the studio in 2019. In the meantime I’m working on a solo project with the first track “He’s shooting blanks” already recorded, as well as a duo project with longtime bandmate Jessica Bowie and an instrumental project. The main band goes from strength to strength and we are delighted to be invited to play at some really wonderful events including Lagoa Guitar Festival, Ilkley Literature Festival and Wetherby Arts Festival. As a solo artist I also recently played in Japan and am soon to do the same in Austin Texas.

As Nick Cody the solo artist I am delibeately exploring sonic territory outside the ukulele and instruments like the Collings 4 string tenor guitar, mandola and mandolin mean thinking in a new way musically. When I first started with the uke I had no idea what I was doing and that naivity is actually quite useful in musical exploration. Of course when playing with a band some basic musical awareness and education is essential as well. I have always loved music and have a diverse set of interests. Instrument exploration and creating original material is a fascinating journey that means opening up your mind to all kinds of new possibilities. 

Yes the ukulele has potential beyond just playing chords….

Let me start by saying I have no problem with people strumming chords on the ukulele, BUT there’s so much more potential with this brilliant instrument. I totally fell in love with the uke three years ago and to date have written and recorded 25 tracks using the ukulele with many more in the pipeline. Prior to picking up the uke I had the stereotypical idea of the uke as a bit of a gimmick and not really “a proper musical instrument” Now I realise how wrong I was. If I had only watched YouTube clips and attended a few uke festivals I would probably have never explored the potential for this instrument. A lot of what I see and hear is at best pretty average. Fortunately there are some conter examples to this and when I set up Original Ukulele Songs (OUS) almost two years ago, players like Victoria Vox, Alan Thornton, Paul Cameron, Phil Doleman and others gave me some hope that the mighty uke can be used infar more creative ways.

My good friend and longstanding brilliant international musician Martin Simpson makes some really useful and insightful comments 8.20 minutes into this clip

Martin is the most extraordinary player and this is a rare clip of him playing the uke. Last year I saw him play live with the uke leaving the audience amazed at a quite extraordinary performance. Of course Martin plays a wide range of instruments and over the years we have talked about how this develops new ways of musical exploration.

I appreciate that there is a place for people learning the ukulele and starting out with simple chords, everyone has to start somewhere. The tragedy in my view is that often that’s where exploration stops when there are so many more possibilities. Such explorations are of course not for everyone, but if players and event hosts want to capture the public imagination in a far bigger way then its important to showcase the uke in a much more expanded way. A crucial part of this exploration is creating new music and not just recycling previous material and the OUS platform is a small but mighty group of artists who are helping with this task. 

Making an great impression & balancing the books

In recent times, I have blogged about the importance of making a great impression and balancing the books as an artist. Both are essential if you want to achieve genuine success, whether creatively or financially. This blog is based upon my own experience where I have made some ill-advised decisions which at the time I thought were great, but in hindsight really were not. I’m also writing based on my observations of other people. Lets remember we are all learning, but here are some pointers for anyone interested in such matters.

My own business background

I come originally from a business background in 1980s, setting up and running some substantial business concerns. This period was a real baptism of fire in learning how to manage time and financial margins, especially as most of my income depended on getting good results. This also meant working extensive hours, so a working day was often 7am – 6pm. In my other life as an international trainer, author and therapist I built up a body of work which funds my ability to invest in musical projects and instruments. This also allows me to personally fund all band recordings and ensure all musicians are paid properly for rehearsal time.

I work as a  consultant for many business concerns as well as working with a number of business leaders on a 1 – 1 basis. 

 In terms of my own musical interest, not constricted by commercial considerations is wonderfully liberating as I don’t depend on generating a living purely from music. It also allows me to sponsor (sometimes anonymously) musical projects and I often joke that “the one Nick has to work like a dog to support the excesses of the other Nick” In recent years I’ve been interested in exploring the commercial considerations of being a musician and/or running artist events. This has proved to be quite revealing and this article details some of those observations. If you consider any such discussion as “negative” then stop reading now, but in my view it’s an important discussion.

