Posts tagged ‘music’

Why Haven’t You Reached Your Music Career Goals?

Do not forget to get the word out that Vernon Neilly will be speaking at Musicians Institutue on Feb 28 on the subject of record labels, how to set one up and run one!

 

Set Your Goals

Set Your Goals

Why Haven’t You Reached Your Music Career Goals?

Seems like a simple enough question, but can you answer it?

I have read and been involved in discussions on various musicians’ forums on the Internet and there are a lot of different opinions regarding this.

Here are a few common reasons people give for not becoming a pro musician:

· Illegal music downloading
· Fickleness of the music business
· Lack of connections – not knowing the right people
· No record deal

While on the surface many of these may seem like valid points, I do not agree with them. Rather than debunking each of these reasons (which would take up way too much time), I prefer to get to my point.

I think there is something even bigger than any of these reasons for you not reaching your music career goals.

What is the biggest thing standing between most of you and your music career goals?

Can you handle the truth?!! Sorry, I got carried away for a second there. : )

Here it goes……. It Is YOU!!

Now I am sure that right now a lot of you are either thinking “What the heck?” or “This is a load of bull!”

This is an understandable reaction and I would have felt the same way had I read this a few years ago. But rather than just clicking away from this article please read on and give me a chance to explain – you may just learn something!

Here are two big reasons why many musicians fail to reach their goals:

1. Lack of consistent action
2. Lack of knowledge as to what to do
Let’s take a look at these two points one at a time.

Lack of consistent action – many musicians (myself included) do not always take consistent action to move their music careers forward.

Think about it for a second: where you are at right now in your career (and your life) is a direct consequence or result of your actions (or lack thereof). You control you life and your destiny, and it is only through sustained forward moving action that you will get what you want in both your life and your music career.

Picture in your mind a ship at sea being tossed about on the waves with no one steering. What are the chances that it will reach its desired destination? Take control of your life and career and guide yourself to where you want to be!

Lack of knowledge as to what to do – many musicians do not know exactly how to reach their goals. I personally spent many years like this, basically just floating along and thinking that I was going to work a “normal” day job until I died.

So what did I do? I found myself a mentor, (Tom Hess) to coach and guide me towards my goals; someone who had experience and had already done the things I wanted to do.

If you would like to test your knowledge and readiness for a music career I highly recommend checking out the free assessment at Tom’s site: http://www.tomhess.net/TestForBigSuccessAsAProMusician.aspx

I know that much of this may seem like common sense, but ask yourself honestly if you are actually doing these things before you judge it. Even if I am not teaching you anything you haven’t heard before, I hope that this article makes you think and better yet, take action towards achieving your personal music career goals!

Take Care and Much Success To You,

Paul Tauterouff
http://paultauterouff.com

About the author: Paul Tauterouff is a professional musician and teacher in upstate New York. Paul is helping others to reach their career goals through his role as co-manager of the Music Careers Mentoring Program.

Award-Winning Recording Artist Vernon Neilly on WVOF RADIO in Conneticut

Hey Guys I am being featured on WVOF in Conneticut in their 24 hr mix! Link is below get the word out!

Upper Room Radio is sponsored by Creativity in Music – Radio promotion services for indie artists

“Upper Room with Joe Kelley”
WVOF 88.5 FM Fairfield, CT , Mondays 6pm-8pm EST
An NPR-affiliate

www.wvof.org

“Upper Room with Joe Kelley and Gi Dussault” NOW
24 Hours/ 7 Days- Interviews, Creative Music, & Studio Performances
Listen directly:

*For more information, you can email Joe Kelley: joeradio at optonline.net *

****** Thanks for the music.******

Chris Juergensen – BIG BAD SUN

Big Bad Sun Chris Juergensen

Big Bad Sun - Chris Juergensen

BLUES / ROCK
Chris Juergensen
BIG BAD SUN

“Another beautiful cd from Chris Juergensen. This recording has a serious blues vibe. Chris sings and plays his ass off on this one.” Mike Stern

Chris Juergenen’s “Big Bad Sun” CD came to me last week and I’ve been listening to it everyday since. I can’t keep my earz off this fabulous blues album… There is major talent all over the place here. Master Juergensen is also an excellent guitar player with clear dynamic vocals, and he also knows how to present the blues in just the right fashion. His guitar playing is right on the money and the tone he gets from his guitar and amps is second to none.. Yes! Da Man Can Play!!! How do they say… “Take me to the mountain top !!!”

Native New Yorker, long time studio musician and session guitarist Chris Juergensen is in constant demand as a sideman, front man and clinician. He has played sold out venues as intimate as the world famous Blue Note and as large as the Long Beach Auditorium. After teaching guitar for six years at the prestigious Musicians Institute in Los Angeles along side with Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big), Scott Henderson and Joe Diorio, Chris left the states to become the Director of Education at Tokyo School of Music in Japan where he resided for fifteen years. He currently divides his time between Tokyo and Los Angeles where he continues to write, record, play and teach. His first solo CD, “Prospects” was critically acclaimed worldwide and his second release,”Big Bad Sun” painted a completely new portrait of him showcasing him as a singer as well as a guitarist. The opening song “Sweet Melissa” was used by Australian filmmaker Sean King in his short film “Regrets.”

Big Bad Sun will be familiar to you on your first listen due to the fact that Chris’s Blues are more in the traditional vibe and at times contemporary in nature. He is a very passionate six-string shooter with a penchant for story telling along w/ with his lead guitar phrasing and modern day productions. You’ll hear everything from Albert King, Johnny Winters, Albert Collins, Omar and the Howlers, The T-Birds, Jimmy Vaughan, Allen Haynes, Chris Duarte, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jeff Beck in his muse.

For his efforts in promoting American art through international music education, Chris was made an honorary citizen of New Orleans by the Mayor of the city, Marc H. Morial in 1995 and more recently was asked to perform on behalf of Japan at the Japanese embassy in Seoul Korea in 2004. Written by Chris, The Infinite Guitar has remained an international best selling instructional book since it was first published in 2006. His newest book, The Empowered Musician was published Summer 2008.

Chris has performed, recorded or done something in one manner or another with such artists as: Falling You, Lincoln Goines (Mike Stern), Richard Hartley and Soul Resurrection, Otmaro Ruiz (John McLaughlin), Albert Wing (Frank Zappa), Toss Panos (Steve Vai, Mike Landau), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), Keith Wyatt (The Blasters), Ralph Humphrey (Manhattan Transfer, Frank Zappa, Wayne Shorter), Kim Plainfield (Tania Maria, The Pointer Sisters), Jay Dibbs (Vanessa Williams), Steve Bailey (The Rippingtons, Dizzy Gillespie), Jennifer Batten (Jeff Beck, Michael Jackson), Mike Shapiro (Al Jarreau, Sergio Mendes), Jerry Watts (Andy Summers, Billy Idol), Russel Ferante (Joni Mitchell, Yellowjackets), Kevyn Lettau, Hussain Jiffry (Robben Ford, Michael MacDonald, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan), Shawn Harris, The Hideous Sun Demons and Ray Luzier (David Lee Roth, Army of Anyone, Korn).

If you like foot stompin’ music with killer blues vamps, boogie-woogies, rockabilly, a slight touch of swing and a tight sounding band… Then you won’t regret going to Chris’ website and ordering this CD today… Have I let you down yet…? I think not!

Scott Thomas

512.523.8333

sthomas9@austin.rr.com