"Music Business advice|My Space tips, free music advice, producing tips"

'One Minute With Dec'

The widest read, 'delivered to your Email box', weekly music Ezine on the Music Net.

The Archive - '2'

Written by Dec Cluskey with a little bit of help from his friends.

We do not condone any Music Scam on the Net

This Email first mailed to all Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' and subscribers to 'One Minute With Dec' on

02 June 2006

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=================================

'One Minute With Dec'

"My Emails Are Written With Good Humour And Should Be Read With A Smile"

[-The views of any contributor to 'One Minute with Dec' are not necessarily the views of Dec Cluskey-]

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
-- Winston Churchill

MENU:

Why do so many music guys moan?
The guys are having a blast on MySpace [or are they?]
Why Does a Music Business Fail and What Can You Do to Stop It?
The Visual .... [Are you stupid? Take the test!]
Tip of the Day Outlook Express Bogged Down
Success Stories
Charts
Subscriber's Section [Do you think that having a drummer as a singer is ok?]
The Gags [And I'm Irish!]

Why do so many music guys moan?

I tend to around 300+ Emails a day and almost every one has got a 'moan' or a 'groan' attached to it .... I once heard that the famous Lew Grade, who almost single handed created the commercial TV industry in the UK, loved problems...in fact, so do I...I love 'em. His wife once said that when she saw Lew in a 'down' mood she went out of her way to find him a good business problem...then he was happy....check this out:

The Optimist by: Author Unknown

There is a story of identical twins. One was a hope-filled optimist. "Everything is coming up roses!" he would say. The other twin was a sad and hopeless pessimist. He thought that Murphy, as in Murphy's Law, was an optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local psychologist.

He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins"

personalities. "On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure." The parents followed these instructions and carefully observed the results.

When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, "I don't like the color of this computer . .

I'll bet this calculator will break . . . I don't like the name . . . I know someone who's got a bigger toy car than this . . ."

Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling. "You can't fool me! Where there's this much manure, there's gotta be a pony!"

"Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a
laxative on the same night."

The guys are having a blast on MySpace. [or are they?]

I am less than pleased with what we are finding about MySpace.

We use the same theory about My Space as we do about Search Engines. We always 'search' for our entry rather than access it by the suggested method [suggested by MySpace] of accessing our page by the URL [the exact location of our entry on My Space.]

It seems that mostly when we access by Bandname [Keywords], Genre, Location the band name 'The Bachelors' [a historical site giving the history of the band as was] it simply comes up as 'not recognised'.

We contacted My Space about this....got back a standard Email bearing little relationship to the problem and lo and behold the next day the search engine worked perfectly.

Today, when we checked ... as we do each day .... the old 'not recognised' came up ....weird?

Either the search engine is not very reliable, or there are some tricks we don't know of yet ...could be interesting...we will keep you informed. We are 'on the case'.

"There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

Why Does a Music Business Fail and What Can You Do to Stop It?

Whether you like it or not, once you are involved in music you are involved in business. Now maybe you are just a fun writer but at some stage you will feel that you can make money from music ....perhaps you want to start a record company? A Publishing Company? Promotion Company or Agency? Listen to what Michelle has to say:

By Michele Miller

I believe the number one reason why a business will fail is lack of planning. This can be due to various reasons, perhaps because the market research wasn't sufficiently carried out in the first place, or because the financial burden was higher than was planned for etc.

Sometimes business failure happens because the owner is not very savvy at other aspects of the business, such as management, promotion, branding, advertising, public relations, leadership, bookkeeping, or customer follow-up etc. It is important to get the necessary training to ensure all aspects of your kitchen run music business run efficiently, or to hire help to manage these other aspects.

Here are some other reasons to consider:

1. Inadequate accounting records

2. Disregarding or misinterpreting financial records

3. Not controlling costs

4. Fraud due to poor internal control

5. Pricing goods or services too low as a way of getting customers or clients

6. Lack of marketing/selling skills

7. Not carrying adequate and appropriate insurance

8. Failing to adequately train and develop employees

9. Lack of goal and business advancement planning

10. Not seeking advice or professional help when necessary.

If you know that most businesses fail because they don't bother to plan properly, what can you do to ensure this won't happen to your business?

Have your own business and marketing plan and use it every day! Review your goals on a daily basis.

Use that to-do list every day, making sure to cross off your accomplishments. Then make a fresh list every morning of what is left to do, and what other things need to be accomplished in your business/work day.

Be ready to talk about your business in every encounter you have during the day. Practice a 30 second speech about your business so you are always ready to share it with people, and make sure you ALWAYS carry business cards with you. It looks professional too.

Hire people to do the work that you are not good at, so your business doesn't fail due to your weaker points. Have a Plan-B! Put money by for a rainy day. Find a mentor, someone in your field that can help and encourage you with your business.

Join a small business association where you can network with others in your field of business. Work hard and stay motivated. You can make your business a success with the proper planning!

