Quite By Accident!

By now I imagine that quite a lot of the bluegrass community has heard and already formed opinions on the current situation at the IBMA and the mass exodus of directors. I have my opinions too, but without knowing all of the facts or actually speaking with any of the board members on either side of the fence, I'll reserve them for another time.

What I found very interesting, though, came about quite by happenstance. This past weekend on our broadcast news program, heard on over 30 radio stations around the world, the lead story was the IBMA story. In the format of the news program, the sponsorship message always follows immediately after the lead story. For some time now, the California Bluegrass Assoc. (CBA) has been a regular sponsor of our Front Page Bluegrass News. As a good practice, we've had several different scripts recorded so that a better story of the CBA and all it entails can be told. We normally run the various scripts in a rotation pattern.

Say What You Will!

Over the last several years we've had something to say on the subject of just about anything and everything connected with bluegrass. Every week we've published a new editorial comment as a feature of our weekly newsletter and as a special bonus page on the Prescription Bluegrass Blog.

And just about every week we hear from readers. Some who agree, and some who don't, with what we have to say. But the editorials that have always generated the most readership are the ones written by our guest writers.

We've always had a policy of openness when it comes to publishing guest editorials and we will continue to do so. We may not always agree with your point of view, but we agree with your right to express yourself and we believe you should have a platform with which to do so.

Guest editorials should be sent to:

News@PrescriptionBluegrass.com

with “Guest Editorial” in the subject line. Your name, short bio and professional photo should accompany the text.

Pre-Installed Bluegrass

Let's face it, this is the age of manufacturers and product suppliers telling consumers what they want. I know it used to be vice versa but it hasn't been that way for eons and eons now.

I can remember back when gadgets and gizmos took batteries to operate and almost without fail, each would take two batteries. And those same batteries came packaged in multiples of two. Then some genius in the packaging design department at world headquarters got the bright idea to put three, not two, not four but THREE batteries in a pack... what in the world are we supposed to do with the extra? You know it'll be lost when you finally get around to needing it … but even then it will be only one and you'll need two. So back to the store for another three-pack and now you'll have two extras … but where did that first one go? See what I mean?

The 2 Qs

Granddad always said “...mind your “Q's”. No, he never said “P's and Q's” like a lot of other elders. And he wasn't amiss either. He meant what he said.

He was referring to the Quantities and Qualities, or as he said: “The Two Q's.” It seems that even back in his day, folks were all about “More Is Better” and hang the quality.

Granddad was a horse trader although I don't ever remember seeing any horses. But he'd trade just about anything and somehow always came out ahead. Looking back, I can see now that he understood exactly what he was talking about when he said “...mind your “Q's”.

The Games We Play!

The team I've belonged to for the last ten years or so told me they were a football team. I was sort of new at the game and wasn't sure I'd really benefit that much from joining the team. I debated it for awhile and vacillated back and forth. After all, the practices and the team meetings were pretty far from home.

After a few years, I was convinced to join. I jumped in with all the energy and dedication to the team I could muster. I gave it my all and then some. 110 percent? Maybe more like 200 percent. I have to admit that in the beginning, I did feel that the immediate benefits did show promise of more and better things to come if I'd only get more involved and really go all out to win and help my teammates win too.

The Importance of Getting It Right!

Tom Brokaw, as head of the NBC News department was most often quoted with these three words “Get It Right.” As a veteran journalist, he understood the importance of “right” vs. “first” and what it meant to a quality newscast.

It happens many times in the music business that two different bands - unrelated in any way - will release different versions of the same song at the same time. And so it happened again not too long ago when Audie Blaylock and Redline (Rural Rhythm Records) as well as Larry Stephenson (Compass Records) both released new albums and each contained wonderful new versions of the old Woody Guthrie Song “Philadelphia Lawyer”.

Both versions, I'm proud to say, “Got It Right.” That is, both correctly pronounced the name of the western state in the song's opening line; “Way out in Reno, Nevada.”

The Wider The Door, The More Who Come In!

A press release for a new (non-bluegrass) album came to our attention awhile back.  At the time it was for a then new album by Todd Snyder entitled “Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables” on Aimless Records.

A lot of us in the bluegrass community don't venture outside of our own boundaries very often and sometimes what we find can be very disturbing. So hold on to your seats because this next part may be shocking. It's not what we normally would write but we felt strongly enough to make you aware of it's existence.

