Is Your Life Too Small?

From Dan Miller:

This week a 36 yr old MBA in an executive position in an exciting industry shared this concern in her coaching profile: “I have a vague sense that my life is too small.”

Living large does not necessarily mean a bigger salary, house, cars or retirement fund. It has nothing to do with fancy vacations or the latest fashions. Rather, it means having a life that is full of meaning and purpose. And that can occur – or be absent – at any place on the continuum of the traditional parameters of “success.” I’ve seen millionaires who are living life “small” and those with scarce financial resources who are living “large.”

Let me ask you this: What is your life saying to the world? Are you living your life too small? Is it so full of meaningless tasks that there’s no room left for the things that make your heart sing? Are you pushing so hard in doing more that you’ve lost the sense of being more? Does more activity really equal greater accomplishment, or does it at some point tip the scale and begin to diminish the meaning of your life? Are you creating the legacy you want to leave for your loved ones?

Reflect back on last month – yes, just this last month. What did you do to keep your life from being too small?

Can you identify:

• 4-5 ideas you had for a better job or starting your own business?
• 3 things that you did just to help someone out with no expectation of payback?
• The books you read or listened to that enlightened your spirit, confidence, knowledge and wisdom?
• The number of hours you spent in quiet contemplation?
• The 2 or 3 things you did that you had never done before? The concerts, art shows, seminars, workshops or other enriching experiences you had?
• 2 or 3 specific things you did to strengthen the relationships that mean the most to you?

If you have no responses to these seven questions, chances are strong that you are living your life too small.

Make it a regular practice to embrace living large times in your life. Wisdom, peace, contentment, and insight about investing your life in fulfilling work will grow in those times. Take a walk, give thanks for simple things, take a bath with music playing and candles burning, turn off the telephones, TV, and computer. Carve out those times for restoration and spiritual breathing. Don’t confuse activity with accomplishment. Even Jesus got away from the crowds periodically. Don’t let your life be too small.

Risk and Reward

From Seth Godin:

The risk/reward confusion

It’s easy to to adopt the policy of avoiding risk at all costs, that whenever possible, the products you launch or the engagements you have should be flawless and without downside.

Here’s the problem: in most endeavors, a small increase in risk can double the reward. It’s the second doubling of reward that brings serious risk with it. But the first leap is relatively painless.

In the chart above, notice that going from point A to point B brings almost no incremental risk. It might feel scary, but rationally, it’s not. Doubling reward again from B to C, though, brings significant incremental risk. It’s this second doubling that gets you through the Dip, that leads to a breakthrough, that makes you remarkable.

But I’m not even talking about that. I’m just hoping you’ll warm up by making the tiny leap of avoiding all risk. Riskless is hardly worth your effort.

Fencing In

www.seversonphotography.com

To Whom Much is Given – Albert Pujols

From Compassion Blog:

Giving back to the community has become chic for many who are in the public eye and have the resources to do so, but for St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, it isn’t about what’s fashionable or what looks good. It’s about being faithful to a God, Who has given him much, and helping the children he loves in his native Dominican Republic.

As Albert steps off one of Major League Baseball’s many well-manicured baseball diamonds, he often finds himself stepping onto the dusty streets of the Dominican Republic. But he’s not coming to play baseball, nor is he coming to instill in the children who live the way he once lived a love of the game he is now famous for.

His mission is to provide to those who are less fortunate something we in the United States take for granted – rectangular mattresses to sleep on.

For many of the world’s poor in places such as the Dominican Republic, a mattress isn’t a necessity: It’s a luxury. For Albert, this is a tangible and lasting way to use baseball as a ministry in his homeland. Through his partnership with Compassion, he is able to provide to those less fortunate something that will last for months and years to come.

But it’s not just mattresses that Albert is providing to the people of the Dominican Republic. To find out what else he’s doing, read his story in the summer issue of Compassion Magazine.

A Snapshot of Current Music Industry

From Vintage Vinyl News:

The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) has released a report in association with Nielsen SoundScan on the current state of the recording industry.

Highlights from the report:

• Digital music is now 40% of the total music purchases compared to just 8% in 2005. It is projected that it will hit 50% by the end of 2010.
• Purchases are being made less at mass and chain/electronic stores and more at value oriented outlets (dollar, mass merchandisers, clubs) and on-line. Between 2001 and 2009, chains like Best Buy’s share of the market has gone from 54% to 32%, independent music stores from 14% to 7%, mass merchandisers like Wal-Mart from 28% to 33% and non-traditional sources such as iTunes, Amazon and Starbucks from 3% to 29%.
• In 2008, the biggest percentage jump in sales was for vinyl albums, which were up 89% over 2007. The biggest drop was in current CD albums (compared to catalog) which was down 23%.
• Since 2004, CD sales are down 45% while digital sales are up 490% and video game sales up 115%.
• Between 2006 and 2008, rap music had the biggest drop in album sales, dropping 44% with country down 36% and R&B down 34%. On the other end of the scale, rock and hard rock are only down 18%.
• Digital music buying was done most by fans of rock music, with 41% of all purchases coming from an on-line source. That’s compared to only 6% of sales for country albums.
• New physical formats are not doing well. Slot Music sales are averaging 1,500 albums per week while digital album cards are only moving 590 albums. Both formats are seriously declining.
• Through the first five months of this year, rock and alternative vinyl album sales have led the way, growing between 60% and 70% from last year. The real genre gains, percentage wise, has been in country and gospel where sales are up 200% from a year ago.

There is a ton more of interesting statistics over in the NARM presentation including the impact of TV on music sales and statistics on big sellers.

Searching for the Sun

www.seversonphotography.com  /  www.seversonphotography.wordpress.com

Good to Great

A short but important piece from Dan Miller’s weekly newsletter.  Find Dan’s blog HERE.

There is a PBS special running right now on the music of David Foster (Hit Man – David Foster and Friends). As the hosts asked him about his early years in music, one response jumped out at me. David said he loved music as a child and his parents allowed him to take lessons in classical music. But David said: “I was good, but not great.” He went on to explain that if he had been a better musician he would likely have ended up as an anonymous face in some orchestra. Not being great forced him to look for other ways to be involved in music. So he writes and produces for other musicians. It has been said that Foster’s songs have made “many famous singers into superstars.” Many of his songs have become well known through the voices of Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Micheal Buble, and Boz Scaggs. And his own fame and fortune has far surpassed what he could have possibly hoped for as a “great” musician.

In The Millionaire Mind author Thomas Stanley looks at the common characteristics of people who have ended up extremely wealthy. Their average GPA is 2.7. Why isn’t it that all 4.0 students become wildly successful? Maybe their “greatness” came too easily and they missed the benefits of the struggle.

If “greatness” has not come easily for you have you given up the pursuit and settled for mediocrity? Or have you looked for alternative approaches for success anyway?

Maybe “greatness” that comes too easily is itself an obstacle. We’ve all seen athletes, musicians, writers, and speakers who were so naturally great they never had to exercise the discipline to survive the hard times – and quickly faded into oblivion.

Maybe not being “great” is your biggest hidden asset.

Dan Miller, President of 48 Days, LLC, in Franklin, TN, and Founder of The 212° Connection, specializes in creative thinking for increased personal and business success.

All Access 10 Questions with……Mike Severson

I recently did a 10 Questions feature with All Access and it is being featured on their site this week.  I’m re-posting it here, not to be self serving, but to continue to highlight the amazing work Compassion is doing and the way we are connecting with country artists, radio, and industry partners.  This is the time to impact the world.

If you have a question that I did not get asked here, then please feel free to contact me.

NAME: Mike Severson TITLE: Artist & Radio Relations for Country format COMPANY: Compassion International BLOG: www.mikeseverson.wordpress.com BORN: Cedar Rapids, Iowa RAISED: Inola, Oklahoma

Please outline your career so far:

1988 – 1994 Radio (KWEN and KCKI in Tulsa, OK)
1994 – 2002 MCA Nashville
2003 – 2004 All Access Music
2004 – 2005 Rounder Records
2005 – 2008 Midas Records
2008 – present Compassion International & Freelance Consulting/Promotion/Marketing

1. Last time we spoke with you was 2005 and you were working for Rounder Records. Catch us up on what has been going on in your life for the past few years.

Wow, it’s been too long since we have spoken! I went from Rounder directly to being hired by Bob Reeves as we helped launch Midas Records in early 2006. Worked some great music and artists, but the rollercoaster ride ended in July 2008. From there I had a short stint at another indie label and most recently was hired by Compassion International this past December as their consultant in the Country format.

2. Tell us what Compassion International is and a little bit about the company’s history and focus.

Compassion International is a Christian child development ministry dedicated to helping children in need around the world through one-on-one sponsorships. Compassion’s programs help release children from poverty and enable them to become responsible, fulfilled adults. They offer educational opportunities, health care and health-related instruction, nutrition, life-skills training, social activity, and spiritual growth. Compassion was founded in 1952 and now serves over 1 million children in 26 countries around the world. The organization is also involved in other critical areas of need including, but not limited to, disease prevention, fighting hunger, clean water projects, disaster relief, HIV/AIDS initiatives, and the global food crisis. You can check out more at www.compassion.com.

3. What exactly is your role with Compassion?

I am essentially artist and radio relations for the Country format. I am currently educating and forming relationships with artists and radio stations that are interested in partnering with Compassion on a world-wide basis. I will then be the Country point person for those artists and stations for strategic planning and implementation.

4. Compassion International has been pretty visible in the Christian music format for a while now, correct? What made the company decide to move into the Country format as well?

It just feels like a natural progression. The two formats share an enormous amount of listeners, target demos, and there is a foundational element of Faith in our format. Country artists, radio, listeners, and fans have huge hearts as well and there is incredible opportunity to make an impact on children around the world while letting our format shine beyond our preconceived borders and notions. The bottom line though is that I believe Country music can have a life changing impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of children around the globe.

5. You have been working this job for about six months now, what has the response been from the Country music community?

I am thrilled at the response and the interest. There are so many artists, radio stations, and industry professionals that are looking to connect with an organization who is involved with fighting extreme poverty and where they can make a direct impact on a child in need. Sometimes it is difficult to know what organization to support and identify where the money is actually going. But when they see how Compassion does not indiscriminately throw money at a problem, but through direct one-on-one sponsorships is lifting kids and families out of deep poverty, it gives them an opportunity to see that the monthly contribution from the sponsor is truly helping their specific child. It also is a plus that Compassion has a 30+ year history in the music industry and knows how to build relationships and connect the dots. That’s huge.

6. You recently had the opportunity to visit El Salvador with Valory Music Co. group Emerson Drive. Tell us about that experience.

Compassion actively takes artists and radio folks who are interested in a partnership on actual trips. Typically a 3-4 day journey to Central or South America, although Africa and India are possible for those who want to dive into at least a week-long trip. Spence Smith (Compassion artist rep) and I were excited to take the Emerson Drive guys down to Central America to get a first hand experience of what Compassion is all about and see the work they do. We visited a few of the 150 Compassion programs within the heart of the communities in El Salvador. We met the children, staff, volunteers, and the families of some of the kids. The band also had the opportunity to walk the streets and visit the homes of families in these impoverished communities who live in the midst of brutal circumstances that we in the States cannot imagine. Since I was already friends with the guys in the band, I knew they had big hearts, but seeing all of this with their own eyes really made it hit home. They can now communicate what they have experienced, what Compassion actively does to change lives, and how people can get involved.