Michele Miller is a kitchen/bedroom based business owner and also the author of an ebook about starting a successful transcription business from home. http://www.medical-transcription-at-home.com & http://www.home-based-business-advice.com

A good visual laugh?

Check out this one... for when you feel stupid...there are worse examples.

www.makehits.com/becomesmarter.pps

"People who want to share their religious views with you almost
never want you to share yours with them."

Tip of the Day:

Outlook Express Bogged Down

Often when Outlook Express doesn't work properly the instinct is to totally reinstall. This may not be the case. You can reset the folders, allowing you to get a fresh start.

To do this, find your way to the OE store folder. Not sure where it is? Go to Tools/Options then select the "Maintenance" tab.

Click the "Store Folder" button and a pop-up will show the path to it. It's probably in My Documents and may be called "OE" or "Outlook Express".

Close Outlook Express.

With this information you can now navigate your way to the store folder. Change the name to "Old-OE", that way you still have all the old email and folders if you ever need them.

Open Outlook Express and you'll see that new folders were

created: Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, Deleted items, and Drafts.

Your Accounts, Address Book, Signatures, and Message Rules will still be there (another benefit over reinstalling the whole program).

You will need to re-create any folders and sub-folders, especially those that pertain to message rules.

You can move old folders back into the new folder. Simply open your "old-OE" folder and copy (Ctrl+C) any .dbx files you want back, then open the new "OE" or "Outlook Express" folder and paste (Ctrl+V). You will need to delete the file called "Folders" or "Local Folders". When you open OE again, that folder should be restored. If not, it may be that it was the trouble making folder in your previous setup.

Bob Osgoodby

"You should not confuse your career with your life."

Success Stories

Go to www.makehits.com/testimonials.htm also www.makehits.co.uk/applause.htm for stories that will amaze you and fill you full of hope for YOUR future.]

Hi Dec

I have recently bought the 57 Secrets.

Currently I am working on a chart/pop/dance track with a collaborator.

This song is definitively going to be a hit, or at least has huge potential to be a chart success if the next steps taken are the right ones.

Just to give you an idea of the potential using your own Analysis, which is genius in itself. The score so far comes to 84% ("Getting into the area of high chart position.")

Dean Adams

"Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance."


    =====================

Charts:

USA [my thanks to Charles in the USA for supplying this]

(1) Chamillionaire Featuring Krayzie Bone ... Ridin' .... Universal Motown

(2) Daniel Powter ..... Bad Day Warner Bros. | DIGITAL

(3) Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland .... Promiscuous .... Mosley | | Geffen

UK

1) Gnarls Barkley .... Crazy ..... (Warner Music)

2) Sandi Thom .... I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker ....(Sony BMG Music)

3) Infernal .... From Paris To Berlin .... (Universal Music)

Download Chart [now the most important chart in the UK]

1) Gnarls Barkley .... Crazy ..... (Warner Music)

2) Sandi Thom .... I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker ....(Sony BMG Music)

3) Infernal .... From Paris To Berlin .... (Universal Music)

"Never lick a steak knife."

Subscriber's Section:

Good questions that will help you

Hi Dec...

Just a few questions:

1. Do you think that having a drummer as a singer is ok? Do you know of any bands that had a drummer as a singer?

2. My band has a recording program(right now I cant think of it)...and our demo kinda sounds poopy....how can we make our demo sound better and what program do you recommend for a home recording studio? How can we make the vocals sound better? If you listen to other recordings, you cab hear the guitar's sound transition from one speaker to the other, how can we do that? (to hear our demo, go to our website, www.seizethedayrock.com )

3. how do you think we can get our band "out there"?...we send posters, t-shirts, and we have great music....and our demo just doesn't seem to do us justice...how can we get our reputation to become a good one?

A***

My Reply:

Hello A***

You have a lot of questions .... and you want the complete method for success in one short Email ? [grin!] As with many novices you feel this is a career that can be learned in 5 minutes?

<<<<<<Do you think that having a drummer as a singer is ok?>>>>

There are two major stars I can immediately think of and probably dozens more .... Phil Collins [started with Genesis] and Karen Carpenter [played with her brother as The Carpenters]

It has traditionally been hard to project to an audience from behind an instrument .... think of Elton John, Chris Martin ..... but horrifically difficult from behind drums.

Think of a career in the music industry as starting off by performing behind a huge block of glass between you and the audience....gradually with experience and learning each performance will chip away at that block until you are so experienced and skilful the block disappears...that usually takes a lifetime.

<<<<<<<My band has a recording program(right now I cant think of it)...and our demo kinda sounds poopy....how can we make our demo sound better and what program do you recommend for a home recording studio? How can we make the vocals sound better? If you listen to other recordings, you cab hear the guitar's sound transition from one speaker to the other, how can we do that? (to hear our demo, go to our website, www.seizethedayrock.com )>>>>>>>

Silly not knowing the program you use?

