Madalyn's Blog

by Madalyn Sklar

What drives your music? When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

I am on a mission to spread love, healing, joy and peace through the power of words and music--and to inspire others to follow their dreams and live artistically.

I have been a singer since I was a girl, but it wasn’t until I was facing a life-threatening illness almost seven years ago that I decided I had to do music for my life.

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

My style is pop singer-songwriter, electro-acoustic and my sound has been compared with Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, and Dido.

I’ve been inspired by so many great artists, so its difficult to list only three, but here goes:

Sheryl Crow: She is a role model for me in many ways. She is from Missouri as am I. She is a multi-instrumentalist, a great songwriter and singer, a fellow cancer survivor, and a humanitarian.

India.Arie: She is not afraid to write songs with positive, empowering messages like Video and I Am Not My Hair.

Terrance Kelly: Terrance is the director of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, a group I consider to be my musical family. I learned a lot of what I know about singing and performance from Terrance. He believed in me and gave me many opportunities to sing, including giving me a solo when we opened for Bonnie Rait at New Orleans by the Bay.

What's your ideal venue atmosphere?

My ideal venue is one that is known for music and where people come to listen to and discover new music, as opposed to places where the music is an afterthought. A good P.A. and a good sound-person who knows how to run it make it that much more enjoyable.

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

I started out as a jazz and gospel singer in the San Francisco bay area, and was a founding member and soloist with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. With the choir, I was privileged to be able to record with Linda Ronstadt, perform with Joan Baez, open for Bonnie Rait, and tour in the U.S. as well as Canada, Australia, and Israel. During that time, I also performed regularly as the singer and bandleader of my jazz trio.

But it wasn’t until I was in the middle of treatment for ovarian cancer almost seven years ago, that I started to write songs. It was something I’d always wanted to do, but never had. A good friend encouraged me to start right then and there, and I did. That’s the biggest difference in my music career. In the early part of my career, I was a singer of other people’s songs. Since then, I’ve become a songwriter and musician who sings. I’ve learned to play the piano, some guitar, and I’m writing and co-writing my material. I love it.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

Los Angeles is a great place for songwriters. There are so many of us here and the caliber of writing is very high. I do a lot of co-writing and find the level of writers I work with here is astounding. I have gotten so much better as a writer in the three years I’ve been here, through working with folks who are more experienced and stronger writers than I am. Los Angeles is also a great place for music lovers and fans. We have an insane number of venues and choices for people. You can go out every night of the week and hear great music.

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

My EP, Long Road Home, was inspired by my journey through cancer to survivorship. I went through a lot when I was sick and lost a lot in the process. But I gained so much more than I lost. Coming out the other side of it and being one of the lucky few who is cured, I have an appreciation for life I didn’t have before, and most importantly, feel that I found my life’s calling and purpose in music. As I say in the lyric of the title track of Long Road Home: “I wouldn’t change a thing. These are the lessons I have learned. Every detour, every turn, every scar I had to earn. I wouldn’t change a single stone, on the long road home.”

What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?

When I first started writing songs, I was writing in many genres and primarily for other artists. It took awhile to figure out what I felt was my own style. I like CD’s that have a unifying theme or sound, and I would recommend that you think about that when you put together your list of songs for your CD.

One tip for tracking as well as for mixing is to bring in “reference tracks” of recorded music that has sonic elements similar to what you want to achieve in the track for your song. For example, you may like the drum groove, or bell sound, or string sound from a reference track and want something similar for your song. Bringing in reference tracks for your engineer is a faster and more accurate way to communicate the sounds you’re looking for than trying to describe those sounds with words.

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion?

Attitude. No matter what the field, everyone prefers working with people they enjoy being around. That doesn’t mean being a doormat or saying yes to things that will harm you. What it does mean is being professional, appreciative, on-time, and having a can-do attitude. These can take anyone a long way.

What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don't give up?

Do music because you love it, because you have to do it, because you have no other choice. For me, every time I tried to turn away from music, I got sick. I have to do it. It’s what keeps me alive and healthy.

Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

I am planning a CD release party for a Sunday evening in October at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles. I will have an exact date soon, so stay tuned on my website/facebook at http://www.patriciabahia.com/. I will have a full band with me and it will be an awesome celebration. October is my seventh anniversary of being cancer-free, and I am giving thanks by partnering with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition for my CD release party. We will have bracelets, pins, and information about the signs and symptoms, and a fundraising raffle to help raise money for research and awareness. A portion of every CD sold will be donated to the Coalition to help increase awareness as well.