7. How can radio stations and Country artists partner with Compassion?

There are a number of ways artists can partner through incentive programs, fan clubs, social networking, live shows, CD inserts, text campaigns, and countless other relevant ways. Radio had the opportunity to partner through special events as KKGO/Los Angeles did last September. Compassion has worked with over 350 radio stations in various campaigns and combined that experience with the passion of PD Tonya Campos to set up a full day radiothon to help find sponsors for waiting children. Tonya took a trip to Nicaragua where she met her own sponsored child and also recorded video and audio content for the event. See some of that here.  The results were so successful and powerful that they have booked another radiothon for this fall. Compassion provides a detailed turn-key tool kit and also is willing to offer extra revenue and compensation opportunities for participating stations. It’s a complete win for everyone involved. It’s also a very flexible model for each individual station based on their market and needs. Other opportunities could involve active web content to not only drive traffic to the site, but also generate non-traditional revenue.

8. I know you have been involved with Compassion for quite some time as a sponsor, but what made you want to take that step and work for the company?  You must have had a strong belief in the company and in the people involved in Country music to make the change.

I have sponsored a child from Brazil for 6 years. During that time we have written to one another and sent photos back and forth. She draws and colors pictures for me that I can hang up in the house. When I look at her photo I know that my monthly donation is going to help her get an education, medical attention, nutrition, and social and spiritual development. Things she would never have without my help. I’ve seen so many examples of kids who came into the program with no hope of life to graduating high school and college. I investigated how Compassion operates and how consistently high it is rated with the charity watchdog groups. Plus having artists I know and respect giving their support was a factor as well. When I started talking with the people at Compassion about the potential move into Country I wanted to help out however I could. I believe in this amazing organization more than I have believed in any record I have worked. I love the music industry and this community, but I also was at a place where I desired to make an impact on lives of those in severe poverty and suffering. I’ve never seen an organization do it better than Compassion.

9. What exciting things do you have coming up with Compassion within the Country music community in the near future?

Many ideas and plans are in the works. Obviously taking artists and radio who are interested in partnering with Compassion on trips to see first hand the work Compassion does. We are taking the model that is working successfully for KKGO and calling on other stations to join in this worldwide impact of children and families. There are artists who are excited about partnering with Compassion and we are talking with them about how they want to be involved since the possibilities are endless. Compassion is excellent at the aspect of relationship and helping to design something that works for each music industry partner.

10. If you could pick any artist in Country music involved with Compassion, who would you chose?

Obviously I would love to have any artist that has a heart for this and is interested in what Compassion is doing. Each and every artist has something special to offer through their music, personality, passion, and experience. For obvious reasons artists like Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, and Taylor Swift come to mind. Their fan base alone could make an unimaginable impact on the lives of tens of thousands of children in deep poverty. Country radio has that same enormous potential.

Bonus Questions

1. To go from record label promotion person to working for a non-profit Christian agency must be quite a leap. What skills that you learned as a promo guy have come in handy in your new job?

It may appear to be a leap from the surface, but I’m still the same person. I came into this business because I had a passion for artists and music, not necessarily to be a label rep. That passion continues even stronger today as I combine it with a purpose to be involved in something relevant that positively impacts and transforms lives.

2. You have been on two Compassion trips now, right? Where have you been and where are you planning to go next?

I traveled to Honduras in February, El Salvador in March, and Ghana is in the works for August. Guatemala has just been confirmed for September 3-6 with Tonya Campos, Carter’s Chord, Megan Mullins, and any other radio station or artist that is interested in exploring a partnership. Africa is being tossed around for December as well. We are also open to designing trips around artist’s schedules who are sincerely interested in making the journey. Any takers? It will blow you away.

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Taking Care of Your Fans

In the music business I’ve heard it said you will see artists at Fan Fair (or visiting radio) on their way up and then on their way down. Rarely in between when they are a superstar or at the top of their game.

One of the few exceptions to that rule is Garth Brooks. He is the true artist for the fan and that was never portrayed more than at Fan Fair 1996 when he signed autographs and took photos with fans for 23 hours straight without a break.

You may call it a brilliant PR or marketing ploy, but the bottom line is that he took care of his fans first and foremost and they rewarded him for it.

Here’s a short video of the master at work:

In the Final Words of Radio and Records…..

Radio & Records Closes Doors

It’s The End Of An Era

By R&R Staff

The current state of affairs has left The Nielsen Company with no other alternative but to immediately cease all services, products and events related to Radio & Records. The magazine’s final edition is the June 5 issue. Electronic products end today, the Web site will be taken offline soon.

R&R Editorial Director/Associate Publisher Cyndee Maxwell stated, “Everyone on this team has worked extremely hard to fulfill the vision of Radio & Records, and everyone can hold their heads high on this very sad day. We had a highly talented group of people that always worked hard and gave it their best — especially in the recent past. I deeply regret that this day has come. The good news for some other companies out there is that we have many fantastic people who are now available to put their excellent talents, abilities and skills to work for someone else.”

>FULL STORY HERE including R&R history timeline

EMI-WMG Finally Set for the Merge?

From Music Row by David Ross:

What do Clear Channel and Terra Firma have in common? They both purchased assets that have declined greatly in value and as a result are struggling to satisfy debt loads that are difficult to support given the current business climate.

Terra Firma, which purchased EMI two years ago for $4.7 billion is under stress to help the music company meet some of its covenant debt obligations. If EMI is unable to meet those obligations, then Citigroup, which controls the $5 billion debt load could move EMI into bankruptcy.

On the other hand, Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman has just successfully managed to restructure his company’s debt through a very smoothly and successfully orchestrated bond offering which raised $1.1 billion thereby putting WMG in a more flexible position with regard to acquisitions.

According to the New York Post, this important change in WMG’s balance sheet could mean that a merger with EMI, a long talked about marriage—yet to be consumated, might actually have stronger than ever odds of success. “An EMI-WMG merger has always made sense, and with WMG’s newly strengthened balance sheet and the lights dimming on EMI, the stage may finally be set for a merger,” Pali Research analyst Richard Greenfield commented last week.

Directional Assistance

all photos ©mikeseverson 2009

I’ve taken many images lately of street markers, arrows, signs, and cross walks.  It’s interesting the subject matter the eye picks up at different points in life.

Irving Azoff And The “De-Monetization” Of The Music Industry

The following article from Business Week is a very telling sign. Is there any reason not to believe that artist management is now in the drivers seat for the music industry?  A place where 360 deals are a natural part of the entertainment landscape and where the business of touring and sponsorships can thrive.  All that will be left for some of them to add is in house promotion/marketing/new media. Then once the current artist deals are fulfilled at labels, look out.

Posted by: Jon Fine

TicketMaster Entertainment CEO Irving Azoff, appearing at News Corp’s annual All Things Digital conference in Carlsbad, California, proved an interesting and free-speaking interviewee. Although, churlish as it may be, he was much more interesting and free-speaking about the macroeconomics of the music industry than on the specifics of his company—and its proposed merger with LiveNation Inc.—and the criticisms lobbed at it. (I’ve hit one such lob myself.)

“Recorded music is more a marketing tool than a revenue source” for acts now, said Azoff, who also still manages the likes of The Eagles, Neil Diamond, and Christina Aguilera. His storied career, and well-earned reputation as one of the fiercest and savviest managers in the business, took flight with the Eagles, back in the Seventies when both Azoff and his artists were significantly more mustachioed and bushy-haired than they are today.

They also had a much easier time making a dollar back then. Today,“recorded music is down to less than 6%” of major musical acts’ revenues, he divulged. To put this in its proper perspective, consider that such income once was such acts’ “biggest revenue source,” he added.

Much of what Azoff said pointed to a view of music revolving around the live music experience. This, obviously, plays into his wheelhouse as one overseeing business interests so dependent on concerts. Still, his logic is convincing, and the examples he cited concerning what he called the “demonetization” of the music business were striking.

Artists walk in to his office, Azoff said, “who used to make $300,000 to $500,000 a year in royalties [from selling recordings]. And now that’s diminished to less than $50,000” a year. This means, unsurprisingly, “the creative side” of the music business is “very anxious” about the changes that have swept this landscape.

His answer, as cringe-inducing is it may be to artistic types uncomfortable with the ways of business, is understanding the branding and promotional value of music. He cited new deals like his client Aguilera working with Procter and Gamble to launch a line of fragrances.

A glimmer of hope for his old-school artists: While Azoff said CD sales have been declining alarmingly, and especially back-catalog CD sales, that business “appears to be bottoming out.” And, he added, “I don’t think the CD will go away totally.”

Compare all this candor to the following exchange regarding TicketMaster and its proposed merger with LiveNation:

Interviewer Kara Swisher: How do you answer criticisms that [the merger] creates this behemoth.
Azoff: We think everything we do revolves around what’s good fir the artist and what’s good for the fan.

As Swisher pointed out, songwriter-cum-secular-saint Bruce Springsteen, among others, strongly objects to this view. But Azoff said that Springsteen was “uninformed” about what his company did.

Seth Godin Tribes Video

During Country Radio Seminar Seth Godin was the keynote speaker and had much to say on the future of marketing and social media.  In another recent presentation to TED, Seth argues the that the Internet has ended mass marketing and revived a human social unit from the distant past: tribes. Founded on shared ideas and values, tribes give ordinary people the power to lead and make big change. He urges us to do so.

Guest Blogger – Shaun Groves “If the Music Business Dies”

Artist Shaun Groves posted this piece on his web site blog.  It’s some good stuff that every artist needs to read and understand.  I appreciate him allowing me to re-post.

The management company that represented icons Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant for ages just folded.

The Gospel Music Association is letting people go.

Their Gospel Music Week was a ghost town this April, with major artists no longer taking a break from touring to participate in it.

Speaking of tours – they’re losing money – big money – which means production companies are going down too.

Some say technology will save the day.  Lots of artists are going on-line to blogs, twitter, facebook, etc because of this optimism. But this new technology is not the magic bullet some claim it to be.  The bullet that works best hasn’t changed – it’s just changed hands.

The music business is about relationship. And now it’s the artist’s turn to have one.

Success in the music business once hinged on only a handful of relationships: a publicist and a magazine, a salesman and a bookstore, a radio promoter and a radio station, a booking guy and a promoter, an artist and a manager, a writer and a publisher.  If all these relationships were working, if all parties’ interests were respected and pursued, if no personalities collided to the point of impeding progress, then the project or artist they were tied to would succeed (from a business standpoint.)

Relationship is still king.

Starting a blog, hopping on Twitter, launching a Facebook fan page – these are not cure-alls because they aren’t a relationship any more than buying a basketball is spending quality time with my son.

These technologies can foster relationships.  But not without a lot of personal investment and intentionality from an artist.

This is a big shift in thinking for artists, especially at the top levels of this industry.  Artists aren’t accustomed to being so accessible, accountable and out of control.  Artists are accustomed to being in front of audiences that care about what they do, audiences they know are fans and they keep in the seats for a couple hours by charging a ticket price.  But on-line, where spending time with an artist is free, anybody can wander into the crowd, boo, change the subject, or walk out.  And they will.