Managing time and reliable income

My business background taught me a great deal about managing time and income. When I made a comment about not being surprised that a longstanding festival had thrown in the towel, this sparked a surprising level of fury from some music enthusiasts. They of course totally overlooked my comments congratulating the festival for its longevity. The hosts had a brand with years of success but in my view made a number of basic errors. The website was not great and in the era of WordPress there’s really no reason not to have a good online presence. The main issue is that they failed to focus on differentiation, so they became just another festival and inevitably this affected the attendance of paying customers. I applaud the enthusiasm for creating such musical opportunities, but unless you balance the books then such enterprises will inevitably be very short lived. 

Similarly, if any event wants to attract serious sponsorship, then it needs to be credible as a potential investment opportunity. If presented properly this should not be a massive task as the whole budget for the event is more than reasonable and the history alone should be attractive to some people if its presented in a positive and realistic manner. As an artist differentiation is also crucial. This is why I strongly endorse people creating and playing original music, as this lends itself to differentiation. Of course, it needs to be well considered and there’s absolutely a place for artists playing cover versions of existing material.

 Begging to be subsidized to play music doesn’t really create the best image

I’m lucky to know a number of people who earn a living from music and all of these have a very strong work ethic and are relentlessly touring and recording to maintain a standard of living. They of course also are highly talented, but talent alone doesn’t pay the bills. Many musicians would benefit greatly from learning some basic business skills which could make a big difference to their ability to connect to a wider audience. I understand the sentiment but I’m amazed when some artists have pages on their websites virtually begging for PayPal donations to allow them to subsidize their musical activities, but that’s just a personal view. A discreet box saying, “If you love my music, I welcome PayPal donations” is one thing. An entire page dedicated to charitable donations with an extensive life story of the woes of being a working (or not) musician is in my view not the best idea. Far better to think about ways to generate good value for appreciative rather than just ask to be bailed out financially. There are many ways to do this of course and most professional artists ensure that they have a number of different income streams, rather than rely on charitable donations to subsidize their musical interests.

Social Media, yes, it’s a business, but remember you don’t own it

The internet and social media platforms can be highly useful in connecting to a wider audience, but they can create an illusion of success that is borderline delusional. One artist proudly pronounced a record number of people liking a video on FB, but only had a tiny number of live appearances schedules and lamented a lack of income generation to support musical interests. The reality is that if you want to connect with a wider audience you need some basic marketing and business skills to make it happen. If you don’t have these skills then it’s worth learning how to acquire them or find somebody who can help you. I have noticed that some performers are so desperate to be noticed they will do almost anything to make this happen and often basic smart strategic thinking goes out of the window.  It’s important to remember that with platforms like FB, the customer is the advertiser NOT the user. The company exists like any business to generate income and like other platforms is there primarily to serve its own agenda: that’s business…

Live earnings

Its increasingly clear that live gigs and festival appearances can generate huge variations in income. My own personal experience is that for a festival set my band The Small Change Diaries have been paid anything from 100 to 1600 pounds! Of course, it’s not all about income, but simply the love of music alone will not pay bills. My own belief is that professional musicians should be paid a fee that is appropriate for their skill level and always seek to look after support bands and fellow musicians. I’m interested in exploring better live opportunities for original artists at present. I was talking to a seasoned musician recently who lamented the lack of enthusiasm in the UK for many people wanting to see even the most seasoned and skilled performers. Part of the problem is the number of enthusiasts just wanting to play for exposure setting up the unfortunate trend of free entertainment. Increasingly seasoned artists get replaced by performers of a lesser standard, and the quality of the entertainment inevitably is affected.

