TEM131: Jeff Nytch Quotes (TEM Short)

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TEM131: Jeff Nytch Quotes (TEM Short)

This TEM Short features thoughts on my favorite quotes from Jeff Nytch in TEM130.

Quotes:

  • “The lesson that I try to share with my students about that is that no educational experience, no thing that you throw yourself into, is ever wasted. Even if it might seem at the time like it's a dead end, or you pursue something for a while, and you say, "Well, I guess that's not what I want to do." It still has intrinsic value, and you'll be amazed at how sometimes things can come back to serve your career in new ways, in ways you never would have guessed at the time."

  • "I would look at them and say, 'There's no way that I could ever be as good as they are as teachers' not realizing, of course, that they'd been doing it for 30 years.”

  • "I spent a lot of the book talking about things that musicians do already that are, in fact, entrepreneurial, to help dissolve this idea that these two things are mutually exclusive. So, I talk about customer focus, for instance. Well, that just means that we are trying to reach our audiences. Isn't that what we all say we want to do? Entrepreneurship gives us a vehicle for doing that.”

  • "One of the most important things that any entrepreneurial venture has to have is that there's something distinctive about it, something defines itself as being different from or better than whatever else is out there. And if that's at the core of thinking entrepreneurially, then for us as artists, that means our artistic voice, our whatever it is that I personally bring to the world that is uniquely mine, that's my most valuable asset. I don't want to compromise that. If I compromise that, that's not only quote-unquote 'selling out' or 'hurting myself artistically.' That's just not good business.”

  • "Entrepreneurs are constantly asking questions. Both, 'How can I do what I'm doing right now better or differently' But I think even before they get to that point, young musicians need to answer the question, what is it that they're really passionate about? And not just the music. What else are you passionate about?"

  • "Yeah, and that's entrepreneurship, really, at its core, because it's about identifying that opportunity that solves somebody else's problem."

Links:

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon (I'm getting close!) by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. I'm up to 62 ratings and 42 reviews on iTunes. Help me reach my goals of 75 ratings and 50 reviews by taking just a couple of minutes on iTunes!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

TEM128: The one thing you should NEVER outsource

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TEM128: The one thing you should NEVER outsource

Never, ever let anyone else define what success "should" mean for you.

What You'll Learn:

  • Why it is so imperative that we always define success for ourselves

  • How our parents can have a huge impact (not always in a good way!) on what we view as success

  • The pressure, both real and perceived, that colleagues and co-workers put on our views of success and how that can lead to conforming rather than proactively defining it for ourselves

  • Why comparing the online presence of others to our real selves can have a very negative impact on our perception or reality

  • How our egos shape what we pursue and what we don't pursue which prevents us from doing the work we were meant to do

  • Why it's important to regularly (at least every quarter) define in writing what success means to you and how that helps us to identify and to take the best next step, whatever that is

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. I'm up to 60 ratings and 41 reviews on iTunes. Help me reach my goals of 75 ratings and 50 reviews by taking just a couple of minutes on iTunes!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

TEM126: Cathy Heller on getting a major record deal yet still failing, being analytical about your approach to the music business and persevering until you close the gap

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TEM126: Cathy Heller on getting a major record deal yet still failing, being analytical about your approach to the music business and persevering until you close the gap

Cathy Heller is a hugely successful singer-songwriter, the owner of Catch the Moon Music and the mother of three children under the age of six (!) living in LA.

What You'll Learn:

  • How getting two different major record deals in LA still didn’t lead to any commercial success for Cathy

  • How cycling through “real” jobs for two years helped her realize that she had to be true to herself and make music for a living

  • The very thorough research method she used to get her songs successfully placed on television and film

  • The various things she offers today including her own agency, an online course and a podcast “Don’t Keep Your Day Job” which is all about reverse-engineering your dream job (which led to a book deal with a major publisher)

  • Why intentionally writing for commercial success is not selling out

  • How the key to commercial success in business is making something that someone else wants

  • Why self-perception is such a powerful thing and can easily derail even the most successful person

  • How ever though a stadium full of people listen to each episode of her podcast, she really is only talking to one person at a time

  • A songwriting exercise she does to help get ideas out (which is applicable to anyone doing anything)

  • The importance of sticking with something until you can close “the gap”

Links:

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Thanks to everyone who helped me get to my goal of 50 ratings on iTunes! I appreciate it very much!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

TEM112: The one thing every musician must have

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TEM112: The one thing every musician must have

Why every musician in 2017 must have a website and some tips on how to make a great one.