Also, artists are used to hiring people to handle their relationships for them.  That’s at least 90% of what a manager does.  Labels congratulate and critique through a manager, for instance, who adds his own diplomatic spin to every word so the artist’s feelings aren’t hurt and the relationship is preserved. Not so on-line.  Someone can be hired to hit the “publish” button on a blog post that gets e-mailed over, invite people to a Facebook event and even write to people for an artist and signed their name (it happens), but no one can convincingly be the artist every day in post after post or interact with commenters regularly.  Artists can’t hire anyone to be them 24/7 and the internet demands those kind of hours.

Lastly, labels are used to creating and maintaining the image of an artist: focussing and filtering, controlling who can and can’t have access, and how much, when and where. There’s one official bio and one fact sheet carefully crafted in a record company office and then parroted by every media outlet.  That’s not possible on-line.  And that’s distressing, fatal even, if an artist has nothing to say or, worse, has lots to say about things that don’t matter to anyone but them.  Hair products, high priced jeans and guitar pedals aren’t all that interesting to folks with real jobs. The public is now discovering through an artist’s blog what publicists have known for quite some time and expertly covered up: This guy’s just a singer.  And that’s no basis for a relationship.

If the music industry dies it won’t be because everything changed.  It will be because artists didn’t.  Artists today have to – no, we get to – do what the rest of the industry and human race has been doing for eons: We get to be real human beings spending time with other real human beings.  There’s no shortcut for that.

The Man was afraid to tell us artists this before: It was never about our music.  And it’s not about new technology now. It’s always been about people.  All that matters is.

Endangered Localism

My friend and writer extraordinaire Ken Tucker has a blog.  It’s one of my favorites, so you should check it out. About a month ago he posted this piece on the deconstruction of local radio and the move toward a national format.

I don’t know why I’m surprised, but I am, at least to some extent. None of the radio industry trades have offered any analysis of yesterday’s announcements by Clear Channel regarding “Premium Choice” programming (sounds like a satellite television menu offering) and increased attention to localism. Each and everyone of them pretty much reprinted the Clear Channel press releases intact.

I take that back. Tom Taylor on Radio-Info.com does seem to view the proceedings with more than a little skepticism. “Now it’s up to the local PDs (says Clear Channel) to select ‘large portions, single pieces or none of the offered programming’,” Taylor writes. “But if a particular daypart hasn’t measured up lately – do you really think the option would be ‘none’?”

The gist of the story is this: local programmers can select from a menu of “premium choice” programming options to fill their local line-up. Morning guy not working out? Plug in Ryan Seacrest. Afternoon guy’s ratings starting to fade? Plug in Seacrest (his show apparently fits almost anywhere).

Now, I’m not a Clear Channel hater. I never have been. I have friends that work for the company and there are things I admire about it. These initiatives are not among them.

Call me old fashioned and out of touch, but when I was a teen I remember driving with a group of friends to downtown Cleveland to see the Sunday night jock on WGCL (G98) do his show through a window that faced the street. He wasn’t particularly friendly, but he was there.

I also remember calling in a request to Dancin’ Danny Wright, the morning man on that same station, and then listening for him to play it back on-air.

Not any more.

These days the country station in Cleveland, WGAR, only has two local dayparts, mornings and afternoons. Middays and nights are voice tracked out of Baltimore and overnights are syndicated. Cleveland, Ohio. Not Cleveland, Tenn.

CC is also increasing the number of PSAs stations do and making it easier for local officials to reach station management. Go figure.

Dan Miller, a longtime local television anchor here in Nashville, recently died suddenly. Thousands of viewers in the area are still mourning his loss because they saw him as a trusted friend—someone who came into their house every night. Competing stations ran stories about him, and two of those stations even covered news and answered the phones at his former station while his colleagues attended his funeral.

That’s localism.  A couple more PSAs on a radio station with a few, if any, local talent is not the same thing.

I just don’t get how radio station owners can continue to fight calls for localism regulation from Capitol Hill and turn stations into satellite operations.

Gerry House on WSIX has built a large and loyal following and when the day comes that he dies (hopefully no time soon), he will be remembered in the same way as Miller: a trusted friend who was a part of our lives.Then what? The country version of Seacrest syndicated from Tampa or somewhere else?

It won’t be the same.

“PLAIN SPEAK”: A blog that aims to communicate without trying to impress. Risible, egregious, pedantic, hubris, multifarious? You won’t find those words here, unless they’re used in jest. Never use a five dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do the job.

Guest Blogger: Joel Burke

Where do I go from here?

By Joel Burke

www.joelcburke.com

Over the past few months in talking with people, I have heard countless times, “Where do I go from here? For some, it’s because of their own choices, but mostly it’s due to circumstances out of their control like a job loss, a family tragedy or a relationship that ended bitterly. Well, there is no perfect answer or a quick fix, but I have come up with a few suggestions that might help you or someone you know that is going through painful time.

Change Your Attitude: You might not be able to instantly change your circumstances, but you can certainly change and control attitude. Once you get over the surprise and the pain of what has happened, you must look forward to what is next and not look back in regret. It takes guts to get out of a rut.

Change Your Relationships: If you have friends around you that are needy or negative whether it’s sunny or raining, you should consider either putting some distance from those people or even totally shutting them off. Look for people who are going to lift you up, not bring you down. Also, it could be time to change or renew your relationship with GOD.

Change Your Scenery: It could be a temporary trip to place you have always wanted to visit or could be a permanent move. Someone shared with me recently that after a tragic event that they actually moved to another city. For this person, there were too many memories that brought out too much pain. Some people might call that running away from the problem, but I would call it a fresh start.

Change Your Calling/Career: What could easily cause you to plunge to the bottom of the lake might actually launch you to a mountaintop that you could have never imaged. All of us should frequently evaluate whether we are trying to live for success or significance. I believe that if you strive for significance, success will follow. During a time of transition and passage, you might come to realization that you need to do something different with your life.

I recently thought of a song recently I haven’t heard in a long time. It came out in the early 80’s by Scott Wesley Brown called “He Will Carry You.” The first few lines are….

There is no problem to big… God cannot solve it.

There is no mountain to tall…God cannot move it.

There is no storm so dark…that God cannot calm it.

There is no sorrow so deep…God cannot soothe it.

One of the most frequent, yet important phrases in the Bible is “and it came to pass.” Tough times are only temporary yet it does require us to take inventory of “where do I go from here?” and make a possible change.

Country Weekly Feature on Emerson Drive Trip w/ Compassion

A feature article on Emerson Drive’s trip to El Salvador with Compassion International is in this weeks (May 18th) issue of Country Weekly, on newsstands now.  Check it out!

www.compassion.com

www.countryweekly.com

www.emersondrive.com

Musical Balancing Act

I was thinking about musical artists who are completely uncompromising in their art form, but are simultaneously trying to score big hits on the chart.  That’s a tough road to travel.  Decisions typically have to be made either to stick to your art for arts sake guns or target yourself commercially.  There are some rare and wonderful cases where art and commerce actually sync up and the artist can enjoy the best of both worlds.

I don’t believe in selling yourself out and compromising your music so much that the process of creating music and performing isn’t enjoyable any longer.  However, I also feel that if you’d really like to get out of the coffee house obscurity and have a desire to play the big houses, you need to lighten up and stop taking yourself so seriously.  It’s not rocket science or finding a cure for cancer.

Just like anything, you need balance.  Don’t sell your soul on one side, but don’t be a raging fundamentalist on the other.  Neither ends up being any fun.

The More Things Change….

The More They Stay the Same, Music Piracy Edition (from Techdirt):

Via Boing Boing comes this link to a NY Times article from 1897 (yes, you read that right, not 1987) about the struggle of the music industry against “pirates” (you can see the original via the NY Times site here). This really old article really does sound like pretty much any of the more recent news about music “pirates” except they’re talking about sheet music, rather than MP3 files. The fact that it focuses on Canadian copyright laws as the problem, again nearly perfectly mimics today’s claims from the recording industry. The article even talks about a recent conference held by industry members to create a committee to fight piracy. Basically, it’s the same exact story we see today — and the same bogus complaints. If the industry has shown one thing, it’s that it will consistently overreact to any new change in technology, claiming it’s some massive threat, rather than learn how to embrace it and turn it into an opportunity.

Clear Channel Cuts Round 2

From ALL ACCESS:

CLEAR CHANNEL has announced another major wave of staff reductions resulting in the loss of 590 positions, just over 3% of the company, focusing on positions in programming, on-air, engineering, information technology and business office posts such as accounting and customer service.

While on-air programming is part of this reduction, it’s not the majority of it, even though they are the majority of names we have that are out. Those positions will be filled with a combination of syndication and premium choice programming.

This second wave of restructuring follows the initial downsizing that was the result of a comprehensive analysis by the folks at BAIN, which began on JANUARY 20th with the loss of approximately 1,850 positions, which was 9% of the workforce (NET NEWS 1/20). This brings the total of eliminated positions to about 2,440, or 12% off of DECEMBER 2008 staffing levels.

More at www.allaccess.com.

Jeff Foxworthy’s Daughter Helps to Save Lives

Jeff Foxworthy’s Daughter Helps Save Children from the Ravages of Malaria

Laughter is a way of life for the Jeff Foxworthy family, but after a visit to Africa by his now 17-year-old daughter Jordan, the Foxworthy’s dinner table conversations became deadly serious.

During her trip to Kenya three years ago, a then 14-year-old Jordan saw first-hand the devastation caused by malaria, a preventable, curable disease that kills more African children than does HIV/AIDS.  With the support of her parents, she decided to bite back against the mosquitoes that typically carry malaria.

Jordan teamed up with Colorado-based Compassion International to develop the BiteBack Campaign, an initiative that raises money and awareness for the fight against malaria.  Mobilizing an army of young people, the BiteBack Campaign challenges teens to donate $10 to purchase a mosquito net that could save the life of a child at risk for contracting malaria.  To date, Jordan’s efforts have raised nearly half a million dollars for the BiteBack campaign.

“We can’t sit back and wait for someone to fix this.  We are the ‘someones’ who need to fix this,“ said Jordan, a high school junior in Atlanta.  “I believe that giving $10 to buy a mosquito net is a tangible and affordable way for kids in the United States to help make a difference in the lives of needy kids around the world.”

Jordan is using a number of strategies to raise support for the campaign.  At her urging, her Atlanta-area school has taken on BiteBack as its fundraising project.  Jordan also enlisted local restaurants to host BiteBack Nights, where a portion of the evening’s sales were donated to the campaign.  She is also using a Facebook group page to help get the word out.  In recognition of her efforts, Jordan was invited by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to participate as a panelist in their Compassion in Action roundtable last December.

“Jordan Foxworthy is showing us that even in these tough economic times, giving a little can have a big impact on a child living in poverty,” said Mark Hanlon, senior vice president of Compassion International.

Compassion International tackles unforeseen barriers to a child’s healthy development-including widespread health epidemics such as malaria.  Compassion’s Malaria Intervention Program provides mosquito nets, malaria prevention education and access to medical treatment for children in malaria-affected areas.