Common Mistakes worth watching out for

Here are some things to consider 

  • Not updating websites and blogs – many individuals start off with great enthusiasm, but then lapse so such information is very out of date and it sends out a message that you are not really bothered
  • Poor quality control on photographs and video – it may seem a great idea to post lots of material taken with an iPhone but as the old saying goes “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” Better to have less material, but of a higher standard
  • Poor use of language and excessive use of superlatives – if everything is described as “awesome” then such descriptions become essentially meaningless.
  • Connecting with too small a pool of people. When I interviewed Bill Collins for a magazine a few years ago, his first question was “What’s the circulation?” These days paper format magazines are in decline and circulation is everything. Even niche music magazines generally have tens of thousands of subscribers to attract essential advertising in these tougher economic times. Before paying for any advertising look at the circulation potential
  • Poor time management. Proper management of time is essential if you want to succeed in any activity. This means a discipline and realizing that “what you want to do” and “what you need to do” are not always the same thing
  • Confusing social and business elements – This is a very common issue. You don’t have to like somebody to do business and its important to focus on “the trades” in any relationship. Many artists and promoters limit opportunities by only interacting with people they consider friends. Yes, it’s of course better if you like the people you do business with, but the focus should be on the business, not who’s your mate. This can result in a kind of evangelism that’s not especially attractive to a wider audience as it seems to be a self-congratulatory group dynamic. Smart artists are always seeking out new opportunities and this means looking beyond FB friends.
  • Over exposure – this can happen with both event hosts and artists where they become a bit hyperactive with gigs and events. The lack of scarcity usually dilutes customer interest.
  • Good communication. I’m amazed at how unresponsive some people are in communications. I have many examples of this including wanting to book advertising and despite promises never receiving information from business owners. All they had to do is e-mail rates and the money would be in their bank account. Similarly event organizers can be very slow to reply to artist applications or worse not reply at all, creating a terrible impression. I know of artists that won’t play events due to the promoter’s dreadful communication skills.

Conclusion

I’m mindful that this is a complex issue and these are my own opinions, others may disagree, which of course is fine. The purpose of such articles is to provoke discussion which is how we can all learn from each other. 

 

 

The artist search for the appreciative ukulele audience?

“We human beings are tuned such that we crave great melody and great lyrics. And if somebody writes a great song, it’s timeless that we as humans are going to feel something for that and there’s going to be a real appreciation.”

Art Garfunkel

I was talking recently to a fellow musician about the challenge of finding appreciative audiences, especially for artists who play ukulele in live sets. Note here I’m say “appreciative audience” and by that I mean one that is primarily there to listen to the music.

When I first started exploring the ukulele, I was taken aback by two comments independently made by people who were very familiar with this musical niche.

The first commented

“Remember Nick, these folks mostly want to play, not to listen”

The second said

“Twenty minutes is the maximum period of attention you’ll get from the audience”

As a longstanding lover of music, this struck me as highly unusual, but recent years have confirmed that both observations were spot on.

Rather play than listen? (both are fine of course)

“Intimacy comes from being yourself on the stage and making the audience feel, without trying, that you’re sittin’ down there with ’em, playing, and that can happen in a big hall, if you have a good audience that want to listen.”

Doc Watson

I have noticed that online there are often comments made about people preferring to strum at “festivals” in small groups rather than see the headline acts. Some of these acts may have travelled a great distance, so this personally surprises me. Don’t get me wrong, I think people can decide for themselves whatever suits, but it does mean that “the listening audience” is probably far smaller than many might imagine in what is already a niche musical field. In terms of 20 min sets, I fully appreciate that this strategy allows the audience to have a taster of a wide range of acts, so there is some logic to that way of working. However as a performer its a very short period and even an additional ten minutes allows for a lot more musical variation.

I was also surprised that at some events a set may be just half this time and I have even heard performers travel hundreds of miles playing such slots for free. Hats off for the enthusiasm, but it does again highlight a theme. I also know of a number of really superb ukulele artists who regularly comment on how hard it is to get live work.  All this makes me wonder how big the listening audience might be for this niche. 

“There is of course significant playing enthusiasm with ukulele clubs appearing all over and of course many events even allocate a substantial part of the time of the event to people playing, as opposed to  listening to artists. This can of course create a dilemma for event promoters in attracting paying customers and of course the changing trends in ukulele festivals are well documented in recent years.  Of course, it’s useful to consider both these dynamics. A lot of ukulele meet ups can be primarily social events and there’s is a definite place for that.  Teaching schools often put on end of year concerts where players can perform to friends and family who would mostly constitute what I would term “an appreciative audience” I help out providing PA assistance for such events and when done well these can be great fun.

