Nashville, We Need You

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

While some folks are on a long, extended vacation, for many of us others, it’s back to work this morning after the Christmas holiday and thus back to reality.

For our friends in Nashville, though, it’s not that simple.

Following a Christmas morning explosion, it has been a long weekend of police investigation and what will now be an even longer cleanup period, not to mention several people dealing with the aftermath of the blast and figuring out how to get back to something even close to resembling normalcy.

The thing is, we need all those folks there.  We need to pray for them.  We need to help them.  And we need to be grateful for them.

As I said, the Christmas holiday just passed.  And a lot of us (a LOT of us) opted to listen to seasonal music.  It has also been a long year of quarantining, but one of the things that has helped us get through it is listening to music.  And similarly, the New Year’s Eve celebrations this Thursday night will also be filled with, yup, lots of music.

Sure, there are lots of music creators in other key entertainment spots in the U.S. like New York and California.  But if you asked 20 people on the street what they think of when you say one of those two places, you’d get a range of answers – not just music.  But if you asked 20 people on the street what they think of when you say Nashville, if it wasn’t unanimous, then the overwhelming majority of them would certainly say music.

Make no mistake.  I certainly realize that there are lots and lots (and lots) of creators in Manhattan and in Los Angeles, not to mention countless other areas around the country, and yes, even elsewhere in the world.  But, Nashville just oozes music.  And again, while I know that parts of California have had to deal with some real catastrophes (wildfires being just the most recent of them), that’s kind of like comparing Goliath to David.  Nashville is dwarfed in size by those other major U.S. destinations, yet is as hard working and talented when it comes to putting out the songs that we rely on to get us through so many of life’s challenges.

Only now they are being challenged again.  First it was a tornado back at the start of March.  Then it was the Coronavirus shutting down all the live music joints that people count on when they walk up and down Broadway, Printer’s Alley, and other tourist spots in Music City.  Also affected were the in-person writing sessions that enable collaborations to happen in a more personal way.  And now it’s a Christmas Day explosion that prevented many there from waking up and being merry three days ago.

But Nashville, we need you.

We need the songwriters.  We need the artists who perform what gets written.  And we need the songs.

When the clock strikes midnight on Thursday night and the calendar does change over to 2021, the Coronavirus won’t have gone away.  But let’s hope that these tragedies that Nashville has had to endure will.  I’ve heard it referred to as a big small city.  They have huge talent there and we’ll be counting on seeing it all as we hope for a return to something more closely resembling normalcy.

What’s your connection to Nashville?  Tweet your thoughts and experiences to me via @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, post them on either Facebook or LinkedIn.  For those that would rather not do social media, you can send them to me via email.  And if your new year’s resolution entails getting help with your music career, take advantage of my more than 15 years doing management, promotion, and booking.  Go here to book a private, one-on-one online video consultation with me.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

Live Streaming to Your Fans (and Not to Strangers’ Wallets)

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

It’s a sobering thought.  This year has forced performers to put on live shows from home, streaming through Facebook or Instagram or YouTube or some other platform.  All with the hope of viewers tipping them electronically or streaming their music – or both.

The problem is that neither of those have a high percentage of likelihood.

When the world isn’t in a pandemic, you go out on a given night and you pick one place to go to where you’re going to just see and hear one artist performing.  There is a strong chance that you will support and engage with that person in some way, shape, or form, whether it’s walking up to the stage and dropping cash in their tip jar or buying a CD and/or other merchandise of theirs or writing your name and email address down on their newsletter sign-up sheet or seeing their sign that notes their social media handles and following them on one of those.  The latter might even include Spotify, where you’ll then stream their music from.

However, with restrictions getting tighter and tighter in places like California and New York as the Coronavirus numbers reach scary heights, the scene instead is those guys and gals performing from home, hoping you’ll land on their live stream.  The problem, though, is how crowded that gets.  Can or will someone actually stop by one guy’s live stream and Venmo him five bucks and then tap over to a different girl who is singing her heart out and would appreciate five dollars through PayPal, but then switch 15 minutes later to a third performer and send five more dollars via CashApp, only to then get notified that someone they genuinely know and like has just gone live and would love for viewers to join their Patreon for, you guessed it, just five dollars?  Oh, and did I mention that one hour and 20 dollars later, it’s only Monday night?

Now let’s look at the other side of it.  The, “Yeah, tips are definitely welcome.  I can’t pay my bills with 47 thumbs-up comments.  BUT, if these people watching would stream my music, I might get some traction on Spotify” side of it.

I don’t want to be a Negative Nancy, but late last week I read a report from Billboard that said that music streaming is stalling.  In fact, while it mentioned the obscene number of tracks being uploaded every day (and you thought the live streaming space was crowded), music streaming hasn’t grown since mid-July.

It all boils down to this.  I’m not telling you to never do a live stream again.  What I do recommend, however, is that rather than waiting and hoping for a stranger to find you – someone they’ve never heard of – in a live stream and watch long enough to like you, tip you, and maybe engage more with your music, you need to focus on nurturing your loyal fan base.  Are THEY watching your live stream?  Have you appealed to THEM for opportunities that you’re not getting?  Who do they know that can offer you something more rewarding than setting up and tearing down in your house just to play on Instagram for 30 minutes and no tips?

Do you want and should you be trying to attract new fans?  Of course.  But in an attempt to find coins under the couch cushions in the form of people who are just getting exposed to you for the first time, don’t forget about the loyal supporters who’ve stayed with you and then just expect them to show up when you are back at that popular venue where they so faithfully came and saw you perform so many times before.  Otherwise, you just might be staring at the same empty chairs being seen today by those performers who are fortunate enough to be getting bookings for live shows.

What have you done successfully to stay connected with your devoted fans?  Tweet those wins to me via @NHT_tweets.  Or, post them for me and others to read on Facebook or LinkedIn.  Alternatively, you can send me the details via email.  And if you are worried about these and other challenges in your music career, book a private, one-on-one, video consultation with me to get you moving in the right direction.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.