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the AMP Issue 10
"If you build it, they might not come, but you'll have fun. If you love what you're doing and work some skills into the mix, you'll survive and possibly thrive. There is always hope, even in the darkest moment, you are never alone."
– Phil Circle
In This Issue... [14 pages, approx 20ish minutes to read] You'll Get...
• RECOMMENDS— the NML Group (Again) and The Outback Musician's Survival Guide book by Phil Circle
• TALKABOUT— TrueFans: True Or False?
• GUEST ARTICLE — Busting Music Myths by Phil Circle
• BACKSTAGE PASS— Synergy: the Secret SuperPower of LIVE!
• PS from PS— Distraction vs Focus
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Here’s the playlist
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• RECOMMENDS— the NML Group (Again) and The Outback Musician's
Survival Guide book by Phil Circle
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The New Music Lives™ Private Group on Facebook is a 'Treasure Trove' of thoughtfully curated news, resources, training, and turn-ons. Scroll up, down and all around your life and work as Singer Songwriters. It's the AMP Daily!
And yeah. Okay. It's Facebook. We know some of you won't play their way. Honestly, for the sake of all you'll get from the NML Group— YOUR NML Group— play anyway. Our Group is the best. You can leave the rest.
It's 'Private' to keep out the riff-raff. We just want sincerious (sincere and serious) Singer Songwriters. AND... most important of all, it's the beginning of the New Music Lives™ .COMunity. Someday soon community will be THE biggest benefit we have for you.
So... hands folded and knees bent, we ask PLEASE go to Private Facebook Group get your invite and then Connect and Engage. The power of .COMunity is waiting. For us all.
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The Outback Musician's Survival Guide book by Phil Circle
The complete title of Phil Circle's book is: The Outback Musician's Survival Guide: One Guy's Story of Surviving as an Independent Musician. Some books are 'How to.' This is. Some books are 'Why to.' This one is. And some books are 'Who to.' That's what this book is most of all. Real— one of those 'you couldn't make this stuff up' deals. Raw— Way too honest. And engaging. And encouraging. Yeah, that's five stars.
The Amazon description reads: A whimsical, informative, and sometimes dark collection of stories, anecdotes, and observations about life as an independent musician, from the viewpoint of one with 30 and more years on the front lines and in the outback of the American music industry...
Phil Circle makes unapologetic declarations, shares his struggles openly, observes his and others' mistakes and successes and brings in some recent research that points in a good direction for independent [musical artists] everywhere. Through each story about a friend, discussion of the crafts of music, songwriting or teaching, and piece of data, Phil brings in his own life experience. A thread winds through the entire book that takes you from moments in his childhood that had a profound positive influence on his love of music, up through his early years trying to find a way to make music work, past various successes, into devastating despair, and back out into the light of the realization that music needs no push.
An open-ended story meant to ultimately leave one with their own opinions about surviving as an independent, Phil Circle looks to make a few basic things clear over everything else. If you build it, they might not come, but you'll have fun. If you love what you're doing and work some skills into the mix, you'll survive and possibly thrive. There is always hope, even in the darkest moment, you are never alone. We liked that bit so much that we used it as the quote for this issue of the AMP.
AND you'll get more of Phil in the Guest Article he wrote for this issue: Busting Music Myths. Scroll down.
• TALKABOUT— TrueFans: True Or False?
by John Fogg
So how do you know this whole TrueFans business works... And that it will work— as in REALLY work— for your Singer Songwriter business?
You've got to be wondering. I would. Is this TrueFans deal for real? Does it really work? And can I do it? (I meaning you.) And most important of all: Will you (meaning New Music Lives™ ) help me do it?
The answers to all three are: Yes. Yes. and Yes.
Perhaps you're more intuitive, have better judgment, more trust than I do, so you know TrueFans is the way to go. I'm from Missouri, you've got to show me. But no matter where you're from, it will be useful for you to learn that this approach of building a growing following of TrueFans will be worth it. Big time. So, here comes some proof of the truth that TrueFans works.
