Post tag: musicians
52 Things Musicians Can Do Now In the Time of Coronavirus

Corona VirusMarlowsphere (Blog #147)

There are no immediate or forecasted statistics, but just from the anecdotal evidence, it’s apparent a goodly portion of freelance musicians of various stripes are going to have a rough time financially for the next few months: paying monthly bills, buying food, and taking care of their health. Why? Because the coronavirus has caused gig cancellations, postponements, closures, shut downs, and travel restrictions—all in the name of slowing down the spread of the virus, a so-called “flattening of the curve.”

The truism “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything” was never more real than now.

Of course, it’s not just musicians. Artists of all kinds, freelancers, and hourly workers are caught in this pandemic whirlpool. Part of the problem, and perhaps the major part of the problem, is that many are not financially prepared for a three, six, or nine month income gap, even with unemployment insurance, which is meagre at best.

Is the current pandemic the end of the world? No, it isn’t. It’s not the first global health crisis (remember the influenza epidemic of 1918, only 102 years ago) and it’s not the last. To put this another way, with many people on temporary work hiatus, quarantined, or sheltered at home, this is also an opportunity: an opportunity to use this “down time” to “up-scale” your personal and professional life.

Following are 52 recommendations you can apply today:

HealthHealth:

1. Per the CDC, Stay home if you are sick. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing.

3. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

4. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when hand washing is not possible.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

6. Ward off isolation. Contact friends and relatives, whether locally, in the state, out of state, or internationally. They will want to hear from you. And you will want to hear from them. Contact, even at a distance, is still a human need.

7. Keep a regular, daily routine to ward off depression: get up the same time, take a shower, get dressed, and keep up with activities you can do at home.

8. Maintain good nutrition: eat healthy, eat light so you don’t get weighted down or gain weight. Resist the urge to binge out of depression.

9. Look online for healthy but satisfying recipes.

10. Buy food and sundries in bulk as much as you can. If you have a large enough freezer, stock up on frozen foods. Buy as much can goods as possible.

11. Shop around. Walmart, Amazon, Fresh Direct, Pea Pod, among others, have on-line grocery and sundry stores that deliver to your door. Check them out to see which have the best prices for what you need. Perhaps you’ll need to order from more than one place to get the best prices.

12. Cut back on take-out. If you eat take-out, the food is going to be more expensive than if you make it at home. Moreover, food from a restaurant probably contains more salt than you should ingest. Less salt is better for your health.

13. Physical activity is good for one’s mental and emotional health. Exercise at home. When working outside the home you’re moving, using your whole body. The Cleveland Clinic recommends 10,000 steps a day. If you’re working from home, you risk become more sedentary. Find a place in your living room to do some stretches, push-ups, and sit-ups. Have free-weights? Work with those as well. Live in an apartment building? Go into the hallway and walk for about 10-15 minutes. Climb a few flights of stairs.

14. Equally important, take a few minutes every day to meditate, to be calm, and quiet your mind.

15. Do you smoke? Apply to an online “Stop Smoking” program. Just think of all the money you’re going to save when you don’t smoke anymore.

16. If in psychotherapy, use phone, Skype or FaceTime to continue the sessions. The consistency will help with anxiety and provide a bit of normally in these unusual times.

17. Take an aromatherapy, Epson salts, or bubble bath to relax.

18. Limit media intake to maintain your sanity.


Finances:

Financial-Business1. Pay your bills on time, especially your credit card bill. Don’t wait until the last minute. Paying your credit card bill sooner rather than later should reduce the amount of interest you pay.

2. Pay more than the minimum amount on your credit card. Paying the minimum keeps you in debt.

3. Make sure you do your taxes and submit them on time. The IRS has extended the deadline to July 14, but you need to file an extension by April 15.

4. Develop a quarterly net worth statement. You may discover you’re in better shape than you think—your instrument is part of your net worth. Or perhaps you’ll discover you have some systemic financial issues, like too much long-term debt.

5. Having a net worth statement gives you more control over your finances. If you don’t know what a net worth statement is, search the Internet for examples.

6. If you foresee you’ll have a problem paying next month’s rent, contact your landlord now. Better to talk with your landlord before there’s a problem than after. You’ll be in a stronger position before there’s a problem than after.

