the AMP Issue 44

"The instrument that I never learned how to play was my fans. You know, they are the part of the story that nobody teaches you. I just want to do the right thing; I want to be a voice with them, among them." 
—Lady Gaga

In This Issue... 17 pages [less than 25 minutes to read] You'll Get...

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•  the AMP Quick an' Easy Survey+ Surprise Gift 🎁

• RECOMMENDS— 70 Best Songwriting Blogs and Websites  

• BACKSTAGE PASS— 7 Top Marketing Strategies for Musicians by Melanie Kealey from Bandzoogle, 

• NOT ONE OF the 100 GREATEST SINGER SONGWRITERS of All Time— Lady Gaga

• MONDEGREEN—  Poker Face by Lady Gaga

• COACHING— No! the Tyranny of Rejection and what to do about it.

• PS from PS— Small Is Beautiful... And Live Nation Isn't.

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Here’s the playlist

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SINGER SONGWRITERS— Your Voice Matters: Quick Survey + Surprise 🎁  Gift 

Hey there, AMP Fans.

We're on a mission to make the AMP newsletter the absolute best it can be for you. We're asking for your help. It's going to be fun and fast— promise!

How fast? Just three questions (plus one for extra credit) Under three minutes. 🕒

Why should you do it? Because your voice matters! the AMP is FOR YOU! Plus, we have a surprise 'Thank You!' for everyone who completes the survey. 🎁

Ready to rock? Just tap the link below to get started!

Here’s what we’ll ask you:

1. What's one thing you appreciate most about the AMP?
2. What makes that something you value and appreciate?
3. What would make the AMP ideal for you?
and
4. And if you have a comment to add, please do!

That's it. That's all. Easy, right?

Thank you so much for being part of the AMP and New Music Lives™ .comUnity. We appreciate you more than words can say!

Rock on!

Paul and the AMP Team

PS: We'll publish the insights we gather AND you'll get a special 'Thank You!' surprise. 🎁 just for participating.

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• RECOMMENDS—  the 70 Best Songwriting Blogs and Websites from Feedspot

Here's a list of the best Songwriting blogs from thousands of music blogs on the web, ranked by Feedspot according to traffic, social media followers & freshness.

The top 7 are listed and linked right here below. Tap this link: The 70 Best Songwriting Blogs to go to the entire list on the Feedspot website. 

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1.  Song Town | Songwriting Community
SongTown provides a creative community of potential co-writers, world-class pro mentors, and a support system to inspire and guide your progress. We believe the true measure of a songwriter starts and ends with writing your best songs. If you are pursuing a career in music or simply looking to write better songs, we are here to help.
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2. Songfacts | Songwriter Interviews
Find Song meanings and information, including album and chart position, music trivia, music videos, and lyrics. Go behind the music with some of the world's best songwriters. Find Songwriter Interviews and updates on songwriting by Songfacts.
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3. The Essential Secrets of Songwriting 
How to write chord progressions, melodies, lyrics, and touching on related topics such as copyright, instrumentation, writer's block, and more. Songwriting tips from Gary Ewer.
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4. Songwriting Magazine 
To the art and craft of successful songwriting. Find Songwriting interviews, inspirational stories, new artist showcases, and more. We talk to artists and big names alike to get the inside story on their songwriting techniques and on how they got to where they are today, while experienced hired songwriters share some of their ideas to help you.
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5. American Songwriter Magazine
American Songwriter brings you interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contests, business insight, blogs, and online exclusive content for aspiring or professional songwriters and serious music enthusiasts. American Songwriter is a bimonthly magazine, established in 1984 covering every aspect of the craft and art of songwriting.
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6. Songwriter Trysts
Songwriter Trysts is an intimate space where artists gather to discuss the love of songwriting. Writing songs and the journey that one makes into this ancient art form is powerful stuff. Songwriters have something to say and this is a space to delve deeper into their songs, where they come from, and what they are creating.
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7. Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI)
Connect with BMI & Professional Songwriters. Celebrating over 80 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers, and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc. is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music.
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Tap this link: The 70 Best Songwriting Blogs to go to the entire list on the Feedspot website. 