I can say that with complete (that's 100%) conviction because I've done it. A number of times in a number of ways.
• I've used the TrueFans approach to sell a million books. Twice.
• Started a publication from zero to 50,000 Subscribers. No ads.
• Created one of the first online .COMunities of 45,000+ before Social Media.”
• Helped transform an industry with a well-deserved negative reputation.
One at a time.
• I've used the TrueFans approach to sell a million books. Twice.
I wrote The Greatest Networker in the World and helped write Who Stole the American Dream. Both sold over one million copies each. Both were self-published. Neither is sold through bookstores. No ads. TrueFans sold them.
• Started a publication from zero to 50,000 Subscribers.
We began Upline magazine in 1990 serving the Direct Sales industry— and that's how we sold it. No ads. Word-of-mouth. Subscribers who liked and loved what we were doing told their friends, who told their friends, and so it went. Eventually the business for $4 million in 2000 dollars— $7.1 million + today.
• Created one of the first online .COMunities of 45,000+ before Social Media.
Started in the early 2000's and like the books and the magazine grew it from scratch without conventional advertising. Started as an email newsgroup. Grew it to a thriving online .comUnity. Still be here if I hadn't screwed it up.
• Helped transform an industry suffering from a well-deserved negative reputation.
Direct Sales was the black sheep of sales and selling before the 1990's. We changed that— inside and out. Positive PR such as getting on the cover of SUCCESS magazine, efforts paid off and changed the public's view to more respectable and then leading-edge. Championed internal changes for greater authenticity, honesty, and integrity focusing on relationship-based marketing sans hype and hustle. Today the industry has more than 20 million participants (74% women) and over $200 billion in sales globally.
All the above is the important part. I wanted to offer you proof that TrueFans works.
What follows are some of the things we did that you can take away and make your own.
Some Hows...
• Using the TrueFans approach to sell a million books.
First, The Greatest Networker in the World was a 'how to' book told as a story. Facts may tell, but stories sell. Potential TrueFans in any medium are converted by learning and connecting with your story. That's why from both stage and social media we encourage you to tell your story. Make it personal. Relatable. That works.
Best piece of advice I got in the beginning was to give the book away. So, we did. 1,200 free copies went to people— we tried to pick influencers, but not all were— in the first month of publication. Enough of them read it (liked it) and spread it. The book took off.
Over the years we gave the book to all new subscribers to our magazine as a freebie. 50,000 of them. Wait! What? 50,000 given away free! Grab your calculator. The book sold way well over 1,000,000 copies. Gave away 5%, generating 95% profit. Worth it...?
And... starting way back in 1996, I gave the digital ebook away on our website.
Another idea: Seth Godin told me the story of a young Singer Songwriter friend of his wife's he encouraged to give a second CD free with everyone she sold. What did people do with the extra one? Gave it to a friend. When they did, it was a gift, so did they say it was meh... or really good? As the artist had three other CD's for sale, guess what happened?
the AMP newsletter is free. And like the book, it's good. You've gotta' be good.
• Started a publication that reached 50,000 Subscribers.
Before social media, we used the post office. Crazy right !?! Then word-of-mouth became word-of-mouse and eMail and the Internet simply replicated analog actions by doing things digitally— which was faster by far and way easier, too. Leverage via tech.
Same as with the book, gave away lots for free. No ads. Ever. People telling people. You tell five and they tell five and... soon enough 50,000. Most of whom were TrueFans.
Most important was... It was personal. Relationships ruled. Stories. Stories. Stories. And we featured people who told other people and they told and they told... TrueFans are like that. They cannot help themselves. If they like you and love you they WILL tell others about you. They're compelled. Make it easy for them. Reward them for doing so. Thank them. Make a big deal out of them. Appreciate them. Call it 'Appreciation Marketing', because that's what it is. Huey Lewis was right: More than a feeling, that's the power of love.
