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GoGirls Elite Interview with Hobbyhorse
by Annette Warner,

Artists like Annie and Phil of Hobbyhorse, go that extra mile to help themselves, while helping others. It makes it worthwhile to volunteer myself to work as hard as I do, in this overly crowded industry of self-centeredness - when you have the opportunity to find those special people that really do care about their fellow artists. When they are genuine about it... it's all the more pleasurable. Thanks Hobbyhorse! Annette Warner - Editor, GoGirlsMusic

Annie, Your website and your cause though music and art is unique and attention grabbing - as well as just plain out fun and creative. Tell us in your own words about your mission, vision and values statement for Hobby Horse Cafe.

Our mission for Hobbyhorse Cafe was to create a website for the listener and viewer. Most musicians websites are more like press kits than they are for the fan's enjoyment. We also wanted to create a concept of a virtual cafe. I am very affected by atmosphere, and I thought our website should have an artistic and inviting atmosphere like the kind of cafe that I like to frequent. We decided to feature other musicians, artists and poets both as a service to the creative community and to enliven the website.

Is Hobby Horse Cafe only a web presence - or do you have a physical location? Tell us about your physical location's opportunities, if any.

Hobbyhorse Cafe is a completely imaginary Cafe. We like to say it is an imaginary cafe for imaginative people.

What is offered to Regular members?

When someone signs up to "Become a Regular" at Hobbyhorse Cafe they recieve access to all of the music and art on the website that is restricted to other visitors. It is Free of charge. All "Regulars" agree to be on our mailing list. They recieve updates about the Hobbyhorse Cafe, Hobbyhorse gigs and other Hobbyhorse related news. We are careful to not send out more than a few emails a month because we know that people are overwhelmed with their email in general.

How does one go about registering their music and artwork with your website?

Our featured guests generally show a combination of interest in the website and willingness to give us something unique to post. My partner Phil is a recording engineer and offers to make a live recording to post on the website. One of the artists we featured painted a picture that was inspired by one of our songs. We want to give people something new and different, not just the latest track from the cd. We only feature about one guest every other month or so.

What drives you creatively?

I have always been creative in everything I do. It is my strength. I find it funny when people say they play music or do art as a "creative outlet", because it is much more than an" outlet" for me. In fact I read books about science as my "scientific outlet." But creativity through music, writing and art are just natural forms of expression for me.

Do you have a point in which you become really satisfied with your creations - as if knowing if another thing was added or taken away it would absolutely destroy it.

Yes, I am one of the few people I know who loves the editing process more than the initial moment of creation. Editing is creative to me. It is about shaping the song or painting. Intuitively I know when something is finished. I am usually right, but sometimes I wish I had done something different.

What kind of people do you think are the ones that become successful.

People who are doing what they love to do no matter what it is are successful. If they are making a living at it then they are really successful.

What do you feel are the top 2 things that are wrong with the professional art and music industry?

What I think is wrong with the music industry I think is right about the art industry. There is such an obsession with youth in the music industry. It is ridiculous, because some of the best musicians are older. It may be changing a little bit, but it seems like the only older (40+) musicians that are popular had become famous when they were younger. In the art world, on the other hand, many emerging artists are over 40. You are expected to develop your talents. It doesn't matter as much what you look like, just what your art looks like. Another issue with the music industry is that it is obsessed with "sound-alikes". They say they want the "next big thing" but really only want something that sounds just like the "last big thing".

If you could pick one thing, that you would advise anyone wanting to become famous - what would it be?

I find it a little disappointing that more people are not open to listening to musicians who are not already famous. But I think that to be popular, an artist has to articulate what the audience has on their mind, but are unable to find words to express. So the artist is performing a service by putting it into words and song. Otherwise, it comes down to doing outrageous things so that you can be gossiped about.

If you could only take one piece of art and one song with you - what would they be?

