I am introducing a new columnist here at John Berret Music. His name is John "Stoney" Cannon. He is the god father, so to speak,of lokal music here in Augusta Ga. He is someone you will come to know well once you graduate from lessons,to the garage then to the stage around here. He has or is writing for The Metro Spirit, Verge, guest columns everywhere and has created the local go to music site...the cream of the crop around here..Lokal Loudness. He has played in countless local bands( G City Rockers, Vagabond Missionaries, Brotherhood, too many to list), is the creator of the local musician awards show ( you keep practicing and work hard you might end up with one)and is co-host of the local Internet radio show, Confederation of Loudness. His credentials are beyond met to be able to pass wisdom on to aspiring and established musicians. So take in his wisdom. Here is a little about him that I ask every writer to come up with:
Stoney Speaks - The Biz with the Buzz
When the chance to add to this blog came up I have to admit, while on the outside I played it calm and cool, on the inside I was an instant ball of excitement. Maybe not the constant ball of excitement that John john is on a daily basis (if you know John John...) but pretty dang excited! In a city loaded with excellent guitar players John John ranks right up there near the top and the incredible love he has for music and his students is infectious and inspiring to say the least. How could I not be excited to be considered worthy enough to toss in my two cents worth from time to time? The toughest part in the process of jumping on board was first figuring out what to write about. John John has the knowledge to write about just about any instrument and product and recent columnist addition Mike Dinkins is a multi-instrumentalist in his own right. Me? I'm just a guy who first and foremost loves music, finds therapy in songwriting, possesses a pretty good voice, and I can play guitar just enough to get by. Hardly the best prospect for a blog geared towards the advancement of musicians. Luckily John John had just the thing for me to regularly write about. (nope it's not how to get by on minimal ability though...that article may come later)
I caught the music bug early on being introduced to country via my Grandma, 50's rock and roll by way of my Grandpa, and pop and classic rock (was actually brand new back then) from my parents. By the time I reached my teens I was spending my allowance money on rock magazines like Creem and Hit Parader. By the end of junior high (or middle school for some of you) I was knee deep in everything from rock mags to guitar mags. I had yet to pick up a guitar but I loved soaking in all the info especially the non-performing aspects of being an artist. I loved writing and singing on stage but for some reason I couldn't get enough of the many things that have become lost arts now. Things such as how to visually market an artist, how to properly create a promo or press kit. Even so far as the best way to present yourself in a press photo. It was all very cool and while it my have seemed to some like I was reading the same article regurgitated over and over, through the years each and every one had a little something extra to add to the mix.
So with that in mind John John sent me a text that said - "Do how to promote yourself/your band. You're the king of that stuff." The whole "king" thing may be overstating it a bit but I can't tell you how many conversations I have had with veteran musicians and venue owners regarding young bands and their inept booking and promoting practices. In this day and age everyone has some sort of web presence that makes it possible to offer up the entire promotional package but often a cool page design is placed well above information. What good is a cool design if no one can find out anything about your band? The cool design is quickly forgotten and so is your band. I learned this while studying to be a graphic designer. It doesn't matter if your design is great if it doesn't do the most important thing that it is supposed to do - get you message across. Same goes with a cool looking MySpace page band page with no bio, contact info, promo photo and of course my biggest pet peeve - a list of band members who possess no last names or worse yet, play instruments such as the "six-string love gun" instead of "guitar." The venue owner could care less how cool you are, they just want a band that is professional and lives up to their end of the bargain.
So stay tuned young guns...and even old farts who may have somehow missed the boat along the way. Over the upcoming series of articles I'm gonna spell it out for you one important step at a time, possibly stopping along the way to get insight from others. You've already taken the steps. You've learned to play, may even have put together a band or have designs on being a deep singer-songwriter type. The rules are all the same. Now let's just say you're ready to let the world know just how much you rock. You'll be amazed just how simple and obvious it is and the best part, it can be done on your own and at a price that won't break you (or your parents) bank account!
John "Stoney" Cannon
www.lokalloudness.com
to check out his website on all things local and
http://lokalloudness.com/
check out his local music internet radio show at
http://www.confederationofloudness.com/
