| I read somewhere not too long ago that someone | | | | plural) at the beginning of 2001. We've done some |
| was lamenting that artists are putting out too many | | | | minor promotion of our album, and quite honestly, |
| albums without spending enough time promoting | | | | SOM is the best of our albums, and now our first |
| them. Well, I hate to say it, but my group, the | | | | mass-produced CD. So yes, we should do more |
| Brobdingnagian Bards, is guilty of such a crime. | | | | promotion for it, and we are. But no, we are still not |
| You see, when I started The Bards a couple years | | | | spending all of our extra income promoting this or |
| ago, I knew that bands needed a product. So we | | | | another album why? Why are we recording more |
| recorded our first album, Marked By Great Size, | | | | albums. |
| bought a CD burner, and started producing the CDs | | | | Well first, Songs of the Muse was recorded to meet |
| ourselves to sell at gigs. | | | | a very specific market. It's an all instrumental album, |
| Six months later, we released our second album, | | | | and was designed to get us wedding gigs, which it |
| Gullible's Travels. By this time, we'd only had a few | | | | does quite nicely. |
| decent reviews of our first album, but we'd sold a | | | | But the other reason we don't is because we are |
| couple hundred CDs after playing at numerous | | | | meeting our goals...making a living. |
| Renaissance Festivals. Now, our second album was | | | | While some are after a record deal or becoming the |
| underway. | | | | next pop star, we are on a journey. Yes, I'd like to |
| We recorded it, and got a whopping one review for | | | | be a pop star. Sure, I wouldn't mind having a record |
| the album. But with extensive gigging we sold a | | | | deal. But our music is still evolving. We have a long |
| couple hundred copies of this album. | | | | way to go before I feel we are ready for that |
| Six months later, we completed our third album, | | | | record deal or super-stardom. The first step is |
| Songs of the Muse. By this time, we starting to | | | | making a living. |
| wonder if we were stretching ourselves too thin. | | | | That's what living the dream is all about. You have to |
| Andrew was duping all the CDs while I was getting | | | | take care of the basics first. In my case, it involves |
| them printed. And his burner wasn't quite fast enough | | | | getting out of debt, building a regular income, building |
| to keep up with the demand for CDs. But it was | | | | a following, and one day earning enough from the |
| about this time that we got started on mp3.com, and | | | | music to quit my day job so I can become a full-time |
| we got introduced to DAM CDs, a much easier way | | | | musician. Does it matter that our first few albums |
| to produce CDs when you have several, but can't | | | | may never be heard? No. It doesn't. Those first |
| afford to mass produce any. | | | | albums will be Collector's Editions once we get there. |
| All of a sudden, the reason for our recording CD | | | | ;) |
| after CD made sense. We could get paid for people | | | | Once those goals are met, then I can work on my |
| listening to our music, and the more music you have | | | | dreams of super-stardom. Yes, I am working on |
| the more money you made. Talk to Ernesto Cortazar | | | | those steps now. I'm not gonna find a publicist to |
| and 303infinity if you disagree. | | | | promote us unless we are guaranteed a decent |
| Now, we could order CD one-offs from MP3.com, sell | | | | return on our money. But I will continue to get our |
| them at gigs for $10-15, and make a nice profit while | | | | music to local publications, slowly but surely. And one |
| our music climbed the charts. But did I promote | | | | day, you're gonna read a message from me saying, |
| "Songs of the Muse"? | | | | "I am now living the dream! |
| Well, we started recording for our next albums (yes, | | | | |