The wider picture?

ukulele magazineI set up The Original Ukulele Songs platform to give original songwriters a collective voice online. Its been a fair investment in time and money as the site receives substantial traffic and now there are 81 individual artist pages. In talking to many artists, I am discovering that with a few exceptions many find it tough to find appreciative listening audiences. Those who have managed this have from what I see done so by writing really good original material or reinterpreting older material in new ways as well as doing regular tours.  

Victoria Vox and Biscuithead Biscuitbadgers and others have in my view managed to reach wider audiences and built up diverse audiences. Andy Eastwood is also a great example of a hardworking multi-talented musician who seems to endlessly be touring and is a true artist. I recently blogged about these artists, but the responses on social media focused on almost everything but the quality of entertainment I was writing about! This entertainment factor is essential in connecting with a greater listening audience.  

The OUS platform is an initiative that gives voice to all artists who are looking to connect with a wider public and I’m happy to fund this as I think it’s important that such artists are able to be heard. As I predicted 18 months ago this platform has polarized some opinion and I have had (I’m being polite here) all manner of responses about what folks believe “I should do” and how “lots of people think x“. Personally, my view is that d debate is an essential part of the creative process and if the ukulele is to reach a wider audience such debate is essential. I have the greatest respect for all artists who are seeking to entertain audiences in creative ways and who stick to their guns in terms of the music they create. I may not always like their music of course but in my view congruency is a key part of building a body of work. 

Final Thoughts

The ukulele is in my view a terrific instrument for writing and performing. Despite my enthusiasm for the instrument I would never class myself as “a ukulele artist” but rather a musician that plays many instruments including the uke. Many of the most appreciative the listening audiences with my own band to date have been at Arts and Guitar Festivals where there is generally an appreciation of music on a wider scale. Two of the most well-known ukulele based artists The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and Jake Shimabukuro, have attracted wider audiences mostly though smart arrangements and playing well known material.

These folks provide superb entertainment and many of my friends who have no interest in the uke, have and will continue to see these artists when they come to town. I’m happy to be part of an appreciative paying audience with usch artists and as well as being entertained, I have learned huge amounts from such individuals. My view is that despite the enthusiasm online the actual listening/appreciative audience for ukulele based music is smaller than many might imagine. My hope is that this will expand and in my view the best way to do this is to show how the instrument can create a wide range of truly diverse and original music that bucks the stereotypical idea many have about the instrument.

Nick Cody

Global musical explorations, next stop Japan…

Having just got back from Vienna and seeing some great folks to talk about music, OUS and instruments, next week I’m heading back to Japan for the 16th time and this is a terrific opportunity to catch up with old friends, many of whom are musicians or instrument builders. First stop will be Takahiro Shimo in Tokyo as well as Dean Leoni at his excellent store. Both these guys have been hugely useful in obtaining some really terrific instruments that have been used on most Small Change Diaries recordings. I’ll also be playing with Brian Cullen in Nagoya as a duo and this is gonna be a lot of fun. As well as SCD tracks I have some new solo material to preview.

I’ve already been to New York twice this year and will be back for a third time after first visiting Austin and Nashville. Hopefully I’ll be able to hook up with the guys again at Collings Guitars as well as visiting Hill Country Guitars which carries amazing stock. After Austin I get finally to visit very old friends in Nashville for the first time and then drop back to the UK via New York and attend my good friend Zeke’s book launch which is bound to be a great focus for NYC musicians.

Most of October will be spent finalising arrangements for the album launch and I’m already letting some people know what to expect. There will of course be the full SCD band with guests as well as no less than three UK support bands. There’s a lot to figure out in the rest of 2017, before a total revamp for the OUS platform in 2018 and 2019.  I’m lucky to have met some amazing people around the world who share a real love of music and an interest in smart musical discussions. In 2018 I’ll be back in Europe, USA and Asia, for more explorations and even have some 2019 dates in the diary. The OUS platform has meet meeting up with music lovers around the world in person rather than just online which is really exciting. 

 

That’s Entertainment Part 2

After the last blog which featured male performers, here are some more terrific  entertainers.

Victoria Vox

 Victoria Vox came over to my house with 16 other performers and her husband Jack, this May. They performed a couple of tracks in my kitchen and blew me away. Rarely have I heard such great harmonies and playing. The combination is a bench mark for all duo acts. This is music at its best, smart lyrics, great melodies and terrific playing. That’s entertainment in spades!
 