In addition to being a singer, songwriter, and recording artist, I wear a few other musical hats, including working as a music coach and educator. I love sharing what I have learned and inspiring others to achieve their musical dreams. I have private clients that I work with both in-person in the Los Angeles area, and via Skype and iChat all over the country/world. I work with singers on performance and technique, as well as teach songwriting, music theory and music business. I have also guest-lectured at Santa Monica College and The Songwriting School of Los Angeles. More about my coaching and teaching can be found at http://patriciabahia.musicteachershelper.com/.

I volunteer leading a circle-singing workshop for The Wellness Community (TWC) in Santa Monica. TWC is a cancer support center providing free support groups, classes, and activities for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers. I really believe in the Wellness Community and what they are doing. I encourage anyone affected by cancer, whether directly or through caring for a family member or friend to check it out. http://www.twc-wla.org/

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

I’ve met some amazing women artists and have been inspired by all the things GoGirls are doing all over the country. I also get the GoGirls group discussion emails and have learned a lot just by reading them. And, last but not least, Madalyn, our fearless leader, has been welcoming, warm and generous with her time. She has such a wealth of knowledge of all things indie, especially social networking, and I am so glad to know her.

Links to Patricia Bahia:

http://www.patriciabahia.com/
http://twitter.com/patriciabahia
www.facebook.com/patricia.bahia
http://www.facebook.com/pages/PatriciaBahia/146175182067895
www.reverbnation.com/patriciabahia
www.sonicbids.com/patriciabahia
www.myspace.com/patriciabahiamusic

Copyright © 2010 Madalyn Sklar/GoGirlsMusic.com

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 14 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

You can reach Madalyn at MadalynSklar.com or madalynsklar AT gmail.com

Labels: GoGirls interview Patricia Bahia

by Madalyn Sklar

Hey friends,  I want to let you know about two major changes coming to Facebook Pages next week.

1. Say goodbye to Boxes. They leave us next week. If you are utilizing this tab, you want to instead create custom tabs with the Static FBML app. Need help? Get in touch with me. I can help.

2. If you have custom tabs in place, the width space is being reduced to 520 pixel wide. If you have custom tabs that need adjusting, please get in touch with me at madalyn@sn4m.com. I can take care of it quickly & cheaply. I know... two words you like hearing. Me too!

You can read the announcement here: http://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/399

** And yes, I can help ANYONE... not just musicians.**

Copyright © 2010 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 14 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Now it's time to turn the tables on our fearless leader, Madalyn Sklar, and make HER the interviewee. Enjoy this candid interview!

What prompted you to start GoGirlsMusic.com?

I was exposed to the Internet back in mid-1995 before most people had heard of it. At the time, I was tired of getting ignored at the local guitar shops. I thought it would be cool to start a network of female musicians where we could talk about our experiences. I wanted to know if others were going through what I was. It quickly grew into something really big, which I never expected. There was not a lot of thought put into developing GoGirls. I came up with the idea and created the web site in one night. It was official launched January 3, 1996.

So you didn't have a business plan or vision?

No, not in the beginning. It was more of a hobby. I learned HTML programming in late 1995 and actually launched my own web design company the same time I started GoGirls. I initially used the GoGirls site as a place to play with new code I was learning. I wanted to bring female musicians together and saw the potential of using the internet to do it. As it grew I realized that it was much more than a hobby.

When did you start playing guitar?

When I was 11 years old I heard Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" on the radio and knew I had to play guitar. I really wanted to learn that song. My mom took me to a local guitar shop and bought me a no-name junior acoustic guitar. I was in heaven. I took lessons but they didn't teach me the Jim Croce song. LOL. I was in love with playing and played every day. Whenever I was down, playing would lift me up. At 16 I got my first electric guitar. I drove my parents nuts because there was only one way for me to play and it was LOUD. LOL. Luckily in 1982 I got my hands on a Rockman so I could play without disturbing anyone. I played off and on for many years. By the time I started GoGirls I wasn't playing much. I realized that my true calling was working with and helping musicians.

What are some significant milestones in the GoGirls history?

July 1999 - The start of the GoGirls Yahoo Discussion Group. This took our community to a whole new level. I wanted something that was more than a message board and more interactive. When Yahoo Groups came out I was like "wow, THIS is how you bring a community together!"