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• BACKSTAGE PASS—  7 Top Marketing Strategies for Musicians
by Melanie Kealey, from Music Marketing & Promotion Bandzoogle,

In the current digital age, a musician often takes on many roles, including creating a marketing strategy for their music. With the sheer volume of new music being released regularly, determining whether your music will connect with an audience or not may depend on how it’s marketed. (Hint: It will!)

If you’re marketing your current music independently, or you’re planning to release new songs soon, the strategies outlined here will help you get started.

1. Build a Social Media Presence
Social media platforms and trends evolve constantly. The trick to using social media as an effective avenue to market your music independently is to focus on the social media sites where you enjoy engaging, and create a strategy to make the most of your efforts there.

Choose a few platforms that you enjoy using, and create content that works with your music, your message, and your personality in a format that’s suitable for each platform. Post or upload your content sparingly, stretching it out so you’re promoting your music without being too self-promotional. Engage authentically with commentators or viewers to build your fanbase.

Be honest with yourself about what you can accomplish by marketing your music on social media. Test the waters with different platforms, and see what levels of engagement you can maintain.

2. Use Your Artist Website and EPK
Social media platforms act as a starting point to catching a fan’s attention, and your artist's website is the place you’ll want to drive traffic, to draw them in, and build a meaningful base of supporters. With your own music website, you can create connections through deeper dives into your music, your photos, and more.

If you plan to sell music online as part of your marketing initiatives, your website is the best place to send your supporters. You can collect email addresses here, ensuring that you’ll be able to stay in touch with your fans for the long term.

You can also use your website to market your music with an EPK. Create an Electronic  Press Kit and add your musician bio, press links, social and streaming sites, music reviews, and more so professionals and fans alike can easily spread the word about your music.

3. Send Your Music to Blogs, Playlist Curators, and Press Outlets
If you’re promoting new music, getting your tracks out in advance will help build momentum and reach as many listeners as possible.

Part of your music marketing efforts can include pitching your music to the press, plus editorial and third-party playlist curators, to get some coverage. Using a service like Groover to send your songs to blogs, radio, playlist generators, and labels can save time and ensure that your music gets heard.

You can also design an EPK for your music specifically to promote new singles, and use that to reach out to radio curators or online music reviewers. Any mention of your music from outside sources can be helpful for your marketing efforts— in addition to reaching more listeners, it can help boost your band website’s SEO ranking.

4. Drive Interest and Engagement with Landing Pages
Landing pages can be a powerful tool to market your music online. Determine the goal of your music marketing campaign and then create a landing page with the sole focus of supporting that campaign.

Some common landing page goals include promoting a new video, a new Spotify release, or an album pre-sale. You could also add a landing page to create a Smart Link for your music release, with options for your fans to find your songs on different platforms.

You can also use a giveaway to market your music, building interest in exclusive items and sending traffic to your landing pages for fans to enter the contest. This exclusive gifting engages your fans and can also help you collect their email addresses.

5. Use Live Shows to Full Potential
Live shows have great potential for exposing your music to a wider audience. Consider each show individually, and determine the potential it has to help you market your music.

Each performance has the potential to create a unique and compelling memory. Use that to your advantage to develop your fanbase. You can also tap into the opportunities provided in a live show to market beyond that moment. Hire a videographer or photographer to make sure you have extra content to use in all other areas of your music marketing.

Live shows are also one of the best places to sell merch, giving your fans a chance to meet and engage with you.

6. Network with Other Artists and Influencers
Take your fan engagement further by networking with like-minded musicians. Chances are there are plenty of artists who’d be interested in doing cross-promotion to build their fanbase as well.

Besides getting more fans for your music, building a strong artist community will help you feel supported with new releases and upcoming shows.

To make the most of this marketing strategy, first decide what your goal is and then decide who you might approach and where you might network to achieve these goals.

You can market your music at conferences or reach out to influencers to get their audience interested in your music. Building relationships for the long-term is a good goal here.

7. Invest in PR and Airplay
If you have a music marketing budget to invest, consider hiring a radio tracker or publicist to help you get your music heard. The amount of money you’ll spend will depend on the scale and scope of your intended campaign.

Meaningful results may not happen until thousands of dollars are spent, and there’s no guarantee that your music will be reviewed or picked up by radio stations— so plan accordingly and spend wisely.

