Inspiration Strikes

Posted on by Emily K Johnson

This past week has made my heart so incredibly full. My ears have been swimming in beautiful melodies and kind words while my days have been spent surrounded by some of the most genuine people I have ever met. It has been such a long time since I have been inspired to write about my experiences and while I do have some blog plans in the works, I felt compelled to share these experiences. I have struggled with putting my feelings into words before and I feel as though this blog will definitely feature some of this. Please bear with me because I promise the content is worth this struggle.

My university’s music department had the privilege of working with Madera Wind Quintet last week through a variety of activities. I listened to rehearsals, masterclasses, and concerts. The Adams State University’s Winds and Percussion Ensemble even had the pleasure of recording a piece with them. Most importantly, I observed and remembered. I was able to watch and listen to their passion for music and was instantly reminded as to why I want to go into the music industry. Musicians are humans who ooze with passion and this group was no different. Anyone within close proximity could their passion for performing and teaching. They treated not only each other with the utmost respect but everyone they came in contact with last week. And this environment, the one of safety and passion, is one I crave to be a part of the rest of my life.

Instead of going over every detail of the week, and believe me I could, I’m going to try and condense it down into just a few impactful ideas I picked up through listening and watching these incredible human beings. These ideas are ones that should not only be implemented or thought about in the practice rooms, they are relevant in everything we do as humans.

  1. Be respectful. This seems so simple and I think that is why we sometimes can forget about it. I was fortunate enough to watch one of their rehearsals and it was so incredible how they made five voices and opinions all have the same level of importance. Everyone’s ideas were heard and even differences could be dealt with because of the respect they hold for each other. As I listened to their podcasts and talks with students they reiterated this idea but on a much broader sense. The world is a really small place and you never know how things will come back around so it’s vital that you are nice to everyone you come in contact with.
  2. Teach from experience. I think too often we look at professional musicians as if they are immune to mistakes and while they may be less prone to them, they’re just like us. The struggles we deal with every day as musicians are ones they have already gone through. As I performed multiple times for masterclasses last week, I was blown away at how advice was delivered. We were not belittled for mistakes but were guided toward successful practice strategies on how to prevent these mistakes in the future. After playing as a group for years, and playing their instruments even longer, they filled with my brain with so many ideas on how to just be better, and for that, I am so grateful.
  3. Human characteristics are exactly what makes music so great. This is my favorite thing to write about and by far the one I struggle with the most. Listening to them was spectacular beyond words and it wasn’t because they were flawless. It was because they conveyed what the music was trying to portray. As musicians, it is our job to feel what the composer wants us to tell the audience and then commit to communicating it to them. Madera did exactly this and watching them and feeling their music was one of the most inspiring aspects of the week. Music, as I was reminded this week, is one of the purest forms of experiencing emotions and all of our unique quirks help us portray these feelings. I’m so grateful to have had an experience that made me want to be a better musician and better person all within the span of four days.

So, to cap this all off, I want to say a huge “Thank You” to Madera for spending their week with us. For blessing us with their music and their knowledge. Most importantly, thank you for sparking that fire that’s been missing for far too long in my life.

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Perfecting the Perfectionist

