Tips and articles on performance for the independent musician
Music historically serves as a powerful vehicle for social change, expressing resistance and unity through various movements. From spirituals during slavery to modern hip-hop, artists have long used music to challenge authority and inspire action. Today, the industry risks losing this rebellious spirit to commercialism; musicians must reclaim their voice to ignite real change.
Making a Scene – Tuned Global and Sona.stream create an Artist-First Streaming Service What is Sona? Music is everything at Sona. Co-founded by producer TOKiMONSTA and Laura Jaramillo, Sona’s vision is a music industry that’s more equitable and rewarding for both fans and artists. This starts with sona.stream, an ad-free music streaming platform with a […]
Making a Scene Presents The 2023 Independent Blues Awards Winners! This is the 8th year we have produced and honored independent blues artists with the Independent Blues Awards. The voting this year has broken all records and was the largest voting participation since we began. As always we believe that not only are the winners […]
Making a Scene Presents Building a Songwriting Roundtable using Social Media Introduction As a songwriter, it can be difficult to find a group of like-minded individuals to collaborate with and bounce ideas off of. Thankfully, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have made it easier than ever to connect with other musicians and build […]
Muddy Waters Home Granted Landmark Status – To Become a Museum Dedicated to the Father of Chicago Blues! The North Kenwood home where blues legend Muddy Waters once lived is planned to be converted into The MOJO Muddy Waters House Museum has been granted a final landmark status by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. This […]
Making a Scene Presents a Guide to Keeping Your Voice Healthy If you are a singer, you know that keeping your voice healthy is vital to keep your career intact. Hoping to see live music come back by the end of this year, this is especially important for those who are eager to get back […]
Making a Scene Presents an interview with Evan Lowenstein CEO of Stageit.com Many indie artists are waking up to a realization that their spring tour schedule is getting cancelled. The CorVid-19 Virus has venues shutting down and cancelling shows, which is especially damaging to the touring artist who makes their living off live performances. Thought […]
Making a Scene Presents the LIVE Music Survey We have a new reality in the music industry today. The new music consumer no longer looks at music as a commodity to purchase, but more as something they have unlimited access to. This has affected the whole industry but nowhere is it more evident then with […]
Building speed is an important part of improving your overall guitar technique. Even if you don’t want to shred, being able to play faster can help your accuracy and timing for more complicated parts you might need to play. Many of us who primarily play electric guitar (myself included) think of speed as an important […]
Mixtapes have long been the lifeblood of hip hop. But most artists fell outside mainstream distribution channels, because of the licensing and copyright issues involved. This left a major income steam for both the original creators as well as the rap artists and DJs untapped. Listen as we talk with Dubset CEO Steven White about […]
The Effect Pedal Bass Players Need For Their Solos Dear fellow bass players, I’m going to speak a bit on the topic that increases our blood pressure. But we must face it, and we must find a way overcome it. It’s the topic of when we take the bass solo, the audience of non musicians don’t […]
Which Wireless Microphone’s Have The Longest Range? We know what you want, you want to jump in the audience as you crowd surf through out the entire Festival as you sing in to your wireless mic. Or maybe, that has absolutely nothing to do with the reason you want a long range wireless microphone. For […]
Why Stage Presence Is Vital To Gaining New Fans. Go Wireless by Tony Hossri performwireless.com If you play guitar or bass in any form of a high energy band, it is not important to get a wireless guitar system……If you don’t care about your performance, or if you don’t even want to advance your bands career at all. Here’s […]
A Soundman’s Guide to Communicating With Musicians Neal Miskin As a live sound tech I interact with a lot of musicians, from seasoned professionals to amateurs playing their first gig. One thing remains constant regardless of the experience level of the performers, is that good communication helps make a good show. This article will be in […]
Where it all Began ASCAP On February 13, 1914 composer Victor Herbert was eating dinner at the Hotel Claridge in NY City when he heard the piano player in the restaurant playing one of his compositions. As he looked around the bustling restaurant, he realized that while the patrons were eating and spending money, they […]
Austin born indie blues guitarist-vocalist, Jackie Venson, announces her web series,How to Become a Musician. Venson just released her live album, and has been featured in such publications as Guitar Player Magazine, Austin Chronicle, Austin Monthly, Texas Monthly and Bitch Media among others. Jackie recently performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Now, Venson has created her […]
EDITORS NOTE: This is reprinted with permission of the author. I felt it was ironic that an independent musicians needs to be at odds with an organization that is designed to protect his rights. It is an interesting read, and a conversation that needs to happen with the new music business increasingly becoming centered on […]
My advice to the younger musicians who want to earn a living at their craft. Recently I read a post about a younger player who wanted to know what they would need in order to be successful in a music career. They questioned attending music college and how to convince their parents they were doing […]
Respect Your Venue Sometimes a club has live music for free – no cover charge. In these instances the club pays a certain amount to the band to entertain, hoping to encourage an even bigger crowd to come in to eat/drink. It can be a win for both parties. It is usually not required to order […]