If you’re not able to pay for a radio campaign, you can put extra time and effort into reaching out to stations to get your song on the radio. You can also invest more energy into promoting your music online using a DIY approach.

PR (Public Relations) is another rewarding— but likely pricey— option to market your music. Consider hiring a publicist or agency if you can afford it and want to learn how it works. You can also invest your own time and efforts into doing this promotion yourself.

There are countless ways to market your own music. Whether you’re just getting started, or looking for inspiration to get your newest music out there with a further reach, we hope these marketing strategies will help you!

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To read the original unedited article, tap here: 7 Top Tips for Musicians.

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Melanie Kealey is the Director of Communications at music website platform Bandzoogle. In addition to overseeing the Bandzoogle blog, she regularly writes posts with helpful website tips for musicians. She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her two young sons and husband, musician Tyler Kealey.

About Bandzoogle: From mobile design options, to commission-free music and merch sales, built-in crowdfunding, and fan subscription tools, now tens of thousands of artists from around the world use Bandzoogle to create beautiful websites and power their direct-to-fan marketing and sales. Tap the link to learn more on the Bandzoogle website.

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• NOT one of the 100 GREATEST SINGER SONGWRITERS of All Time—  Lady Gaga

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NOT one of... True. Lady Gaga isn't one of Rolling Stones' 100 Greatest. She IS one of New Music Lives™ Greatest. So... There... And here...

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" 'Pop music will never be low brow.' Lady Gaga's assertion underscores her belief in the artistic value of pop music, challenging the notion that it is a lesser form of art. She consistently pushes the boundaries of what pop music can be, blending highbrow concepts with mainstream appeal​."— American Songwriter

Stefani— "If you know me, and you call me Stefani, you don't really know me at all."— Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known to family, friends, and the world as Lady Gaga, is an American Singer Songwriter and actress. She is known for reinventing her image and showcasing versatility in entertainment. 

Gaga started performing as a teenager by singing at open mic nights and acting in school plays. She studied at Collaborative Arts Project 21 before leaving to pursue a music career. After a contract cancellation by Def Jam Recordings, Gaga worked as a Songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing. In 2007, she signed with Interscope Records and KonLive Distribution. Her breakthrough came the following year with her debut studio album, The Fame, and its singles Just Dance and Poker Face. The album was later reissued along with The Fame Monster (2009), which yielded the successful singles Bad Romance, Alejandro, and Telephone.

Gaga's five succeeding albums all debuted atop the US Billboard 200. Her second full-length album, Born This Way (2011), explored electronic rock and techno-pop and sold more than one million copies in its first week. The title track became the fastest-selling song on the iTunes Store, with over one million downloads in less than a week. 

Following her EDM-influenced third album, Artpop (2013), and its lead single Applause, she released the jazz album Cheek to Cheek (2014) with Tony Bennett, and the soft rock album Joanne (2016). She ventured into acting, winning awards for her leading roles in the miniseries American Horror Story: Hotel (2015–2016) and the musical film A Star Is Born (2018). Her contributions to the latter's soundtrack, which spawned the chart-topping single Shallow, made her the first woman to win an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and Grammy Award in one year. 

Gaga returned to dance-pop with her sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020), which yielded the number-one single Rain on Me. In 2021, she released her second and final collaborative album with Bennett, Love for Sale, and also starred in the biopic House of Gucci.

"My real fans understand what it is I do, but on another level, I have fans who just love my music and don't know I write it and enjoy it shallowly— and that's OK too. I think art and music should be just as powerful if you drink it shallow as if you drink it deep."

Having sold an estimated 170 million records, Gaga is one of the world's best selling music artists and the only female artist to achieve four singles each selling at least 10 million copies globally. Her accolades include 13 Grammy Awards, 2 Golden Globe Awards, 18 MTV Video Music Awards, awards from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and recognition as Billboard's Artist of the Year (2010) and Woman of the Year (2015). She has also been included in several Forbes power rankings and ranked fourth on VH1's Greatest Women in Music (2012). 

