Tour:Smart+ weekend!

It’s like Tour:Smart on steroids!

Crash Course

I wanted to describe the crash course a little bit….It sounds kind of crappy to say this  but the crash course can be anything you want it to be.

The first one of these we did years ago I ended up taking a few people out to the pier on 35th street beach EARLY in the morning and having a cup of coffee as we chatted and looked at the amazing skyline. There are a BUNCH of lectures and workshops planned.  I will be around to throw additional stuff your way too. We can fuck around with a dub mix and my cool analog gear, chat about the punk days, the industrial days, the drinking days, whatever!  Although it’s been called a LOT of different things, it’d be great if it was “the weekend that my head exploded”, or “the weekend that I got it (or enough of it to make a difference for every week afterward)” or something like that.  But that’s way too wordy for a title – and, there might be some horrifying legal implications if this turned out to be the weekend that you got food poisoning or something………..I’m not guaranteeing that your head is going to blow off………but it’s something that we are going to TRY and achieve? ok?  That’s not a bad aspiration to have is it?

New Music Seminar Report – July 21, 2009 (Part 1)

I’m just back from NYC and am incredibly excited to share the great word from Tuesday’s New Music Seminar event. I attended to support Martin, assist with Tour:Smart & r3 needs during and after the event, and soak up some true musical wisdom.

If you’re not familiar, NMS is an event that was birthed in 1980 in NYC when just over 200 people met at a rehearsal space to discuss the problems of the music business. It garnered much success for 15 years, spawning most major music events in the word including SXSW, Winter Music Conference and Canadian Music Week. In 1995 it abruptly ended and now in 2009 we sees its triumphant return!

This year’s seminar took place during one day at the luxurious Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University, near Washington Square Park. I attended the panel featuring Martin, called “Your Live Show and Tour – Simple Steps to Cut Through the Glut and Reach the Magic 300 Ticket Mark.” Other panelists included:

* David Cooper, Foxman/Direct to Fan
* Marty Diamond, Paradigm Agency
* Lisa White, 9:30 Club, Washington DC
* Don Will of hip-hop group Tanya Morgan

Dave Lory, producer and director of the New Music Seminar, moderated the panel which focused on crucial tips and techniques artist must acquire to make it in touring. Martin was definitely the highlight of the 1.75 hr. engagement, while he delighted and surprised audience members through his frequent wit-emissions and muffin-slinging antics (luckily, he didn’t nail anyone in the face this time, as per SXSW ‘09).

The queue was long for those who longed to ask pressing questions during the Q&A, which followed an energetic discussion among panelists, interspersed with Martin’s Tour:Smart presentation. Notes & Q&A’s from event, will be in the next blog posting.

Until Part 2….

-Brooke
7/24/09

RedBull… alot of it… Caffeine… alot of it….