Compassion International is the world’s largest Christian child development organization that permanently releases children from poverty.  Founded in 1952, Compassion successfully tackles global poverty one child at a time, serving more than 1 million children in 25 of the world’s poorest countries.  Recognizing that poverty is more than a lack of money, Compassion works holistically through local churches to address the individual physical, economic, educational and spiritual needs of children-enabling them to thrive, not just survive.  Charity Navigator, America’s largest charity evaluator, has awarded Compassion its highest rating-four stars-for seven consecutive years.

Nice Sales Week for Country

Rascal Flatts new album “Unstoppable” sold 351,000 in its initial week. It debuts at #1 in the Billboard Top 200 and is the trio’s fifth consecutive studio album to debut in the top five.  The most interesting number and the one we should be dissecting is the 58,000 copies that were sold digitally, making it the week’s #1 Digital Album. That is about 16% of total sales.

While retail and big box sales are critical today, the more important future strategy should be working on growing the 16% to catch up with the ever increasing numbers in total digital sales occurring within the industry.

Another interesting note is the rare occurrence that Country artists have debuted at #1 for two consecutive weeks (Keith Urban last week).  Jason Aldean also gets kudos for first week sales of his sophomore album at #4 in the Top 200 with 109,000 units sold.

So all news is not bad news, but the ACM’s, Swift, Urban, and Flatts have certainly help prop things up.

Radio Responds to the Global Food Crisis

Following is an example of one of the many ways Compassion International partners with radio and artists to help the most impoverished children and families around the world:

Nearly 1,000 Radio Stations Across the Country Join Forces with Compassion International in an Effort to Stamp Out Hunger Among the World’s Poorest

News of an economy in crisis did not stop tens of thousands of Americans from generously responding on March 11 to appeals from Compassion International and nearly 1,000 radio stations asking for help to feed the world’s poorest families during the Global Food Crisis.

From California to New York, radio stations flooded the air waves, designated as Global Food Crisis Awareness Day by Compassion, with one simple message:  “Thousands of children are dying needlessly of hunger every day, and you can do something about it.”  Some 27,000 listeners responded by giving $3.1 million-far exceeding the original goal of $1 million.  Some highlights of the day include the following:

• The Fish (Salem Broadcasting) in Nashville featured Point of Grace on air talking about the Global Food Crisis and asking listeners to help.
• A listener going through tough times shared that he is on food stamps.  Then through tears, talked about how hearing what millions of hungry people are going through opened his eyes to how much he has.  He pledged to donate half of his recent twenty-five dollar raise to help feed a child.
• A listener from Missouri called to say she wanted to share a portion of a settlement she received and pledged $60,000 to help the kids affected by the Global Food Crisis.
• A deli owner pledged to donate 100% of all cash profits on March 11.

“The way in which these stations and their supporters have answered the call to care for the poor is overwhelming,” said Wess Stafford, president and CEO of Compassion International.  “They have demonstrated the true meaning of the word compassion.”

Global Facts

* One person in seven goes to bed hungry every day.

* One-third of the world’s population is undernourished.

* There are 25,000 starvation-related deaths each day.

* Each night more than 300 million children go to bed hungry.

* Every day, over 12,000 children (one every 7 seconds) die from hunger-related causes.

* Approximately 146 million or 27 percent of children under age 5 in developing countries are underweight.

* Nearly 17 percent of babies in developing countries are born with a low birth weight compared with only 7 percent of babies in industrialized countries.

* More than 4.4 million children die from malnutrition each year.

* Worldwide, 161 million preschool children suffer chronic malnutrition.

Sources: www.one.org, www.bread.org, www.unicef.org, www.who.int, www.unep.org

Increase your chances of finding a job

I’m always curious at strategies aimed at finding the work one loves to do.  Desired careers don’t typically just fall on your lap.  You have to identify what it is you want to do, pursue that work on your own, or find the companies that are involved in it.  If you are looking to join a company there will be tough competition.  You must make yourself stand out from the pack and that is the subject of a recent post from Dan Miller.  How can you give yourself a better statistical opportunity than everyone else in the running for a particular job?

Here is Dan Miller’s 48 Days Job Search Strategy:

• Identify 30-40 target companies.
• Send a letter of introduction to each company.
• Send cover letter and resume — one week after letter of introduction.
• Phone call to follow up. Very important. My experience is that only about 1-2% of job-hunters do this.

It is very easy to bring your name to the top of the list if you just do a follow up call. Don’t be afraid of being persistent! Keep in mind that if you just send cover letters and resumes (#3), you need to send out 254 to have a statistical chance of getting a job offer. If you combine that with a phone call, the number drops to 1 out of 15, a dramatic difference. Add to that an introduction letter and the results will amaze you. This is a SELLING process. We use a 3 time repetitive process because of understanding marketing principles. If you are selling recliners, having someone see or hear about them 3 times will increase their response. In this process you are selling a product, and that product is YOU! Just commit to the process and a time line.

Full process outlined in 48 Days to the Work You Love.

Booking Shows the Social Media Way

Although not utilized as much as they should be, house concerts are nothing new to the creative touring of new or emerging artists.  What is new is using Twitter to facilitate the set up and booking of a house-concert-based, social-media-driven tour.

An artist from the UK is helping to re-invent the tour business by “sustainable, people-centered, low-impact, high-value touring”.  Is this the future of gigs?

Find all the details HERE.

Engaging Fans

I have posted articles and comments about how the artist should be engaging their fans more because of the simple fact that they can. With all of the technology and creative ideas that are spawning from it, artists, managers, and labels should be working together with fans on new levels.  Fortunately a few Country artists are diving the new world of marketing and innovation, but Nashville has a long way to go.

Brian Mansfield has written a great piece on this subject:

“Music fans pitch in to design covers, back CDs, map tours“

Can Free Music and Profits Coexist?

A recent article from The Tennessean:

Sarah Sidwell, a 19-year-old freshman at Belmont University, loves listening to music but doesn’t buy it that often. Instead, she listens to top artists on Pandora, a free online radio station that she customizes to play her favorite songs.

It’s a phenomenon adding to the overall decline in music buying and even the legal and illegal downloading of tunes, according to New York-based NPD Group, a research firm. Instead of buying music, many consumers stream it online without ever opening their wallets to pay artists or record labels for their work.

With tens of millions of dollars in revenue at risk, music labels and musicians in Nashville have been scrambling to find new ways to make money at a time when sales are shrinking and digital downloads haven’t managed to fill the gap.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that more music is becoming available for free.

“Just as music piracy and the advent of digital music ended the primacy of the CD, we are beginning to see new forms of listening challenge the practice of paying for music,” said Russ Crupnick, NPD’s vice president and senior industry analyst.

Teen and young adult consumers increasingly stream their favorite artists on MySpace pages, listen to music over online radio while doing homework or preview an artist’s CD via an online music service before the album’s release date — all without paying a penny.

“The need to buy has diminished because (music) is so accessible,” said Heather McBee, vice president of digital business at Sony Music Nashville.

Web offers samples

Virtually all record companies and artists are trying to target music fans more aggressively on the Web.

For example, country music star Keith Urban is marketing his album Defying Gravity, which hits stores Tuesday, using iLike, an online service that lets users tell friends what music they like and track concert dates.

Since March 17, Urban has exclusively revealed a song off his album each day, along with a video explaining the song. Consumers can click on a link directing them to iTunes to purchase the song for 99 cents.

“We’re specialized for music,” said Ali Partovi, CEO of Seattle-based iLike, adding that his Web site is designed to drive sales. Partovi said even though his company is not yet profitable, about 60 percent to 70 percent of revenue comes from national brand advertising. He declined to provide annual revenues.

Urban has promoted past albums and tours on iLike. One benefit of using the Web site is it provides statistics for artists showing how many people streamed the album or checked out Urban’s profile, said Genevieve Jewell of Borman Entertainment, which works with Urban’s management.

ILike has a universal dashboard that pushes content out to other channels such as Facebook, Orkut or Ask.com, allowing Urban to reach more fans than the average social networking site can reach on its own, Jewell said in an e-mail.

“It’s hard to exactly pinpoint how successful this campaign will end up being, but I think the percentage of sales that end up being digital will be a good way to measure the success,” Jewell said.

2009 ACM Award Winners

The Academy of Country Music Awards were held last evening in Las Vegas.  The show is always jam packed with performances which makes for a very entertaining and fast paced evening.  The one problem the ACM’s had this year, besides technical issues, was allowing fans to vote for the Entertainer of the Year trophy.  The ACM is a professional country music trade organization and the awards are voted on by members of the industry in all spectrums of the business.  To take the pinnacle award of the evening and leave it to be voted on by fan clubs and left to mainstream popularity devalues what the ACM is all about. 

I’m not saying industry voting isn’t without its own problems of integrity, but opening it up more to the general public allows the show to slip into the fluffy abyss of the American Idol or the People’s Choice Awards.

Having said that, I am totally in favor for fans voting on an award.  I think it is critical to have them participate in the process and drive web traffic and television ratings.  The fans are obviously important to sales and the growth of our format, but if they must have a say in the process, I believe a separate “fan” category should be implemented. 

I’m not making judgement on any other artists, but let me just say that Keith Urban out entertains them all.  In my own opinion of course.

The complete winners of the 2009 ACM Awards:

• Entertainment of the Year: Carrie Underwood
• Song of the Year: Jamey Johnson – “In Color”
• Single Record of the Year: Trace Adkins – “You’re Gonna Miss This”
• Album of the Year: Taylor Swift – “Fearless”
• Top Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley
• Top Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood
• Top Vocal Duo: Sugarland
• Top Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts
• Top New Artist: Julianne Hough
• Top New Male Vocalist: Jake Owen
• Top New Female Vocalist: Julianne Hough
• Top New Vocal Duo or Group: Zac Brown Band
• Video of the Year: Brad Paisley – “Waitin’ on a Woman”
• Vocal Event of the Year: Brad Paisley and Keith Urban – “Start a Band”
• Artist of the Decade: George Strait
• Milestone Awards go to Taylor Swift and Jennifer Nettles.
  

ACM Awards 2009

The 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards are being held in Las Vegas on Sunday night, April 5th at the MGM Grand.   

I know my artist, radio, and industry friends are having a large time in Vegas and are preparing for the big night, but mostly looking forward to the after parties.  This I know for sure.

As we prepare to discover the winners, here are a few ACM tidbits in advance…..

Presenters announced for the show include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jack Ingram, Martina McBride, Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Miller, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton will present at this year’s show.

Brad Paisley won in his fourth ACM Video of the Year award for “Waitin’ On A Woman.” Paisley also nabbed his third Vocal Event of the Year trophy for his guitar-dueling duet with Keith Urban, “Start A Band.”  These two awards were announced recently and will be handed out at the show.

Merle Haggard, Harlan Howard, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Hank Williams Jr., David Young and Beer For My Horseshave been selected to receive Academy of Country Music Special Awards this year, which are voted on by the ACM Board of Directors and are only awarded during years when the Board of Directors feels there are clear and deserving candidates.