Two to remember up there: Thank You (notes, calls, texts...) are powerful. And Surprise Thank You’s are best of all, because people remember them. For a long time. And tell other people. Think Taylor Swift showing up at that wedding.
• Created a .COMunity of 45,000+ before Social Media.
Started as an email newsgroup. An ongoing digital conversation in your inbox. Soon enough we migrated to a website. Still, like SMS texts, it was one-way communication, but there was enough back-and-forth to mimic a real conversation.
People want to belong. That's one of our highest human Values because belonging is about being with others who share our values. Soccer mom’s hang out with other soccer moms. Golfers with golfers. Songwriters with Songwriters. And your Fans and TrueFans with each other, because they value you..
Community is where it's at, and COVID schmovid, .COMunity is safe, convenient, easy, fun, rewarding and more... AND today virtual can have more virtue than reality.
Number 1 on the New Music Lives™ to be done list (not ready yet, coming soon) is to create a .COMunity for our Singer Songwriters. Number 2... is to create a .COMunity for each our Singer Songwriters and their TrueFans.
• Helped transform an industry.
Our Mission was to put success in each one of our customer's Direct Sales businesses. Same as we're doing with NMLives. That mission— once we had enough people succeeding— became a Movement. Same as we're doing with New Music Lives™.
The music business as usual does not work for Singer Songwriters. We've no intention of going head-to-head with Big Music Inc. That would be stupid. Like competing with Apple or Amazon. The 'Transformation' we're going to achieve is one Singer Songwriter at a time. Once enough of you become successful— by your own definition of success— by using our teaching and tech, New Music Lives™ will begin to grow exponentially. The very same way, by the same methods, we'll be helping you to get to 1,000 (and more) TrueFans.
Transformation only occurs from the inside out. You, the creative independent artist Singer Songwriting, are inside. Might think of yourself as the heart of the music business. Because... that's what you are.
Okay... Admittedly took the chorus off track with some of that up there. Trust there's enough for you to have a shot or three of top-shelf TrueFan how-to, why to, and who to. All I wanted was for you to get that this TrueFans deal was for real. As said, it is. I know. I've done it. So can you. And yes, we'll help you. More to come. Promise.
John Fogg is the CWO— Chief Whatever Officer— for New Music Lives™. John's a writer (he does the AMP and, and, and), teacher, coach, marketer, and a bit of an Internet pioneer. And said and read, he's authored two books that have sold over a million copies each. Paul calls him his 'pet tiger,' because, on occasion, he bites.
in partnership with the Jim Parker Songwriter Series
Jim Parker is a Singer Songwriting legend. More than four decades in the biz playing and co-creating with an astonishing array of who's-whose-and-who's would be reason enough, but his Jim Parker's Songwriters Series, where he showcases the talents and creation stories of songwriters and their songs from Los Angeles; Canada; Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; and, and, and... is what makes Jim a National Treasure.
Jim's Songwriter Series is showcase featuring the world's greatest songwriters and musicians. Hosted at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It's a rare opportunity to see these artists perform in the round, in a dinner-theater atmosphere, up close and personal!
Tap here to Subscribe: jimparkermusic.com. You'll get announcements and invites and news of upcoming events (eight this year and nine in 2024). AND, Jim's YouTube channel features more than 376 videos, from setlist clips to complete shows. And he's on Facebook as well: the Jim Parker Songwriter Series.
Want a taste: Here's one of our favorites: Pat Alger - Thunder Rolls. Co-written with Garth Brooks. The backstory is amazing.
• GUEST ARTICLE — Busting Music Myths by Phil Circle
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In his article "Myth-Busting in Music," author, Singer-Songwriter, and coach, Phil Circle dissects commonly held myths in the world of music education and the music industry. Drawing from a lifetime of experience, he debunks fallacies such as the notion that you either have talent or you don't, that tone-deafness is a real impediment, and that coming from a musical family offers a significant advantage. He also dispels romanticized myths like the idea of being "discovered" overnight, or that a hit song is the path to eternal happiness. Circle emphasizes the importance of skill-building, hard work, and loving the creative process over seeking a mythical end goal. It's a wake-up call for aspiring musicians to focus on tangible actions and a healthy mindset, rather than falling prey to these pervasive myths.