Fall 2000 - The first year of the GoGirlsMusicFest, which are benefit showcases we put on annually throughout the U.S.. It started in June 2000 with a handful of volunteers along with myself working up ideas to bring together artists from our community and having proceeds go to charitable organizations. That year we produced 11 shows all over the country and raised over $18,500. It was amazing and so fulfilling. From that point on I knew there was nothing I couldn't do and so I referred to myself as the fearless GoGirls leader.

November 2000 - The Rockrgrl Music Conference in Seattle, WA. This was GoGirls first presence at a large music conference. It was incredible bringing our community together at a conference devoted to "women in music". The experience was amazing. It made me realize that these types of events were crucial to elevating our community and reaching more people.

March 2001 - The beginning of our annual "Invasion of the GoGirls" during SXSW in Austin, TX. Basically the powers that be at SXSW were not interested in us. I wasn't going to let a "NO" keep me from showcasing our great community talent during the largest music conference event of the year. So I started our own wildly popular annual event and never looked back!

December 2002 - GoGirls Elite was born. This is our paid membership where for $35/year you can take advantage of our many great perks such as being eligible to showcase at our events, submit a song to our annual compilation CD, get airplay on our Ustream radio show, receive valuable industry information and more.

February 2006 - I got my first GoGirls tattoo while at Folk Alliance in Austin, TX and in a moment of solidarity three friends who were with me, all members of GoGirls, decided to get one too. That was amazing to me! Now all these years later there are 27 of us around the country (3 of them guys!) who sport a GoGirls tattoo. I'm speechless by this show of support.

What's next for GoGirls?

I'd like to see more chapters crop up, especially outside the U.S., and get more people involved in this great community. We are 100% volunteer-run which is great yet challenging at times.

More about GoGirls at http://www.gogirlsmusic.com/ and Madalyn Sklar at http://www.madalynsklar.com/

Copyright © 2010 GoGirlsMusic.com

Labels: madalyn sklar

I love reading and sharing insightful, motivational articles. I think you will find this one extremely helpful in so many ways when it comes to you, your life and your music. Enjoy! -Madalyn

by Jack Canfield

Is your life working? When things happen in the world that seem so far beyond our individual control, it can feel unsettling.

But don’t give up on your goals and dreams just because “the time isn’t good”... you can still make 2010 the year you uncover a whole new you for the better!

Even in tough times, you get to decide how to respond to certain conditions, opportunities, and outcomes—both good and bad.

Life will always be a series of choices and YOU get to decide on what will move you closer to your goals, or farther away from them. External forces will always be part of the equation, even during the good times when the world is thriving.

When people ask me about the single most important ingredient to success, I always share the same response: realizing what’s making you achieve success, and then realizing what is stifling your success.

Sometimes recognizing the things that are NOT working in your life can be painful, yet VERY powerful to shaping the life you want.

Don’t try to rationalize them, make excuses for them, or hide them. This is when it’s even more critical to take personal inventory and evict those excuses, rationalizations, and hidden habits that don’t serve you. These things will keep you from the life you want to be living. Let me give you some examples. Ask yourself if you relate to any of these questions:

Do you want to be active, fit, and strong? Then you have to stop making excuses about your weight, diet choices, and lack of exercise.

Do you want to be in a loving relationship based on friendship and respect? Then you have to stop rationalizing why you and your partner are not communicating well.

Do you want to embrace Monday mornings and feel excited about going to work every day? Then you have to stop hiding your true passions and go after whatever it is you really want to be doing day in and day out.

Do you want to lose the debt forever? Then you have to stop ignoring your spending habits and get real about a creating budget that will pull you out of debt and allow you to reach financial freedom.

Do you want to feel more connected to the people in your life, such as your children, friends, and colleagues? Then you have to stop complaining about your poor relationships and figure out why you don’t feel as connected as you’d like to be.

These things can be painful to look at because the truth is that you have to do something about them in order to make it work in your life.

You’ll have to say no to the second helping of dinner and the dessert to follow and go through the action steps to get into shape... You’ll have to confront your partner about the areas that need work... You’ll have to get past fears about changing your job or professional path... You’ll have to cut back on your spending and be a bit more frugal... You’ll have to take a good hard look at your personal relationships and perhaps consider your own shortfalls and weaknesses in communicating your needs and concerns.

Plain and simple, you will have to do something uncomfortable.

Successful people don't waste time in denial (or complain or make excuses for that matter). They face situations like a warrior. They look for the warning signs, they find out why things aren’t working, and they go about fixing them- even when fixing requires problem solving, hard work, risk, and a level of uncertainty.