7. If you foresee you’ll have a problem paying your next month’s mortgage, contact your mortgager now, for the same reasons as above. This will also help protect your credit score from being affected.

8. Create and analyze your monthly expense budget.

9. Identify some way to spend less on something. Everybody has a bad spending habit someplace. Discover yours and start saving.

10. Search your home for loose change. Even if you find $10-$20 of loose change, that’s money to buy food with today.


Professional Development:

Professional Development1. Networking is important. Maintain your network via phone, email, or text to keep up-to-date and top-of mind.

2. Stay in touch with those decision makers who shut down, postponed, canceled, closed, put on hold, or travel restricted you from a gig. Use the phone, Face Time, Skype, email, or text to stay in touch with these people.

3. Make a list of potential contacts for a gig in an area you hadn’t explored. Decision- makers are also planning what to do when the pandemic lifts. This performance hiatus is also an opportunity to open some doors.

4. Read those articles in the trade publications you’ve been wanting to get to now that you have the time.

5. Practice that piece you’ve always wanted to work on.

6. Practice exercises to keep up or improve your technique.

7. Work on sight-reading.

8. Expand your repertoire. Work on a piece that’s outside your comfort zone.

9. Compose that piece that’s been rattling around in your head for the last few months.

10. Listen to albums that you haven’t been able to get to because you’ve been too busy before this health crisis.

11. Organize your music library. What do you need? What don’t you need anymore?

12. Seek out a professional organization you’ve wanting to investigate and perhaps join.

13. Review the professional organizations you do belong to and decide which one you don’t need to belong to anymore.

14. Write an article about a subject close to your artistic heart and send it to a professional journal or trade publication. Perhaps there’ll run it!

15. so far. What is your unique selling proposition? In other words, use this time to define yourself or even re-define yourself. Perhaps you’ll uncover things about yourself that can be useful in expanding your career.

16. Reach out to artists in other diAnalyze your career sciplines (e.g., if you’re a musician, reach out to someone in the fine arts) and explore the possibility of a collaboration.

17. Update your web site (if you have one). Make sure it’s devoid of spelling errors and has all your most recent accomplishments.

18. Update your email contacts.

19. Update your social media accounts.


Personal Organization:

Personal Organization1. Go through that closet or the papers on your desk at home you’ve been wanting to get to but hadn’t had the time.

2. It’s spring. Spring clean and de-clutter your home. If you’ve already started, accelerate the pace.

3. Go through all those emails you’ve been meaning to get to and delete those that don’t matter and respond to those that do. Perhaps one of those emails will lead to a future gig.

4. Go through your physical things and find items to donate or get rid of: clothes, furniture items, books, even CDs (yes CDs). Donations to the right 501c3 organization are a tax deduction. This way you can save some on your Federal, state, and city taxes, and perhaps get a larger refund.

5. Add actionable ideas to the above list.

Don’t wait until tomorrow or next week. This time is an opportunity. Take action now!

© Eugene Marlow, PhD, MBA 2020

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Job Growth/Job Prospects for the Creative Class, Part II

Marlowsphere Blog (#122)

The last Marlowshpere blog (#121) took an overall look at job growth/job prospects for those in the so-called “creative class.” This is an appropriate time of year to do so given that Job Growth in the ArtsMay and early June are when college students attend graduation commencement ceremonies.

In this blog I take a specific look at those wishing to enter the fine and performing arts.

There are hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States that offer undergraduate and
graduate degrees in all manner of fine and performing arts disciplines. But earning a degree in dance, graphics design, music, photography, acting, and other fine arts is no guarantee of success. Unlike degrees in various technologies, the sciences, medicine, engineering, accounting, et al, where demand is strong, success in the fine and performing arts may be enhanced by higher education study, but it is far, far from a guarantee.

The hard fact is only a very small portion of those who pursue the fine and performing arts as a lifelong endeavor achieve a modicum of professional and financial success. And given the impact and unintended consequences of electronic technologies, such as the Internet, even a smaller percentage achieves mega professional and financial success. The fine and performing arts are not safe endeavors. Despite the overwhelming odds against success, however, many do pursue the life of an artist.