Posted on by Emily K Johnson
As a musician, it’s no secret  that most of struggle with being a perfectionist. While this may sound like a good thing, it does actually come with many unique struggles. I’m going to use my story, since it’s the one I’m most familiar with, to give an inside look into what I currently do to help when things get tough. I am in no way an expert in dealing with the anxiety and other symptoms that often accompany our perfection tendencies. However, I do have a lot experience in exploring different techniques to help combat these negative side effects. Essentially, I have spent the better part of my nineteen years perfecting my perfectionist and while not everything is going to work for you, you have a whole life time to perfect your inner perfectionist, too!
As far as my story goes, it’s as simple as constantly fighting the fear of disappointing people close to me. I’ve always done really well in school, and the thought of anything less than perfect constantly scares me into long nights of studying and early mornings cramming as much information down my throat as I can. When it comes to musicianship, I push myself every week to make sure I am making the best progress possible. Most of my anxieties in the music hit me the hardest when it comes to performing. Ever since I began performing soloistically, my performance anxiety has been crippling. I don’t think there has been a performance where I haven’t cried in anticipation of stepping on stage. I’ve never liked the idea of other people judging my playing and my playing alone because I felt I would never live up to expectations people have set for me.
I’m here to tell you, you’re not alone in fighting with the struggles attached to being a perfectionist. I’m also here to give you some tips on efficient ways to deal with those struggles.
1. Take a break – Sometimes you just work better after a break, whether it’s from studying or practicing. If you get frustrated, you aren’t going to be able to accomplish anything. Take that break, even if its just for a few minutes to clear your mind. In all honesty, if I get really upset at something I am not able to get in the practice room, I am willing to try and take up to a full day off because my brain cannot handle working under the frustration usually attached to the practice stresses.
2. Get an audience – Let’s be honest, this is going to be the hardest thing to actually do just because it goes against everything we want to do. At the beginning of my first semester of flute lessons, I was in full-blown panic mode and my professor told me to perform in front of someone every day until my recital. If you end up doing this, and I highly recommend that you do, make those experiences meaningful. Grab people who are going to give you more to work with than just, “yeah, you sound good.” In reality, you’re probably going to be so terrified the first times you do this you won’t even sound that good. Don’t worry, the more you do this, the better you will sound! I promise!
3. Accept Reality – There is no such thing as a perfect performance or perfect grade. We’re humans and we mess up and that’s okay. It keeps life exciting and we should always strive to learn something from those mistakes. Keep yourself surrounded by the right people because they have no set expectation for us. The fear we have of disappointing of them is usually something we’ve conjured up in our head to justify our irrational fear of letting someone down. Understand and accept that perfection doesn’t exist, but never stop chasing down the idea of progress. If you’re pushing yourself to be the best you possibly you can be, you’ll never be disappointed.
Woman of the Week:
Tamara Hrivnak recently joined Google Play and YouTube as the Director of Music Partnerships. She received her Master’s Degree from Queens University in Political Sciences and her Doctorate from University of Toronto in Law. While neither of her degrees were in music, most of her very successful career has been spent in the music industry. Before her time with Google Play and YouTube, Tamara spent almost ten years working in multiple positions for Warner Music Group. She has also had a few jobs working in various fields of technology before she got into the music business. Currently, her job at Google Play and YouTube has Tamara in charge of  licensing strategy and business development with major record labels and music publishers and oversees current and potential partnerships in music for Google Play. Tamara’s education and work in law are what inspire me the most. She is no doubt another inspiring woman giving the next generation of music business women someone to look up to.
Until next week,
Emily

Shut Up & Share the Music

Posted on by Emily K Johnson

In an era where everything is fueled by competition, I think music should just stay out of it. I get it, I’m not saying the music industry shouldn’t be competitive, in fact, I’m all about a little competition when it comes to the field. However, what I’m not about is keeping music hidden. In my opinion, there shouldn’t be any reason to keep music all to yourself for the sole reason of not wanting there to be more fans. The best part about music is that it’s a universal language and people all over the world are free to interpret it however they want. If we choose to keep music confined to ourselves, we really are doing a disservice, not only to the band but to other potential fans as well. I recently saw a comment on a YouTube video that captures how I feel about this idea perfectly. In response to someone saying, “I want them to become popular but at the same time I don’t because if they blow up, that means tons of fans :(” a user replied with, “Oh shut up and share the music.” Music is meant to be shared. Plain and simple.

Here are some ideas on how to avoid becoming the first person in the conversation:
1. Pick a friend and share your favorite song with them once a week. Not only will you be looking for new music to show them but they will be giving you something new to listen to.
2. If you’re part of a fan base, don’t be a jerk. Be open to new fans just discovering the music. In the long run, how many shows you’ve been to or how long you’ve been a fan means nothing. What matters is if the music had a positive impact on your life.
3. In addition to purchasing your music on iTunes or something of the sort, I recommend picking a good streaming source. They usually have an option to listen to similar artists and this is one of the best ways to find new music.
Woman of the Week:
I chose Marsha Vlasic because of her impressive history in the artist management industry. Currently, Marsha is is the president of Artist Group International. When she joined the company, she was able to bring all of her clients with her, expanding the already impressive client list at AGI.  She has been in the industry for over 30 years and worked with to ensure the touring careers of Neil Young, Elvis Costello and many, many more were successful. Before her time as president at AGI, she worked for International Creative Management, eventually working her way up to the Vice President of concerts. All of the work she has done over her time in the industry make her the perfect role model for anyone just beginning their journey.
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Until next week,
Emily

