Tag Archives: indie artist
Sage Advice From a Successful Indie Pop Artist
© 2010 Lena Potapova Lena Potapova is a classically trained piano player who performed her own compositions at the Moscow Conservatory at the age of thirteen. She has been compared to a female David Bowie, Nick Cave, Jim Morrison, Portishead, Nina Simone and Tom Waits. She is currently working with Ian McDonald (King Crimson, Foreigner).…
Vital Indie Artist Lessons I’ve Learned the Hard Way
© 2015 Vinny Ribas There is no replacement for experience. But in sharing these true experiences, I am hoping that I can help you avoid making costly mistakes! I once messed the date up on a booking which left a very popular club without a band on a Saturday night. THE LESSON: Always double-check your…
Attracting The Contacts That You Need As An Indie Artist
© 2010 Vinny Ribas If you are putting your name and reputation on the line by performing, marketing your act and your music, having a website etc., people who can make a profound difference in your career are watching you. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the A&R Director of a major record label, though it…
Overcoming Weaknesses
© 2010 Vinny Ribas I made a living for a log time playing keyboards and singing. I was never a good piano player. I hated taking solos because I was a very sloppy player. Worse yet, I couldn’t sing on key! So how did I make a decent living at it for so long? I…
Taking Baby Steps As An Indie Artist
© 2010 Vinny Ribas Countless artists get stuck in a seemingly never-ending rut because they just don’t know what to do next. With marketing, songwriting, rehearsing, performing, bookkeeping, publicity and more all part of an artist’s responsibilities, the options can seem overwhelming. So, the obvious solution would be to put a step-by-step plan together that…
Talent Is Not Enough
2010 Vinny Ribas Convention would tell us that singers, songwriters and musicians who are extremely talented and who continually hone their craft should automatically rise to the top. And there are many times when they do. But I would dare to say that there are millions of amazingly talented singers, musicians and bands worldwide who…
Changing Directions Midstream
© 2010 Vinny Ribas It is not uncommon for an artist to decide somewhere midstream that he or she has somehow wound up pursuing a career path that is not true to the artist’s nature. The result might mean changing musical genres, moving from performer to a different role in the business, focusing more on…
Trading Self Pity For Gratitude
© 2010 Rand Bishop How often do we sit, wallowing in self-pity, because no one of importance seems to be taking notice of our work? Then, when we somehow finally get a person of influence and supposed expertise to pay attention — even for a few moments — how do we feel when he or…
10 Things You Need To Know About Social Networking
© 2010 Vinny Ribas Anything bad that you say or do online can and will be held against you. Be very careful what you say, who you knock etc. It may be legal, but it could come back to bite you when you’re applying for a job, trying to get a gig (you may have…
12 Ways To Make Your Audience Take Notice Of You
© 2009 Vinny Ribas Most of us have had the unfortunate experience of playing for a room full of people who seem to be completely ignoring us. If you were hired to play dinner or background music, that would be perfectly acceptable and even encouraged. However, in any other situation, we might start thinking that…