Below are the expected job growth/job prospects for those who wish to pursue a life in the fine and performing arts according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-2022. All descriptions below are drawn directly from this aforementioned Federal government source.

Job Growth/Job Prospects: The Fine & Performing Arts

  • Dancers and Choreographers: +13%
  • Graphic Designers: +7%
  • Music Directors and Composers: +5%
  • Musicians and Singers: +5%
  • Photographers: +4%
  • Actors: +4%
  • Craft & Fine Artists: +3%

 
Dancers & Choreographers: +13%

ballet-dance-silhouette-clip-art[1]Employment of dancers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations. Employment of choreographers is projected to grow 24 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. Dance companies are not expected to add many jobs over the decade. Generally, when one company disappears, a new one replaces it, without any change in the total number of companies. There may be better opportunities for dancers and choreographers in large cities, such as New York and Chicago, with many dance companies and performances.

A growing interest in dance in pop culture may provide opportunities in fields outside of dance companies, such as TV or movies, casinos, or theme parks. Many dancers and choreographers, nonetheless, struggle to find opportunities to express themselves creatively; newer dance companies rely on word-of-mouth, grants, and public funding. However, public funding and grants for dance performances can be highly competitive.

The growing interest in dance in pop culture is expected to lead more people to enroll in dance schools, and growing enrollment should create more jobs for choreographers. Dancers and choreographers face intense competition, and the number of applicants is expected to vastly exceed the number of job openings.

Dancers who attend schools or conservatories associated with a dance company may have a better chance of finding work at that company than others.

MusiciansMusicians & Singers: +5%
Employment of musicians and singers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations. Growth will be due to increases in demand for musical performances.

Digital downloads and streaming platforms make it easier for fans to listen to recordings and view performances. Easier access to recordings gives musicians more publicity and grows interest in their work, and concertgoers may become interested in seeing them perform live.
There will be additional demand for musicians to serve as session musicians and backup artists for recordings and to go on tour. Singers will be needed to sing backup and to make recordings for commercials, films, and television.

However, employment growth will likely be limited in orchestras, opera companies, and other musical groups because they can have difficulty getting funding. Some musicians and singers work for nonprofit organizations that rely on donations, government funding, and corporate sponsorships in addition to ticket sales to fund their work. During economic downturns, these organizations may have trouble finding enough funding to cover their expenses.

There will be tough competition for jobs because of the large number of workers who are interested in becoming musicians and singers. In particular, there will likely be considerable competition for full-time positions.

Musicians and singers with exceptional musical talent and dedication should have the best opportunities.
 
Music Directors - ComposersMusic Directors & Composers: +5%
Employment of music directors and composers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations.

The number of people attending musical performances, such as symphonies and concerts, and theatrical performances, such as ballets and musical theater, is expected to increase moderately. Music directors will be needed to lead orchestras for concerts and musical theater performances. They will also conduct the music that accompanies ballet troupes and opera companies.

In addition, there will likely be a need for composers to write original music and arrange known works for performances. Composers are also expected to be needed to write film scores and music for television and commercials.

However, growth is expected to be limited because orchestras, opera companies, and other musical groups can have difficulty getting funds. Some music groups are nonprofit organizations that rely on donations and corporate sponsorships, in addition to ticket sales, to fund their work. These organizations often have difficulty finding enough money to cover their expenses. In addition, growth may be limited for music directors who work for public schools because state and local governments continue to struggle with school budgets.

Despite expected growth, tough competition for jobs is anticipated because of the large number of people who are interested in entering this field. In particular, there will be considerable competition for full-time positions. Those with exceptional musical talent and dedication should have the best opportunities. Many music directors and composers experience periods of having no work; during these times, they may work in other occupations, attend auditions, or write music.

Photographers: +4%
Employment of photographers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations. PhotographersOverall growth will be limited because of the decreasing cost of digital cameras and the increasing number of amateur photographers and hobbyists.

Improvements in digital technology reduce barriers of entry into this profession and allow more individual consumers and businesses to produce, store, and access photographic images on their own.

