The 3 Steps to Getting Famous (for Independent Artists)

1) BE PREPARED - Practice your craft, study those you admire and can relate to, and actively visualize the success you're going to have.

2) BE PERSISTENT - Break larger goals into smaller ones, take risks knowing that failure is a mere and sometimes required learning lesson, and do not let others detour you.

3) BE YOU - Discover yourself, overcome criticism, and live YOUR dream.



SLICK
Follow me @JackOfJazz
Listen to my first release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ys3jANqDFk
Check out my team's beats at http://www.sfrbeats.com

Superbowl Secret for Independent Artists

Independent artists, listen up!  This is your chance to take advantage of the upcoming NFL Superbowl event... especially if you're looking to pull new fans.  Only a few know and understand this little secret I'm about to share with you.

As an independent artist, the biggest challenge is finding new fans.  You don't have a big budget to consistently market your music on radio and TV and build awareness.  Nope, not happening.  So what can you do?  Well, you can do what is called "piggy-backing".  That's when you piggy-back off of a well known event like the Superbowl and attached your music to it.  You can simply make a song that is relevant to the Superbowl, either as a supporter of the Seattle Seahawks, the Denver Broncos, or just football in general.  Call it the "Superbowl Superhit" or something like that... just something to spark attention from someone who knows about the Superbowl but might not know about you.  Post it on your social networks and use the word "Superbowl" to get people clicking.  So, while you're entertaining everyone who is into the Superbowl, you can introduce your music at the same time.  Make sure you tell them what they should do next if they like it, like "share with your friends" or "visit my website for more".  

So many artists have blown up off of this technique alone... and all it takes is a little awareness...  we all want to be entertained by what's familiar.  It's the secret for success for all independent artists.  Good luck, and go Seahawks! lol I mean go Broncos!  I really mean, go YOU.

Happy Recording.

SLICK
Follow me @JackOfJazz
Listen to my first release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ys3jANqDFk
Check out my team's beats at http://www.sfrbeats.com

Turn your Snow Day into a Hit Song

Days like this can feel pretty crappy... I know.. I'm snowed in as I type this.  But realize with every problem there is opportunity.  You can turn an unusual situation into a unique opportunity.  You can channel all of those feelings... whether you're excited it snowed or you're worn out from being stuck in it... to your song.  Nothing beats writing a song as a channel for your emotion... an avenue for your creative juices to flow.  You can even record a little promo video having the snow in your background!  Of course, this only works for southerners who aren't used to seeing snow!  So amidst all of the craziness out there in a snowstorm, just take the time to create and use the energy given to you.  You'll be happy with the results.  Happy Recording.

SLICK
Follow me @JackOfJazz
Listen to my first release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ys3jANqDFk
Check out my team's beats at http://www.sfrbeats.com

REAL BEATS FOR REAL ARTISTS

2014 Grammys - What to Learn from Lorde's "Royal" and Surprising Wins

How about those Grammy's!!  I thoroughly enjoyed the event... I'm not sure about you all!  I liked it because it had a perfect balance of old and new, commercial and not so commercial, and there were awards for all of those.  But really the two awards I was most impressed with were the ones that were handed to "Lorde"... for her breakout single "Royale".

I'm not going to talk you to death, but I'll just say this.  Lorde has proved to me that the world seeks different.  I mean, it seems to be common sense that artists should be different and unique to make it.  But time after time we hear the same stuff on the radio, see the same artists on TV, and hear the same style of music in the clubs, so independent artists will just gravitate to what they know.  WRONG IDEA!!  Independent artists should remind themselves they are INDEPENDENT for a reason.  It PAYS to be yourself.... And Lorde just proved to the whole world that you can be a NOBODY a year ago... and just for releasing something that was TRUE TO HER... something not persuaded by commercialism, she now has a Grammy in each back pocket (yes she had some kind of jean garment swag going on, I'm not sure what it is).. but anyway, lol yes she has her own unique style too... but that's what makes her AWESOME, even if you didn't really like the song.  You can't do anything but respect the fact that she got rewarded for being her.

So now, it's time to be rewarded for being YOU.  Go out there, create, do YOU and nobody else.  After no time, thanks to Youtube and the likes, you could bring home your own pair of Grammys in 2015.  Happy Recording!

SLICK
Follow me @JackOfJazz
Listen to my first release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ys3jANqDFk
Check out my team's beats at http://www.sfrbeats.com

How to Make Music Others Can Feel

So you walk into the studio and already know what you want to create...you know all of your lyrics or you know all of the instruments you want to use.  You or the engineer hits record and you go at it, expecting it to just come out.  But all of the sudden it just doesn't sound right.. something is wrong, it doesn't sound as good in person as it did in your head yesterday.  What happened?

Well, if I'm describing a situation you've been through, listen up.  We've all been through this, including me.  The problem is, we're trying to "logically" replicate an emotional art.  Get it?  Lol in otherwords, we're trying to re-live an experience we're not in right now and get the same results.  When it comes to music, we're at our creative best if we're creating from our emotion, not from a plan or pencil.  When we get in the studio, we should be making music according to how we feel at that very moment.  That's as real as it gets..artistry in its truest form.  True, you could be recording a reference somebody made for you, or you have to make music like the label or manager is telling you to make, but always understand... YOUR BEST MUSIC IS MADE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE.  Whatever you create then becomes an extension of your emotion, and it is truly felt when you're done with it.  Just look at the success Drake has had as an example.  He writes and records during the moment.  So if you get in the habit of making music as your current emotion dictates, you'll start to see a huge difference in the quality of the music you create.  Happy Recording!

SLICK
Follow me @JackOfJazz
Listen to my first release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ys3jANqDFk
Check out my team's beats at http://www.sfrbeats.com

What it means to be an INDEPENDENT artist..

Wassup, it's SLICK, I know it's been about a half a decade since my last post lol.. but I'll make up for it.  I want to talk about independent artists and what it means to be independent.  To me, it means being who you want to be, independent of what anyone else has to say.. including labels, managers, promoters, anybody!  It's one of the core meanings of being an artist.. an artist is creative.  The more unique you are the more creative you can be.. the more original you are, the less competition you have.  And the more you be yourself, the easier it is.  WAY easier.  People can tell fake quick... but a real person, someone who is different, is someone people will gravitate toward.  It can be a pretty scary thing being independent.. being unique and being someone who no one has ever seen before.  But it can also be very rewarding.  Just step out there on faith... make your music the way YOU want to make it, without the so called "advice" from the label or even experienced artists.  Just be YOU, and work hard, and you'll see.... you'll start attracting more attention and building more fans than ever!

SLICK
Follow me @JackOfJazz
Listen to my first release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ys3jANqDFk
Check out my team's beats at http://www.sfrbeats.com