Cutting Edge Voices News

Daylle Deanna Schwartz e-mail Newsletter Issue # 20

Happy Fall! I'm back in NYC for a few days after clocking almost 1,500 miles on the first leg of my Indie Music National Book Tour, to share some of the lessons of my newest book, I Don't Need a Record Deal! Your Survival Guide for the Indie Music Revolution. I'm driving across the country by myself to speak to as many musicians to provide an education for empowering themselves. So far I've spoken at State University of Michigan, University of Michigan Law School, Champaign - Urbana/University of Illinois, and Chicago State University. I did events at Borders in Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Indianapolis and Chicago. I also moderated a panel that I put together based on my new book for CMJ and did a workshop for the New England Musicians Expo.

I LOVE the Chevy Cobalt I'm practically living out of from National Rental Car. National is a sponsor of this trip and I sincerely appreciate their support. They had great prices even before becoming a sponsor. I sincerely thank them for supporting me. I have several hotel sponsors too. I want to thank the Quality Inn at 3801 N. Mannheim Road in Schiller Park, just outside of Chicago near O"Hare, for their hospitality and support. They also have a park and ride which made it more convenient and cheaper to leave my car when I came home for a few days. I'll thank other hotels as I stay in them. Thanks also to indie artist Rich Hardesty for putting me up in his house in Indianapolis and making it so much fun! I also appreciated that he and his terrific musician friends performed during my book event there.

Welcome to all of you who signed up for my newsletter at the various places I've spoken.

I just began a blog about indie music and my book tour. Unfortunately, time hasn't allowed me to post as much as I'd like, but that will change this week. I will be writing more details about the tour and posting pictures.
Please come visit me! :) http://www.daylle.blogspot.com/

I also just registered for Myspace.com. Again, time hasn't allowed me to fill in all the fields and take advantage. But please come and register as a friend. I will be using it more soon.

Please forward this newsletter to your mailing list or anyone you'd like. If this was forwarded to you and you'd like to subscribe, send me an email that says "subscribe" in the subject header with your name and city/state. If you'd like to post it on your site, please ask for permission and I'll give it. Read past issues at http://www.daylle/monthly.html If you prefer to be taken off my list, please say unsubscribe in the subject header of an email.

In this issue, I've got an interview with Chris Vinson, founder of Bandzoogle, which offers options for those who need a website. I also have one with Ginetta of Ginetta's Vendetta, who is an amazing artist and has succeeded in ways that many women haven't been able to. I hope that you'll find the other resources in this issue helpful too. Please feel free to write with suggestions and questions that I can answer in future issues.

1. Getting Past Fear of Failure: Often we hold ourselves back from success because we're scared of failing. It's ridiculous but trying to avoid what worries us can keep us from succeeding.

Failure sounds awful on the surface. It represents shattered dreams. Before I was published, I made excuses for not trying to get a book deal. The truth was, I was terrified that if editors didn't like my writing, my dreams would evaporate. It felt better to go through the motions of working on my books than to pursue a deal. The thought of being rejected in the bigger picture of my career kept me stuck. So I wrote and talked about getting published but didn't even send my manuscripts to editors.

It took years to develop enough confidence in my ability to write well before I pursued a deal. I still got rejected by many editors but by then I'd learned that failures are stepping stones to success. It's hard to succeed if you don't fail sometimes too. Failures teach us. When one of my books was turned down by 20 publishers, I found an agent who gave me tips in presenting the concepts better in the proposal. I got a deal two weeks later. It made me better at what I do.

You're not a failure, IF you learn from mistakes and setbacks. Think in terms of roadblocks that can be overcome instead of the dreaded "F" word.

Separate failing at something from seeing yourself as a failure. It's so important not to let your actions and experiences define you! Reinterpret what happened and put it into a more realistic framework. You can help yourself to not feel like a failure and to grow from your experiences if you ask yourself:

*What would I say to a friend in this situation to make him or her feel better?
*Are there any earth shattering consequences that will ruin my life?
*What wasn't I paying attention to?
*What things did I do well or right?
*What one thing do I now see that I could have done differently?
*What are my different options in handling a similar situation?
*What baby step can I take to begin again?
*What would it take for me to accept that a mistake doesn't make me a failure?