Fan voting for both the ACM Entertainer of the Year and Top New Artist is now live at www.VoteACM.com. Visit today to cast your ballot, then watch on Sunday, April 5 on CBS to see who takes home the trophies!

 Julianne Hough, Jake Owen and Zac Brown Band have been named Top New Female Vocalist, Top New Male Vocalist and Top New Vocal Duo or Group, respectively.  The three winners are now considered nominees for the Top New Artist award.  VOTE NOW!

The multi-talented Reba McEntire will host the live broadcast and will mark McEntire’s 11th time as host. She says the ACM Awards hold a special place in her heart.  “It was my first award show that I was nominated for in 1981, the Top New Female Vocalist of the Year,” Reba recalls. “I didn’t win it-Terri Gibbs got it that year–but I was nominated! It holds lots of great memories for me.

Press: Emerson Drive Returns from Trip to El Salvador with Compassion International

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Splash! Public Relations
Phone: (615) 321-1383
E-Mail: vanessadavis@splashpublicity.com
Emerson Drive Returns From Trip to El Salvador With Compassion International

The Valory Music Co./Midas Records artists, Emerson Drive traveled to San Salvador, El Salvador March 23-26 where they were privileged to visit with the children and their families who benefit from the services provided by Compassion International to help them achieve a better life for themselves. The band was given the rare opportunity to see first hand the work of this incredible organization and learn more about Compassion’s cause and help spread its message of hope to the impoverished nations of the world.

“We were completely amazed by the incredible work that Compassion International is able to accomplish in the different parts of the world that are poverty stricken. Those who do the field work, have dedicated their lives to making this program succeed for each child that has a sponsor,” states lead vocalist Brad Mates. “I can not say enough about the smiles and tears that the families we visited, had for the Compassion staff who make such a huge difference in the day to day lives of the sponsored kids. We believe 110% in Compassion. We were fortunate enough to see what goes on first hand with their organization when we visited El Salvador, and we are anxious to continue our support of Compassion and their programs in the years to come.”

The band is now the planning stages for how they can carry the message for Compassion International and share it with country music fans.

Compassion International was founded on the belief that changing childrens’ lives by helping them overcome poverty can empower them to go forward and ultimately change their communities and nations. According to statistics, of the world’s 6.3 billion people, nearly 30 percent are under the age of 15. In most developing countries, children comprise half of the population, yet almost 11 million children each year – about 30,000 a day – die before reaching their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes. Compassion strives to influence a child’s life at the earliest stages possible, and support the child’s development through young adulthood. Those interested in finding out more about Compassion’s partnership with Country music can visit www.compassion.com/country.

Emerson Drive’s newest CD, BELIEVE, will be released later this summer. For more information about the band and to see photos from their trip to El Salvador, log on to www.emersondrive.com or visit www.myspace.com/emersondrive.

El Salvador with Emerson Drive

The Compassion International trip to El Salvador was another amazing and overwhelming view into the lives of children and families being impacted and changed.  Emerson Drive had the opportunity to see it all first hand and bring smiles to the faces of hundreds of kids.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The first Compassion project we visited was just outside of San Salvador in the forested communities of  Reparto Santa Elana and San Martin.  Upon our arrival we were greeted by all of the children who were in lines on each side of us.  As we walked down the middle between them, they were singing, clapping their hands, giving us hugs, and shaking our hands.  It is something evident in each Compassion project I have visited – the anticipation and joy they have in making us feel welcome.  They love to have visitors and do all they can to bring smiles to our faces even though we are there for them. 

The kids performed a presentation for us full of music and dancing.  We then broke off into three groups for an hour or so where all of us played soccer, worked on art projects, or sang songs.  I tried to get involved with all three at different times.  The boys and girls were so incredible.  We then served them lunch, took a group photo, and said our goodbyes.  Hugs of course too.

Following the visit to the Compassion project, our travel group took a walk to one of the homes in the neighborhood.  A single mom and her five children, two of which were in the project we visitied.  The photos below communicate their circumstances better than I could in writing.  This was a home of deep rooted poverty, but Compassion was helping provide food, education, activities, and medical care to the entire family.  This in turn brings hope…..and the hope a future. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second project visit day was in the Pacific Coast community of Puerto de La Libertad, home to approximately 40,000 residents.   When the bus pulled up outside of this Compassion project we could hear the children singing and clapping inside the auditorium.  They were ready for us.  The Emerson Drive guys walked in and it was like they were at a sold out show as the crowd of kids exploded in cheers.  They weren’t cheering because they knew anything about the band or country music.  They just knew that people with Compassion were there to meet them and to visit their project.  They were honoring us exactly like the other projects do and it overwhelms.

 

The first thing these kids did for us was set up a band on stage.  Singers, guitars, drums, keyboard….the works.  They then proceeded to play several songs and commence church.  It was a moving display of their appreciation for us and their devotion to God.  Authentic and undefiled.

Our crew then visited each classroom where the children were participating – computer, cosmotology, educational classes, music, and seemstressing.  Compassion not only provides school resources and instruction, but gives the kids an opportunity to learn a trade in the event they don’t make it to college.  In either case a way out of poverty and incredibly difficult circumstances.  It also keeps them off very dangerous gang filled streets where the influence to join is strong.

 

Our visit to families in their homes followed and we saw more of the same suffering.  Severely impoverished neighborhoods with families living in one or two rooms.  One of the homes consisted of three families in three rooms.  Multiple children in one bed with their parent(s) in another.  No running water, open sewage in streams and ditches, and unreliable electricity.  Also the constant fear of brutal gang activity in their communities.

In each of the home visits we asked the children if they had the letters their Compassion sponsor has written them and they knew right where the papers were.  With smiles on their faces they proudly retrieve them from safe keeping and show us the letters and photos of the individual or family that sponsors them.  It is a relationship they cherish and are thankful for because they know it is because of their sponsors support that they are able to attend the Compassion project.  The one place they can dream about what they want to be when they grow up, to get a healthy meal, and find the support they need in critical areas of their young lives.

The emotions stay ripe and fluctuate between the harshness of poverty and the joys of hope.  Not only being present to see it, but to smell, taste, touch, and hear what these children and families experience on a daily basis.  And the holistic way in which Compassion International works within countries, communities, and churches to lift children out of poverty and give them the real opportunity to break the cycle and thrive.  To help them attain a high school and, in some cases, a college education.  Something they and their families would never have dreamed possible.

This is what we saw and the results will reverberate.  There will be a story about Emerson Drive’s experience in a forthcoming issue of Country Weekly.  They will also be talking about it in the weeks and months to come because these are things we are compelled to tell.  I look forward to partnering with the guys from the band.  They have big hearts and are great men to know, not to mention incredibly talented artists.

 

We will have more news soon about artists who are partnering with Compassion in various ways.  Country music is full of artists and professionals who love to help local charities, but also see the big picture when it comes to a world in critical need.  I continue to look forward with passion to help align those with a desire to help to having a genuine life changing impact on child.

 

For more photos of the trip please go to HERE.

What Real Hope Looks Like

Tired of hearing the fear, doom and gloom that’s filling the airwaves? Join Dave Ramsey for an intimate, nationwide town hall meeting and discover what’s happening with the economy, how we got here, and where we’re going. Plus, Dave will answer your questions live throughout the event!

Join Dave for this free event April 23 at 8:00 p.m. EDT in one of the thousands of venues across the country as we stand together to reignite the fire of hope!  Not a false hope in government, but an active hope in ourselves and each other.

www.townhallforhope.com

Processing the Week

Stories and information about the week in El Salvador is forthcoming, but in the meantime, an album of photos is posted online.  Go here to check out just some of the images taken during the week.  Country Weekly will be running a story on the journey and several other things are in the works. 

The guys from Emerson Drive have big hearts and it was evident during this journey.  They personally witnessed how successfully Compassion is directly impacting the lives of children in dire circumstances and allowing them to break the cycle of deep poverty in their lives.  Country music has the incredible opportunity to save thousands and thousands of lives and give hope where there once was none. www.compassion.com/country

This is just the beginning.

From Country to El Salvador

Myself, Spence Smith from Compassion, a film crew, a photographer from Country Weekly, and the the guys from Emerson Drive are on the way to San Salvador, El Salvador for a trip with Compassion International. We have a busy itinerary for the next few days including visits to the Compassion office in the capital city, a tour of a couple Compassion projects, quality time with the sponsored children, and visiting the impoverished neighborhoods. I look forward to reporting back about our adventure. In the meantime, below are facts and figures about El Salvador found on the Compassion International web site. If you’d like to see more go here.

El Salvador	United States
Capital	San Salvador	Washington, D.C.
Population	7,066,403 (July 2008 estimate)	303,824,640 (July 2008 estimate)
Languages	Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)	English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)
Religion	Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)	Christian 78.5% (Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, other Christian 2.3%), Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
Literacy rateDefinition: Age 10 and over can read and write.	Male: 82.8%Female: 77.7% (2003 estimate)	Male: 99%Female: 99% (2003 estimate)
Percentage of population using improved drinking water sources	Urban: 94%Rural: 70% (2004 estimate)	Urban: 100%Rural: 100% (2004 estimate)
Percentage of population using adequate sanitation facilities	Urban: 77%Rural: 39% (2004 estimate)	Urban: 100%Rural: 100% (2004 estimate)
Climate	Tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands	Mostly temperate but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the Great Plains west of the Mississippi River and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are warmed occasionally in January and February by chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Percentage of population urbanized	60% (2006 estimate)	81% (2006 estimate)
Life expectancy	Male: 68.45 yearsFemale: 75.84 years (2008 estimate)	Male: 75.29 yearsFemale: 81.13 years (2008 estimate)
Under-5 mortality rate	25/1,000 (2006 estimate)	8/1,000 (2006 estimate)
GDP per capita	$6,000 (2007 estimate)	$45,800(2007 estimate)
Monetary unit	U.S. dollar (USD)	U.S. dollar (USD)
Number of people living with HIV/AIDS	29,000 (2003 estimate)	950,000 (2003 estimate)
Percentage of population living below $1 a day	19% (1995-2005 study)	Data not available

Sources for facts:The World Factbook, 2008; The State of the World’s Children, 2008

History

In 1821, El Salvador and the other Central American provinces declared their independence from Spain. When these provinces were joined with Mexico in early 1822, El Salvador resisted, insisting on autonomy for the Central American countries. In 1823, the United Provinces of Central America was formed of the five Central American states under Gen. Manuel Jose Arce. El Salvador became an independent republic when this federation was dissolved in 1838.

El Salvador’s early history as an independent state was marked by frequent revolutions. Following a deterioration in the country’s democratic institutions in the 1970s, a period of civil war followed from 1980-1992. More than 75,000 people are estimated to have died in the conflict. In January 1992, after prolonged negotiations, the opposing sides signed peace accords that ended the war, brought the military under civilian control and allowed the former guerrillas to form a legitimate political party and participate in elections.

During the 12-year civil war, human rights violations by both the government security forces and left-wing guerrillas were rampant. The accords established a Truth Commission under United Nations auspices to investigate the most serious cases. The commission reported its findings in 1993. It recommended that those identified as human rights violators be removed from all government and military posts and recommended judicial reforms. Thereafter, the Legislative Assembly granted amnesty for political crimes committed during the war. Among those freed were the Salvadoran Armed Forces (ESAF) officers convicted in the November 1989 Jesuit murders and the FMLN ex-combatants held for the 1991 murders of two U.S. servicemen.

