How They Sell Music: Lessons from Celebrities On Creating Your Own Success by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: How They Sell Music Publishing
Published: 2015-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

The Creation of Mr. Billy

Enter “The Mighty Mr. Billy,” my current full-time musical career.

Ever seen the movie Happy Gilmore with Adam Sandler? It’s the story of a hockey player who isn’t very good, but he ends up being this freak-of-nature golfer. All he wanted to do was be a pro hockey player but his skill set (super slap shot), matched with a lucky break, equaled a pro golf career. Something similar happened to me. I wanted nothing more than to play original music to a captive audience that came to see me. Period. And that is what I got; I just didn’t know that my fans would be 3-feet tall.

In 2001, I was a middle-aged guy with a wife, house, and two kids. I’d been off stage for about a year and a half, and I thought any chance I had to have a “real” music career was over. My five-year-old son (who, ironically, is now the full-time drummer in my band) asked me to be his “show and tell” for kindergarten class. I brought a guitar to show the kids, and the teacher asked me to play some songs for them, which was fine, but I didn’t know any kids’ songs! I did some classic rock songs and the kids and teachers loved it; one even said I should do this for a living. I thought, at the very least, this might be a fun hobby.

Feeling energized after the fun I had, I did some research and found out that, at the time, there were no rock acts for children, just folk singers. I decided that would be my USP (unique selling point). I already knew that people in the Midwest loved classic rock, so I figured the kids would too. I joined the Children’s Music Network, an organization made up of musicians, songwriters, and educators who work with children. I built a website, picked up the phone, and started calling schools and libraries looking for gigs.

I used all the tricks I learned from my rock band days and applied them to my new career. I knew I had to make money fast since this was now my full-time job . . . again. So I decided to use the media to market my new creation. I booked myself on all the local TV morning and noon shows as a musical guest. In smaller markets, this isn’t too hard to do. There are always morning shows, noon shows, and other talk and variety opportunities available, especially if you find a way to make yourself “newsworthy” in some way.

If you are thinking of getting booked on a TV morning or noon show, first you need to know if the program books musical performers. If they do, are they smaller acoustic acts or full-blown bands? Do the musical guests just perform, or is there a talking or interview segment? Do your research.

Next, find out who the talent or guest coordinator or producer is. This type of information is usually easy to find on the station website or by asking the receptionist.

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