If you take a failure personally, get into the habit of telling yourself to stop it - out loud! Keep what doesn't go right in perspective. Do you try to succeed, or just avoid failure? When you focus on not failing, you stay in a rut. Get out there are go for success instead!

In the last years I've been a pillar of non-failure. Yep, not one failure in many years. Are you jealous? Hello! You can live failure-free too. Memorize this - IF YOU DON'T QUIT, YOU CAN'T FAIL!!! I never fail if I don't stop trying. Mistakes don't mean failure. They teach what doesn't work. Thomas Edison said, "Results! Why man I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that don't work." Look what he accomplished! If you don't make mistakes, you're not trying hard enough! If what you try doesn't work, you have no less than before. Not being afraid to try is an accomplishment! Appreciate that and try again. :

2. Creating a Website with Bandzoogle: Bandzoogle was created by Chris Vinson, a musician who wanted to help others to create and maintain their own websites for a reasonable cost. When my friend Dave Cool, creator of the upcoming film, What Is Indie? told me how great this site is, I had to

What is Bandzoogle and how much does it costs? Bandzoogle.com lets anyone build a pro quality band website in less than 10 minutes. It also lets bands update the site easily and quickly from anywhere (including music, text and photos). Our basic plan costs $11.95 per month, and includes a free .COM registration and 5 email accounts. There are no other fees.

What made you create bandzoogle? I was in an indie band signed to a label in Canada called Aquarius Records. In addition to gigging and supporting our CD, I built sites for the label's artists in my spare time. Some of their more popular artists (for example Sum 41) needed to make frequent updates to their site. I built a program to let the managers take care of the updates themselves. This program is still the core of Bandzoogle today.

Why is this valuable to people who aren't knowledgeable of designing websites? Two reasons. A professional image is important. It's very difficult to create a professional looking site without a lot of web design experience. Also, the best band sites are those that are updated most often with new content. If you rely on someone else for updates, chances are you will update your site less often. Bandzoogle does all the technical work for you, so you can do it yourself.

What makes your service special? We're all musicians ourselves and understand the self-promotion stuff that bands need to do to succeed. Having worked at a record label, I also know what they have at their disposal. In fact, Bandzoogle sites include the same features that I built for their "signed" artists, including forums, an online store, mailing list, etc.

How can someone make the best use of your services? Once you have your own .COM address, you really need to put it everywhere - on fliers, tickets, your CD. Your web address is the easiest way for people to find out more about you. You should also send regular broadcasts to your mailing list to keep people coming back to your site. Finally, try to update your site weekly, even if it is just adding a blog post.

Do you have other things coming up that you're planning? We have two major developments coming. First is that the Bandzoogle system will be available for non-bandzoogle sites. This means if you get a designer to build your site, you will still be able to make updates easily through our control panel. Second, we're adding many more advanced layout options to make the template sites look much more custom designed.

For those of you thinking about creating a website, Bandzoogle is free to try for 30 days, so you can build a site and see how easy it is! Check it out at http://www.bandzoogle.com

3. Promoting Independent Music: I want to acknowledge how much more respect I have for indie artists than ever before. I'm doing my tour the indie way too. Booking it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. And perhaps the most exasperating! I'm so thrilled to be making less phone calls now, though I still must touch bases with people for upcoming events. The driving hasn't bothered me so far. But I do miss the stability of staying in one place for a period of time. One thing that's helped is following some of the tips for staying healthy on the road from the artists in my book. I'm doing my best to eat healthy, which is sometimes a stretch. But traveling with fresh fruit, nuts, a loaf of whole grain bread and jar of peanut butter makes it easier.

My new book, I Don't need a Record Deal! Your Survival Guide for the Indie Music Revolution, is doing really well! You can order it from me by sending

$25 ($20 + $5 priority mail return) in check or money order (made out to Daylle Schwartz) with your name, address, and email address. My other books, The Real Deal: How to Get Signed to a Record Label and Start & Run Your Own Record Label are also available from me at the same price. Please specify if you want it autographed. Send it to:

       Daylle Schwartz
       PO Box 8016, FDR Station
       New York, NY 10150

Save the Date! My next Start and Run Your Own Record Label seminar will be on February 25, 2006 at the New Yorker Hotel.