It’s okay to identify a problem even though you haven’t a clue about how to go about solving it right away.

The first step is just recognizing the issue, and then having faith that you’ll figure it out with careful attention to it. That’s how successful people live—in constant focus on goals, on results, on problem solving, and on the actions that get them to where they want to be.

Following are three things to do constantly in pursuit of your goals and dreams, however big or small:

* Awareness: Keep your awareness on the feedback you are getting from life and decide to address the situations immediately. Don’t bottle up feedback, cast it aside, and avoid it like you would a pile of dirty laundry or a stack of unopened bills. Life tells you things every day. Do this. Don’t do that. Think about this. Try me. Forget that. We live in a world that seemingly encourages us to live on autopilot. Successful people fly manually every day and so should you. When those feedback signals come in, listen to them and use them in planning your next step.

* Commitment: Commit to finding out why things aren’t working and learn what will fix them. Once you start the process it will be much easier to continue. Nothing fruitful stems from inaction.

* Trust: Trust that making changes to the situation will ultimately bring about the best results. Sure you might go through a bit of discomfort during the change, and some unlikely or unwanted outcomes, but in the end you will triumph!

So are you ready to admit the things that just are not working out?

Make a list of the things in your life that are working against your success and ask how the situation can be improved. Commit to tackling just one of those issues and be brave!

If you need help organizing those “things” in your life, try using the following list of categories. I recommend reflecting on each of the 7 areas and ask yourself, what’s not working here in each one and then brainstorm 3 potential solutions.

1.) Financial Goals, 2) Career/Business Goals, 3.) Free Time/Family Time, 4.) Health/Appearance Goals, 5.) Relationship Goals, 6.) Personal Growth 7.) Making a Difference

Remember, by facing what is not working, you can only improve your life!

© 2010 The Canfield Training Group
All Rights Reserved.

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: http://www.freesuccessstrategies.com/

Labels: Jack Canfield, motivation

by Madalyn Sklar



What drives your music? When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

[Karen] We’ve both been involved in music since we can remember – we were in band and choir and did the whole drama club thing. We’re 6 years apart though, so Amy always did her own thing and I did mine. We both went to college for music and started playing guitar and writing songs there. I was in a few bands (one was called Dirtnugget – how awesome is that?) and totally dug it, but we never really considered becoming professional, performing musicians until after college, when we moved home and started playing and writing together in 2006.

[Amy] When Karen and I first started playing together, it was an interesting experience because we have two distinct writing styles. We actually listen to a lot of the same music, but when it comes to songwriting, we pull inspiration from very different places. That’s actually become a driving force for us, because we have a lot of diversity in our sound. Karen tends to write more radio-friendly songs while I like to throw in weird chord progressions and more abstract melodic lines. So it’s the best of both worlds. In the end though, it’s really all about the harmonies and vocals.

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

[Amy] We hate to pigeon-hole ourselves into any one genre, because I think we have a unique sound that comes from the combination of our melodies, harmonies and songwriting styles.

[Karen] The best way to describe our sound is "harmony-driven acoustic rock." Our original songs definitely lean toward the mellow side of rock, but we are raging rocker chicks at heart.

Three Inspirations and Why:
Tori Amos – she doesn’t strive to write the perfect song, she just writes and performs from her gut and doesn’t give a sh*t what anybody else thinks about it.
Alice In Chains – the harmonies are crazy good and the songs simply rock (with Layne and after Layne).
A Perfect Circle –the way Maynard constructs his melodies and fits the lyrics in is mind-blowing.

What’s your ideal venue atmosphere?

[Karen] We love outdoor festivals and that kind of thing. You don’t have to worry about bringing 30 friends to meet a quota – hate that!

[Amy] We like any place where there are appreciative, music-loving people.

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

[Karen] When we started performing together in 2006, we were playing open mics and had one or two shows scheduled the entire year. Which was fine, because we weren’t ready. The next year, we increased our booking to something like 30 gigs and in 2008 and 2009, we played over 200 shows and really started to increase our fan base and improve our live show.

[Amy] Our goal in the coming year is to concentrate on booking more quality venues and plan our first regional tour in the Northeast.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

[Amy] It’s decent. We live 4 blocks away from where Musikfest is held, which is one of the largest annual music festivals in the country. Now if only we could get booked there…

[Karen] There’s a healthy amount of interest in the arts in general in eastern Pennsylvania. And we’re an hour from Philadelphia and New York City, so there are plenty of places to play.

