Author Archives: Abbie Culbertson
Why They Call It ‘Music Business’
© 2010 Vinny Ribas We’ve all heard the saying, ‘They call it music BUSINESS for a reason.’ Yet I often get asked what that really means. So, to illustrate the point, I am going to try to compare building your career as an independent musician to building a traditional type of brick and mortar business.…
Tips On Being Your Own Concert Promoter
© 2015 Nancy Moran and Vinny Ribas Some artists work tirelessly to book themselves in all kinds of venues. Others have developed enough of a following that they are now in demand and the venues come knocking on their door. There is a 3rd kind of artist who knows that they have a good enough…
The Physical Cost Of Being A Successful Songwriter
© 2010 Vinny Ribas I recently received an email from a young woman who asked me how she could become a professional songwriter. When I suggested that she join a local songwriter’s group, she said that she wasn’t willing to pay to meet other songwriters. That got me thinking about what it really costs, in…
Raising Capital: Give Them A Chance To Say ‘No’
© 2015 Vinny Ribas Many independent, entrepreneurial musicians, artists and music professionals need to raise some form of capital to launch and grow their careers, start a record label, open their own studio, start a publishing company, launch a product invention etc… Some use fan-funding to acquire the funding they need. But many who do…
Choosing The Right Songs For Your Performances and CD Project
2010 Vinny Ribas One of the most critical mistakes that many artists make is in choosing the wrong songs to perform in their shows and to record. Song choice is everything, and I can prove it. Think of all of the artists who are not the greatest singers but are superstars because they always sing amazing…
I Would Love To Refer You To My Connections, But…
© 2010 Vinny Ribas I am a firm believer that connections are king, which is why I started Indie Connect. With the right people helping, guiding, opening doors etc. all things are possible. I have worked hard to become a ‘master networker.’ And now that I am relatively well connected, nothing gives me more pleasure…
‘No!’ Is A Personal Opinion
When anybody (especially a young, starry-eyed wannabe with her whole yellow-brick-road life laid out ahead of her), informs me that her greatest dream is to be a singer, or a singer/songwriter, or a recording artist, or a rock star, (even to be rich and famous), I respond by saying this: “You’d better get used to…
Interview With Publicist Chuck Whiting
Located in Nashville, Tenn., Whiting Publicity & Promotions is an award-winning communications solution for businesses, organizations, professionals and artists. We asked Chuck a few questions about PR, how artists can use it, and how he suports the arts community. 1. What uniquely qualifies you to work with indie artists? My background as a newspaper reporter, publicist, songwriter,…
Interpreting Interpretation
by Bill Pere In my three decades in the music business, I’ve seen that songwriters or singer-songwriters who actively seek out objective feedback on their songs and their performances stand the greatest chance of making rapid advances along their chosen path. I recently returned from a conference in the Nashville area where I participated on…