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I wrote this in spring— a time of renewal, with countless rituals that encourage or mystify us about something that’s natural and is going to happen anyway.
People are superstitious. We dig mythology. I’m personally fascinated by human cultures. Our myths and origins. With regards to musicians, Joseph Campbell said we’re myth-makers. And that’s true. But, I’m not excited about the mistaken myths many have attached to music education or preparing others for the professional world of music. These include ideas such as:
• You either have talent or don’t
• You can be tone-deaf.
• You come from a musical family, so you have an advantage.
• People might 'boo' you off the stage the first time you're up there.
• You’ll be 'discovered' by some guy with a briefcase full of cash.
• You and your band risk falling into a haze of addiction and that is somehow romantic, and after one of you dies in a tragic accident, you’ll all regroup at the Betty Ford Clinic for your return to the top.
• You’re going to write that hit song and find happiness.
And my 'favorite'...
• There’s a place you and your music can get to and everything will be perfect.
Now, keep in mind that many of the above are legitimate fears and the requisite guards against failure that we've invented. I recognize that. But they’re not to be believed. And once we step through our fears, we should discard these miscreations. We should also make clear to the aspiring musical artists next in line that these are all myths.
You either have talent or you don’t.
It’s true that each of us may have specific inclinations to certain things and these will drive our desire to learn and master them. But plenty of people who appear to have talents in some area fail to ever see them through. For instance, I’m great with numbers. But I’m no mathematician. Nor do I have a desire to be one. Yet I’ve seen so many people uncover a burning desire to make music without showing much in the way of skills, and through digging down and working at it, they’ve uncovered tremendous creative gifts. Which is what I think talent tends to be: Creatively applied skills. And yes, I realize I may be making myself less special, but I’m okay with that. I worked for this, trust me.
You can be tone-deaf.
That’s just a flat-out... Nope! If we were tone deaf we’d never recognize our friends’ voices, our favorite songs, or a siren blaring. You simply need to develop your ear-voice coordination. Yep, more skill-building. And yep again, I’ve seen proof of this truth. I’ve had people walk into my studio and not come anywhere close to hitting the notes I was asking for— yet 3 months later, they were blowing people away.
If you come from a musical family, you have an advantage.
There's no evidence for this. I come from a musical lineage. But I’m the youngest of six and only two of us still play music. Even though we were all trained for it. And I’ve seen way more students who were fantastic musicians, with absolutely no musicians in their family. The only advantage you may gain is if your family encourages you and you want it, too.
Interestingly, my Dad was an entrepreneur, but he was the one who encouraged me in music. More so than my Mom, the musician who was a producer as well.
People will 'boo' you off the stage the first time you get up there.
Only in the movies. Never in my life have I seen this happen— and I’ve hosted thousands of open mic nights and events. Makes for good drama in film. Just isn't real.
You’ll be 'discovered' by some guy with a briefcase full of cash.
Again: Only in the movies. You’re actually going to have to work really hard. And if some guy shows up at your gig with an offer and a briefcase full of cash, I’d have to question if he’s just laundering drug money through you and your music. More seriously, in modern business, if someone comes to you with funding, you’re likely already there and don't need it. Remember, you’re the boss. Stay that way.
Your entire band risks falling into a haze of addiction and...
I actually had a counselor at Betty Ford tell me that every musician is either in treatment or should be. That’s really the only falsehood I heard in the nine weeks I was there— as far as addiction treatment information sharing went. I was the only problem in any of my bands— and with only two exceptions out of the dozens of musicians I worked with in my career. In the arts, we’re so comfortable with telling our truths, our weaknesses are just more widely admitted— and unfortunately romanticized. Giving credit to the idea that once someone gets clean, they may rise up again, it's more likely, they’re just getting back on track.
