Rock Star Parents

What do Parents Do Now for New Bands?

I'd like to get readers' input/stories about how your parents helped or hindered your band. Feel free to comment below. If you have sensitive information, just email me at RockStarParent.

Best,

Mom at RockStarParents.com

Why Do Rock Bands Break UP?

While we don't know that much about the music scene, it seems as though there might be a pattern -- And this post from Minneapolis/St. Paul City Pages reads like the modern "play book."

First, get some press. Then break up.

Following in the tradition of the late Midnight Evils, the City Pages 2006 choice for Best Rock Band has broken up.

Announce it online.

Sicbay have announced the end at TCPunk and on their myspace page. Listen to their music and savor what you might have missed, a kind of cathartic twang for emotional hot-rodders.

Form new bands. (Do second (or third or fourth) ventures ever work out?)

Then begin bugging them immediately about what bands they're going to form next,

Everyone says that it is artistic differences, but there is always more, and it might be goals, or something else...

and ask them, was it really artistic differences that were to blame? Or something more personal and gossipy? Let's have it.

The new "recipe." Hmmm... how to overcome it?

And, since I have a daughter, how come there are so few girls in rock bands?

If anyone has comments, we'd love to hear them! Check back for more robust theories fully explained!

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Steve from www.taint-band.com has some interesting thoughts on why bands break up:

I’ve been in a ton of bands; everything from original folk-rock bands to progressive rock and acid jazz. I’m not an expert, but I’ve seen enough bands break-up and fizzle out to have something to add on this subject.

Getting a band assembled consisting of qualified musicians that can adequately perform the music at hand is a challenge. Anyone that has used Craig's List to recruit musicians, knows this to be true. So if you are lucky enough to get the musicians in the first place, you're half-way there. Now that you have your merry band of troubadours assembled, you need to agree on a set list of material, the genre, style, and format.

If you can get a guitar player that can play with clear tone and not distorted white fuzz, a bassist that doesn’t hog the mid-range with endless popping and slapping, a drummer that can sit on his hands when important discussions are occurring, and a singer that can sing in pitch with power, then you are 3 steps away from actually having a quality product worth buying.

When you finally can all agree on the format and everyone performs as a team and not just a group of soloists all playing the same song, you must have the following items if you are ever going to make it out of the Sound Museum and onto the gigging circle:

1. A website that prospective clients and fans can easily find and that they can use to hear your MP3’s, check out your bio, and see where you’ll be playing next. Pictures, videos and links/reviews are all a plus.
2. Contacts. Even if your best friend’s cousin’s half-sister knows the uncle of a secretary that can get you a gig, or get your disk on someone of influence’s desk, that is what you’ll need to take you from being a really great band that plays TT’s, Sky bar, and The Paradise every month to a band that is getting label interest. There are tons of really good bands out there that sound like they should be on the radio, but if your only contact is Sonicbids, you are going nowhere.
3. The Essentials. Time, practice space, transportation, equipment, musical acumen, and an attractive/marketable look.

If you do not have the aforementioned, the following things will happen:

1. Because you have no contacts for gigs/solicitation, people will become frustrated that you’ve become a rehearsal band and leave for gigging projects.
2. You will suck and will laughed, or yawned off of stages until you wise up that you have no business playing your instrument for more than fun.
3. You will know the songs like the back of your hand, but your live sound will be mush and any musical quality will be buried in a pillow of distortion and white noise. Seeing as most non-musicians cannot discern the true reason for your horrible sound, they will just assume it’s you and not your EQ.
4. You will be so butt ugly that you’ll have to dress up in Goth attire just to hide your grotesque appearance and at least appear to have planned your look that way.
5. You’ve chosen the wrong style/genre for your demographic and therefore cannot gain any traction in the market. No one comes up to you after your shows and asks for your music/website. No one asks where you’ll be playing next. And no one notices anything about your band other than wait until your done with your set.

As for me, I got lucky enough to find 3 other musicians that are all on the same page for the product we are promoting to the proper demographic. We have an adequate site, lots of paying gigs, transportation, rehearsal space, contacts, booking agent, promotion, etc. But like I said before, I can recall many former bands that crashed and burned, and I know the reasons above were the key failures.

Whether you’re original, cover, or function/wedding band, there are certain parameters that cover us all. Have a good weekend everyone and make some $$$$, or have fun gigging, or both if you can.

Steve
www.taint-band.com

Anyone else with some ideas?

How to Make It as a Rock Star

I received the following email from Bret at http://bret.workshed.com/. He gave me permission to post it (which I am extremely thankful for! Only with discussion and sharing do we have the chance to truly learn anything without making the mistakes ourselves!)