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

[Karen] We released our debut album, Daphne in Winter, in July 2009. It’s a collection of 8 original songs and is a good introduction to our sound. It started off as an acoustic project, but once we got into the studio, we decided to add more instrumentation to the tracks. It’s awesome to hear our songs with bass and drums!

[Amy] The inspiration for the album title came from a Greek myth about a nymph who is pursued by Apollo. In order to escape him, she turns herself into a tree. I heard this story and got this picture in my mind of this lonely tree on a winter landscape being buried by snow and it made me sad. A lot of our songs deal with broken relationships and emotions, and on some level we just identified with Daphne, in winter.



What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?

The number one most important thing in our opinion is to know how you want your album or song to sound, and if you don’t have the experience or knowledge to create that sound, do some research and find a producer who will help you get there. Number two would be time management. We were naïve and thought we would just go in and start recording and come out with a radio-ready album in a few sessions. We quickly learned that it doesn’t quite work that way and wasted a lot of time figuring it out in the studio. The best advice we can give is to outline what you want to accomplish in advance, know which songs you want to record (and have a few backups just in case), and know those songs backwards and forwards.

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion? What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don’t give up?

It’s easy to get discouraged or lose motivation – this business is built around constant rejection. Just do what you do, do it well and don’t worry about what the band over there is doing.

Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

We have strong vocals and interesting harmonies and can back up what we do in the studio in our live shows.

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

We’ve been GoGirls Elite members since 2007. We were fortunate to be chosen for a spot on their 2008 compilation CD and have received some good performance opportunities through them. Madalyn really seems to care about her members and stays current on the latest trends and offers great social networking tips!

Learn more about Karen and Amy Jones at:
Official website: http://www.karenandamyrock.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/karenandamyrock
Twitter: www.twitter.com/karenandamyrock

Copyright © 2010 Madalyn Sklar/GoGirlsMusic.com

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 14 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

You can reach Madalyn at MadalynSklar.com or madalynsklar AT gmail.com

by Madalyn Sklar

When it comes to online promotion for musicians and music businesses, our biggest hurdle is increasing our fanbase. We need to get people to our website. We want Facebook fans, Twitter followers and a huge mailing list. We rely on various social network sites to help us along the way. And it's great when these sites come up with new ways to help us extend our promotion reach.

Facebook has created something new and exciting that will take your promotion a step further and get more people to your web site and/or blog. You can now add the new "Like Button" on your web site, blog, etc. It's sleek, compact and will help make your sites go viral. Let me show you how.

Here is an example:


click here to see larger image

I have placed the "Like Button" on the GoGirls Elite homepage. You can grab the Facebook code here.

So here is how this can get very viral and attract more people to your sites. I placed the code on the following sites:

GoGirlsMusic.com
GoGirls Elite
MadalynSklar.com
Social Networks for Musicians (it's placed on the Services page due to high traffic. It won't work on my  homepage because I'm using the Facebook Box and it seems to clash.)

After I clicked the Like Button on all these pages it shows up on my Facebook Wall as Recent Activity (see below). Now all my friends can see where I've been with links to the sites. I highlighted my web sites in the image below. Keep in mind that Facebook pulls the "Title Tag" from your web site and hyperlinks it.



Note: Make sure your web site has the proper information in your "Title Tag". If that's too techie, get in touch with your webmaster or contact me.

In my book, Facebook is clever and smart! This is a simple and easy way to promote your web sites and blog on Facebook. And keep in mind, Facebook is about to hit 500 million users. Your fans are on Facebook. Period.

If you need assistance getting the Facebook code onto your web sites, I can help.

Copyright © 2010 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 14 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

You can reach Madalyn at MadalynSklar.com or madalynsklar AT gmail.com

by Madalyn Sklar



What drives your music? When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

I think I'm driven mainly by the desire to communicate. I always knew I wanted to make music, I remember being four or five years old and making up songs and stories to go along with games I was playing. It was the most natural thing in the world, I think it is for most kids. I was just lucky enough to hold on to it and never have anyone (who matters) tell me that I couldn't do it.

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

My musical style falls somewhere in the category of folk/rock. It's melodic and moody, a little on the dark side. It's hard to just pick three artists, but I would say The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Leonard Cohen have all been really inspiring to me. I grew up listening to the Beatles, they just wrote great songs and tapped into something that everyone recognizes and continues to celebrate. I've also been really inspired by Pink Floyd, they made such distinctive music and it evokes something really specific and awesome. I'm still discovering Leonard Cohen and I'm consistently blown away by his ability to see and communicate so clearly - there's something divine about that kind of talent.

