The Indispensable Musician – Part 3: The Client-Centered Paradigm

Posted by John on Mar 29th, 2010 | no comments

CLIENT INSPIRES MUSICIAN –> MUSICIAN CREATES MUSIC –> CLIENT BUILDS FANBASE

Two years ago during a viewing session with our family photographer, my paradigm started to shift in a new direction. Our photographer played my piano music as the soundtrack to our photo slideshow. It turned a pleasant experience into a stunningly emotional one. We wanted to buy ALL of the pictures. The music helped increase the perceived value of the product.

We talked about the prospect of composing music for slideshows, and he handed me a sample photo album of another client to test the idea. The result of that test was this song, which made it onto my album, Zuzu’s Petals:

It wasn’t until a year later that this seed germinated into two ideas:

1. PianoGraphy – Custom piano music for photographers and videographers to use in slideshows and videos
2. Piano Portraits (i.e., tributes) – Custom piano music given as gifts, and inspired by the recipients themselves.

In the new paradigm, the client provides the inspiration for the music. The client pays for the creation of the music. The client shares this music with others who become fans. Some of those fans become clients. Lather, rinse, repeat.

In the new paradigm, the number of MP3 downloads is no longer a central goal. The central goal is now building deep, authentic relationships with individual fans, one at a time. It’s about inviting them into the creative process. It’s about letting them share the music they inspired with the world.

It’s about them.

Prev…Part 2: The Musician-Centered Paradigm

Next…Part 4: Value-Added Music

The Indispensable Musician – Part 2: The Musician-Centered Paradigm

Posted by John on Mar 27th, 2010 | no comments

MUSICIAN CREATES MUSIC –> MUSICIAN TELLS FANS –> FANS MIGHT BUY

There was a time when I believed I could make a living by creating music that I loved, slapping it onto a CD, sending it to CDBaby, promoting it on a radio station, getting it discovered by a label, and watching my inbox for sales reports.  Perhaps a bit naive for the new kid on the block, but that was my childish dream.  I tried it.  That model failed.

In his book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price, Chris Anderson clearly lays out the dilemma with this model. The cost of goods is heading toward zero, competition is skyrocketing, and the perceived value has plummeted.

For example, I rarely buy music. Yep, a musician who rarely buys music. My iPhone holds several days worth of music. I can download countless MP3s from various artists’ websites, Amazon.com, and other legitimate sources. When I want to listen to something new, I swing over to Pandora. When I reach the limit on the free account, I swing over to Last.fm, theSixtyOne.com, or Uvumi.com for unlimited streaming. Most of the CDs I own were given as gifts.

How does a musician eek out a living in the world of FREE? Unless he tours and sells a ton of CDs and tickets, he’s not going to survive. His CDs will continue to sit and collect dust in the closet. Then, after exhausting himself, he settles back into a more reliable source of income, hopefully something he really enjoys. Music becomes a hobby for nights and weekends.

There’s got to be a better way.

Prev…Part 1: Introduction

Next…Part 3: The Client-Centered Paradigm

The Indispensable Musician – Part 1: Introduction

Posted by John on Mar 27th, 2010 | no comments

In his book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, Seth Godin makes a solid case that to be indispensable one must unleash the artist within.  Well, how does that apply to people who already claim to be artists, like me?  After all, didn’t I unleash my art during my CD release party?  What about my CDs and MP3s?  Doesn’t iTunes unleash my art for me?

In this series of articles, “The Indispensable Musician”, I am going to share my ideas–and experiments–on what it means for an independent musician to really unleash the artist within.  Combined, these ideas generate a fresh paradigm that respects and promotes the uniqueness and value of each independent artist and of each fan.

I will be so bold as to say that the musician who successfully practices these ideas may only require 100 true fans to eek out a living.  (See Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans.)  I will also say that the first online music store to incorporate these ideas into their system will win.  We shall see.

Next…Part 2: The Musician-Centered Paradigm

First Things First

Posted by John on Mar 21st, 2010 | one comment

Re-evaluating priorities and rethinking the purpose of my music

For the past 20+ years I made it my goal to make a living from my music, yet God hasn’t seen fit to bless it in that way. Instead He’s blessed me and my family through software and web development.

If I can find a web/software job, I’m taking it and staying there until God peels me away from it. I’d rather provide for my family everything I am capable of giving them than pursuing a dream that God doesn’t seem to agree with me on. The latter leaves my soul lean.

So I am letting go of the goal which has robbed me of my joy and consumed my mind to the exclusion of more important things. I will still compose and produce music, but only because I enjoy it. It will be a hobby to share, and not so much a business to run.

What does this mean to you, my friends?

The biggest change is in my mind.  The second biggest is allowing my fans to pay what they want for my downloads (including FREE), and to share it freely with their friends.  I will still sell sheet music, CDs, licenses for business use, piano tributes (portraits), etc.  Please stay tuned over the next week as I implement this change.

~

Better to forget the things we THINK will make us happy than to forget the things that ALREADY make us happy.

Another thought that has haunted me over the past few months is that I only have seven more years with my oldest daughter.  She’s had a father who is preoccupied mentally and emotionally with his dreams.  What she needs is a father who cares more for her than for himself.

Whatever we can dream up will last for a moment, but children are eternal.

Pursue them first, and then when they are gone, pursue your dreams.  If they are good dreams, they will rise again.

The world says pursue your dreams at any cost; but it is far better to enjoy what God has already given to you with contentment, joy and peace.

Reality Check

Posted by John on Feb 21st, 2010 | no comments

Dear friends,

A wise piano composer recently told me this about God:

He has to ‘pull’ things into being. I cannot ‘push’ things to happen.

I’m coming to realize that it may be a few more years before I’ll be able to invest 100% into music. Seems like every musician faces this dilemma in one way or another. I’m thankful God has given me the skill of web development to provide stability for my family while I move in the direction of my deeper passion.

My Dad once said, “You can’t steer a ship unless it’s moving.” So we keep moving and trusting that God will direct our steps into all the good things He has prepared for us in His time.

Unfortunately this means the Now I Sleep project will take longer than I originally planned. Thank you for your patience. I’ve got about four songs complete, six more to go. Pray for me and this project please.

I treasure your prayers, your support, and your friendship.

John