I assume you mean one of my songs and paintings. I would take "Walking Away". It is about the story of Adam and Eve from Eve's point of view. That story is where all the human drama began. It is in one of my favorite rhythmic time signatures: the odd time signature of 7/4. And I like the painting I did for that song. I am very proud of that apple.

Get more information on Hobbyhorse at www.hobbyhorsecafe.com

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Independent Musicians Discover The Secret To Success With New DVD

Millions of independent musicians are trying to achieve success in the music business. But the chances of them "making it big" are miniscule at best. What can they do to improve their odds? Singer Aneel asked the same question and in the process created a DVD called "411 On The Independent Music Movement" containing answers from a number of experts.

Derek Sivers is president of CDBaby.com, an online store selling CD's from independent artists. Sivers says 90% of the sales are made by only 12% of the artists. "It used to be only 10% of your career was up to you. 'Getting discovered' was about all you could do. Now, 90% of your career is up to you. You have to develop a business plan to attain a sustainable level of success, even without a big record deal." Sivers tells artists they must learn the business of the music business.

"I love music, it's what I was born for," says independent artist Aneel. "The problem is so many indies pursue getting a contract. What they don't realize is they'll spend a ton of money trying to win that contract, and even if they land one, they'll spend their own money producing an album. Overall, if they break even, that's doing pretty good."

Aneel's example is common. While trying to break into the big leagues, Aneel co-hosts an online music show, "The Juice," originating from the UK. As an internet DJ, stories of struggle from musicians worldwide gave him an idea.

"I contacted experts who could help independent musicians improve their business skills," says Aneel. He realized the issue wasn't a lack of talent, but rather that most indies don't know about business. Aneel found 20 "coaches" on topics including international distribution, taxes, website marketing and entertainment law. He produced a video called "411 On The Independent Music Movement". (www.411onMusic.com.) The 3 DVD set teaches independents exactly how to turn their low-paying hobby into a lucrative business. It includes a database of 9,000+ industry contacts.

"I learned to promote and distribute my music, how to book performances, and who to contact about my music," says Dan Thomasson of Nature's Calm. "Aneel's DVD was what I needed to help me be successful. This is a great resource for all independent artists."

As internet distribution explodes to over $10 billion in 2007 (according to New Media Music Informa), the market for independent music presents an expanding opportunity for independent artists. But will they understand how to run their bands like businesses?

Artist Phil Mooney says "The 411 DVD is a 'must have' for me or for any artist, either starting out or established. From business planning, to overseas promotion, to tax law, this DVD is the seed for success!"

Despite the long-shot odds, an increasing number of independent artists are discovering the secrets to getting out of the garage and building a successful music business with the "411 On The Independent Music Movement" DVD.

