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For you Twitter beginners please read Why You Have No Twitter Followers first. That will give you the basics of Twitter and will catch you up to speed to understand this piece.For the rest of us though, let's get into this debate.Over the years, I've had many Twitter friends, er,...

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...

I get a lot of questions from bands about how to get their numbers up on social media sites. After a 2 minute scan of their sites I completely understand why their numbers aren't higher (and it's not because they suck - many of these bands are actually great). It's because they d...

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...

I lived in Minneapolis for 7 years. Other than making great friends, becoming a supportive member of the music community and my overall love for the city itself, it wasn't the right music scene for my style of music. Meaning, there were very few other artists making music within...

Being the opener for a more established act can be one of the best ways to make new fans. I can pinpoint specific opening gigs where I gained a large amount of fans who are still incredibly supportive to this day. I love opening slots for more established acts because I get to wi...

The biggest question I get asked is 'how do I get started.' The easiest answer is 'with your friends.' Even rock stars started by playing shows in front of their friends at their local club. At your earliest shows you're not going to have 'fans,' you're going to have friends comi...

When I was first getting started in Minneapolis I took note of other local bands who were somewhat successful locally. I was not yet. I sent these bands emails to the extent of 'Saw your show last night. Love your sound. If you ever need an opener hit me up.' As you may expect I...

The idea that you will work at a coffee shop until your band gets their big break and then you're a rock star is laughably false. I wouldn't even mention this if so many young musicians didn't believe this. I know I did.The days of the 'big break' are over. A music career is now...

When I was a freshman in college an uncle of a friend of mine was the caterer for John Mayer's tour. This was around the Heavier Things time so he was touring arenas, but not a superstar celebrity by any means. The uncle hooked me up with two 'meet and greet' passes. I was a...