More than 35,000 eligible beneficiaries from among the former guerrillas and soldiers who fought the war received land under the peace accord-mandated land transfer program, which ended in January 1997. The majority of them also have received agricultural credits. The international community, the Salvadoran government, the former rebels and the various financial institutions involved in the process continue to work closely together to deal with follow-up issues resulting from the program.

Elections in March 2004 were won by former broadcaster Tony Saca.

Education

The typical school year runs from January through November. Education is compulsory from ages 7 through 12. Schools in rural areas are inadequate in number, size and qualified staff.

El Salvador has already initiated major reforms of the secondary education system, which are designed to both substantially increase access and improve the quality of education offered while ensuring its relevance to a changing, technologically driven economy. However, a large number of children cannot attend secondary school because they need to work to support their families. According to the United Nations, more than 35 percent of Salvadoran children have to work. Their jobs include working on sugar and coffee plantations, in domestic services and as street vendors.

This reality is even more critical in the rural areas where the poverty level can be as high as 62 percent. Many of these families live on less than U.S.$1 a day and cannot afford daily food. In these areas, it is common to see children begin to work at 6 or 7 years old.

The education situation past secondary school is even less promising. According to El Salvador’s government statistics, only 5 percent of the population has a university-level degree. In El Salvador, a person who does not have a professional career cannot expect a good salary; even people with degrees are hired only for manual jobs that pay a minimum salary (U.S.$152 in the city and U.S.$80 in the rural areas). People who have no secondary education must work for less than the minimum salary.

Compassion in El Salvador

Compassion began working in El Salvador in 1977. Currently, more than 34,200 children participate in more than 150 child development centers. Compassion partners with churches to help them provide Salvadoran children with the opportunity to rise above their circumstances and become all God has created them to be.

Sound Off

The 9513 has a feature entitled “Your Take” which asks their readers particular questions regarding the country format.  Following is a sampling of the latest queries.  There are some interesting answers.

• What is country music? 
• What does your musical taste say about you?
• What makes a great country duo?
• The expantion of country.
• Visionary collaborations.

The Rise and Fall of Indies on Music Row

It is frustrating to see more friends losing jobs as the result of independent labels closing or “restructuring”.  It is even more maddening to hear the owners blame it on the economy when it is typically their own fault for having a rotten business model.

Just a few years ago indie labels in Nashville were showing extremely high promise and giving the majors solid competition on the charts.  More and more indies were opening up ready to be a part of a positive change on Music Row.  That utopian plan quickly faded.

Since then indie labels have been failing and falling.  Many reasons can be to blame, but I will focus on what I feel are the main fault lines.

First, independent labels have so much advantage over major labels in that they can be run lean and mean.  They can really focus on artist development and are able to be quick on the turnaround.  In theory, indies should be finding niches, innovative ways of doing business, and spurring creativity.   On the chance they have found a mass appeal act and music, the company should be prepared to go after it on the charts and at retail.  The problem is most of the indie labels are banking on home run after home run.  They are operating their label as if it were a major and at once losing the essence of what an indie label is all about and all it can become.  Innovation is stifled and creativity is wrecked.

Another illness of many indies is that the owner(s) will not allow the proper time for the business to function into profitable consistency.  This is due to a misconception that hits, stars, artist development, and piles of cash will happen overnight.  Hardly.  To give it the proper go the bankrollers need at least a five year commitment and should expect many ups and downs.  Mostly downs, but with the right players in place it can be successful.

That brings us to the next problem – the owner who hires a good group of people, but then can’t keep their hands off of the controls.  They bring on a team of professionals who have the experience and can get the job done, and then the owner suddenly knows everything there is to know about the music industry and will limit the potential of their staff.  Or the owner will hire his right hand person to become the label head who proceeds to do the same.  Or my personal favorite, the label is created so the owner or VP’s will get their songs cut, become the producer on all the projects, or so it will benefit their other businesses.  I’ve seen all of them in action.

In any case, the owner basically runs it into the ground by not having a clue about how a successful indie should be operated and managed.  It starts off being more of a hobby or a fun diversion, but what the owner doesn’t realize is that it is a tough business and nothing like the cake walk they naively presumed it would be. As the result of mismanagement, ignorance, and self-indulgence, there are a lot of good people without jobs who are looking to be a part of the new and next level.

Fortunately we have indie labels in Nashville that are getting it right or are on the correct path.  They are effectively utilizing new media, signing musically relevant acts AND pushing the envelope with talented niche or regional artists.  These indies are also engaging in creative partnerships and open to new business models.  They also see the importance of having a talented staff and encouraging those individuals to flourish in being successful and innovative.  These labels are in the minority however.

What once had incredible promise of changing the landscape of Music Row and country music has now squandered the opportunity of moving the business of music into the new world.  Instead they have preferred to stay in the old world where the wheels are coming off and the engine is breaking down. 

I commend those indies in Nashville that are doing it right, or the labels and entertainment companies in Texas, California, or anywhere else who see opportunity amidst the chaos that is the music business.  The aged model will always be around, but a fresh model is emerging and it can only be embraced by those coming into all of this with their eyes open and who have a creatively bold plan.

Emerson Drive Partners with Compassion International

Nashville, TN- The Valory Music Co./Midas Records artists Emerson Drive are teaming up with Compassion International for a trip to El Salvador with Compassion executives on March 23-26. 
 
“I am thrilled to have Emerson Drive join us on this trip to El Salvador and help build a significant partnership between country music and Compassion International.  I know first hand what incredible guys they are and believe this trip will not only be an important experience for the band, but will help give hope and a future to children in desperate poverty around the world,” says Mike Severson, Country Format Artist & Radio Relations for Compassion International.
 
Emerson Drive is the first country band to ever become involved with Compassion International and they are excited about the upcoming opportunity to learn more about Compassion’s mission to release children from poverty in developing countries around the globe.
 
“One of the best things that we get to do as entertainers is support great charity organizations like Compassion International,” states lead singer Brad Mates.  “This trip will give us a first hand look at life in third world countries and I have no doubt that it will leave a lasting impact on us individually and as a band. We’re excited about the partnership with Compassion and doing whatever we can to raise awareness about their child sponsorship program.”
 
While in El Salvador Emerson Drive will visit with Compassion staff on the ground as well as some of the children benefiting from the support of one-on-one sponsorships.  The band has invited photographers from Country Weekly and an independent film crew to accompany them on the trip to document their journey.  The footage gathered from the group’s visit will be utilized in a viral video campaign in conjunction with the song, “There’s My God,” a track that will be included on Emerson Drive’s upcoming album BELIEVE, due in stores later this year.
 
Emerson Drive continues to brainstorm with Compassion executives on additional opportunities to increase the number of child sponsors with hopes of involving their growing fan base and country radio.  The guys in the band hope that their involvement will garner more awareness about Compassion International as well as encourage people to sponsor a child or make a donation to this worthwhile organization.
 
Compassion International was founded on the belief that changing the lives of children in third world countries by providing them with the basic needs and education to help them overcome poverty will empower them and ultimately change their communities and nations.  According to statistics, of the world’s 6.3 billion people, nearly 30 percent are under the age of 15.  In most developing countries, children comprise half of the population, yet almost 11 million children each year – about 30,000 a day – die before reaching their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes.  Compassion strives to influence a child’s life at the earliest stages possible, and support the child’s development through young adulthood.  Those interested in finding out more about Compassion or how you can help can visit www.compassion.com.
 
For more information about the Emerson Drive and to see video clips from their life out on the road, which will include an episode from their El Salvador trip beginning in April, log on to www.emersondrive.com or visit www.myspace.com/emersondrive.

Jotting Down CRS Mental Notes

 A few noteworthy items from Country Radio Seminar:

Only one artist made me say “WHERE?!” when a friend saw him – Michael Martin Murphy.  A legendary and authentic artist.  How cool to see him there and shake his hand later in the day. 

I didn’t catch everything, but some of the performances I saw or music I heard knocked me out.  These artists should be all over the radio if they aren’t already:

• Lady Antebellum – the next superstars.
• Darius Rucker – we are fortunate to have him in the format.  What emotion and delivery.
• Randy Houser – first heard his album at last year’s CRS and still knocks me out.
• Little Big Town – they have upped their game bigtime, what a performance.
• Miranda Lambert – she fills a void and can bring it.
• Jamey Johnson – maybe a little over-hyped by the bandwagon of coolness that is Nashville, but he is worthy.
• Josh Turner – what a voice and doesn’t sound like anyone else in a format where too many guys sound the same.
• Emerson Drive – an album of great songs is on the horizon and these guys are the best at what they do.
• Joey + Rory – distinct, fun, and foundational country.  “Cheater” was a hit that most missed.
• Jessica Harp – the new single is okay, but if they get this right in the studio for the rest of the project, she will knock it out of the park on the radio.
• What did I miss????

The turkey and dressing label lunch is always the best.  The food that is.

Putting tech panels up against typical popular industry fodder and unimaginative entertaining fluff is not helpful for growth.

There was a time when the Bridge Bar was a great hang for industry  professionals and artists.  An artist could literally walk from one end to the other during the course of the night and and visit with radio on a more personal level.  The non-CRS crowd,  or the “townies” as I hear them called, grows every year and it is less enjoyable and useful for networking and connecting.  Those connected to the people, artists, or events going on during CRS should be the only ones in the room. I don’t blame the many aspiring artists and songwriters for seeing opportunity, but why are we here again?

CRS is an amazing place for small market radio to make connections and create beneficial relationships.

Next year I hope to see more “next level” tech panels. 

Post CRS Thoughts

The 40th Country Radio Seminar started off in encouraging style with Seth Godin giving an intelligent and rousing keynote.  He knows his stuff when it comes to the music and radio industries and he certainly knows how to engage in discussion about the future.  Mr. Godin also has a keen skill of inciting vision in those who wish to move from the broken model and into the new world.  A brilliant move by the CRS agenda committee to bring him in.

I was hopeful that spirit would continue on into the panels, but unfortunately what I witnessed only took us down familiar traveled roads and led us to a big “You are here” arrow.  During the three days of CRS I heard very little discussion and insight about preparing for the changes in the years to come.  Part of the problem is no one really knows what is ahead, but at least we should be having conversations about the opportunities within new creative business models.  Instead I sensed just a reactionary tone.  

For instance, in listening to one particular panel where the guests were talking about how 85% of country retail sales come from the big boxes like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc.  and how labels and distributors are handling the ever shrinking floor and stock space at these retailers.  Yes, these giants have been critical to our past success and are obviously important to our current victories, but what about five years from now?  We are still living in a Wal-Mart dominated world, but what happens if Wal-Mart continues to shrink the new music space and only increase catalog?  What if Wal-Mart decides they will only carry the Top 20 or 30 selling acts?  What if they ultimately conclude that selling CD’s is not part of their plan any longer because they just aren’t that profitable for the space they take up? 

