Devon O'Day's Morning Pages

Have A Cause - A Reason for your Talents

It's very important to share your gift of music and writing for a REASON, not just entertaining for entertainment's sake. Nothing against entertainment, but anyone who is blessed with the gift that draws people, should not stop short of using that talent to make a positive difference. Note: THIS IS NOT A TIP TO GET INVOLVED WITH A CAUSE TO GAIN PUBLICITY! It's a plea to give publicity to a positive cause through your involvement. A perfect example is THE Squeaky Wheel Tour, the group Clementine, and singer songwriters across America who are helping find MISSING people around the world.

EVENT – November 4, 2008 – Bluebird Café – 9pm - $10 – Songwriter Tour Finding Missing Persons

A few years ago, a young singer songwriter named Gina left a gig in middle America, and was never seen again. She simply vanished. After a few months...her name was just another statistic and an unsolved, unnoticed case. Her sister, Jannel Rapp of the group Clementine began an organization of singer songwriters who would announce names, hold up pictures, and give details of missing persons around the country. That awareness has led to finding many, many of the people that have been listed as missing over the years. Each year during October and November, Clementine and the Squeaky Wheel Tour make their loudest noise, and this week they are in Nashville at the Bluebird Cafe for a one night only event with GINA artists and the families of many of the missing persons in Middle Tennessee. Won't you help us by attending?

An Evening with Gina for Missing Persons: Clementine, Kim McLean, John Stoeker and Lisa Montes, $10.00
GINA for Missing Persons FOUNDation presents the 3rd International Squeaky Wheel Tour® (SWT), launching October 17, 2008. The acclaimed 19-day event draws attention to several hundred missing people; each profiled by the musicians participating throughout the US and other countries, and is supported by the families of the missing and nonprofit organizations worldwide. Local nonprofit, Tennessee Missing are helping to coordinate this local event in hopes of bringing attention to Tennessee Missing persons including: Rachel Conger-Paris, Carmella Guiterrez-Chattanooga, Larue Lanier-Memphis, John Thrasher-Livingston, and Jennifer and Adrianna Wix-Cross Plains

Musicians participating in the Squeaky Wheel Tour earmark their concerts or events to profile a missing person(s) in their community. They profile that missing person during their show and ask attendees to take a flyer to post throughout their community.

Call the Bluebird Cafe, or make your reservation online now at www.bluebirdcafe.com.

Getting Radio Play

The first thing an artists 'wants to do' is get radio airplay. It can be effective in getting exposure and if you are the writer, it might garner some songwriting royalties. However, don't lose your mind and break your wallet to get airplay, if it doesn't pay off in gigs and sales.

1. You can mail out copies of your album or single yourself. (too costly - ends up in the trash or on ebay. NEVER send shrink-wrapped sellable product to radio!)
2. You can get on a sampler. (GOOD move)
3. You can submit to online radio through email. (GREAT move - check out www.Live365.com)
4. You can use a submission service. (RadioSubmit.com - good move!)

The best money we have ever spent was for a sampler done in Country/Americana/Roots called The Mark Trail Sampler. For $299 bucks, you are on a well auditioned collection that goes to reputable radio folks around the world. It garners airplay and fans. Check out www.marktrailmusic.com

The Acoustic Rainbow Sampler is really good, too - for a little more - $650-$700 range. It's great for college, alt-rock, folk play.

The CDX is a radio staple - and is a little over $1,200 bucks. It's perfect for contemporary country airplay.

In Europe/U.K. the HotDisc is a GREAT buy for releasing music to radio.

More on getting radio play tomorrow - I.A.

So you didn't get a record deal...

Everyone has always told you that you sound better than those people on the radio. Maybe you do. Maybe you don't. Music is subjective, and good is in the ears of the be-hearer and you only need to make the music that thrills your soul and find people who want to listen and support your music.

Determine how you want to make music.
1. Do you only want to make music if you are a superstar, with fame your main goal?
2. Do you want to make enough money making the music you love, to pay your bills and call yourself a career musician?
3. Would you make music, write songs, and sing no matter the cost? When the refrigerator light hits you, do you pretend it's a spotlight and break into song?

Once you realize who you are and the type music you want to make, then an only then can you focus on the next level.