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Perfect Pitch Verses The Struggling Musician by Daniel E. Friedman Do you have perfect pitch? Do you feel inferior by not having it? By the way, what in blazes is perfect pitch? Let’s investigate! Perfect pitch, also called absolute pitch (AP) is an accurate recall of any concert pitch note that one hears played by an instrument. This skill also allows a perfect pitch individual to sing a particular note that is requested of him or her, provided the AP person is also blessed with a good set of vocal chords. Should you feel inferior if you do not have this ability? Absolutely not! Of course it’s not fair that some people have AP while others don’t. However, mature individuals know that life is not fair. This unfairness is compounded by the fact that perfect pitch cannot be acquired through practice, although some would argue that this is debatable. Some websites claim that one can acquire the skill of AP through practice. Although it is noble to be open-minded to new techniques for improving oneself, I have not yet seen one conversion of a non-perfect pitch musician into an absolute pitch musician, although the length that some people go through in order to acquire perfect pitch is often mind-boggling. One common way some individuals try to get AP is by repeating a note continuously for hours in the hope of memorizing the note’s particular pitch. This accomplishes three things: 1. It makes the person trying to achieve perfect pitch look like they’re having a severe nervous breakdown; 2. The act of repeating a note continuously takes time away from quality family and fun activities; 3. Repeating a note continuously requires the purchase of some sort of pain medication from the resulting headache that it most certainly ensues. So why is there so much hoopla over this accurate recall of specific notes on an instrument? The truth is that many musicians get along just fine without perfect pitch. How, you ask? Well, they develop their relative pitch; the ability to judge the distance between notes by recognizing interval distances. An interval distance is a specific distance between two concert pitch notes on an instrument. The skillful use of interval distances can give a musician accurate dictation skills. As a composer, an extremely developed relative pitch is a must if absolute pitch is not attainable. Go forth with no fear, dear non-absolute pitch colleagues! Compose, arrange and perform with the best of them because developed relative pitch is a powerful tool and a viable substitute for AP. By the way, some websites claim the theory that babies are all possibly born with perfect pitch. This is fascinating, but like so many theories surrounding AP, it is very difficult to prove. Perhaps it’s time we throw out some theories of our own: 1. Owls might have absolute pitch; 2. Chimpanzees would love perfect pitch, but they can’t get it because they have too much potassium in their blood; 3. Avalanches can scare you into having AP, especially if you’re buried alive by one; 4. Falling off a large cliff gives you perfect pitch, but only while you’re falling. When you hit the ground, the perfect pitch suddenly disappears. As a final thought, AP and good relative pitch are only effective tools when combined with one final and important component: hard work. About The Author: Daniel E. Friedman -- Come and join us at www.musicmasterstudios.com for assistance in music education and comprehension. Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

Want to Record your Own Album? Read This Guide

Author: Sarika Kabra

If you have been dreaming of recording your own music but have feared doing so because of the lack of simple guidelines, look no further. With the tips this article provides you, you will definitely be on your way to a good independent record, may be even stardom! So what should you do to avoid a trip to a recording studio?

One of the most important things to remember while recording music is that it requires a certain amount of patience and time. If you are short on either, you will have to give up your dreams of audio mastering and concentrate on finding a good label to launch you. For those who intend to persevere with the task of recording music, the first step is to make sure that the music sounds good on the microphone. Before recording any music, make sure all your musical instruments are working at their best so that there may not be too much editing later on. Of course, it also means that your microphones must be of top quality and placed properly in front of the source

A common mistake of many music recorders who are just starting out is that they do not save their work frequently enough. Can you imagine the heartache of the person who has given his all to record that wonderful piece of music only to realize that it was lost due to a minor oversight? You definitely do not want to loose a great recording that you have worked hours on. You should not only save your work between takes, but also copy every recording on a back up tape. This is standard advice to most programmers in software companies and it holds true for home recording as well.

Many sound recorders make the music very complicated by overdoing the engineering. A good music recorder is one who wants to preserve the actual beauty of the music and does not impose unnecessary external effects on it.

After you have finished recording the music, you must do some non-technical work. You will now have to duplicate your record, distribute it as much as possible and promote it extensively to make monetary profits. You can do this by getting a good CD duplication service. You can look up on the web and find the ones that offer the best deals to save money. After you have finished making multiple copies you will have to worry about distributing them.

Since your label is not a known one, distribution might become a problem without adequate marketing. For this, you will have to do a lot of research and find record stores that keep independent labels. They may have to pay small fees to distribution companies before your CDs make it to the music stores. Another option is to sell your records on line.

The last step of this journey is the actual promotion of your album. This is not a very tough job as with the help of the Internet you can promote your music endlessly. You could go to any of the free websites that allow upload of music and do so in order to attract probable listeners. You could, alternatively, pay certain music publications to promote your album.

Thus, not only do you get to record music with your own studio equipment, you also manage to promote your album with the help of the tips above. Now throw away the fear in your heart and launch your own album. You can thank me later for the fame that follows! The cash would be yours to keep.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/want-to-record-your-own-album-read-this-guide-296405.html

About the Author:

The author is in the process of recording her first song. She has set up a recording studio in her garage. You can download some free music software and be set for recording. If you need help with some terms you can consult this music dictionary.

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