Vacation from the music business

I went on vacation for a few days last week. I just had to step away from the music business for a little while. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my version of the music business but it is a business after all. I refer to it as "my version" because there are as many ways to run a music business as there are musicians. My version seems to work for me but it does get to be a little too much every so often.

My music business consists of performance, composition, recording sales, booking, education, marketing, communications, research and development, instrument maintenance and repair, accounting, and lastly...personal physical, emotional and spiritual health maintenance and development. Whew! Now you know why I need to step away once in a while!

I am an indie (short for independent unsigned musical recording artist) which basically means that I do everything myself. I know some indies that farm out some of the work to managers and agents. It works for some of them but most of them are not nearly as busy as I am and they certainly don't have the profit margin that I have. I have become used to being somewhat of a control freak but I do know how to run my business. I probably wouldn't be successful running another artist's business but I am successful running mine!

My business revolves around the tourist economy in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have been established in Santa Fe for over ten years. I don't have to depend on touring so I don't really tour too much. I used to tour but found that the time away from family, the cost of transportation and lodging as well as the negative effects on my health just didn't add up to a positive cash or energy flow. This is the main reason why I decided to focus on the tourist market here in Santa Fe. There are challenges to this type of musical performance but at least I get to go home to my wife after the gig! Did I mention that she went with me on vacation? Priceless! RR

Business and creativity

My apologies for not posting much these past few weeks. I have been working on my taxes and it tends to take me away from more creative endeavors. I have been doing my own accounting for many years. I suppose I could hire an accountant to do it for me, but I find that I have a better understanding of my business when I do it myself. It also helps me to track deductions more efficiently.

Most musicians shy away from accounting for their business because they just don't have the mindset for it. Math and accounting principles are the least of their interests. I must admit that I don't get a big thrill taking care of these task either, but I find it to be a necessary skill in running a business. I can see what costs are beneficial and which aren't. For instance, I recently paused my Google Adwords account because I found that the cost didn't really benefit my business. The cost of the account was as much as any business revenue it was bringing in. I was essentially selling CDs to benefit Google stock holders! I have sold many more CDs with my other low cost marketing efforts (Myspace and YouTube) and I don't have to pay Google Adwords fees anymore.

In the 'old days', Google Adwords was a good buy because competition for choice search key words was not as great and so the key word bids were lower. Now, bids are exorbitantly high and it just doesn't make good business sense for me anymore. My research has shown me that other small businesses such as mine have had similar experiences and now Google is reporting lower revenue and profit. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Balancing my creative energies with 'mundane' tasks such as accounting is a challenge for me. The flip side would be for me to ignore these vital tasks but my business would suffer. My experience has been that when my business suffers, my creativity suffers because my mind is preoccupied with my suffering business. I just have to bite the bullet and pay attention to all the necessary aspects of a creativity based business. RR

Getting motivated!

I have posted this presentation by motivational speaker Tony Robbins because I thought readers might enjoy his thoughts on the underlying motives behind achievement. Back in the day, I was a very timid person when it came to thinking of myself as a successful person. It took alot of 'reprogramming' on my part to start changing my thought patterns in a way that might lead me to a successful career in the music business. Along the way I have met alot of musicians that seem to have a difficult time breaking their own chains of negative thought. I try to help with an encouraging word or some advice because I want all musicians to be successful.

In the final analysis, it takes alot of work to dig yourself out of a hole of negative thinking. Most musicians don't want to expend effort in that direction although my experience tells me that next to practicing good music, the practice of positive attitude ranks next in importance in the building of a successful musical career. An old jazz player once remarked to me, "You know Ron, making a living as a musician is the hardest way there is to make an easy buck!" It can feel like that way sometimes because the music business is full of pitfalls, blind alleys and rejection. I have long felt that the music business is about the survival of the persistent and the determined. That's the way it has worked out for me. I just refused to give up! RR