This press material quotes Mr. Snyder as saying:

 “I want to inspire people. I want to inspire them to leave home, to do things traditionally considered wrong. If you listen to my record and vandalize your school, godspeed.”  (sic)

To Send a Press Release or Not - That is the Question!

Whether you do it yourself or have a Press Agent, you can't do much better than with a well crafted press release.

A press release helps to guarantee that your message is the way you intend it to be received. It helps to stop the press from miss-quoting you.

Live interviews go much better when you've helped to craft the press-release first. You have your “talking points” more firmly cemented in your mind. You also can make sure that some of the audio soundbites that are certain to come from a live interview will get the message across with clear and well-said statements.

To Award or Not To Award?

This is the week of awards for the bluegrass community and whether or not you've been nominated for an award, it is arguably the biggest week in your bluegrass life. It is this week that sets the tone for the coming year.

This week is what the industry lives for. For the preceding 12 months, artists, labels, managers, promotions staff and everyone connected with the industry has been working hard to strategize and position their product for the annual measurement.

The Double-Edged Sword

Knights of old learned very quickly the dangers of the double-edged sword. One side could cut the enemy down; but, the other, if not handled properly, could also cut down the one wielding the blow.

Today's double edge is not as easy to recognize. That fact is obvious by the sheer number of those who continually slice themselves up over and over again.

These are the social media sites on the Internet, like Facebook, where postings of all sorts and kinds appear in a common area called the “news feed”.

Is That All There Is...!

I overheard a comment at a bluegrass festival just recently. The spectator commented that all the bands sounded too much alike.

I don't know who the person was and I now regret not taking the opportunity to engage them in conversation in order to learn more about the perspective and where the comment was rooted.

I suppose if the person were a newcomer to the genre, there wouldn't seem to be much difference from one bluegrass band to the next, much like all cowboys look alike and all outlaw bikers look the same to someone unfamiliar with the various respective accoutrements. To a newcomer, all banjo solos probably do sound the same.

Get your band in the NEWS! - Advice Column from Prescription Bluegrass

Ever notice that the bands who appear to be the most successful are often the ones who seem to be in the headlines most often?  It's a "Catch 22" because the ones in the headlines seem to get more success coming their way more often.

Never under estimate the value of a good publicist or public relations person - Even if you handle the chores yourself or share with other members of the band, getting yourself in the news is going to help your career.

I was talking to a young band member about this recently and the thought he had was that he wasn't really willing to get himself into a vehicle accident or to rob a bank just to get in the news. I wondered if most bands would think that way too. I asked him what he thought constituted news. “Well,” he pondered for a moment, then said, “politics, disaster, crime and death”.  Isn't it sad that, often, that is what we think constitutes a majority of the news.

GUEST EDITORIAL - Sharing Amber's Story!

Cody Farrar of BREAKING GRASS writes this week's editorial column on a subject very dear to him and the band.

Friends,

Brian McNeal, and Prescription Bluegrass, have been gracious enough to provide a platform for me to let you in on the inspiration behind our new song "Fly" (Amber's Song). I'm honored for the opportunity and grateful for all of you who take time to read this. 

Our (Breaking Grass) new album "Just As Strong" was recently made available to download on iTunes, Amazon, mountainfever.com, and several other online sites. "JUST AS STRONG" contains a song that holds special meaning to us, and was inspired by a special person we would like you to know about. 

Your Chance to Be Heard!

Got something to say?  Think it's pretty important?  Prescription Bluegrass is giving you, the reader, a chance to be heard* on any subject related to bluegrass music.

Send your comments to: News@PrescriptionBluegrass.com  along with a recent photo of yourself.

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*Not all submissions can be used. Prescription Bluegrass reserves the right to use or not use any specific submission based upon editorial discretion.  Prescription Bluegrass also reserves the right to edit  or omit any submissions or sections of any submission but will not change the the flavor of the message.

Quality Control

Not too long ago,  a new compilation CD was released that made quite a big splash in the bluegrass world. It was touted as the first actual Bluegrass set from a record label that has been known for fantastic collections of world music for the last 25 years. To have bluegrass represented by a company with a stellar reputation was just more than anyone could have asked for.