I think one of the best tools you can teach your kid is how to  promote herself. Most labels will require that she tour once she  signs on with them, and touring is the best way to get exposure and  build a following. However, before one can reach that point, they  have to lay some groundwork. This is where I think that these rock  star camps fall short. I get the impression they are trying to show  kids that they can learn a few things and then BAM! they are suddenly  fighting off offers from major labels. I am probably being a bit  harsh on them, but I am jaded. :-)

The bands that I see who are the happiest, are the bigger indie bands  who have stayed indie and lived on their own terms. In many cases,  these people have a strong Do it Yourself ethic, they diversify by  either starting a record label, releasing music under several side  projects, or getting in the trenches in a number of different ways.  They also have much more control over their own destiny.

Ultimately, anyone can attend a rock star camp, but the only true  determining factor is, can they write a good song?  You can take a  crappy song, polish it in a studio, put a corporate record label  marketing department behind it, and tour as an opening act for  someone more established, but in the end, it's still a crappy song.

With that, I think your daughter -- or any kid wanting to get a foot  in the door -- should work on writing songs first and foremost. It's  that creative passion that makes all the difference. If the talent is  there, the opportunities (and the slimeballs) will follow.

So have her focus on writing her music, performing it whenever she  can. Once she has 6 or so songs, then she should work on recording  them. Don't invest in home recording gear first off. Have her go to a  real studio to record, but carefully interview some studios to see  what their approach is. Some engineers will help produce the music,  some will be hands on and offer personal service, others will be  hands-off and just go through the motions. Find someone who cares and  wants to help her learn.

Once she is done recording and mixing her album, have it  professionally mastered. This adds a final sheen to the recording  that adds that extra level of professionalism. Then have a  professional layout done for the CD, hire a graphic designer to do  it. Make a web site, have the web site design tie into the CD  packaging design. Have a promo photo taken. Then put together a  simple press kit and send the CD out for review and to get shows.    Get her promoting her shows, making flyers, posting them, get as many  people to come see her as possible. Clubs will be impressed by the  turnout and book her again.

For the $1495 you will spend on the Power Chord Academy (not to  mention the additional money for airfare and lodging), you could pay  to do most of the above and she will have first-hand experience doing  it all for herself accompanied by a strong sense of achievement and  self-sufficiency. It will also give her the business benefit of  learning to work with a budget. If she has $1700 to work with, she  will have to learn how to break each need down by cost and how to cut  corners when appropriate.

Another approach is to set her up with a small home recording studio.  If you think she is technically inclined and would like to learn how  to record herself, it gives her a lot of freedom to experiment with  various sounds and songs at her own pace. I wouldn't recommend going  this route until she has been in a real studio at least once, though.

Being a musician is like any art, you have to do the art before the  business. You can't take a three day workshop and become Picasso, so  why would you be able to take a three day workshop and become Green Day?

Back to the diversification and business side, once one has a strong  batch of songs, it helps to get the songs licensed out wherever one  can. Register the songs under ASCAP or BMI so you can assure  royalties will be paid for all public performances. Get hooked up  with a company like http://www.rumblefish.cc, who will place her  music on commercials, TV shows and films. The more songs out there,  and the more places her music is being played, the more money she  will have coming in.

It's a lot of work, but if she really is passionate about what she is  doing, it will be time and energy happily and well-spent.

Lots of thoughts here that we will digest!

About Powerchords, I told Bret that I am looking to Powerchords to show my daughter what is possible and to meet other kids like her. He is eagerly waiting for the review! And like good bloggers everywhere, he is willing to revise his opinion based on data, which I am eagerly awaiting to give him!

And on the Indie subject, I have looked at this book: I Don't Need A Record Deal!: Your Survival Guide For The Indie Music Revolution.  Lots of good stuff in here!

The underside of the music industry and being a musician

Recently, I wrote about summer rock camps and I've been scouting the web for information. I found a rant regarding a rock music camp from an older, experienced rocker on his blog, http://bret.workshed.com/. Since this whole industry is new to me, I asked him what should young kids do if camps are not right. Like thoughtful bloggers everywhere, he posted a long and detailed post that explained his thinking. In short, he said that the camp was a musical theme park and didn't accurately depict the nitty gritty (and dirty) music industry. (Please read the whole thing.)

He also wanted to make sure that my daughter liked music versus the music industry and linked to a frightening article that everyone should read. He says:

A GREAT article dealing with the reality of the industry is noted recording engineer, Steve Albini's, "The Problem with Music." This article goes into great detail explaining how major labels exploit and ultimately ruin many of the artists they sign. Its free to read and worth much more than a week at a rock and roll camp.

Now, at this point, RockStar daughter isn't at the point of being signed -- so this will be used for future reference (we hope), but I will be watching to see if she thinks it was hard work or a theme park when she comes back...

I also think that the music industry is currently in flux, that it has to change, become more transparent, because with the advent of the web, individuals can do so much more. It will be interesting to watch what happens.

Update: Daughter went to the camp. I'm writing the review from the parent's perspective now.

Rock Band Music Camps

My daughter's music teacher suggested that she go to a "music camp" where she can meet other kids who are like her. Despite what may seem like an overreaction by this site creation, I hadn't really thought that there were rock camps. I knew that there were probably classical camps, but rock and roll summer camps?

The internet search was on!

