Monday, 23 September 2013
Beat Your Own Drum
No matter what kind of creative or artistic talent you are lucky enough to possess you will, at some stage, need to market in order to gain exposure or make a living. Unless you win the lottery or have a rich relative that is willing to support you for the rest of your life so that you can practice your talent at home to entertain your cat, if this is you please disregard what I just said about needing to make a living.
Marketing and advertising can be very expensive and may not always yield the results that you are looking for. You do have the option of finding an agent to source work for you, first you will have to find an agent that is willing to back you, you may be required to sign a contract of some kind ( depending on the agency) and of course the agent needs to get paid. This won't affect your decision if you are in the above mentioned lotto winning category, however if you are an artist struggling to make ends meet in between gigs then finances are definitely a consideration.
When choosing someone to take charge of your marketing needs it's very important to choose someone who understands what you have to offer and portrays you in a way that is conductive to the type of exposure or employment you are seeking. Find someone who is passionate about what you do and is able to represent you with the kind of flair that reflects your talent effectively so that you can attract the kind of interest you really want.
Let's simplify this, you need someone who doesn't cost too much, someone who understands what you have to offer, someone who is passionate about what you do, someone with the right style and someone who will help you attract the kind of attention you want. Does that sound like anyone you know? YES! It sounds like you of course! You understand your needs better than anyone else does! You know what you have to offer, and you have exactly the right kind of flair and passion needed to represent you, because you are you!
OK so you don't think you know anything about marketing or advertising? Truth be told you probably know more than you think you do. Every time you talk to someone about what you do you are marketing. Have you ever heard that saying "Charity begins at home"? This is the same it begins with you, where you live. Talk about your talent as much as you can, make some business cards and give them out to as many people as possible.
Don't ever assume that people are not the type to be interested, you might not want to mention your heavy metal punk band to the nice old lady down the street, but she might have a grandson who runs a local bar or music event, or she might happen to mention you to a friend who does.
If you have a Facebook account share what you do, create a website, there are plenty of places online where you can create a website for free without having any knowledge about building websites at all. Also remember that Google is your friend! So have a look around and read some articles about marketing online, or see what kind of techniques other artists are using.
It's your drum! So it makes sense that you would beat it yourself!
Soraya Grace Editor at Phant Academy
Become A DJ And Lead The Party
Do you want to be a DJ? Do you want to be the leader at any party? Do you want to have fun doing what you love and get paid for doing it? Did you realize that the DJ of today is also a performing artist?
What is a DJ?
The disc jockey or DJ provides music entertainment through radio, mobile, and night club outlets. Equipment used in this occupation is the turn table, CD players, speakers, and headphones.
The job requirements will be spinning music and sometimes talking or introducing games.
Three important skills and talents:
- The ability to work with music
- Beat mixing knowledge
- How to emcee if speaking is to be included
It also helps to have a strong ego and intuition. These two qualities are essential for being the leader at a party. You need to know your audience, their music, and the beat which will make everybody at the party happy and delighted with your work.
Will you have fun?
A beat mixing DJ will have fun because there is nothing else that he or she would want to do. Youthful minds enjoy music, dancing, and clubbing. An entertainer of music flies high on the energy of self and others. Not everyone has the ability to be a performing artist. You can be proud of yourself if this is your career choice.
There is a paycheck
This is an area of great flexibility. Spinning music at private parties and clubs can range from $100 to $300 an hour. The agreement is determined by your experience, your reputation, and what parties and clubs can afford.
The only advice I would give is to work with the client. Sometimes the client cannot pay your scale; be flexible. A low pay is better than no compensation.
It is important that an entertainer is constantly practicing their art in front of a live audience. You never know who will be attending the gig. There may be a future client in attendance at the party who will hire you at your requested pay.
Be careful doing "free" work. Charity is great, but you do not want to get a reputation for providing free entertainment.
When you become an established popular DJ with high recommendations then demand your desired pay scale.
Talents of a performing artist:
- He or she is playing music live for the audience
- They create vibrant beats and hot techno sounds
- There is an intuitive ability, talent, and power to throw down powerful beats and bring a room to life
- They are responsible for the easy flow of one music piece to another
- Music knowledge for playing a song and mixing in other beats
- Public speaking
Beat software
- There is software to help make the job easier and you will be working the clubs and making people dance right from the moment you get started.
- You can create rap beats, hip-hop sounds, smooth R&B, Dizzying techno pop, punk, rock, jazz, grunge, dance tunes, urban, and house or indie tracks to amaze your friends and get you gigs at the top clubs.
- Make money doing what you love by creating beats for producers and get your money on liners and royalties to boot.
Discover how to become a DJ. Get your knowledge of the beat software. Visit the entertainment section of Infotrish as http://www.Infotrish.com and check out the Dr. Drum Beat Mixer.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Top Club Songs Since 2000
Here are the top songs that I think impacted the club scene in a significant way.
2013
Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop
The verse and hook is very easy to follow making this song super catchy. That is good for any club hit. Miley Cyrus shows her other side and the club scene has been pretty receptive to her. As much as I like this song, it is sadly the #1 club hit so far this year. 2013 has probably some of the weakest club hits out of all the other years. I'm hoping it will change, but summer is almost over. This is probably as good as it gets.