What You'll Learn:

  • Why your website is your electronic storefront and why you have to own your own store (and not just rent one on social media)

  • How a website helps you cut through the noise and get found by potential customers

  • Tips to choosing a good URL for your website and where to get one

  • Why checking the availability of URL's and social media handles should be one of the first things you do when brainstorming a new idea

  • The importance of initially developing a website that is a Minimum Viable Product rather than putting it off to make it "perfect"

  • The different platforms you can use to build your own website

  • Solving specific problems for very specific people (your potential customers) through your website and how that can lead to income

Links:

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at: 

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

Don't miss the debut of the TEM Newsletter! Sign up to receive a free copy of 7 Lessons I Learned from the First 100 Episodes of TEM.

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 reviews on iTunes by leaving a rating and review (and thanks to everyone who helped me get to 50 ratings!)

Follow TEM on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

TEM111: Pop-jazz duo 23rd Hour Quotes (TEM Short)

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TEM111: Pop-jazz duo 23rd Hour Quotes (TEM Short)

23rd Hour is a jazz-pop duo comprised of Sherry-Lynn Lee and George Paolini.

Quotes:

  • "This is the heart of startup land and when you're doing a startup, and Sherry and I have both been in startups at various times, you try everything. Things that work, you keep doing. Things that don't work, you stop doing. You just have to try them and that's what we're doing."

  • "But we have this trust and we we are on the same page with where we want things to go and what kind of voice we want to have. So we are able to delegate but also work together and make it seamless."

  • "If people aren't careful they might not realize that its a marketing email because it’s so personable and that was our strategy. We wanted it to seem like we were really targeting that person and not just sending out a blast email."

  • "The way we do it is we try to take each win that we have and try to push it a little bit further and I think what works really well is when you position yourself as the underdog that just needs a little push to get to the next level."

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Thanks to everyone who helped me get to my goal of 50 ratings on iTunes! I appreciate it very much!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

TEM110: Jazz-Pop Duo 23rd Hour on treating your band like a startup, pulling off a successful album launch and how to rock an email campaign

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TEM110: Jazz-Pop Duo 23rd Hour on treating your band like a startup, pulling off a successful album launch and how to rock an email campaign

23rd Hour is a jazz-pop duo comprised of Sherry-Lynn Lee and George Paolini.

What You'll Learn:

  • How this unlikely pair met and ended up working together (Sherry-Lynn had the courage to ask)

  • Why they ended up targeting the wine industry by using the #WineWednesday hashtag (and the many benefits that have come from it)

  • How they treat their band as a startup

  • How they pulled off a successful album release party at a venue and in a city they had never played in before

  • The benefits of partnering with a local charity

  • How to send a very successful email campaign with much higher than average open rates and click rates

  • The importance of knowing your strengths, delegating and using deadlines when you are in a partnership

  • How they managed to climb all the way to #10 on the iTunes Jazz Chart through a combination of a little good luck and a lot of calculated, specific actions

  • How a physical guest book can be a great tool to getting people to sign up for your mailing list

Links:

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

Don't miss the debut of the TEM Newsletter! Sign up to receive a free copy of 7 Lessons I Learned from the First 100 Episodes of TEM.

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes (I'm one away!) by leaving a rating and review.

Follow TEM on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

TEM94: The only true key to success (and yes there is one)

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TEM94: The only true key to success (and yes there is one)

There actually is one true key to success and this is it.