• I first looked at Berklee College of Music, but you had to be 15. I called and they suggested continuing private lessons. The age wasn't right.
• I found a number of classical music summer camps, but those were out. The style wasn't right.
• I found a day rock camp, and my daughter actually went to the open house but thought there were too many beginners (at least at the open house). The level wasn't right.
• I found an all-girls rock and roll camp, but she wanted to be with boys as well right now. The gender wasn't right.
• Of course, I finally found a very expensive overnight rock and roll camp in the city, and that is the one she wanted to go to. The age, style, level, and gender seemed right.

The price didn't seem right for mom and dad at Rock Star Parent, but what could we do? We want her to get a grasp on what is out there, what type of effort she would have to put in if she really wants to work in the music industry, but, most importantly, we want her to get an idea as to what is possible and that we support her.

We'll let you know.

Potential Programs:

• Berklee College of Music Summer Programs -- Boston, MA, must be 15
• DayJams -- multiple locations, day camp, girls and boys 9-15, beginner to advanced
• CampJam -- multiple locations, day camp, girls and boys, 6-10 or 11-17
• Bandworks -- multiple locations in CA
• Girls Rock Camp -- Portland, OR, girls 8 - 18
• Rock and Roll Camp for Girls -- MA, girls 10 - 19
• Powerchord Academy -- San Diego, St. Louis, NY ages 12-18
• The Frances Camp for Drummers --Topsham VT, ages 12-18

And here is an article with more information, including information on summer jazz camps and summer band camps.

Powerchord Academy review coming soon!

How Much Does it Cost to Raise a Rock Star?

Found this great article on how much money it takes to raise a rock star.

Some great insights here, but I notice that they didn't even put in the amount for the lessons! Voice lessons, bass lessons, guitar lessons, etc. DO add up over the years.

Rock Star Dad and I will do our own list shortly.

Update: Just paid for a RockStar camp! Yikes! The list in the magazine doesn't begin to cover things!

What TO Say About Your Band on the Band Website

How do I make a band website? This is really the minimum of what a band website should have after a few months. You don't have to "launch" with everything here. Just keep working at it.

Static Content (usually doesn't change that often)

• Band Name (band logo can come later):
• Band Member Names:
• Band Member Bios: (especially if something interesting)
• Influences (rock group names or styles):
• Some hook -- a short paragraph or so about something interesting... could be how you found each other:
• How to contact the band (usually an email address):
• How to get on a mailing list (include the fact that you can get off the list and that you don't sell their email addresses, etc.):

Changing Content: (Update regularly)

• Gig dates, times, directions:
• Photos:
• mp3's (of original content only so you don't get sued for copyright infringement):
• Special thanks to people and venues where you have played:
• New original songs coming up, backstory to the song (why you wrote it.)
• Links to any reviews of your shows or press about your band:
• pdf files of posters so people can print them out on their own computers and they will print correctly (click here to be able to create your own pdf files for free):

As you get bigger

• How to purchase merchandise (t-shirts, cd's, etc.)

I'll be going into some of these content areas more in depth in future posts. And remember, there are things NOT to put on a band website as well.

What NOT to Say About Your Band on Your Band Website

Teens:

OKOKOK -- I'm a Rock Star PARENT, remember... so I'm going to tell you this once. If you are a young band, and you think you might play at YMCA's or church basements or local community centers, don't put up swears on your different web pages. Why jeopardize a gig when you can be cool without an out and out swear?

If you are a new band, you can't be too choosy where you play, and being able to say that "they were just too uptight" doesn't do you a bit of good when you are practicing in the garage instead of playing in front of lots of kids.

Furthermore, if you have a My Space page, and all of your friends become your friends, don't you think that a parent or a youth director or a church activities director will be able to find your web page easily? And read it? Read ALL of it? And you are a BAND, remember, you don't want to make your My Space page private just so you can swear indiscriminately!!!

Darn it, some places actually make you print out lyrics of your songs before you can play, and I'm not kidding. Especially YMCA Battle of the Band events.

So there... read the next post about what you SHOULD say about your band when you start a band website. You have lots of space now without all of those swears.

Parents:

OK, you want to teach your kids how to do everything themselves, and they might know how to work online better than you do, but please check out their stuff. Teens are in their own bubble about the words they put online. They think that "only" their friends will see it. Reiterate that:

• anything they put online should be OK to be seen on the front page of the school newspaper
• anything they put online, because of the electronic format, can easily be forwarded, replicated, and they can't control where it goes
• if and when they have a real job (even in they work for a company in the music industry), employers can check their company email, so get used to being professional
• once they are over 18 and out of school then they can discuss "branding" and how "bad" they want to be, but it can seriously jeapordize getting gigs at this stage

I've seen bands with their own urls have a myspace too, and their own url is clean, but the myspace is a sewer. Or their band myspace is OK, but their personal myspace pages, that are linked to off of the band myspace page is a sewer. People follow the links that are there. And if the band has an aol IM profile, check that out too.

Good luck all!