Executing Your Ideas
All “talk”, and no “do” makes Jack an interesting boy…but just a talker. The problem with people who have great ideas and no execution is that their ideas either get stolen by others who hear them, or their ideas get dusty on top of a metaphorical shelf full of past ideas. Everyone’s got dreams they want to [...]
An Interview with Yours Truly
Grassrootsy has gotten into the habit of interviewing singer/songwriters. Sorry guys! We forgot that there are bands out there reading this blog! So I’m excited to share Yours Truly with everyone. They’re a fairly young power-pop-rock band based out of Pittsburgh, PA and they sound great! I’ve got ears to prove it! I ran into [...]
Ignore Everybody and Just DO
Ok, I admit. Last week’s post was a bit brutal. But the more I look over various chapters of MacLeod’s Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys to Creativity, the more I realize that he is offering the reader two choices. DO or DON’T. You either DO your passion or you sit back and watch others [...]
The Problem with Wolves & Sheep
Grassrootsy was one of 17 blogs picked by Derek Sivers (founder of CDBaby) to check out a new book by Hugh MacLeod, Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys to Creativity. I should first mention that this is not a book review and I was not asked to “sell” the book. I should also mention that [...]
Blogs are still BIG!
They don’t seem as popular anymore. But blogs aren’t dead…at least not yet! In the past few weeks I’ve found myself reading more blogs and have also had a few conversations with people hoping to start blogs in order to better-connect with their fans. So here are some thoughts on what gives a blog a [...]
"Just Do It"
Perhaps the theme for this week’s posts should have been “Just do it” or “Pep Talks w/ Joy“. I dunno. But I’ve recently had several conversations with artist who are frustrated by the amount of work they’ve put into a project and the fact that no one knows the project exists. I’ve read An Interview with The Lost Sea a [...]
Helping Yourself #4
Read the other blogs in this series: Helping Yourself #1 Helping Yourself #2 Helping Yourself #3 Today I went to re-visit Derek Sivers’ ”Nobody’s going to help you“ blog. Make sure to read this blog if you haven’t already. Its got some excellent thoughts and excellent reader comments. Here’s comment by a frustrated reader… Response # 6,780 by Karsten Schwardt “If I [...]
Be Good to Them and They Will be Good to You
Obviously, its common sense to treat people with respect. Common sense aside, consider going the extra mile in your communication with the people who ultimately hold your career in their hands. Ask Questions: The #1 way you can show you care about a gig is by regularly communicating with the booker. Don’t be one of [...]
Helping Yourself #3
Here is the 3rd installment in this “Helping Yourself” series. Also check out the Helping Yourself #1 and Helping Yourself #2 posts. To recap, Derek Sivers wrote a blog called “Nobody’s Going to Help You. Does that encourage you or discourage you?“ Several singer-songwriters and industry reps responded to the post with their two cents. Here is [...]
Helping Yourself #2
This is a continuation to “Helping Yourself #1. Check back tomorrow for the 3rd installment. As previously mentioned, this post is centered around a recent blog by CDBaby guru Derek Sivers. The blog was called “Nobody’s Going to Help You. Does that encourage you or discourage you?“ Read it is you havea chance. The post [...]
READ, WATCH, LISTEN, GO – A Musician’s Guide to “Making It”
As a full-time musician and publicist, I’ve learned in the past 6 years that simply being aware of what’s going on in town is more than half the battle of getting gigs, building a fanbase, and “making it” as a artist. Whether you tour or stay local, when you know what’s happening, where its [...]
