Industry Trends:Music:Hex Music:Features:Nov.'03

PARIS /HEX MUSIC) -- The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, according to philosophical wise guy Confucius.

Chris Standring, CEO and founder of A&R Online, says the advice is still relevant. It may even be the only way for indie musicians to beat the odds.

The secret of success? Take it one step at a time.

It's easy to sit at home and get frustrated with the apparent lack of forward movement in your music career. During the downtimes, it can seem like your career is going nowhere.

However, other people's perceptions may be entirely different -- and probably are.

The music business is all about perception. It is based on hype and salesmanship ability. I wish it was different but it isn't and never will be.

If your band is perceived to be doing well, people talk. If your band is perceived to be on the way out, people also talk. If your band is doing nothing, nobody will talk. It's therefore extremely important that you keep your name out there.

This is one of the things you need to be focusing on between events. Think about the things (apart from the music) that were absolutely in your control:

Are you a great talker? Get on the grapevine and let people know what's new.

A great writer? Send out queries, put together a killer press kit.

A great designer? Put together flyers that rock, update the band site with great visuals.

A techie? Add new functions to your band site – gew-gaws, newsletters, message boards.

Sure, you're overwhelmed by the workload. Sure, you've got other problems to take care of on a daily basis. Sure, you don't have a team of publicists and marketeers working with you.

But here's a secret: you don't have to do it all at the same time.

How do you make continual progress? Start by doing just one thing – but do it today.

If you can achieve one successful thing a day to move your music career forward, then you're still on the right track.

The only way to succeed as an independent artist is by letting people know that you exist.

Ask yourself if there are radio stations that play your brand of music. Do research. Solicit advice. Mail out promotional materials. Send out postcards, or CDs, or press kits.

Let's say you want to increase your e-mail database. The most effective way to build a database is to personally get to know people. Start with friends, have them refer their friends, and so on. Hand out flyers and sample CDs or tapes to everyone you know.

Keep a good stack of promotional material in your car. Your backpack. Your apartment.
Your workplace. Your studio.

Grab business cards from all the people you meet and get their e-mail addresses.
Send them a personal e-mail asking them if they'd be interested in knowing more about your band.

Read everything you can about promoting your own shows. Be honest about your particular strengths, and do the things that you are most comfortable doing. Focus on the things that you know you can be effective at. Then, step out and try something new.

Be creative. Achieving your goals takes time, but you'll get there by being active and productive.

Pick one thing. Just one.
But take care of it TODAY.

Do one thing a day to help get to where you want to be, and at the end of each week, you'll be five steps further down the road.

Keep it up, and in a year, you'll be even closer
to your goal. There is nothing that fuels drive more than drive itself.

And there's nothing that fuels lethargy more than sitting at home wishing you were successful and doing little about it!

The road ahead can be overwhelming when you're facing a long, lonely haul of 1,000 miles.

Take it one step at a time. That's all truly successful people ever did.

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Bio: CHRIS STANDRING
Chris Standring is the CEO and founder of
A&R Online: http://www.aandronline.com.
He is also a contemporary jazz guitarist presently signed to Mesa/Bluemoon Records.
The music is marketed at NAC and Urban AC radio.
For more info on Chris' recording career, go to:
http://www.chrisstandring.com.

Bio: HEX MUSIC/LABYRINTHE CITY
French group "Hex" licenses music tracks to TV/film prodcos. Their album "Spoonful of Voodoo" is distributed by Tower: http://www.tower.co.uk.
Official site: http://hexmusic.free.fr

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If you'd like to use this info in print, please cite the following as your original source:

[© Courtesy of: Chris Standring, aandronline.com and Hex Music: http://hexmusic.free.fr





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