Attitude

Why do we love it when politicians talk about themselves? Why do we love hearing them stump on the campaign trail talking about how great they are?Well maybe we don't love it, but we accept it. And vote for them.But we hate musicians who talk about themselves.In the hip hop commu...

Last night I went to a spot in Koreatown known for their coffee. I learned this after I went in. Actually, I was just walking around the neighborhood looking for a cafe and found this spot because they had a sign out front with a photo of a sexy looking coffee cocktail.My brother...

If LA has taught me anything, it's the importance of networking. I go on lunch and coffee dates (and set even more potential 'let's grab lunch sometime' dates) like I'm starving and undergoing life threatening caffeine withdrawal.The thing is, sometimes my dates are late. And I'v...

Many of you have been following the MondoTunes drama on Twitter (here), (here) and (here). I reviewed them (and 6 other digital distribution services). Before I posted my full report, the founder, Steve Norris sent me a looooong email trashing the other services. I ignored it and...

Musicians hate the word 'networking.' It feels contrived and dishonest. Marketers and entrepreneurs love the word and the act. These people are constantly out meeting new people and... wait for it... networking.So why do musicians hate it so much, but traditional entrepreneurs lo...

Not two hours after I posted my Should You Pay To Play article, I happened to received this email from an LA 'promoter.'Here is how our conversation went...T's response:Ari. This is an EXCELLENT post. There's definitely a stigma associated with pay to play. But respectfully, I dr...

The most popular 'myth' to debunk these days by talking heads in the biz is that it's not about who you know. Everyone will say 'just be great - you don't need connections!' Bull. It IS about who you know. I can't tell you how many opportunities I've gotten just because this frie...

Musicians who know musicians know that most of them are always broke. Like Ramen broke. PB&J broke. Rice and beans BROKE.You know who doesn't know that musicians are broke? Non-musicians. And let's keep it that way.+Who Is Ari?Music lovers (your fans) don't want to hear how you a...

The simple answer is: alienate your audience. This is exactly what Michelle Shocked did last Sunday at Yoshi's in San Francisco.Shocked had built a career over 30 years of activist folk music that targeted a progressive, LGBT friendly crowd.Then, in a moment, she did the equivale...

Everyone watch Amanda Palmer's brilliant Ted talk. I'll wait the 13 minutes.Ok, now that you're in tears and are just as inspired as I am, let's take something away from this.No musician in the world is a better asker, connector, motivator or promoter, in my opinion, than Amanda...