Respect your Kit

Maintaining Drums

We had some great feedback on the “how to maintain your guitar” Blog and a few of you have asked for the same but on a drum kit.
Your wish is our command!


There are some simple rules to live by that will minimize cracks, stripping, warping, and so on. There are three situations that put your gear in danger: transporting them, setting them up, and, of course, playing them. Percussion instruments are pretty sturdy instruments. However, they are far from invincible. Bass drums are particularly vulnerable because they are often fitted with wooden hoops and are large, heavy drums. If you are carrying your bass drum in a case over your shoulder and you drop it, chances are the hoop will crack. Considering this, a hard plastic case is best suited for your bass drum even though this will make the drum considerably more bulky.As stated earlier, cars are problematic, too.

In addition to theft concerns, you need to worry about the weather. If the weather is really hot, a parked car becomes a greenhouse. Leaving drums in an extremely hot car could cause plastic veneers on your drums to peel off and crack. Packing your drums in a car or in storage without cases can also be a problem; the most obvious reason being that drum shells could get nicked up. However, carrying your drums around without cases can also be perilous for your bottom snare drumhead. This head is ultra thin and a bass drum spike or cymbal stand can easily pierce through the Mylar, rendering the drum useless until you buy another head. So if you plan on taking your drums en route, get cases.Humes & Berg makes great bags called Tuxedo Bags. They also make lightweight vulcanized fiber cases that are more durable than a gig bag. Anvil Cases offers the most durable case of all. These are virtually indestructible and are great for drummers who need to take their gear on airplanes, and the like. The downside is that they are very heavy. While cases are necessary for the working drummer, they can be a bit hazardous to bass drum pedals and hi-hat stands. Hardware, for one, is very heavy.

As you drive, items tend to shift around. For this reason, incorrectly storing bass drum pedals and hi-hat stands in hardware bags can cause the footboard stabilizer rod on the bass drum pedal and the foot pedal linkage rod on the hi-hat pedal to crack if you don't unclip them before placing them in the case. The worst feeling is showing up at a gig and realizing that something is broken, so make sure you're careful.It's a good idea to put your bass drum pedal on top of all the other stands in your hardware bag or case. This will protect it from getting crushed by heavier, double-braced cymbal and snare stands, and the like. The way you set up your drums also promotes or prevents damage to your equipment. One common mistake is placing your snare drum too close to your 12" rack tom-tom. Since this tom-tom hovers over the snare drum at a slightly higher level, the rim of the snare drum, if too close, will rub up against the tom-tom as you play. Heavy playing will cause your whole drum kit to shake a little. If your snare drum is touching the 12" tom-tom, it will scrape the varnish off the drum and even cut into the wood of the drum itself. When playing, always be sure to watch for this, back up your snare drum immediately if you see this occurring.

Band of The Month: The Mathletics Team

Well, new year new band of the month.

Let's hear it for The Mathletics Team!

BA: Atomic Warrior" is an awesome track can you let us in on the story behind it?

TMT: The song is based on the classic 2000AD, ABC warriors. The formation of that unit on mars and it's trials through their career as giant robot mercenaries. We thought it was a cool concept and it evolved from there.

BA:You have such a pretty unique sound - was that a conscious decision? how did you come up with it?

TMT: The Bands sound evolved through the use of the phrase "wouldn't it be cool if we had a....." and we just added from there till the sound felt full and complete.

BA:What is your writing process?

TMT: The General writes the basic structure of the songs and then brings them into the band and we all work on them together to add little touches of our own individual styles and sounds. Lyrically speaking The General finds a subject be it in comics, films, cartoons or pulp fiction that interests him and trys to find the story within a story. Those are the tales we attempt to tell.

BA:What do you find most difficult about being an unsigned act?

TMT: As a nine piece I'd say the most difficult thing is finding venues with enough room and equipment to fit us all in to play.

BA: What is your top tip for other acts?

TMT: We say preparation is the key to a good live performance. Practice seriously and often both as an individual and a band.

BA: What is your fantasy band line up (Vocals, guitar, Bass and Drums)

TMT: We're very lucky to already have our fantasy line up

BA: Tell us an amusing Band Story!

TMT:Back in December we played at a a couple of friends of ours' joint birthday party. They asked us to play some covers in our set just for kicks and we agreed already having thought up some cool stuff to do. We ended up playing that old Village People classic "macho man" as our joke song of the evening and as we began the tune one of the party goers leapt in front of the stage and began stripping off in a wild dance in time to the music. By the end of the song the guy was standing there in a sparkly thong flexing at anyone that came close.
We played macho man twice that night.