What's your ideal venue atmosphere?

I like a place where people come to really listen. Being able to hear myself helps also...I'm pretty easy going.

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

I found my musical soul mate about five years ago and formed The Whispering Tree, which definitely helped me evolve as a performer and writer. Combining forces with someone who has a similar vision and who is so compatible has made everything flow so much easier. I think I have also moved out of my head a lot when it comes to performing, with every show it gets easier and easier to be in the moment on stage and to let go of my ego.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

Bountiful. New York City is overflowing with talent, which is awesome. You can walk into an empty bar and stumble upon phenomenal talent and you can find so many amazing artists to work with.

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

The songs on this release span an amazing five year period of my life. There are songs from the earliest days of The Whispering Tree and there is a song that was completed a couple of weeks before the album was recorded, I think this makes every song really specific. There are songs about life, death, love, mystery, obsessive compulsive disorder, corrupt leaders, consumerism - all inspired by the life experiences that have led me to this point.

What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?

I think the most important thing is to make sure you're working with people that you are comfortable with, people who you can easily communicate ideas to and people who have a clear understanding of your vision.

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion?

I don't think anyone can really make or break anyone else, its all about your own desire and willingness to succeed, or your lack of it.

Describe your toughest moments in your quest for a music career and tell us how you overcame them.

The biggest obstacle for me was a crippling stage fright which started after a fluke panic attack during a solo in seventh grade. For years afterward I was absolutely terrified of performing, to the point that my voice was audibly shaking and I could hardly sing. As horrifying as the prospect of performing was, for some reason I still wanted to be a performer. It was something I was deeply compelled to do, so at some point I really just said "f*%ck it" and decided to let myself be uncomfortable, let my voice shake and let my heart race and to do it anyway. And it got better and continues to get better, and I applaud myself for that every day.

What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don't give up?

I would tell them to remember why they wanted to do this in the first place and to reconnect to that feeling. I would also tell them to celebrate all the success of fellow artists and to see their accomplishments as evidence that great things can happen, instead of falling into the "why them and not me" trap. And not to listen to people who like to complain about how 'hard' it is to be an artist. Being an artist is awesome, and would you really want to be anything else?

Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

We're going on tour to Ohio in June, so come out and see us, we love meeting new people! Also, we would love to hook up with other artists to play shows with, feel free to get in touch.

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

Some great opportunities and encouragement.

More about Eleanor and The Whispering Tree at:
http://www.thewhisperingtree.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thewhisperingtree
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Whispering-Tree/21842594861
http://twitter.com/whisperingtree

Copyright © 2010 Madalyn Sklar/GoGirlsMusic.com

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 14 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

You can reach Madalyn at MadalynSklar.com or madalynsklar AT gmail.com

by Madalyn Sklar

So after a long day of driving we finally arrive in Kerrville, TX to attend the 39th annual Kerrville Folk Festival. I'm so excited to get there and see my friend and fellow GoGirls member, Sara Hickman, who by the way is this year's Texas State Musician. By the time we check in our hotel (yeah I don't camp) and get to the campgrounds, we are only minutes away from Sara's main stage performance. I brought Colorado singer/songwriter Kelly Feeley as my assistant and photographer. We made our way through the crowd and over to the back stage area so I can get a few cool shots of Sara. I ran into festival director, Dalis Allen, and got a quick minute to thank her for having us cover the event for GoGirls. (see photo)

The festival is huge. It's a massive sea of people enjoying the warm summer breeze along with great music coming from the stage. I ran into friends from Folk Alliance while walking around. It's always nice seeing familiar faces at these events. Eventually we made our way to the New Folk Tent and hung out for a bit. We visited with Kim Richardson and Rj Cowdery and watch them sing songs. It was a great way to end our first day in Kerrville. I'm looking forward to more great music in the next few days. Stay tuned...

Copyright © 2010 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 14 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

You can reach Madalyn at MadalynSklar.com or madalynsklar AT gmail.com

by Madalyn Sklar



1. Myspace
Yes, we know many of you think Myspace is dead but it’s not. It is still the #1 music site. Most music industry professionals tell me they still go to Myspace first to check out an artist or band. At minimum you should keep your content current however I also advise artists and bands to continue using it to build and maintain relationships with fans. You can still attract people to your shows and get them to listen to your music through this site. I talk more about this topic on my blog at http://bit.ly/cxOlPy.

