Author says that success is not too good to be true
How to make $100,000 a year playing in an indie rock band
Since the book How I Make $100,000 A Year In the Music Business Without a Record Label, Manager or Booking Agent was published earlier this year, you may wonder why more musicians aren't millionaires by now. Written by entrepreneur David Hooper and musician Lee Kennedy, the guide includes 200 pages of information to help musicians succeed in a business that is notoriously easy to flop in – financially, anyway.
From his office in Nashville, Hooper advises that his book is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Much like our own local music biz guru, Tim Tamashiro, Hooper and Kennedy simply advise you to treat your band like a business.
"I don't promise everybody who reads the book $100,000 a year, and if you'll look at the first chapter, you'll see that I spend time talking about how this book isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. There are no shortcuts in the music industry.
"This book gives people who are willing to get out there and invest some sweat equity in their career some help in making things happen. It's not too good to be true, and anybody who gets out there and does the work will see that. You're going to have to work for that $100,000."
Hooper is a 29-year-old music fanatic who took a job promoting major label bands while attending the University of Memphis. He quickly learned the ugly nature of the industry and decided to quit and start his own business, an artist support and promotion company called Kathode Ray. In his words, he's the guy who helps artists get from the ground level to 15,000 or 20,000 records sold. His Web site (indiebiz.com) offers a wealth of advice and ideas to help musicians.
This week, he is preparing his second annual Nashville New Music Conference (2NMC.com), which will be held October 9 to 13. He is also writing another book and working on a CD-ROM with some additional information on how musicians can make more money... and likely how to avoid making obvious mistakes.
"I think the biggest challenge bands face is motivation within themselves," Hooper says. "The music business is hard work and it takes a lot of personal motivation to keep your goals in mind and work, work, work to make them happen. People change and plans change, but you've got to keep the ultimate goal in mind if you expect it to happen. This means you're going to have to sacrifice a lot – relationships, money, recreation, etc....
"Bands have to get their songs, stage presence, fan base, marketing materials, and demand for products (and) services together. There is never enough time. That's one of the things bands tell me daily. I just tell them, 'While you don't have enough time, there is a band that does. And while you're here complaining to me, they're out there preparing to kick your ass.' That's just the way it is."
Some of Hooper's clients include Marcy's Playground, Bush and Dionne Farris, but there are many others that are unknown outside their own region of the States.
"I don't equate success with fame," says Hooper. "To me, success means that you can wake up in the morning and say, 'I can't believe I'm being paid to do something that I'd do for free.' The beautiful thing about music is that there is room for anybody who truly wants in. I have never seen anybody who is really willing to work get turned away.
"A lot of the bands I mention in my book aren't platinum acts. Some of them don't even make it outside a certain region of the U.S. They're all making money, selling out shows and enjoying life, though."
HOOPER'S VALUABLE TIPS
Just a few of the many tips in Hooper's book include:
1. Keeping people at your gigs:
"It's a known fact that most people leave clubs at the top or bottom of an hour.... The next time you're playing a show, try throwing in an extremely popular song, maybe even a cover, a couple minutes before the top or bottom of an hour."
2. Increase mailing list response:
"...more people read their mail on Tuesday than any other day o(f) the week.... This is also a great time since people are starting to think about the weekend and the weekend is most likely when you'll be playing."
3. Pinch pennies while on the road:
"It's sometimes cheaper to go thrift-store shopping than to spend money at the Laundromat."
For more information on Hooper's handy book, the Nashville New Music Conference and his many services, see www.indiebiz.com. |
