Janet Hansen – Amingo http://blog.amingo.com The Premiere Network for Music Professionals Mon, 14 Jul 2014 03:40:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3 What is Artist and Repertoire? http://blog.amingo.com/2012/08/what-is-artist-and-repertoire/ http://blog.amingo.com/2012/08/what-is-artist-and-repertoire/#respond Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:29:52 +0000 http://blog.amingo.com/?p=403 In this Indie Movement, we’ve seen and heard it all from those who’ve railed so hard against the recording industry for a more level playing field.  What we’ve ended up with is a democratized business model where the majority vote controls the minority. That’s what democracy means — at least 51% majority wins.

Somehow being No. 1 on web-based radio in the city where you live is now akin to being No. 1 on the Billboard radio charts. Radio transmitting hit songs over the airwaves all across the country is not exactly like people one at a time listening to a song on any web-based platform.

The definition of publicist went from having relationships with real college-educated journalists to shipping a poorly written one-sheet with no angle, no pitch, no journalistic prowess,  to a web-driven database for distribution among media outlets that target funeral homes for all we know.

It’s all quite insignificant in the big picture. We really must stop the deception about what this all means. If your goal is to actually sign with a record label…the indie model means absolutely nothing to them. No amount of PRWeb press releases, promotion to ReverbNation fans, or hits on YouTube is going to change their mind.

Radio promotion does not mean getting fans to listen to songs on ReverbNation. Residency does not mean playing in a venue more than once over a succession of time. And I hate to break it to so many indie movers and shakers, but,

nothing about the term or definition of A& R has changed

Here is Wikipedia’s definition:

Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label; every activity involving artists to the point of album release is generally considered under the purview of, and responsibility of, A&R.

An  A & R executive works for a record label.

An A & R executive is authorized to offer a record contract typically in a short form document called a deal memo.

A & R execs oversee the process of development working with an artist up to the point of record launch, including making decisions in suitable repertoire for a recorded work.

For artists who do not write their own music, A&R executives maintain contact with their counterparts at music publishing companies to get new songs and material from songwriters and producers.

Over the past decade the demand for a democratic music system has become Fantasy Island using hypocrisy as a means to an end. The end of great music, that put real money into a real economy, with real professionals at the helm of a real art form.

All too many use music biz terms very loosely to fit their own agenda so they are able to fool some of the people most of the time. Without question, they are fooling themselves all of the time.

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Madison Rising: Rock ‘n Reverence Like You’ve Never Seen http://blog.amingo.com/2012/07/madison-rising-rock-n-reverence-like-youve-never-seen/ http://blog.amingo.com/2012/07/madison-rising-rock-n-reverence-like-youve-never-seen/#respond Tue, 17 Jul 2012 11:12:31 +0000 http://blog.amingo.com/?p=377 Madison Rising Album Cover(Nashville, TN – July 16) The summer of 2012 is full of events marking historical anniversaries, and celebrating worldwide events where The Star Spangled Banner, will ring from sea to shining sea. In July two milestones will be remembered and celebrated. July 20 is the 43rd anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, and July 21 marks the same anniversary for Neil Armstrong being the first man to walk on the moon. That same week, the world will watch as the Olympic Games begin in London where The Star Spangled Banner will be played in support of American athletes competing among more than 200 nations.

August 17 is the date remembered when Jimi Hendrix played a mind-blowing rendition of the national anthem at Woodstock in 1969. And of course,September 11 is a date forever etched in global history as the most unbelievable terrorist attack on American soil. As summer rolls into fall we’ll hear Francis Scott Key’s devotional words throughout the presidential campaign.

Enter Madison Rising. Billed as the quintessential all American rock band, they proudly perform an impassioned reverent version of The Star Spangled Banner all Americans will be proud to stand behind. Well-known as one of the most difficult songs to sing, Madison Rising does a superb job delivering The Star Spangled Banner  which is receiving a great deal of attention from all corners of America with nearly a quarter million hits on YouTube.com in less that 60 days.

Dave Bray is the front man for Madison Rising. A dedicated patriot, Bray served in the U.S. Navy for four years as an 8404 FMF corpsman for 2nd battalion 2nd marines, and while at Camp Johnson in North Carolina, won the coveted Top Dog Award. He was the lead singer of the bands 1Echo1 and Soveren prior to becoming the front man for Madison Rising.

Madison Rising takes their name in honor of James Madison, the fourth President of the United States and a key author of the Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and The Federalist Papers. Madison Rising promotes the principles of liberty, independence, and personal responsibility.

As we approach so many landmark dates in American history, please show your support by posting Madison Rising performing The Star Spangled Banner. For more information, please visit http://madisonrising.com.

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A Ray of Sunshine Beaming Across the Americana Scene: Grace Adele and The Grand Band http://blog.amingo.com/2012/07/grace-adele-and-the-grand-band/ http://blog.amingo.com/2012/07/grace-adele-and-the-grand-band/#respond Mon, 09 Jul 2012 01:22:27 +0000 http://blog.amingo.com/?p=310 Walking up Nashville’s lower Broadway on the way to a showcase for Grace Adele & The Grand Band, it was clear it would be standing room only in Robert’s Western World. Phil Harris, of pH Balanced Recordings, and Grammy-winning engineer, put on a party April 14 showcasing a whole lot of talent where the room was filled to the rafters. Literally, the main floor and balcony were filled to capacity that hot, sunny afternoon.

Robert’s Western World is a legendary honky tonk, but this event featured several Americana artists. Grace Adele and The Grand Band is a 4-piece female-fronted string band based in Nashville. On acoustic guitar, Grace Adele fronts Keenan Wade on mandolin, Josh Huber on upright bass, and Kristen Weber joined in beautifully on fiddle in Chase Potter’s absence. They were showcasing their Nashville debut, The Grand Sessions, a 10-cut recording of original material. My basic metric measuring how good a band really is contrasts live performance with recorded material. No one will be disappointed in the live interactive performance. These folks had more than 100 dates on their 2011 touring calendar and their polished show scales very well against their studio work. The difference, of course, is the energy in the room when four acoustic musicians are there to entertain you.

Grace Adele has a natural charm as she invites the audience to participate rather than spectate. No room for dancing on this occasion, I’m sure people often enjoy western swing to tunes like “Town’s Too Small.” Lively and engaging it got people’s attention from the first waltzing measures. Other tunes from the CD included ” Never Lost,” “Over You,” Sweet and Lonesome” “Brown Eyes” and “Something to Say,” highlighting western swing, bluegrass, country, folk, and a touch of indie rock. They covered Ernest Tubb’s “Thanks a Lot” to great affect in the 45-minute set.

If there is one critical point to make about this show, slower tunes don’t translate well in a room like Robert’s. The impassioned ballad, “Over You” is arguably the best cut on the CD. This tune is best left for a listening room in order to feel every tear-stained note. Conversely, another great album cut is “Sweet and Lonesome” which has more color and depth live than the recorded version.

One of the more impressive characteristics of this band is how well relatively young players steep their talent in vintage music styles. Much like Carolina Chocolate Drops, there is genuine craftsmanship in the music The Grand Band makes. And at the tip of the iceberg is the sheer authenticity of Grace Adele’s voice. Whatever the “it” is found in music that works, Grace has “it” without artifice. For those who love the female pioneers of roots music, another is about to emerge, albeit in a totally different era. She’s a ray of sunshine beaming across a sea of female artists attempting to do what she does naturally.

Find Grace Adele on the web: www.graceadelemusic.com, and follow her on twitter: @graceadelemusic

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