Please check my schedule below to see if I'll be doing an event on my road trip near you. This Tuesday I'll be in Madison, WI and Thursday in Minneapolis. Please let your friend in the markets I'm going to know about the events. Most of them are free! I only listed events that are open to the public. I'll speak in colleges in each market but most are for the students only so I'm not listing them. At all bookstores I'll give a talk and answer questions. Some of the Borders haven't given me a time or the specific store.

I won't be doing the events in New Orleans. The schools I was booked to speak at are closed. I have some other cities to go to instead. You can check before the date at http://www.idontneedarecorddeal.com to find out details or email me. Any help or suggestions in any of the markets will be appreciated.

Sept. 22: St. Paul, MN - 7 PM - Borders 1390 W. University Avenue Sept. 26: Billings, MT - 7 PM - Borders 2833 King Ave. West Sept. 28: Coeur d'Alene ID - 6 PM - Hastings event 101 Best Ave.

Sept. 30: Spokane, WA - 7 PM - Borders 9980 Newport Road Oct. 1: Seattle, WA Out of the Ashes Northwest Music Explosion Conference and Workshop at The Vera Project with Elliott Bay Oct. 3- Portland, OR - 7:30 Powell's Books, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.

Oct. 7 and 8: San Francisco, CA -San Francisco State U. workshops Oct. 14: Hollywood, CA - 7 PM -Borders 1501 Vine St.: with showcase Oct. 15: Music biz conference for CA Lawyers for the Arts at USC.

October 18: West Hollywood, CA - 7 PM - Mixer Event for LA WoMen in Music at Wyndham Bel Age Hotel, http://www.lawim.com/ Oct. 19: Phoenix, AZ - 7 PM - Borders 2402 E Camelback Road Oct. 24: Austin, TX - 6:30 Austin Music Foundation panel Oct. 25: Austin, TX - 7 PM - Book People, 603 N. Lamar Oct. 27: Houston, TX - 7:30 PM Borders 570 Meyerland Plaza Oct. 29: Houston, TX Leisure Learning University: all dayworkshop Nov. 8: Atlanta, GA - 7 PM Borders 8000 Mall Parkway (Lithonia) Nov. 10: Nashville - private Nov. 11: Jackson, TN - 6PM - Davis-Kidd Booksellers, 869 North Parkway Nov. 13: Asheville, NC - 2 PM - Malaprop's 55 Haywood St.

Nov. 15: Charlotte, NC - Borders - - 7 PM - 7836 Rea Road Nov. 17: Washington DC - Tower Records - 8PM Nov. 20: Philadeplphia, PA - 2 PM Borders 1 South Broad

4. Personal Organization on the Road: For my tour, I had to pack for all the seasons. That means quite a bit of stuff. I also rarely stay in one place for more than a night or 2. To make it easier to find things, I became a shopping bag lady of sorts. I collected distinctively colored plastic bags.

Each holds something of a category - tank tops, long sleeve shirts, nightclothes, socks, etc. This way I look for the bag and know where each type of thing is. I do the same for cosmetics and battery chargers, cords, etc. It makes it so much easier to find things when you have a lot of different stuff.

5. Interview with Ginetta of Ginetta's Vendetta: Ginetta is a professional trumpet player, vocalist, bandleader and composer. She has succeeded in musical arenas that many women can't easily conquer. Pursuing her career independently, Ginetta is a great example of how to successfully pursue dreams.

What's it like to be a woman in your areas of music? I need to be better than a man, musician wise. And, it is necessary to be more diplomatic when telling guys what or how you want them to play. Also, dealing with club owners/promoters is a minefield where I step gingerly. I'm a cross between being a Babe and a businessman!

What things have helped you get ahead? I always have all my promo, CDs, cards and website ready and updated. Also, I follow up after dropping off a package or mailing my info and keep a log of whom I spoke with, when I mailed, called or e-mailed, and the response and expectation.