2. Facebook
You should have a strong Facebook presence by developing a fan page (also known as Pages). Although it was not designed as a music site like Myspace, your fans are here. Yes, with over 400 million active users I guarantee you your audience is here conversing with friends, colleagues and family. Why not you? Be advised a fan page is separate from your personal profile. It is a public page promoting your music, business, brand or whatever. If you have a fan page in place, be sure to maximize your presence with a “welcome” and “buy music” page. You can do this using Facebook’s FBML application. I have found this to be extremely underutilized. So if you’re looking to set yourself apart from many others, this is the way to do it. See examples of customized fan pages I’ve done at http://bit.ly/2uU8vN.

3. Twitter
When it comes to Twitter I find that people either really love it or just don’t get it. Again, this is simply another place where your fans gather so you do not want to dismiss it. If you find Twittering is not for you, you can have your Facebook posts automatically go to Twitter. I think it’s very important to maintain a presence here even if it’s minimal. The key is to put out good, useful content for your friends and fans. What I love about Twitter are the many third-party applications that make it easy to use. I use HootSuite on my desktop computer and Tweetie on my iPhone.

4. ReverbNation
What I like best about ReverbNation is their incredibly useful viral marketing tools (most are free) to help you generate your buzz online. They also provide a massive amount of statistics that will help you analyze your progress. Many in the industry say it’s all about the analytics. I wrote about this recently on my blog at http://bit.ly/dcJY8A. If you’re on Facebook you definitely want to use the ReverbNation “MyBand” application to promote your music. It automatically imports and updates all the content to your Facebook page.

5. FanBridge
Many musicians I talk to do not actively collect email addresses or they have them collected but do nothing with it. Sending out emails to your fans consistently is key in being a successful indie artist. I have used just about every email program out there and I have found FanBridge to be the best one. It’s very easy to use and extremely affordable. You can import your old list in and if you like, FanBridge will do it for you. It’s free to set up and try out. Pricing depends on the size of your list and frequency of your blasts. I have arranged for you can take advantage of a one month free upgrade to their “arena” plan by using this link, http://bit.ly/aoj6u7.

6. Ping.fm
This is a cool free site that allows you to quickly and easily send an update that gets dispersed to all your social networks in one shot. So if you’d like to put out an update to your Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, LinkedIn, Ning, Gtalk status, AIM status (and well the list goes on and on!), this will do it in one click. When I travel to music conferences and events all over the country I use the Pingle iPhone app so I can take a picture on-the-go, type in a caption and in one click (and literally seconds later) it shows up on my personal Facebook as well as my business Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Flickr. This is very much in line with my motto, “working smarter not harder”.

7. foursquare
The big buzz right now is foursquare which is a location-based social network. It along with Brightkite and Whrrl have been around for awhile but foursquare really took off this year at SXSWi, which is the interactive (techie) part of South by Southwest in Austin, TX. It’s a really great way to stay extremely connected to your friends and fans by updating your location on your mobile device. I really enjoyed it during the SXSW music conference as it allowed me to easily see where my musician and industry friends were at, which then allowed me to easily find them.

7.5 The bottom line!
Social networks don’t work unless you work it. You cannot set up these sites and do nothing else. Social network success involves you and your team spending time and energy developing relationships with your fans which will lead to increasing your fan base, getting people out to your shows and generating sales.

REFERENCE

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/
Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/
FanBridge: http://www.fanbridge.com/
Ping.fm: http://www.ping.fm/
foursquare: http://foursquare.com/
HootSuite: http://hootsuite.com/
Tweetie: http://www.atebits.com/tweetie-iphone

Copyright © 2010 Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 14 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

You can reach Madalyn at MadalynSklar.com or madalynsklar AT gmail.com

Labels: social networks myspace facebook twitter

by Madalyn Sklar

What drives your music? When did you first know you had to do this thing called music or bust?

The heart and soul of life itself drives my music.

When I was a little girl, I used to grab anything that looked like a microphone and sing and sing and sing. I would make up songs - anything to entertain. I would hand out tickets to come to my shows in our living room with the theatre drapes. My brother says I would rake leaves for 3 minutes and go play the piano and sing for 10 minutes. Hey, I had another concept for a song!

Describe your music style and name three musicians you have been inspired by and why.

My current music style is Jazz, however, my musical taste buds travel the gamut.