Runner Up:
B.o.B - Headband
Chris Brown - Love More
Sean Kingston - Beat It
2012
Chris Brown - Turn Up The Music
This is one of Chris Brown's many club hits. This song is perfect for the club as it strikes the right balance between uptempo R&B and dance music. He didn't have much competition in 2012 so he wins almost by default. Usher was the next one up, but his selection wasn't as strong.
Runner Up:
Usher - Scream
Flo Rida - Whistle
Havana Brown - We Run The Night
2011
LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
Party Rock Anthem was huge in 2011. It was a very fun and energizing song. It got people on the dance floor in no time. If I could describe the club hits for 2011 in one word it would be: WOW!!! There are so many to choose from its ridiculous. This year was probably one of the best years of club hits so far. LMFAO was the on top of that list. From January to December the club hits just kept coming and Party Rock Anthem was the first to kick it off.
Runner Up:
LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It
Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor
Big Sean - Dance (A$$)
Tyga - Rack City
2010
Far East Movement - Like A G6
So far this is Far East Movement's biggest hit. Like a G6 took the club by storm putting them and DEV on the map. People had to Google to find out what a G6 was. A pretty good year for other club hits as well.
Runner Up:
Flo Rida - Club Can't Handle Me
Jeremih - Down On Me
Usher - OMG
2009
The Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
This was The Black Eyed Peas year. There futuristic beats were all over the clubs. With several hits on their album they could not be stopped.
Runner Up:
The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
Jeremih - Birthday Sex (Upbeat Mix)
Pitbull - Hotel Room Service
2008
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Even though Lil Wayne has been around for a long time, this club hit and several other songs made him popular. Lollipop was all over the clubs for its smooth beat and flow. Not a strong year for club hits, but there are a few that were good.
Runner Up:
Flo Rida - In The Ayer
Danity Kane - Damaged
Usher - Love In this Club
2007
Flo Rida - Low
If you can remember only one song from 2007 it's this one. This song launched Flo Rida's career and made him known for club music. Low is very popular even to this day. If you can remember two songs from 2007, then Crank That would be the other one. I remember everyone trying to do the dance and most people didn't even know what it meant. There were quite a few club hits this year. So people always had something to dance to.
Runner Up:
Soulja Boy Tell'em - Crank That (Soulja Boy)
Timbaland - The Way I Are
Jim Jones - We Fly High
2006
Justin Timberlake - SexyBack
This song relaunched both Justin Timberlake and Timbland's career. It definitely brought sexy back in a good way. 2006 in my eyes (or ears) was the best year for club hits. Nelly Furtado, The Black Eyed Peas, Akon, Young Dro, Ne-Yo, Ludacris, Lil Jon, Cassie, Nelly, Yung Joc and Sean Paul all had a great year. There were club hits for every type of club goer.
Runner Up:
Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous
The Black Eyed Peas - Pump It
Cassie - Me & U
Yung Joc - It's Goin' Down
Young Dro - Shoulder Lean
Dem Franchize Boyz - Lean wit it, Rock wit it
2005
50 Cent - Candy Shop
This was 50 Cent's year. Several of his songs were on top of the charts. G-Unit was gaining steam at this point. For better or worse, 2005 was also the battle of the infamous whisper songs. At least they had great club beats.
Runner Up:
50 Cent - Disco Inferno
50 Cent - Just A Lil Bit
David Banner - Play
Ying Yang Twins - Wait (The Whisper Song)
2004
Usher - Yeah
Every club/party was bumpin' this song in 2004. This is the club hit that has stood the test of time. Clubs still play this song in 2013. Usher had a huge hit on his hands when this came out. The runner up songs were also on everyone's club hits at the time.
Runner Up:
J-Kwon - Tipsy
Terror Squad - Lean Back
Petey Pablo - Freek-A-Leek
2003
50 Cent - In Da Club
This year was the launch of 50 Cent's career. In Da Club was a smash hit on the radio and in the clubs (pun intended). Lil Jon and Ying Yang Twins also had a successful year with their club hits.
Runner Up:
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz - Get Low
Ying Yang Twins - Salt Shaker
Jay-Z - Dirt Off Your Shoulder
2002
Nelly - Hot in Herre
There wasn't much competition for club hits this year. Although Hot in Herre was pretty good and deserves to be on top. Nelly also had a fascination with the Band-Aid at the time. Not sure he realized that people only wore Band-Aids when they got hurt.
Runner Up:
Big Tymers - Still Fly
Missy Elliott - Work It
N.O.R.E. - Nothin'
2001
Mary J. Blige - Family Affair
Family Affair was a fun song. It made you want to get up and dance. No hateration. 2001 wasn't a strong year for club hits, but a few of them do stand out.
Runner Up:
Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
R. Kelly - Fiesta
Jagged Edge - Where The Party At
2000
Nelly - Country Grammar
I remember hearing this for the first time and thinking to myself it wasn't a very good song. The song grew on me as I kept hearing it over and over again on the radio. After that Nelly became one of my favorite hip-hop artists at the time. The infamous Thong Song came out during the same year.
Runner Up:
Sisqo - Thong Song
DMX - Party Up (Up In Here)
Missy Elliott - Hot Boyz
The link is to my blog. You can find more information and reviews below.
Friday, 20 September 2013
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