Employment of self-employed photographers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2012 to 2022. Demand for portrait photographers will continue as people continue to need new portraits. In addition, corporations will continue to require the services of commercial photographers to develop compelling advertisements to sell products.

Declines in the newspaper industry will reduce demand for news photographers to provide still images for print. Employment of photographers in newspaper publishing is projected to decline 36 percent from 2012 to 2022.

Photographers will face strong competition for most jobs. Because of reduced barriers to entry, there will be many qualified candidates for relatively few positions.

In addition, salaried jobs may be more difficult to obtain as companies increasingly contract with freelancers rather than hire their own photographers. Job prospects will be best for candidates who are multitalented and possess related skills such as picture editing and capturing digital video.

Actors: +4%
Employment of actors is projected to grow 4 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations. Job growth in the motion picture industry will stem from continued strong demand for new movies and television shows. However, employment is not expected to keep pace with that demand.Theatre/Actors

Production companies are experimenting with new content delivery methods, such as video on demand and online television, which may lead to more work for actors in the future. However, these delivery methods are still in their early stages, and it remains to be seen how successful they will be.

Actors who work in performing arts companies are expected to see slower job growth than those in film. Many small and medium-size theaters have difficulty getting funding. As a result, the number of performances is expected to decline. Large theaters, with their more stable sources of funding, should provide more opportunities.

Actors face intense competition for jobs. Most roles, no matter how minor, have many actors auditioning for them. For stage roles, actors with a bachelor’s degree in theater may have a better chance than those without one.

Craft & Fine Artists: +3%
Employment of craft and fine artists is projected to grow 3 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations.

Employment growth of artists depends in large part on the overall state of the economy, because purchases of art usually are optional. During good economic times, more people and businesses are interested in buying artwork; during economic downturns, they generally buy less.

Although there is always a demand for art by collectors and museums, the employment of artists can be affected by the level of charitable giving to the arts, which has been decreasing somewhat in recent years.Craft - Fine Arts

In addition, job growth for craft artists may be limited by the sale of inexpensive, mass-produced items designed to look like handmade American crafts. However, continued interest in locally made products and craft goods sold online will likely offset some of these employment losses.

Demand for illustrators who work on a computer will increase, as media companies use more detailed images and backgrounds in their designs. Illustrators and cartoonists who work in publishing may see job opportunities decline, as traditional print publications lose ground to other media forms. However, new opportunities are expected to arise, as the number of electronic magazines, Internet-based publications, and video games grows.

Competition for jobs as craft and fine artists is expected to be strong, because there are more qualified candidates than available jobs. Only the most successful craft and fine artists receive major commissions for their work.

Despite the competition, studios, galleries, and individual clients are always on the lookout for artists who display outstanding talent, creativity, and style. Talented individuals who have developed a mastery of artistic techniques and marketing skills will have the best job prospects.

Competition among artists for the privilege of being shown in galleries is expected to remain intense, as will competition for grants from funders, such as private foundations, state and local arts councils, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Because of their reliance on grants, and because the demand for artwork is dependent on consumers having extra income to spend, many of these artists will find that their income changes with the overall economy and the federal budget.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other of my blogs, please write to me at
meiienterprises@aol.com.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
May 18, 2015

© Eugene Marlow 2015

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Six Reasons Why You Should Support Indie Labels

6 Reasons to support indie labelsThe Marlowsphere Blog ( #111) 

There are two kinds of record labels in the world today: the majors (of which there are only three) and the small, independent (or indie) labels, of which there are thousands globally.

These are the three remaining “major” record labels (since 2012):

  • Universal Music Group (part of EMI’s recorded music division absorbed into UMG)
  • Sony Music Entertainment (EMI Music Publishing absorbed into Sony/ATV Music Publishing)
  • Warner Music Group (EMI’s Parlophone and EMI/Virgin Classics labels absorbed into WMG on 1 July 2013) 

The consolidation in the music industry—which is now global in terms of distribution—parallels similar mergers in the oil, accounting, and media industries. For example, Exxon bought Mobil and is now Exxon/Mobil, the largest oil company in the world. There used to be eight big accounting firms, now there are four. There used to be 80 media companies, now there are six with their fingers in all sorts of print, electronic, and live entertainment activities.

