It is truly a marvel that you can essentially fit a massive, worldwide record library in your pocket. For a modest subscription fee (or willingness to hear ads mixed in) you can listen to all the music you can imagine…

We independent musicians live at the edge of an ever-changing world, accelerated by technology that, in theory, gives us access to audiences around the world without relying on gatekeepers. In practice, industry gatekeepers find ways to use their money, power…

Ah, yes. The dreaded “blue dot fever.” The phenomenon where Ticketmaster seating charts show available blue dots throughout the venue as the show date approaches. The sign of audiences facing reality of limited funds - paying higher prices for gas…

* but you've gotta look for it! 

In 2014 Gene Simmons (of KISS fame) told the Rolling Stone that “rock is finally dead,” and that “it was murdered.” He elaborated that fans killed rock music by engaging in file sharing…

A Response to Rick Beato 's Video on Aging and Creativity

Recently, Rick Beato released this controversial video and promptly got over a million views. In it, he describes the effect of aging on creativity, proposing that spontaneous musical creativity…

One day in the 90s I stepped up to the possibility of announcing the existence of my independent music over the Internet. From that early moment I quickly faced the hard reality of the next question - “So what?!?!?” Flash…

It seems like we're operating in a bizarro world these days in the independent music industry. Before the rise of streaming a good musician could expect to sell some CD's at their shows and get some press in local and…

Wow! Just…Wow! 

So, last weekend Amy and I took our daughter and a friend to Taylor Swift's new concert film “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” The show was in its second week, so tickets were attainable (in the…

I never got to meet Sammy Ash, but I sure do have lifelong musical ties to the music store chain named for his grandfather. Sammy was the chain's Chief Operating Officer until he passed away at age 65 from skin…

Rock-n-roll is supposed to be rebellious. It's supposed to upset the powerful and scramble the default settings. 

Yet I often find myself gravitating back to establishment defaults in my selection of music in the car and to accompany my morning…