Topics Covered:

1:20 - 95% of the music business makes it incredibly easy to get along with them all of the time but your reputation is based almost entirely on how you deal with the other 5%

3:57 - Why it's so important to hold your tongue (and why that is incredibly true with any kind of written communication which has no tone and usually lacks context)

6:35 - The Gary Vaynerchuck 51/49 Rule

7:50 - The tale of a chamber group who ignored the 51/49 Rule, went for short-term gains above everything else and how it ended (Spoiler Alert: It didn't end well)

11:34 - The best advice I ever received from anyone about getting along with other people

16:21 - The importance of remembering that whatever gig you are playing is always important to the person who hired you, no matter the circumstances of the gig

Links:

TEM 92: Steve Dillon of Dillon Music on Passion, Becoming an Authority and Always Thinking
TEM 1: Ranaan Meyer of Time for Three
The Gary Vee Audio Experience

You can help me reach two specific goals I've set for TEM:

1. Help me get to $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show:  https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes by leaving a rating and review.

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM93: How passion leads to becoming an authority (TEM Short)

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TEM93: How passion leads to becoming an authority (TEM Short)

This TEM Short is in response to my interview with Steve Dillon in Episode 92.

How passion can lead to you becoming (and staying) an authority on a subject.

"I think my passion has made me an expert at certain things, thus made me an authority."
—Steve Dillon

Topics Covered:

2:13 - Brian Clark's quote on a simple way to make yourself an authority to most people on anything and how I did that exact same thing a few years ago

5:20 - It turned out that after I did a brief deep dive on marketing that I had a passion for it which has made my continuous research over the last five years happen organically

7:49 - Being an authority on something means you constantly must be consuming new information as the world is always changing

10:06 - One of my passions that I am absolutely an authority on because of years worth of research

Links:

TEM 92: Steve Dillon of Dillon Music on Passion, Becoming an Authority and Always Thinking Long-Term
TEM 82: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (Book Report)
Selling More Books Show
Email me at andrew.hitz@gmail.com

You can help me reach two specific goals I've set for TEM:

1. Help me get to $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show:  https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes by leaving a rating and review.

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM85: Dana Fonteneau on figuring out your "Why", holding yourself accountable when you work for yourself and how she got her first paid clients before she had a proven track record

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This episode featuring Dana Fonteneau of the WholeHearted Musician will leave you energized and inspired! She said a lot of things I needed to hear and gave me lots of ideas for how to move forward with my own career.

Read More

TEM82: "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing" (Book Report)

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TEM82: "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing" (Book Report)

A brief overview of The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, a book that changed how I view marketing and even informed the art I make.

(If you have a book you would like for me to read and feature in a future Book Report segement, please email me through the email link in the upper righthand corner. Thanks!)

Topics Covered:

  • 2:20 - Arts marketing is the exact same thing as marketing anything else

  • 4:30 - Law #1: The Law of Leadership

    • It's better to be first than to be better

    • Everyone knows Charles Lindbergh and no one knows poor Bert HinklerTime for Three is the first classical string trio with two violins and a bass to cross genres

  • 9:15 - Law #2: The Law of the Category

    • If you can't be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in

    • Amelia Earhart is not known as the third person to fly solo across the Atlantic but rather as the first woman (a new category)

    • Cirque du Soleil blended the circus, opera and ballet to create their own category

  • 11:50 - Law #3: The Law of the Mind

    • It is better to be first in the mind than it is to be first in the marketplace

    • This doesn't contradict the Law of Leadership - The Law of Leadership just makes it easier to be first in the mind

    • Canadian Brass is synonymous with brass quintet in spite of coming many years after the Chicago Brass Quintet and New York Brass Quintet

  • 13:45 - Law #4: The Law of Perception

    • Marketing is not a battle of products but a battle of perception

    • Amanda Palmer is probably not the best singer in the world and yet she became the first artist to raise over a million dollars on Kickstarter

    • Hands on a Hardbody was an award winning Broadway musical that closed after just 56 performances so was not perceived as a great show in spite of the accolades