What I really wanted to hear was a plan that does not involve CD’s, does not include Wal-Mart or Best Buy, and embraces new technology and innovative marketing.  A redefinition of our industry.  The same strategic thinking that Mr. Godin touched on in his keynote.  Though there were good panels, I wasn’t hearing anything remotely inspiring for the future.

Some within the music industry have made strides in getting up to speed with changes and technology, but we are still only making adjustments to what is happening to us at the moment.  We are not leading the way in engaging where the consumer is going and what they will want down the road.  That’s what got us in trouble to begin with. 

Overall I love Country Radio Seminar.  Walking around seeing old friends and making new ones.  Having discussions with remarkable individuals who I can learn a great deal from.  Talking with people about the partnership opportunities with Compassion International and finding them excited about the possibilities.   Checking out amazing artists and songwriters.  It’s a great time.  I simply expected more focus and vision for the future than what I encountered.

I’m hopeful things will move in the right direction with CRS, but currently the best place to engage the new world is at the Leadership Music Digital Summit being held in Nashville at the end of March.   There’s no Bridge Bar, no fans clamoring in the lobby, no free shows, no dinners at The Palm, and no labels dividing up the troops.  Yes, not as much fun, but a whole lot more relevant and affordable.

I would like to be relevant in the years ahead, how about you? 

CRS Keynote Speaker Seth Godin – A Warm Up

Booking Seth Godin as the Keynote Speaker for Country Radio Seminar was a smart move.  It sends a signal to everyone attending that the intention of  the industry is to look into the future for innovation and opportunities. 

Following are excerpts from a recent interview Mr. Godin did with Rollo & Grady.  For the entire article go here.

R&G: What’s your take on the state of the music industry today?

Seth: The music industry is really focused on the ‘industry’ part and not so much on the ‘music’ part. This is the greatest moment in the history of music if your dream is to distribute as much music as possible to as many people as possible, or if your goal is to make it as easy as possible to become heard as a musician. There’s never been a time like this before. So if your focus is on music, it’s great. If your focus is on the industry part and the limos, the advances, the lawyers, polycarbonate and vinyl, it’s horrible. The shift that is happening right now is that the people who insist on keeping the world as it was are going to get more and more frustrated until they lose their jobs. People who want to invent a whole new set of rules, a new paradigm, can’t believe their good fortune and how lucky they are that the people in the industry aren’t noticing an opportunity.

R&G: Are you saying that the technology players like The Hype Machine, Last.fm, MOG or Pandora are taking advantage of the new paradigm?

Seth: I would go to even smaller places. I would talk about the folks who started CD Baby. I would talk about musicians who are making a great living leading a small tribe – 1,000 true fans connecting directly with each other, leaving out many layers of middlemen. I would talk about powerful musicians like Neil Young who are moving things in one direction, versus powerful musicians who are just sitting back and watching the whole thing fade away.

R&G: Can you give an example of a powerful musician or a super-group that’s missing the boat?

Seth: We saw both Metallica and AC/DC take interesting paths when it came time to figure out how to generate new generations of fans, when it came time to play with distribution, etc…

R&G: Going with Best Buy or Wal-Mart?

Seth: Yeah. A Wal-Mart deal seems really sexy, but you’ve got to figure out who you are reaching and what is it doing for you in the long run. Suing your fans is an interesting approach to maintaining the status quo, but there’s no evidence that it leads to long-term benefits. There are musicians who are reaching out and building fan bases and then there are those who are fighting the other direction. I went to see Ricky Lee Jones live in New York City a couple months ago. At the end of the concert they stood up and said, “If we get your email address at the front of the room, we will email you a live recording of tonight’s concert when it’s ready.” 72 hours later, there it was. The idea that you could have a micro-market of 250, 500, 1,000 copies of a CD every night is a totally different way of thinking about what you do for a living, rather than making one album a year marketed with payola and promotion that reaches a certain group of people and ignores everybody else.
R&G: You mentioned “tribes” earlier. Are you referring to “tribes” being the fans of the artists?

Seth: My new book is called Tribes, so I can’t help but use the term “tribe.” I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I define a tribe as a group of people sharing a common culture, a goal, a mission, probably a leader. There are tribes of people – like the ones who go to South by Southwest – who are connected because they want to remake the music industry. There is the tribe of people who follow Bruce Springsteen and will pay unreasonable amounts of money to hear him live and compare playlists. The important distinction here is that music labels used to be in the business of grabbing shelf space, on the radio and in the record store. Now, the music industry needs to realign and be in the business of finding and connecting and leading groups of people who want to follow a musician and connect with the other people who want to do the same.

R&G: With the a la carte downloads offered by iTunes, eMusic and Amazon, when do you think we’re going to see the death of the album?

Seth: I spend a lot of time hanging out with teenagers, and I’m pretty sure the album is already dead. We bundle stuff up for economic reasons. Movies are the length they are for a reason. Songs are the length they are for a reason. Albums were invented because that’s about as much time as Thomas Edison could put on one piece of recording. But in a digital world, there’s no reason that you can’t have a six-hour product or a three-minute product. So anybody who says it has to be 46 minutes long because that’s how long you can fit on two sides of an LP, I don’t think that’s a good reason to make that your product.

R&G: Do you think that the CD will be a secondary market in the near future?

Seth: Digital is about to surpass the CD, and once it starts to happen it’s going to happen faster and faster and faster. The more interesting thing to me is who is going to control the playlist. If there is an infinite amount of music available – and I would argue that as soon as the amount of music available exceeds the amount of time you have in your life, that’s infinite – somebody will have the leverageable spot of deciding what to listen to next. And it’s unclear whether someone will charge to tell me that or will pay to tell me that. It’s still up for grabs in every one of these vertical silos. Who are the tastemakers and how do these ideas spread? The analogy I like to give is if you’re an author and Oprah Winfrey calls, you don’t say, “How much are you going to pay me to go on your show and give away all the ideas in my book?” In fact, if you could you would pay to be on Oprah. For a really long time the music industry has had two minds: On the one hand, they would pay money to be on Clear Channel or MTV; on the other hand, they would charge you money to hear their music in concert or out of your stereo. Those days are all getting intermingled now. “I am the program director of my radio station, so where’s my payola?”

R&G: Do you see music blogs being a player in the future of whatever the new music business turns into?

Seth: I think they are, and I think the definition of a blog is going to keep changing. Blogs are certainly not what they were seven years ago. They have a totally different look and feel and covenant. The idea of amateur self-published media where everyone can be a writer, that’s here forever. We’re never going to go back to, “No, you must listen. You cannot speak.”

R&G: How do managers or do-it-yourself artists stand out in the crowded marketplace?

Seth: It helps if the band is great, if it’s remarkable, and if it’s doing stuff worth talking about. In the old model, what we learned from Schick is that if you come out with a razor just like Gillette but a little cheaper, and you get shelf space, you’ll do fine. Top 40 radio has a long history of being just like the other guy, but with a slightly different song. Just like the other guy, but with better shelf space. That doesn’t work in a totally flat digital world. You only spread if you’re remarkable. Take a look at YouTube videos. If a YouTube video becomes very popular and someone copies it, the new one does not become very popular because it’s just a copy of the old one. I start by saying the music itself – the band, what they’re saying, what they stand for – has to be more than “this is just another version of that.” Also, you have to make it easy for people to speak up. You have to make it easy for people to find each other, to talk about it. You have to create a culture for your tribe. If you go to a Garth Brooks concert and then walk down the street to a Rat Dog concert or a Dead concert, you can tell who’s going to which concert. There’s a culture. There’s a uniform. There’s a code of conduct. You can invent that for your band if you can live it. Inventing it makes sense, because then people know who else is in the tribe.

R&G: When a band brands itself, there is a credibility issue with their fan base; they run the risk of being perceived as a sellout.

Seth: I think the first thing I’d ask is, “perceived as a sellout by whom?” Some people say Patricia Barberis a sellout because she’s a popular jazz musician as opposed to a starving jazz musician. But the people in the crowd don’t think that. I think selling out is largely about expectation, about being transparent and telling the truth to your audience. When The Talking Heads went from being unsuccessful at CBGB to being really successful on MTV and making a movie with Jonathan Demme, some people said they sold out. Other people said they wished they were more pop-like. I’m not sure that’s something that needs to be at the beginning of the conversation. I think that what you have to do is make it clear to your tribe and to yourself what you stand for, and do that.

CRS Forecast

Country Radio Seminar is upon us again and I always look forward to a week of seeing old friends, making new ones, and coming together as an industry. We are in times of unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Will we face them head on or only discuss how bad everything is?  That’s really for you to decide.   I encourage you to attend the keynote with Seth Godin if you have not planned on it yet.  It will be a great way to begin the week.

As for weather, it is looking pretty good. No rain or snow in the forecast thus far except for the travel home on Saturday.

For the complete Nashville weather rundown go HERE.

By the way, there is still room for anyone involved within the country music industry who would like to attend the Compassion International event tomorrow night (3/3).  We are set to have a wonderful mix of artists, managers, PR, label, and radio professionals.  Contact me if you are interested in finding out more about Compassion and enjoying a nice dinner.

Guest Blogger: Tonya Campos – KKGO/Los Angeles

I have to start by saying thank you to all the folks at Compassion International. I have worked on many charity events in my 30+ year radio career but never went on such a personally life changing trip as I did when I went to Nicaragua in September 2008.  This trip wore me out emotionally and yet I know Compassion International people are sent all over the world on much longer and much more emotionally draining trips than the one I went on and continue to travel on an endless journey of compassion without faltering. It is an amazing charity. 

I am now the proud sponsor of two children that I met on this trip, Tatiana and Veronica. Many people ask what the country music community could gain from helping children in far away countries and it is a simple answer I always give.  FAMILY.  Just as the country music community and country radio and all the fans of country around the USA are so committed and caring about their families, so are families in these countries visited by Compassion International.  They too care immensely for their families and their children’s well being. 

I strongly believe this is an international parallel that can be bridged by just being made aware that the family makeup is one that is strictly separated only by geography.  By taking these boundaries away we begin to see that a hungry child is a hungry child.  Period. 

I encourage everyone to see a Compassion International presentation or go on a trip to meet these children yourself. For me too, they were once faces I saw late at night on the television or an ad in magazine or some flyer I had mixed in with my daily mail.  But meeting them, seeing their eyes and hearing their voices made “it” (the problems we all turn away from) very real and there is nothing more motivating on the planet than seeing something bigger than life within a few feet of you.  That “something bigger than life” is POVERTY.  I only hope that if anyone in my family is ever in the position many of these families are in that they receive the same help Compassion International gives.

Why shouldn’t that be the country music community offering to lend a hand? Let’s challenge ourselves individually to offer help. Meet one of these children and BOTH arms would automatically open, regardless of where they are from.

Tonya Campos is Program Director and air personality for KKGO/Los Angeles.  She has a long radio history in California and the Los Angeles area.