Perhaps we should not be surprised. Mergers & Acquisitions have become prevalent in the last several decades in numerous industries as the wave of electronic media has become a communications tsunami of sorts. From a management perspective, the growth of electronic media has provided managers with a greater span of control, thereby enabling consolidation across the board.

3 Major Labels vs. Indie LabelsBut every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In the context of this blog it is the growth of independent music labels despite the apparent domination of the big three music labels.

The growing power of the indie music industry was profiled in a New York Post article earlier this year. In part, the reporter, Claire Atkinson wrote in January 2014:

“The rise of streaming music services, where the major labels’ control is weaker, and the decline of FM radio, where the labels’ control is powerful, has had a clear effect on the power of indie.

In 2007, indies controlled 25.8 percent of the music business, No. 2 behind Universal Music Group’s 28.8 percent share. By June 30, 2013, indie — a universe that includes Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Bon Iver and Mumford & Sons — leapfrogged Universal by growing its market share to 34.5 percent, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Universal was at 28.3 percent.”

The growing influence of the so-called “indies” was articulated by Peter Weber, a senior editor at TheWeek.com, who wrote (also in January 2014):

In the first half of [2013] alone, people listened to 50 billion songs on streaming services, like Spotify and Pandora, or on YouTube, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That’s a 24 percent increase over the first half of 2012.

Revenues from streaming services are also increasing: Record labels and musicians got $1.1 billion from ad-supported and subscription streaming in 2012, a 40 percent jump over 2011. That’s still a fraction of the $28.7 billion the global music industry pulled in in 2012, but as Hannah Karp at The Wall Street Journal notes that money will only grow as an explosion of new streaming services hits this year.

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) helps independent music labels improve business by promoting access and parity through advocacy, education and connection-building with one another and affiliated businesses.

According to their web site: A2IM serves the independent music community that, according to Billboard Magazine, comprises over 34.5% of the music industry’s market share in the United States (and approximately 40% of SoundScan digital album sales).

Here are six reasons, then, why you should support an independent label: 

1. Independent labels look to at least cover their costs, turn a modest profit, and market a product to as wide a niche market as possible. The major labels market in as many ways as       Pad of Paper & Penpossible to dominate the music industry—they care about making as much money as possible given the investment they make in new and extant artists.

2. Independent labels, given the smaller, niche markets they serve, reach for a higher intellectual and aesthetic level. The major labels reach for the lowest common musical
denominator.

3. Independent labels take chances/risks out of which comes experimentation which, in turn, leads to innovation. Very often, though, innovation occurs by accident. The major
labels want guarantees of success. This attitude breeds musical conservatism.

4. Independent labels support musical self-expression that allows for new ideas and sounds to be shared.

5. Small, independent labels allow artists greater freedom of creative expression.

6. The small labels are where larger movements come from. Smallness has a major role to play in growing fresh musical expression. Many a large industry grew out of someone’s
garage. The airline and home computer industries are two that come to mind almost immediately.

The small labels are where larger movements come from. Smallness has a major role to play in growing fresh musical expression. Many a large industry grew out of someone’s garage. The airline and home computer industries are two that come to mind almost immediately.

Overall, while the big three music labels create the perception that they are the only game town—with their promotion of rap, hip-hop, rock and pop; and if you buy the myopic public coverage of the Grammys—the larger universe is the growing presence of so-called independent labels, helped along by the expanding digital universe.

The irony is that in the last 100 years success in the music business has evolved from live performance Live to Recorded back to Live Music(prior to recordings) to recorded performance (78s, 45s, LPs, CDs) back to live performance (Live Nation didn’t become a monster company for nothing). There was a time when Barbra Streisand was just a recording artist, but in recent years she has come of the recording booth to perform live again. Today, a recording for a very few makes money, but it is the live performance where the fans are created, the venue and performers make money, and physical CDs are sold.

Recording has also evolved. Early on an artist recorded one piece, given the technological limitations at the time. The LP enabled the recording of a multi-track album. And in the digital age, musicians, for various reasons, have gravitated to single track releases again.

What goes around, comes around.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other of my blogs, please write to me at meiienterprises@aol.com.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
November 10, 2014

© Eugene Marlow 2014

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