What are some of the interesting places that you've toured? I have toured throughout the Caribbean with various bands and styles of music. I've been through Canada and the entire U.S.A with an English rock band. I was in Paris (one of my favorites) with a trip-hop group. A great gig in Saratoga during the biggest race weekend was also a blast! This year I was at the Blues festival in St. John, Virgin Islands. It was gorgeous! I also love Jamaica. All the places I go are interesting cuz they are not NYC, which I love! My most recent gig was in Beirut. That was definitely an adventure! I studied a bit of Arabic before I left, to be prepared.

How did you get the Beirut gig? A promoter saw me on a website advertising bands in Las Vegas, of all places. He provides jazz throughout the Middle East.

What was it like to tour Lebanon? The audience response was tremendous and there was a bunch of press (that I couldn't read!), all in Arabic. Each night the crowds grew (except when a bomb went off downtown on one of the Fridays). The Lebanese people just get on with life regardless. They were very warm and truly appreciative of my music. Sometimes my jokes would go over their heads because of the language barrier, but that's why I spoke a bit of Arabic in my show. CD sales were great, and I have been asked back, much to my delight as I found the city to be a vibrant seaside town filled with people and cats, much like Rome! There is a much more laisse-faire attitude about things that I found very refreshing coming from this overtly politically correct and litigious society. I was also blessed with the top musicians in Lebanon, which made the 2-week gig a joy.

What has helped you the most to make good progress in your career? I think my persistence, discipline and professionalism (i.e., punctuality, dress, giving 110%) along with my talent is what is paying off. Also, when booking the gigs, you have to leave NO stone unturned. That's where the creative thinking comes. I'm always wondering: "Can they use live music?" or am I able to get on this circuit? Does this festival take unsolicited submissions, etc.? The most important is - dream big! And never lose hope.

Ginetta emailed me after to include one of her basic tenets of her success and perseverance - "Don't tell me what I can't do, tell me what my options are." This is a great princicple for dodging failure. Check out Ginetta's Vendetta at http://www.ginettasvendetta.com/

6. Minding Your Music Biz - Creating a Personal Business Plan: If you want to make money from your music, it's good to create a business plan, even if no one will see it. Use it as a guide in achieving goals. Be specific about your goals and the path to reach them. Consider it your blueprint to follow - with goals both large and teeny. Each time you achieve a teeny baby step, applaud yourself for making progress. Before shooting for huge sales, playing for 2,000 people, or lots of press coverage in national magazines, concentrate on selling the first CDs, playing in small clubs for people who will hopefully become fans, and getting your first review or article in a local paper.

You can't sell 1,000 CDs until you've sold the first one, then five, then five hundred. So put your energy into getting each first. You can't go national until you've conquered local and regional markets. Focus on those in your Personal Business Plan and work toward your long term goals with baby steps for getting to the first, second and third levels of whatever it is you need. Small steps will lead you to bigger achievements! A roadmap that you create is easier to follow than doing things with any organization.

7. Ask Daylle: Why would Music Supervisors pay to use the music of an independent artist?

Because it's cheaper for one thing. While a major label might charge $5,000 or more for use of its artist's music, you'd be happy with a lot less. And, if you own the rights to the music, the deal can be done quickly. Films are especially notorious for putting in music at the last minute. So they need people who can act fast. Independents can do that more easily.

One of my favorite poems is "Invictus," by William Henley. The last lines are "I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul." I read this poem when I was in sixth grade and those lines have stayed with me. Too many musicians sit around waiting for someone to do the work and give them a career. Successful ones know that the best way to get a career is to give it to yourself. Yes, occasionally one gets lucky and finds someone who believes in their music enough to manage, book or sign them. But it's rare, and waiting wastes time.

Even with an agent, I do what I can to get deals for my books. Even with a publicist, I never stop working the media myself. No one cares more about your career than you do. Become the master of your own fate. When you take control and seek out your own opportunities, you truly become the captain of your soul. Then you're an empowered individual. For me, it's the best way to follow your passions and be happy.