You’re going to write that hit song and find happiness.
Two things here. 1. Your happiness isn’t found in hit songs. 2. It’s unlikely you know which song is going to be a hit.
Is there a formula that many hit songwriters have used? Sure, but you haven’t heard all the crap they wrote and threw away. Just keep writing, keep evolving, and keep loving it. And keep in mind that many hit songs— most of them really— don’t stand the test of time. At best, they become nostalgic for the generation they spoke to at the time.
There’s some place that you can get to and everything will be perfect.
Learn to enjoy the process. This isn’t some platitude to make ourselves feel better when we’re not seeing our goals fulfilled. This is something to prepare yourself for success with a healthy mindset. Ideally, as soon as you get somewhere, you already have the next place in view.
Striving is a way of life that breeds fulfillment. Comes from gratitude. I promise you, that learning to find joy despite what’s happening around you will make those great moments even more powerful. You’ll begin to get that sense of life that you get when you’re hiking in the mountains. You go down into a valley with great anticipation of crossing it. Climb the next hill. Come upon another valley. Find your way up a taller hill. Pass through a deep crevice. Surmount a beautiful summit. And see the world spread out around you. By the time you reach the crest, it’s already long past being your goal. Love the hike— or whatever your own metaphor works best.
It's been reported that Gandhi said, 'Be the change you want to see in the world.'
It's been reported that I said, 'Be the change you want to hear. Make great music.'
In my case, the reports are true.
• BACKSTAGE PASS — Synergy: the Secret SuperPower of LIVE!
You could be a singer. Just a singer. Singing songs other people composed.
You could be a songwriter. Just a songwriter. Writing songs for other people to sing.
But you're a Singer Songwriter. You sing the songs you write.
Perhaps you sing your songs only to yourself. Possible. Art for art's sake an' all. But doubtful. And maybe you're simply young or shy or both, so you only sing your songs for your family. And friends. Except for that time when you mistakenly brought your guitar to a birthday party and there were 19 people there and they forced you to play.
If you're a Singer Songwriter somewhere along the curve between a fun-fulfilling hobby and a sold-out 60,000-seat arena, you will be performing. Singing the songs you wrote— that maybe even the whole world sings. Because that's the deal. That's what being a Singer Songwriter is all about. And when you perform your songs, live, with an audience, you tap into a miraculous SuperPower few of us common folk ever get to create. We can experience it. With you. But you're the one who creates it.
It's called Synergy. And it's the Secret SuperPower of Live Performance.
The dictionary explains synergy as what happens when two or more 'agents' combine together to produce a result that's greater than the sum of their separate effects/parts added together. Well, the dictionary is wrong. It's not two. It's four. Four or more together is what creates synergy.
The great American genius Buckminster Fuller developed a mathematical formula to calculate synergy. Using the example of combining people and relationships together, it looks and goes like this:
P stands for People. Take the number of people P, squared (the number of people times the number of people) P2 minus ( - ) the number of P people, then divide that number by 2 and the result equals the synergy that's present in that combination of people. In the case of number of people, this synergy is the relationships between those people.
Looks like this: You and me and the baby make’s three: 3 squared is 9 - 3 = 6 ÷ 2 = 3. So. No synergy.
But when we add the baby-sitter: 4 squared is 16 - 4 = 12 ÷ 2 = 6. Wait! What? As said, synergy kicks in with four or more, like so...
You and me— that's 1. You and the baby— that's 2. Me and the baby— that's 3. The babysitter and me— that's 4. The babysitter and you— that's 5. The babysitter and the baby— that's 6. Four people. Six relationships. Greater than the sum of its parts. Got it...? Now, let's get real.
You do a House Concert. There are 50 people there— AND the SuperPower of Synergy. Check this out: 50 people times 50 people is 2,500 minus 50 is 2,450 divided by 2 is... 1,225.
So, at your 50 people House Concert, there are actually 1,225 relationships between all the people present.