  • 17:00 - Law #5: The Law of Focus

    • The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect's mind

    • David Cutler of The Savvy Musician owns the word "savvy" in the musical world

  • 18:40 - Law #6: The Law of Exclusivity

    • Two companies can not own the same word in the prospect's mind

    • Canadian Brass are known for wearing full tails and white sneakers. Many years later Dallas Brass tried to tap into that by wearing cowboy boots as their trademark but it never stuck because Canadian Brass already owned unique footwear in the brass quintet world

    • Like a political campaign, as soon as you are on your opponent's message you are almost certainly going to lose that election

  • 20:35 - Law #17: The Law of Unpredictability

    • Unless you write your competitor's plans you can't predict the future

    • Boston Brass made some very unpredictable changes to their show about 20 years ago (like singing barbershop quartet tunes) which differentiated their show from that of other brass quintets

  • 25:00 - Law #19: The Law of Failure

    • Failure is to be expected and encouraged

    • Sam Walton of Walmart fame used to say "Ready, Fire, Aim"

    • Cirque du Soleil had a show in 2009 called "Banana Shpeel" that lasted less than a year which cost them millions but they have gone on to premiere numerous hit shows since then

    • The only failures that are bad are failures you don't learn from

Links:

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout
Parker Mouthpieces
Ranaan Meyer: Episode 1
The Savvy Musician's 10 Tips for 2017 with David Cutler: Part 1 and Part 2
The Brass Junkies: JD Shaw

It would mean the world to me if you felt like making a small donation to support what I'm doing with TEM. You can find out more at:

https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM81: Make yourself famous

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An episode about the different ways to make yourself famous (and why it's important!)

Topics Covered:

4:00 - The two ways to get famous (and which one is a lot easier!)
6:20 - The definition of branding (that's actually useful)
8:30 - Identifying exactly who your audience is and what do they value (and where you can best reach them)
15:10 - Why content marketing is a good strategy for making yourself famous
17:30 - How I became well-known in the tuba community (Spoiler: It had to do with circumstances and not being great)
19:20 - Why making yourself "famous" has nothing to do with ego

Links:

The Savvy Musician's 10 Tips for 2017 with David Cutler: Part 1 and Part 2
Ariel Hyatt: Episode 49
The Savvy Arts Venture Challenge
21CM
Parker Mouthpieces
The Brass Junkies Episode 3: Michael Parker

It would mean the world to me if you felt like making a small donation to support what I'm doing with TEM. You can find out more at:

https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM80: If it's not a $#%& yes, it's a no (TEM Short)

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TEM80: If it's not a $#%& yes, it's a no (TEM Short)

This TEM Short is in response to my interview with Emilio Guarino in Episode 79.

The surefire way to decide whether you should take on a project or anything else.

It would mean the world to me if you felt like making a small donation to support what I'm doing with TEM. You can find out more at:

https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM74: Write it for them, not for you (TEM Short)

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TEM74: Write it for them, not for you (TEM Short)

This TEM Short is in response to my interview with composer and violist Jessica Meyer in TEM73.

This episode explores how whenever writing anything, from a bio to a grant proposal, we always have to keep the recipient in mind when choosing the channel, wording and messaging and have to avoid writing as if we ourselves are the intended audience.

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including links to all books and websites referenced in this episode can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

It would mean the world to me if you felt like making a small donation to support what I'm doing with TEM. You can find out more at:

https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM72: The who and the what make the how pretty straightforward (TEM Short)

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TEM72: The who and the what make the how pretty straightforward (TEM Short)

This TEM Short is in response to my interview with Susan de Weger of IgniteLab in Episode 71.

I discuss the two things you need to put into focus in order to figure out how to proceed with your business.

Links:

It would mean the world to me if you felt like making a small donation to support what I'm doing with TEM. You can find out more at:

https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM71: Susan de Weger of IgniteLab on why selling yourself as an artist is not selling out, the danger of the word "should" and her specific advice on applying for a grant

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Susan de Weger is a thought leader and change agent for 21st century creative careers in Melbourne, Australia who has had tremendous success in both the music business and the IT world. She brings a unique perspective on today's music business that is must hear.

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The problem with school

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In a couple of hours I am going to talk entrepreneurship with students at my alma mater, Northwestern University (which has me in one hell of a great mood!)