Time named Gaga one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010 and 2019 and placed her on their All-Time 100 Fashion Icons list. Gaga's philanthropy and activism focus on mental health awareness and LGBT rights; she has her own non-profit organization, the Born This Way Foundation, which supports the wellness of young people. Her business ventures include Haus Labs, a vegan cosmetics brand launched in 2019.

in partnership with Jason Blume 

• MONDEGREEN—   Poker Face by Lady Gaga

This one's unbelievable...

Original

No he can't read my poker face
She's got me like nobody
P-p-p-poker face.
P-p-poker face.

Mondegreen

Can you believe I broke her face?
She just got hit with a bottle
I fuc•kin broke her face.
I fuc•ked up her face.

If you're up for a 'few' more mondegreens of Lady Gaga songs, tap the link. There are 306 misheard song lyrics for Lady Gaga on amIright currently.

And for hundreds of other head-shaking misheard lyrics, tap this link to go to AmIRight "Making fun of music, one song at a time, since 2000" and they're amazing!

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• COACHING—  No! the Tyranny of Rejection— and What To Do About It.

"It takes real courage to do what we do. This is the business of putting your heart and soul out in the world, where everyone feels free to criticize and tear down what you’ve done. And it hurts. Songwriters... feel this stuff to our cores. And when somebody tears into one of your songs, it’s like an arrow straight to the heart. Because, as Randy Newman told me, songwriting is “life and death.” It’s everything. Nothing means more. Few things achieve the kind of bliss a songwriter experiences after completing a great one. And few thins hurt more than unwarranted criticism."
— Paul Zello, from American Songwriter

There's quite a bit written about the fear of rejection, often phrased as the fear of hearing "No." This fear can manifest in various contexts, including personal relationships, career opportunities, and creative pursuits, especially for Singer Songwriters. 

Here are some key points about rejection worth understanding, because knowing what rejection is and the causes helps you let it go. Keep in mind; Rejection is a 'Habit of Thought.' 

• Psychological Impact: The fear of rejection can significantly impact your self-esteem and self-worth. It may prevent you from taking risks, trying new things, or putting yourself out there.

• Creativity and Growth: For Singer Songwriters, the fear of "No" can stifle creativity and hinder growth. Overcoming this fear is often seen as essential to fully expressing your artistic vision and developing a resilient career.

The fear of rejection comes from early childhood experiences and conditioning. Such as...

• Innocent Incidents: Childhood is filled with numerous small rejections, such as not being chosen for a game, being told "No" by parents, or not getting a desired toy. While these incidents may seem trivial, their cumulative effect can be significant. Each small rejection can subtly reinforce the idea that seeking approval or taking risks can lead to negative outcomes.

• Parental Influence: The way parents handle rejection and discipline can shape a child's perception of rejection. Overly critical or dismissive parenting can make children overly sensitive to rejection, fostering a fear that extends into adulthood.

• School Environment: Negative experiences in school, such as being left out of social groups, failing to meet academic expectations, or not being chosen for teams, can compound the fear of rejection. Peer rejection, in particular, can be very impactful during formative years.

On the more traumatic side...

• Bullying: Children who are bullied often experience intense and repeated rejection from their peers. This can have long-lasting effects on self-esteem and can reinforce a deep-seated fear of rejection.

• Major Life Events such as parental divorce, the death of a loved one, or significant family conflicts can heighten sensitivity to rejection. These experiences can leave emotional scars that make future rejections feel more threatening and result in...

• Negative Self-Talk: Over time, repeated rejections can lead to the development of negative self-talk. Phrases such as, "No matter what I do it's never enough" or "good enough," or "People always reject me" become ingrained, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

• Avoidance Behavior: To protect themselves from the pain of rejection, individuals may start avoiding situations where they might hear "No." This avoidance can limit personal growth and opportunities for success.

• Confirmation Bias: The tendency to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs. If someone believes they are prone to rejection, they might interpret neutral or even positive interactions as negative, reinforcing their fear.

So... Here are some Strategies to Overcome the Fear of Rejection

Reframing Rejection as...

• a Learning Opportunity: View rejection as a chance to learn and grow. Analyze feedback and use it to improve.

• Making a Perspective Shift: Understand that rejection is often not personal. It might simply reflect a misalignment or subjective preference.

You Can Build Resilience With...

• Exposure Therapy: Gradually expose yourself to situations where you might face rejection. Over time, this reduces the emotional impact.