Synergy.
Now (again) what is the quality— think energy— of those relationships? Happy? Having a good time! Having fun? Liking and loving you? Moved? High? Remembering? Creating new memories? Gotta' dance? Love?
Get this (please) those 50 folks listening to you, sharing you and your art and your performance and the Feeling-Energy you create for them with your songs, in them with your songs, with them IN your songs... More than 1,000 personal relationships are all centered around and created by you and your songs... Mama!
So... does synergy give you any insight into what makes a Taylor Swift Era Tour concert so unbelievably out-of-this-world heart and mind-blowingly high energy extraordinary?
With an average attendance of 72,459— we'll spare you the math, and you're welcome to check ours— best you be sitting down. Holding your breath. You won't believe this.
2,625,117,111— yes, as in billion— relationships at that concert!
Synergy. When four or more are gathered in your name.
Yes, you can be heard on Spotify. And Apple, and Amazon, and... People can watch you on YouTube, DTube, Metacafe, Vimeo, TikToc... And you can do a far-distant fourth on your Tuesday Zoom jam session. But nothing, NOthing, can do what Performing LIVE can. Because...
Synergy Is the Secret SuperPower of LIVE!
Support Our Mission
• HELP! We need somebody (Help) not just anybody (Help) you know we need
someone, hhheeelllppp...
So, help us spread the word about the AMP (even if you're feeling down). We don't do ads. We're not a big deal Internet nor affiliate marketers. We're building NML on a shoe-string— one step below bootstrapping. So, if you're a TrueFan. You enjoy the AMP... Benefit from what's in each issue... And you're willing and able to spread the word with and for us... Please. And thank you!
Send your friends, family, band members, and complete strangers to New Music Lives™ FREE. They'll get the AMP. the Book. the Group. No charge. No strings.
• PS from PS— Distraction vs Focus
I struggle with distraction. You? I call mine the 'Bright Shiny Object Syndrome.' The magnetic desire to focus on new stuff and new things. It's an issue many singer songwriters fall into: Not focusing on the people at the show, but instead worrying about the crowd passing by the theater.
I managed a band once. They were pretty good, but... The leader/lead singer was obsessed with how many streams on Spotify and YouTube views came in right after their set. Glued to her phone, she ignored the merch table and did not meet with the audience. Distraction versus Focus. I'll say more. Oh, I quit managing the band.
Who do you have more influence over the random music fan who finds your track on one of the streaming platforms and listens for 20 seconds or the person who leaves their house, gets into their car, and drives to the venue to come to see you perform? Oh, and on the way they've got your latest track playing on the car stereo. Which one are you more connected to? How about the person who talks through your set versus the women singing along with the chorus on every other song?
Which of those examples is engaged? Which is most likely to be or become your fan? And more importantly, who's the best prospect who— with a bit of attention and appreciation from you— might turn into a TrueFan?
I asked a Singer Songwriter what would change his career for the better right now. He told me if he could only raise $25,000, then he could afford to make his album. I asked him how many fans did he have? He said he thought perhaps 500 or so on Facebook. So, he wanted to make an album even though he had such a small audience.
I suggested he focus on making and releasing a single (and then another... and then another...) reaching out to each of those Facebook 'friends' and 'followers.' Personally. 'Here's my latest track. Just for you.' Add another zero to his fan base first. THEN do his album. For now, where he was focusing on building his audience was a distraction.
I urge you to avoid distractions. Decide where to place your focus. Do what matters. Most. Go where the money is. And I believe that should always be on the people who are right in front of you at the show. The people you meet in person, and tell about your music, and share it with them. Try it. Focus on making the audience you already have bigger. Leave the audience you don't have alone. For now. Grow those fans who will be far more likely to become TrueFans.
Which gardening approach is best: Nurturing the seeds you've already planted or starting over (and over and over) with new seeds?
Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback. And remember, all Issues of the AMP are posted in our Private Facebook Group.
And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...