There are only three professional programs....Pro Tools [the most preferred] Logic 7 [preferred for midi sequencing] and Sonar [preferred by unsighted and other limited physical ability folk]

All these should run on Apple Macintosh. All PC programs are strictly amateur despite the arguments to the contrary. Professional studios do not use PC.

Guitar sound transition is simply achieved by turning the pan rotary control on the mix desk from one side to the other when mixing down.

No one in the music industry will click a link to listen to music. Far too dangerous. We have just lost two days in our office plus spent a lot of money to debug our system from simply logging on a site.

The music takes an age to download ... the links are 'iffy' and the quality is cr*p ... lastly the music is untransportable...even to the next office and the material is always 25 years too late and bears no relationship to the chart today.

As regards vocal quality and tricks you should check out the articles on our site: www.makehits.co.uk/artintro.htm

<<<<<<<<how do you think we can get our band "out there"?...we send posters, t-shirts, and we have great music....and our demo just doesn't seem to do us justice...how can we get our reputation to become a good one?>>>>>>>

Alex, you are forgetting one point...this business has got to be learned just like becoming a brain surgeon....you don't pick up the methods for writing and making hit music while strolling on the beach! IMPOSSIBLE.

There is only one place to learn..... www.makehits.co.uk

At least you didn't say: "If only I had a manager....if only I had an agent.....if only I had the contacts ... if only I had the luck .... if only I was in the right place at the right time". I hear that every day....

All of this thinking is totally and utterly rubbish!

A manager is only good when you have something to manage!

An agent is only good when you have something to sell

Contacts are only valuable when you have the Hit, smash presentation, in place, working, successful and ready to go

There is no luck necessary when you have the band from Heaven, stunning performers, great material, queues down the street for every show and a database/fanbase of 37,000.

The right time and place is when you are selling 2,000 white labels a week to your adoring fanbase, selling out of merchandise at every show to your loyal fans who travel to every show.

That is the real success scenario....not daydreaming and wishing.

To achieve all this you have to learn and study....practicing the art and honing your writing and presentation skills...and the only place to learn all that is www.makehits.com .... "How To Make A $Million From Your Music.

"Become the Success You Were Born To Be"

Bite the bullet....go now to

https://secure.mistral.co.uk/makehits/swgappsecure.htm

You can pay by any convenient means...Credit Card, Cheque, Standing Order, Western Union, Bankers Draft, Thomas Cook etc. etc.

You have the enthusiasm and ambition...now you need the final, most important ingredient:- 'knowledge'.

Regards

DEC [Cluskey]
mailto:dec@makehits.co.uk

Just released:- "57 Secrets of a Hit Record" ... - 260 pages of the Secrets plus the CDrom Analysis Software and Audio CD to ensure that your music is a Potential Hit www.makehits.com/57Secrets.htm
or call UK 01323.728005 [+44.1323.728005]

Regards

Dec

You may use any part of this 'One Minute' in your own publications...we simply require you to add:

Start ============

'One Minute With Dec' is written each week by Dec Cluskey. Dec's advice?

Get in touch personally to discuss what you want to achieve in music dec@makehits.com

web: www.makehits.com or call +44 (0)1323.728005

Finish===========

============================================

The gags: ..... Okay? so I'm Irish?

Paddy's pregnant sister was in a terrible car accident and went into a deep coma.

After being in the coma for nearly six months, she wakes up and sees that she is no longer pregnant; frantically, she asks the doctor about her baby.

The doctor replies, "Ma'am, you had twins!..... A boy and a girl. The babies are fine now however they were poorly at birth and had to be christened immediately - your brother came in and named them.

The woman thinks to herself, "Oh suffering Jesus no, not me brother...he's a clueless, gobshite!"

Expecting the worst, she asks the doctor, "Well, what's my daughter's name?"

"Denise," says the doctor.

The new mother is somewhat relieved "Wow, that's a beautiful name, I guess I was wrong about my brother....I like Denise."

Then she asks, "What's the boy's name?"

"Denephew!"

============================================

How to set up a Demo consultation with Dec?

The Professional service the Professionals use. Even available for voice and guitar!

Simply get in touch by Email - click this link: demo@makehits.co.uk and tell me that you want to send your material for a full critique and appraisal. We will then send you a unique PIN number to put on your letter or Jiffy Bag. This will ensure you get immediate attention. This is also for security reasons. We do not open unsolicited Jiffy Bags.

For full details click on this link: www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm

Back to the list page for Archive 'One Minute With Dec's'? Click HERE.

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To pay by any other method please check out the payment methods on the secure page. Any queries re payment just contact me directly. I'll get back in touch with you within hours: dec@makehits.com

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Dec Cluskey
The Serious Writers Guild,
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Darley Road,
Meads,
Eastbourne BN20 7UH in the UK
Email: dec@makehits.com

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