• Mindfulness and Meditation: Practices like mindfulness and meditation can help manage anxiety and emotional responses related to rejection.

Support Systems

• Peer Support: Engage with a community of peers who understand and share your experiences. They can offer valuable support and perspective.

• Mentorship: Seek guidance from mentors who can provide constructive feedback and encouragement.

And By Setting Realistic Goals...

• Small Wins: Set achievable goals to build confidence. Celebrate small successes as they accumulate.

• Incremental Progress: Focus on gradual improvement rather than immediate success.

Developing a Growth Mindset

• Embrace Challenges: See challenges as opportunities to grow rather than threats to your competence.

• Persistence: Understand that persistence is key. 

Many successful Singer Songwriters faced numerous rejections before achieving their goals. Their stories can serve as inspiration and proof that persistence pays off. Such as... 

Ed Sheeran faced numerous rejections early in his career. He performed over 300 gigs in a year, often to small or indifferent audiences. His persistence paid off, leading to chart-topping albums and numerous awards.

"Everything will be okay in the end, if it's not okay, it's not the end."

Katy Perry faced significant rejection and even had her first record deal dropped. She struggled for years before making it big. She went on to become one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

"But every tear has been a lesson. Rejection can be God's protection..."

Bob Dylan faced skepticism and rejection early in his career. His unconventional style wasn't immediately accepted. He persevered and is now considered one of the greatest Songwriters of all time— and has a Nobel Prize.

"How does it feel, to be on your own, with no direction home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?"

The fear of rejection is deeply rooted in our psychology and social conditioning. Overcoming this fear involves reframing rejection, building resilience, seeking support, setting realistic goals, and maintaining a growth mindset. The experiences of successful Singer Songwriters like Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, and Bob Dylan (and many others) illustrate that persistence and resilience can lead to tremendous success despite initial rejections.

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• PS from PS— Small Is Beautiful... And Live Nation Isn't.

You've seen the stories. The Dept of Justice is suing Live Nation, the largest ticketing operator in the country.  

If you think this is just about the fees, charges, and such that got added to all those fans who bought tickets to Taylor Swift on the Era's Tour... You're wrong.

The badest news is that fans will end up paying more in fees, artists will have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters will be squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services will be had by all

Let's unpack that a little: More fees for the fans when they buy a ticket is bad news. That artists have fewer places to play is also really bad news. And smaller promoters are being squeezed out... That is really really bad news, as it's the one that's the lifeblood of small and medium-sized shows in your town or city. If we lose those small and medium size promoters it will be worse than when the venues were all closed in the darkest days of COVID-19. 

The one that gives the venues fewer options for ticketing services is the chokehold as it means that venues have to work with the big machine and that big machine will dictate what the prices are... What the fees are... And will control all aspects of artistic supply. Worse, it will ensure where and to whom the tickets are sold, which to me is a monopoly and that can't be good for the music business. Under or over-all.

Small promoters are what keep the music business alive at the grassroots— and without roots, plants die. We all have to find ways to support them and enable them to stay in business. So, what action can you and I take?

First, second, and third: Make sure we support small local shows. Get out, ourselves, with friends, and strangers, see and hear the music, and patronize the venues that are supporting artists and Singer Songwriters. 

New Music Lives™ is working on a plan that will enable fans to both support Singer Songwriters they care about, and also ways we can all support the local music scene. A world without live music is not a world I want to live in. But it won't come about unless we all get out about and to the shows. Put your money where your— whatever— is. Small IS Beautiful. 

Until we speak again. 

We give the AMP away: Free. No strings. Because... and this IS important.

Our Mission & Purpose is to 'Put Success In Your Singer Songwriter Career.' We know cost can be a barrier for aspiring creative artists to get the knowledge, resources, and inspiration they need to succeed. 

"The Singer Songwriters who need the AMP most are often those who can afford it the least."

 So... the AMP is free. 

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 about us... PLEASE. And THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Send your friends, family, band members, and complete strangers this link: New Music Lives FREE. (Use this to cut and paste.) They'll get the AMP, the TrueFans Manifesto, and the Group. No charge. No strings. 

We're a word-of-mouth-movement, because: It's Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time. We're asking you to help us make that happen.

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

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...

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

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...