 

 

The following videos are from Tonya’s trip with Compassion International to Nicaragua prior to the Compassion event last year on KKGO:

For more information go to www.compassion.com/country

ACM Radio Winners

Here are the Academy of Country Music Radio Winners that were announced today:

National On-Air Personality:Lon Helton, CMT Country Countdown USA
Major Market Personality: Dorsey Gang, KSCS/Dallas
Large Market Personality: JD Cannon, WFMS/Indianapolis
Medium Market Personality: Andy Ritchie, Alison West and Jimmy Holt, WIVK/Knoxville
Small Market Personality: Brent Lane and Dana Cervantes, WYCT/Pensacola, FL
Major Market Station: WSOC/Charlotte
Large Market Station: WSIX/Nashville
Medium Market Station: WIVK/Knoxville
Small Market Station: WYCT/Pensacola, FL

The ACM’s will take place on Sunday April 5th in Las Vegas.  Congratulations to the radio winners and all the nominees.

Honduras: part 2

The second full day of our trip was to be a visit to a more rural Compassion International project.  What I considered rural must not be the same translation as I am used to.  This program was actually more urban and in more of a congested neighborhood than the day before.  We went right into the middle of what is considered a dangerous and gang filled community, but we were safe during the day.  This Compassion project was again run by a local church and a staff of beautiful and committed individuals.  They live in the area, they know the people, and it is why they are effective in reaching out to them.

On this day the program was being attended by older kids and teenagers.  The little ones were off and it was a chance to engage a different age group and discover how they are being impacted on similar and different levels.  They were all involved in making Valentines for their friends and family, so it was quite an artful day.  Several of the students made special cards for me and presented them with hugs and smiles.  Best Valentine’s gift ever.

A group of 7 or 8 young girls performed a dance routine for our group.  We then were given a tour of the facility which was wonderfully operated.  It is so impressive to see the system in person.   

Like the day before, we did a visit to one of the homes of a Compassion child.  We walked through the middle of the community and up a steep dirt road.  The small two room concrete home sat on the hill.  Like most homes, there was no running water and sparse electrical service.  It was the home of a family that consists of two young girls and their parents.  The mother was actually at her own mom’s house because she was sick with diabetes.  So it was just the father and his daughters.  The girls were incredibly articulate for their age and the dad, who recenly lost his job, was very welcoming.  Each of the girls had one-on-one sponsors and the benefits were very clear to all of us.  We talked with them via an interpreter and asked the girls what they wanted to be when they grew up.  The older girl wanted to be a math teacher and the younger girl wanted to be a doctor.  It was so encouraging hearing that these kids had dreams because hopes and dreams in impoverished neighborhoods typically do not exist.  I recall during our trip to Rwanda when we asked some children about their hopes our guide could not translate the word.  It literally did not exist in their language.  They had no idea what hope was.  The Compassion staff members and the generous sponsors give actual hope to children.

The evening of the third day we enjoyed a dinner with young men and women in the Leader Development Program ran by Compassion.  The LDP selects high school graduates who have been through the Compassion program that have shown strong leadership and scholastic ability.  These individuals are then found sponsors, who because of their monthly contribution, put them through college.  We met six of the students entering the program for their first year of college. 

The boy next to me had been in the Compassion program from the age of seven.  He had been supported by a sponsor until he was 18.  Now his new LDP sponsor will help him with his dream of being a computer engineer.  The girl to my left is being given the opportunity to become a banker.  No matter what the major these young adults will most likely be the first to ever attend and graduate college in their family.  They will find good professional jobs that they’ll utilize to not only help themselves and their family continue to be set free from the poverty that once held them, but they will also pour back into the community and country that they come from.  Most have a heart to give back what was given them and to help others break free from the horrible circumstances they find themselves in.  These college kids were most impressive and ultimate proof of the holistic development from poverty to hope that Compassion provides.  Didn’t have to look far – they were sitting right next to us.

From the first day until the last of our time in Honduras I personally had the opportunity to witness how Compassion International touches every aspect of a child’s life.  From the time they are born, to graduating college, and every age in between.  It is much more than a relief program.  Compassion is more like a rescue program and the one-on-one relationship between sponsor and child is the key to freedom.

This is what country artists, radio, and industry professionals have an incredible opportunity to be an impacting partner in.  The compassionate caring for children, the giving of hope, and the restoration of life.

For more information please go to www.compassion.com/country.

Leadership Music Digital Summit 2009

Leadership Music’s annual Digital Summit is one of the most valuable and high-impact events in the Nashville music industry community.  Join over 600 artists, ISPs, songwriters, venture capitalists, managers, content aggregators, labels, digital music services, publishers, service providers, mobile operators, consumer product developers, retailers, and media to shape the next generation of music in the marketplace.  

FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
*Ted Cohen, TAG Strategic
*Dorrian Porter, Mozes
*Greg Scholl, The Orchard
*Jim Lucchese, The Echo Nest
*Ali Partovi, iLike
*Jim Cicconi, AT&T
*Dave Ulmer, Motorola

 

Two days & pre-event kickoff March 23-25, 2009
Added Networking Opportunities and More Live Music
Hot Topics: Mobile, ISPs, Social Net, Intellectual Property and Money
Great Value: All Registration Fees at or below 2008 prices 
REGISTER NOW for as low as $129! 

All the details are at www.digitalsummit.org  

I attended last year’s event and found it to be a stimulating time of learning, growing, and expanding new world thinking.

Compassion Journey to Honduras

With something as powerful and moving as this, I don’t know how to even begin. Since I am not a skilled writer, I wish I had the opportunity to video log the entire trip and invite you to watch a self-created documentary. I’m afraid I can never give enough emotional credence to what was seen, heard, and felt.

A Compassion staff member, three radio professionals, and I met in Atlanta for our connecting flight to Central America. It was a smaller than normal group for a Compassion trip, but perfect for my first of what I hope will be many international expeditions.

With the Africa trips fresh in my mind, I was in compare and contrast mode for Honduras. After flying over beautiful rugged mountain ranges and into the capital city of Tegucigalpa, my expectations were marred right away after seeing a Domino’s Pizza just off of the airport concourse as we landed. From there it was an array of American fast food dives and restaurants – KFC, Burger King, Popeye’s, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins, Applebee’s, Chili’s, Tony Roma’s, McDonalds, and countless other familiar companies. I was told by one of our trip leaders, during our lunch at Quizno’s mind you, that Honduras has openly welcomed American businesses to help their own economy. It was also obvious from the infrastructure, commerce, architecture, and transportation that Honduras was light years ahead of Ethiopia and reminded me just how impoverished that African country is.

The glimmer of development revelation quickly faded as we traveled on our first visit to the hillside community of El Guanabano just outside the city. Home to approximately 800 residents, the neighborhood is located at the city dump where people look for valuables among the garbage bags. The typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, wood walls, and corrugated iron roofs. It was immediately apparent making the climb up the hill that there was rampant unemployment, lack of food, medical problems, and no running water.

The Compassion International project in this community is run by a local church, as are most of the Compassion programs. This approach allows the committed people of the community to serve and love their neighbors. They know the needs, they know the personalities, and they know how to best approach them. This particular project is relatively new within the last few years. They have about 160 children that they serve. Most of them were younger children that used to labor in the city dump with their parents (typically a single mom). They searched for products to recycle to make any money they could and in some cases search out their next meal. Today they are being helped out of that dire situation and are being given hope by what Compassion is accomplishing in their lives. The local staff members are assisting and educating children and their families to move out of the hopeless garbage of disease and despair. These beautiful kids were the forgotten and forsaken, but with the help of Compassion and the one-on-one relationship with their sponsors, these children are being given a hope and a future. Not a handout, but a help out of poverty.

Our group also had the opportunity to visit a couple of the homes in the area. We walked down garbage infested dirt roads to one of the homes where a mother and her child lived. The incredibly small two room home was one of the few in the neighborhood with a concrete floor, which the church provided for them. There was a main area with chairs, a portable stove, and dishes. The other tiny room was where the mom and boy slept. They had an outdoor toilet (outhouse) and it was also the place where they bathed from water they have stored in what were once oil/chemical barrels. There was no plumbing.

The boy once was a picture you would be familiar with from television – the bloated belly from malnutrition and disease. Now he is in the Compassion project and is being helped physically, socially, economically, and spiritually. This overflows to his mother who helps out at the church and with the meals and programs. They no longer are digging through disease infested trash at the dump that was being circled on this particular day by 40 or 50 vultures.

We learned so much this first day about how efficiently and effectively the Compassion programs are run and how much the amazing staff cares about the children, their family, and the community. Truly there is no better demonstration as “love your neighbor” as I witnessed in action. I am told it is the same with every country and project within the Compassion International system. Palpable demonstrations of love and care that are given to precious little souls to lift them out of the deep crippling poverty that has entrenched them and their family. There is nothing more beautiful and authentic than that.

Though Ethiopia was clearly more impoverished, this first day in Honduras was nonetheless a shock to the system. We are so unbelievably fortunate in the United States.

 

Find more photos from the trip on my Flickr account HERE.

From Country to the World

Tomorrow morning I leave for Honduras with a group from Compassion International.  We will be traveling there to tour a couple of the projects Compassion has set up.  We’ll visit the children and families who are being directly helped by their Compassion sponsors and witness the impact that personal relationship has on releasing the grip of poverty in their lives.  There are also plans to walk through some of the neighborhoods where I know we will find roots of deep poverty.  How deep I can only guess, but that is part of the reason for going.  To see it with my own eyes and let it sink into my skin.

I have witnessed desperate poverty in Africa.  Gotten to know and cried over street kids and orphans who are its innocent victims.  Seen the ravage results of AIDS, genocide, severe malnutrition, parasites, malaria, and other diseases.   Incredible situations you will never find in the United States.  Poverty in our country is nothing at all compared to developing countries around the world.  If you have never seen it, it would shock you.  And we all need to be shocked.

I’m going to witness more of it over the next few days, but I will also see the hope and restoration that Compassion gives children and families.  Not only to provide for their needs, but to give them the genuine opportunity to break out of the poverty that has held them captive through the monthly support of individual sponsors.  Over one million children around the world are being lifted up and out of their circumstances. 

I look forward to reporting back from the trip and sharing how the country music community can link with this amazing organization and make a massive impact on the lives of countless other children.  Compassion International has a long and rich history within the music industry and there is incredible opportunity for artists, radio, media, and industry professionals to partner along and get involved.  It is a very critical time to reach out to a world in need and Compassion knows how to connect the dots and make it happen.

For those of you involved in the country music business, you can get more information here.  The rest of you can get further info on Compassion International here.

We’re just getting started, so check back for more updates.  Please contact me with any questions you might have.

Author Joel Burke

KYGO/Denver Program Director and occasional contributor to FOR THE RECORD Joel Burke has officially released his new book.  Entitled “Inspire!: Inspiration for Life and Work”, the 160 page paperback is a collection of stories and ideas to help encourage, inspire, and motivate.

You can find it at amazon.com.

Getting My Feet Underneath

The past few weeks have been absolutely overwhelming to every part of my life and the whirlwind continues. I hope to get up to speed blogging again very soon, but I have yet to fully find my equilibrium and get my groove back after having my life essentially turned upside down. Starting a family, being sick for the past week, being forced to search for new work, getting rolling with Compassion International, and adjusting to a different life has taken their toll on everything.  Slowly, but certainly, I will find my way back into a regular routine again.

I’m very excited about the future and the opportunities that await.

Thanks for your patience during the adjustment.