Astraluna

There are countless female artists online these days, but few who can play and sing at this level. Astraluna is quite exceptional especially live when she is playing all manner of loops, building up a sonic feast. 

 
The set at GNUF on the OUS stage was really exceptional and an example of genuine and crucially original entertainment
 

Katy Vernon

 
Katy is a seasoned performed and this is one of the songs that appeared on the OUS sampler at GNUF 2017. Its very catchy and a great example of how to create a simple captivating tune.  Live she has great skills to engage an audience and creates a really good range of music which is rare these days.
 

Nicole McNally

 
 
This is a great example of a younger emerging artist with a great voice. I have never seen her live, but in my view this clip suggests great things ahead.  One of proofs of a good entertainer is when somebody can play a simple tune and entertain an audeince
 

Conclusion

These are 4 great  entertainers. There are of course many more, but these are the ones that come to mind. They are this time all original artists but that wasn’t the main consideration in picking them. The world is better for such folks.

Positive and negative use of social media for artists

In a positive sense, it can be great to generate conversion and maintain contact with like minds. Good photos, on topic posts and good information are all great ways of using social media in a positive sense. Building a community of like minded people with mutual enthusiasm works well, BUT inevitably such platforms always attract detractors as well and especially what are wonderfully called “keyboard warriors” who are mostly self employed and status seekers. A positive way to guard against this is to ensure that such characters respect the rules of the group or exhibit good manners if posting to your personal page. Remember if its your page or group, its good manners for others to adhere to good behaviour. With these considerations in mind social media can be a terrific tool for artists, expanding their reach to new audiences.

Even though people may imagine that everyone has endless time to post online, of course working professionals mostly only have limited time for social media unless they have somebody doing this on their behalf. Social media used positively is terrific as a medium to connect to a global community. The key is IMO to offer good quality material, thought provoking posts and unique information. Its also important not to flood social media with poor video and photos as that usually dilutes audience attention. 

The OUS platform is a great example of positive social media in action. The public FB platform has 2700 plus members and the main webpage has 60+ artists with their own pages and of course many more have applied to be on the site. Its a free resource for original artists and in 2018 this project will be greatly expanded. With my own band The Small Change Diaries, we have received some great opportunities though having a good social media and online presence including being invited to a major international Guitar festival overseas.

The Negatives

Just as a village can have a positive communal spirit, there can also be disruptive characters also known as trolls. Such individuals are always status seekers wanting to be the center of attention and they usually hunt in packs of two or more. Anyone who starts to achieve any form of increased profile in the public domain inevitably attracts such characters. On a basic “Punch and Judy” level the behaviour is usually endless negative attention seeking negative posts. At the other extreme, this can mean actual attempts to hack your website and/or clone your account. I have experience of both of these and have a restraining order in place against one character!

Usually ignoring and/or blocking such characters is the best strategy. Mostly there will be a small group that will back each other up and egg each other on. ALWAYS screen grab any particualarly libellous comments and store up information. If you go a legal route this will require detailing a full paper trail and that can take time. Fortunately the law has changed in recent years so this is a lot easier these days. Its useful to remember that social media can massively distort communications and of course over hyped claims usually backfire and genuine artists also look to “play the long game” and build up a body of work that stands the test of time.

Conclusion

Social media is one of many ways to connect to a wider public. Aside from my musical projects I have FB platforms that connect with substantial numbers of people. I teach communication skills in 13 overseas countries and many countries have their own social media platforms to ask and answer questions about courses. I also run many blogs which are mostly specific information about subjects. I have a policy of growing interest organically platforms like OUS have in a short time brought together many terrific artists who may have not otherwise got to meet each other.

I recently met Gregor Nowak in Austria who I met on FB and Alan and Terri Thornton stayed for a week at my house after having only known them on FB. I also had a great meeting with Bernd Holzhausen in Vienna, who I had previously only known online. These are great examples of turning virtual friends into real life friends.  

STOP PRESS – Seems from pm’s these observations are not uncommon in this cyber age!