Yes Really is the Answer

Posted on by Emily K Johnson
These last few weeks have been insanely busy and I’m just now getting a chance reflect on an incredible experience. In a few of my previous posts I’ve mentioned being the ‘yes man’ and how much of a positive impact it can have. As a self-proclaimed ‘yes man’ I can tell you that I’m extraordinarily busy, but I’m also gaining some of the most amazing experience possible.
In collaboration with my professor and my classmate, I spent the last few weeks working on getting our university’s steel band on tour. We only really had to worry about the first day of tour and all of the pre-tour details because the rest was sponsored through Music in the Mountains. While this was a crazy opportunity, I learned a lot and I am looking forward to doing things like this again in the future.
1. Be able to work last minute. Most of the plans didn’t get nailed down until three days before we left and the vehicle confirmations and final itinerary were not finalized or printed off until about 12 hours before we left.
2. Know the itinerary like the back of your hand! If you played any part in getting a show on the road, people are going to ask you. It’s just better for everyone if you know.
3. Have fun. You did all the hard work and now it paying off! You’re on tour and performing for up to 500 people (at least in our case!) at a show!
And As a general guideline for everything –
Dance a little and smile a lot!
Until next time,
Emily
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Keep Your Friends Close…

Posted on by Emily K Johnson
We’ve all heard the saying, “keep your friends but your enemies closer.” I’m here to tell you this is an awful perspective to have if you want a successful time in the music industry. The best thing you can for yourself is keep those who respect, like, and support you close to you. The industry is a cut throat place and the more people you have on your team, the easier it will be for you to expand your web of connections.Collaborating in the music business gives you many opportunities to gain experiences which will be mutually rewarding for both you and your collaborator. It will be so much easier for you to be referred to others if you are not only surrounded by positive people, but if you are surrounded by MANY positive people.
Tips –
1. Make a great first impression! Smile and make eye contact when you are talking with someone new so they know you are interested in what they have to say!
2. Create a contact sheet with the last time you talked to someone. This idea came from The Savvy Musician (The Savvy Musician) where the author mentions contacting people in your sheet at least once a year to keep the relationship alive!
3. Be the ‘Yes Man’ to everything that makes sense. Don’t necessarily always offer up your services for free, but if you’re just starting out in the industry it can’t hurt to gain some experience. People will likely remember you and be willing to return your favor if you are ambitious and complete your task with a good attitude.
So while the saying may advise you to keep your enemies closer, it’s so much more beneficial for everyone to just keep yourself surrounded by people who have your best interest in mind.
Until next week,
Emily

Questions That Will Save the Day

Posted on by Emily K Johnson
Last week, I mentioned the importance of having a set of questions to refer to as you are in the process of booking gigs for both artists and venues. Having these will ensure you are on track with a time line as well as with materials required for you event to be a success! Below are some of the more broad categories I would consider with a few basic questions, and then break the questions down even further to make sure you have the best understanding of the event possible.
INSTRUMENTS
What instruments does the venue already have on hand? 
What instruments does the artist need?
SOUND
Is the show going to be acoustic?
Is any sound equipment needed?
(A lot of this relates to the size of the venue. Smaller venues like restaurants won’t have a need for amplification where as a noisy bar or concert venue would.)
LIGHTING
Is there any need for extra lighting?
    for music stands or effects?
    (Again, this will likely relate to the size of the venue.)
HOSPITALITY
Will the acts have their own vehicle?
Will they need to be picked up at the airport?
FINANCE
Is the gig a paid event?
    Will the artist be paid before or after the show?
I have attached a blank document with the questions my Music Business class is working on answering for a show we are putting on in late April!
I know this is just a vague first step. But once you start brainstorming, you will continue to add questions!
Just remember – the sooner you start the planning process for a show, the better!
Until next week,
Emily