It is hard to pick three musicians. I grew up listening to the Standards and watching Lawrence Welk on Saturday Nights, but would sneak in and watch Soul Train on the TV. My Barbies knew all the moves while I sang.

What's your ideal venue atmosphere?

You know, I loved watching “I Love Lucy,” growing up. Not sure if I would say that that is the “ideal” venue atmosphere, but I would love to perform at Ricky Ricardo’s Club. Add Bing Crosby’s “Holiday Inn” atmosphere and a TV variety show with Michael Bublé and I can retire .

Describe how your music career has evolved since you first started performing.

I think my music career has evolved in the same way as my life. The more I learn, the more I realize there is to learn. The more I give, the more I realize that I have to give. The more talent I find in myself, the more talent I find in others.

How would you describe the music scene in your area?

Diversified. This is a wonderful place to live. There are so many different styles and musical tastes. One’s palette never tires of the diversification.

What was the inspiration for your latest release?

Listening to Ella Fitzgerald. She exudes the emotion of whichever song she is singing at that time. Even if she forgets the words, she draws the listener in and never fails to please the ear, and leave one wanting more.

What do you think is number one for a musician to think about before preparing for a CD project and do you have any tips on saving time in the studio?Remember WHY you are doing what you are doing. If you think it is only for money, think again. If you think it is only for fame, think again. If you desire to share this thing called music welling up inside of you – Go for it!

We saved some time in the studio by recording demo versions of the songs on our own studio. Then, we listened to the demo versions, especially via the iPod in the car, over and over and over. We went back into the studio, recording another demo version, implementing changes from the feedback from the first demo and so on and so on. This saved us days in the studio because we had the opportunity to hear different theories on how to approach the songs. That, and of course, playing the songs at live gigs.

What makes or breaks a musician just starting out in your opinion?

Attitude. If you think too highly of yourself, look around and think again. If you think too lowly of yourself, take a deep breath, pull yourself up, and think again.

Describe your toughest moments in your quest for a music career and tell us how you overcame them.

Listening to a couple “naysayers” was probably the hardest obstacle to overcome.

Years ago, my guy told me that he would leave me if I ever made it big in music. I decided that he was more important to me than music (I was young!) and I hung up the music dream for good. Years later, I dumped him, but was so used to leaving music on the hook, that I left music there, until my new guy, wonderful husband, Michael, bought me a Yamaha S90ES.

I told him I didn’t need another keyboard and besides, keyboards do not replace real pianos, but… there was just something about this keyboard. I felt like Rip Van Winkle coming alive after decades of slumber. The music stirred and came alive. Now, there is no putting in on the hook again. It is what flows through my veins.

It is my legacy to my children, my gift to those I love.

What advice would you offer up and coming artists that get discouraged other than don't give up?

It sounds cliché, but don’t give up! No matter what people say, do not give up.

Remember why you are doing this. Like I’ve said before, if you do it for the money, money will eventually disappoint you. If you do it for fame or power, fame will fleet away when you are no longer the flavor of the day.

If you do it for the music and the love of music, you will love what you do and that will see you through, even those dark moments. Pick up your art, feel it reverberate through your being and enjoy. Don’t forgot that joy that leads you to the music!
Tell us something you want the music world to know about you.

Ahhhh. If you see me on stage, you would not think me shy. Well, for that matter, those that know me, know I am not shy. I am a red personality, outgoing, grabbing life by the horns, but, at times, rather private. Sometimes I forget that others may want to care as much as I care for them. It is easy to reach out and help others. It is also easy to be a Prima Donna at times, too. What is a little tricky is being understood when you are a bit complicated, mixture of science and art.

What have you gotten out of being a member of the GoGirls community?

GoGirls is so supportive. This is my first year and I am so looking forward to getting more involved as time goes on. I love that there are different musicians coming together from different regions, from different musical genres, and different perspectives, making a difference, and like Madalyn says, ‘Cuz Chicks Rock!

Web Sites:
Artist Web Site: http://www.deborah.info/
Blog: http://www.scatnstyle.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deborahinfo
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/deborahinfo
ReverbNation http://www.reverbnation.com/deborahe
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/deborahinfo
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/deborahinfo
Jango Internet Radio http://www.jango.com/music/Deborah+E?l=0
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahinfo
TJNW http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/profile/DeborahE
All About Jazz http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=19138

Copyright © 2010 GoGirlsMusic.com

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 14 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success in the biz. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

You can reach Madalyn at MadalynSklar.com or madalynsklar AT gmail.com