Well, be careful what you ask for, as Granddad always said. Once it was released and we got to hear the selections, it seems the bluegrass world was once again divided into two camps … those who absolutely love the selections and those that stand firm with the “This Ain't Bluegrass” mantra.

How I got “Hooked” on Bluegrass!

By Brian McNeal

. . ."Hi, my name is Brian and I am a former Rock-N-Roll addict."

Well, first I don't know about this coming clean stuff. I mean this isn't really the Bluegrass Anonymous Service Society (BASS) and I don't know about admitting in an open community about being “hooked” on anything.

But, if you promise to maintain my confidentiality...

THE BUSINESS OF BLUEGRASS BANDS!

What a well tuned bluegrass band could teach businesses about collaboration is astounding. This week I read an exposé posted a few years ago; but, isn't that the wonder of the Internet? Things, good or bad, are there forever and easily obtainable.

In his piece titled, What Bluegrass Musicians Can Teach Business About Collaboration, Carl Alviani contrasts three pickers in a live impromptu bluegrass jam with the world's major corporations.

He says on one hand a band playing together is completely unremarkable – just a typical bluegrass jam between experienced musicians. But on the other hand, it’s an extraordinary lesson in the kind of effective creative collaboration that has eluded modern business for decades.

Don't Ask – Don't Tell

Granddad always said, “Be careful what you ask for!” and I guess that may be another way of looking at this. Maybe what Granddad should have said is: “Diplomacy may be better than honesty sometimes”.

For all the years I've been in broadcasting this one thing has never changed: People record songs and expect them to get played on the radio. Even before stalking laws were enacted some of these people were overly guilty of that concept – approaching me and other broadcasters in the grocery store, the mall, at nightclubs etc. with the always confrontational, “Why haven't you played my record yet?”

D.I.Y. BLUEGRASS BANDS - RIGHT OR WRONG?

Who needs a record label ...or a manager ....or a booking agent, publicist.....etc.?

While it is true that today's digital technology has made a lot of things possible that previously were not and a lot of things easier that were previously difficult or complicated, it is also true that the old formula for success in the music business where an artist was doomed without a record label has changed.

The roles of the record label and what they do for an artist have certainly changed and the once clear lines of duty for the record label are now blurred like charcoal smudges on a canvas pallet. So let's agree that it's easier than ever to be an Independent Artist today, but let's question whether or not that is the wisest decision an artist can make.

HOW DO AMATEURS KNOW WHAT PROFESSIONALISM LOOKS LIKE WHEN PROFESSIONALS ACT LIKE AMATEURS?

I think I just learned, this week, the definition of Quasi-Professional but I'm having a terrible time trying to decide if what I learned was really that or maybe Pseudo-Professional instead.

Like I always do when I see something that puts a shade over the bright bluegrass lamp, I call attention to it. Sometimes in a big way and sometimes just to whomever happens to be close at hand. I did the latter this past week and had full intentions to do the former here in this column at the appropriate time. I was called out from my discourse in the former by those who felt I was obviously stirring the wrong pot.

The incident was a video posted on a social media page. A band and a guest singer were on stage at a well known festival. Both the band and the guest are seasoned veterans. My comment was that they should have known better and that I never thought I'd see the offending incident from a professional. I was called because, A) it was the guest's own festival and, B) we didn't have all of the facts, the WHY was not stated. My reply is that it matters not whose festival it is and there should never be a WHY that would be acceptable for a true professional to lower the standards. I was embarrassed and I don't mind saying so.

Here's what happened:

Mud & Ice Cream! - A Prescription Bluegrass Editorial!

As a child, my playmate and I once put ice cream and mud together and then tried to serve it as pie. We both thought we were creative geniuses but when she gave it to her mother, that combination didn't go over too well.

I once worked for an employer who liked to blur the lines between a full paycheck and a partial paycheck. I didn't like it a bit. I asked him if it would be OK for me to blur the lines on my 40 hour week. He didn't like that at all.

Most states have a bit of fudge room on the speed limit, but that is a grace and not an absolute. If you're doing 75 mph in a 70 mph zone … most of the time you're going to be safe when it comes to avoiding a citation. But if that's not the only line you've blurred, the officer making the stop can still write a speeding ticket along with any other violations he finds. So just because quite a lot of people do occasionally blur the lines on highway speed it doesn't make it right.