I'm going to start with some bad news for them:

The skills required to excel at school bear very little resemblance to the skills needed to "make it" in today's music business.

At the beginning of every college class, each student is handed a syllabus which contains everything they will possibly be asked to know for a grade. In fact, if a professor ends up lowering a student's grade for something not on the syllabus there is an appeals process that students can undertake to get their grade restored. It involves committees and panels and lots of paperwork.

A syllabus is basically a checklist. Everything you will be tested on. Everything you will need to read. Every deadline. When the class will be completed. They are all neatly contained in one place.

How nice.

But the Real World (which we capitalize to scare you) looks absolutely nothing like this. There isn't a checklist. There isn't a reading list. There aren't deadlines established for you that can't be moved under any circumstances. None of it.

Here's the good news: Just because you aren't required to use these skills (to not only complete a college degree but to actually excel) doesn't mean you aren't allowed to use them. As with playing the drums or composing music, when you first start to utilize some of them you won't be very good at them. At all.

Which is exactly why you need to start before the world requires you to start. As in today.

Anyone who is any good at charting their own path wasn't good at it before they got good at it. (Deep, right?)

So what are you waiting for?

TEM68: Start small but start now

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TEM68: Start small but start now

Topics Covered:

  • You don't need to go to school for four years to learn marketing - you have to market stuff

  • Don't wait for things to be perfect - you have to start somewhere

  • Don't talk about things instead of doing them

  • The importance of networking a lot so you can get good at it

  • Market for a small charity as practice

  • How soon can you start

Links:

It would mean the world to me if you felt like making a small donation to support what I'm doing with TEM. You can find out more at:

https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM65: Impact people around you and your phone will ring a lot (TEM Short)

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TEM65: Impact people around you and your phone will ring a lot (TEM Short)

This TEM Short features thoughts about being interviewed by my Pedal Note Media colleague, Lance LaDuke, in TEM64.

Links:

Lance LaDuke: Episode 17
A Conversation with Lance LaDuke on Marketing: Episode 34
Andrew Hitz of Pedal Note Media: Episode 64

It would mean the world to me if you felt like making a small donation to support what I'm doing with TEM. You can find out more at:

https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM64: Andrew Hitz of Pedal Note Media on leveraging your unfair advantage, using a business model canvas and transitioning from one main gig to doing lots of things

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TEM64: Andrew Hitz of Pedal Note Media on leveraging your unfair advantage, using a business model canvas and transitioning from one main gig to doing lots of things

The tables were turned for this episode of TEM and I was the one interviewed for a change! I thought this would give those in the audience who didn't know my entire backstory the chance to get to know me a little better.

A huge thank you to Lance LaDuke for interviewing me!

Topics Covered:

  • How I got started playing the tuba

  • The moment I realized I wanted to become a professional musician

  • How instrumental my parents were in my success

  • How my lack of being even remotely entrepreneurial while in undergrad lead to me playing only two paid gigs in four years despite receiving a lot of praise

  • At what point in my career I started to veer from focusing primarily on being an orchestral player

  • What my two college teachers instilled in me that "gave me permission" to follow my own path

  • How I got my first big break in the music business and how my training had me prepared for it

  • What led me to start thinking like an entrepreneur after many years in Boston Brass

  • Why my first two ideas for a website were failures

  • How Lance and I used a Business Model Canvas to come up with the idea for Pedal Note Media

  • How we identified our "unfair advantage" to give us a head start

  • How the Band Director's Guide Series came about

  • How and why Hitz Publications has morphed over the last five years from selling through traditional channels to directly selling to customers

  • What's next for Pedal Note Media (Spoiler: It's ecourses)

  • How both Lance and I have gone from doing one thing 100 times a year to doing a whole lot of things a few times a year and how that is a different challenge

Links:

Favorite Quote:

  • "The key to having great ideas is having lots of ideas."

You can help offset the ongoing costs of producing the show by making a small donation at http://www.pedalnotemedia.com/support-the-entrepreneurial-musician. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Produced by Joey Santillo