BA:Proudest moment so far in The Mathletics Team?

TMT: Apart from being band assists band of the month it would probably be playing the old fruitmarket in Glasgow last may as it was a pretty big venue and we had only been a band for about four months by then.

BA: What are your views on Band Assist?

TMT: Band assist has been a great resource for us as it's got lots of good advice and the news letters always give us something to think about.

BA:Whats next for you?

TMT: In February we go into the studio to record our second EP which will include remasters of the current EP and three new songs that we currently only play live. We're appearing on the opening episode of trinity force records' TFTV show online on January 28th which will be streamed live as well as launching our own website which guaranteed to be full of flash animation madness. We're recording some promo videos for an as yet undecided single and getting some super cool merch.

Look after your Axe!

Am I the only guitar player who is a little anal-retentive about my guitars? I’m always hesitant to let people pick them up. I take a mental note of belt buckles and zippers on anyone who comes near them. In the back my head I think “is this the day my guitar gets dropped?”. Don’t even get me started on the panic that ensues inside my head when children get involved.

Even though I go a little crazy when it comes to the safety of my guitar, I do (or don’t do) things on a daily basis that could be harming in the long run. So, I have compiled a list of things manufacturers always tell you to do, but you probably don’t. Well, I know I am guilty of at least the first three of these. If you really truly are concerned with keeping your guitar mint, these should be second nature to you.

Here are the 10 maintenance rules that everyone should follow to keep their guitar in pristine condition:

Wash your hands before playing. Your hands are oily and dirty. Washing your hands before playing can preserve the fingerboard as well as prolong the life of your strings.

Before you put your guitar away in it’s case always wipe it down with a damp cloth to remove any hand oils that may be on it. Not a wet cloth, just a cloth that is slightly dampened.

Put that guitar in it’s case! Yeah, it’s fun to display them for everyone to see, but your guitar doesn’t like to be exposed to anything. It doesn’t like changing temperatures, changing humidity, or direct sunlight.

You know those black canvas gig bags? Yeah, forget they ever existed. Get a real hardshell case.

Properly humidify your guitar. Get a case humidifier and find out what the manufacturer of your guitar suggests the relative humidity should be.

Have your guitar’s bridge and neck setup properly for the gauge of strings you are using. If you change string gauges, have your guitar setup properly for the new strings. Obviously you don’t want to do this too often. If you know how to do this yourself that is great! If you don’t, you might want to get a professional to do it.

Keep your guitar clear of any heavy temperature changes. Wood expands and contracts. If the temperature changes too quickly it expands and contracts too quickly – this is bad.

Change your strings on a regular basis and never remove them all at one time! Remove one string at a time to replace them. Keeping your strings at the proper tension will keep that neck healthy.

Play your guitar every day. Thats right – play it. What happens when you leave your car parked for a few months and then try and start it up? It doesn’t really like that very much, whether it tells you or not. Run your guitar through it’s paces, it’s good for it.

Follow the above steps, and never, ever, let anyone else touch your guitar. Only kidding.
Obviously these are rules that only people with full time guitar techs can follow. Maybe the most diligent of us have the persistence needed to keep up such a strict maintenance routine, but thats not me. Your guitar won’t fall to pieces of you don’t follow these tips, but if you do it will guarantee that the guitar will live longer than you.

What are you guilty of and what tips did I miss?

Fill The Place

Promoting your band’s website locally is about getting more people to come to your gigs (if you don’t gig, don’t bother), it’s usually only locals who’ll turn up and support you. By promoting your band’s website locally you are also promoting your band locally - it works best if you’re hands-on, real world, for instance, if you want to get a link from the local press or local radio, it would help if your band proactively supports a local charity.

Local is the area around your favourite venue (the venue you like and play most) or your town. Get a map. Find the venue or town centre. Draw a circle with a radius of about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) around the venue or town centre. That’s local. 25 miles represents the distance people would be prepared to travel to see an independent band in the UK. Because of the transport infrastructure and familiarity with commuting, you can have a 35 mile radius around a London venue (same in most large cities). Bands who operate in large cities have a big advantage - of course you don’t have to target everyone!

1. Swap links and get involved with local: businesses, charities, record shops, fashion shops, cafes, pubs, clubs, venues. Get links from local: press, radio.

2. (Legally) Hand out, post, pin up, stick and drop (accidentally!): flyers, stickers, business cards, button badges - in and around: schools, colleges, universities, record shops, fashion shops, cafes, pubs, clubs, venues and churches. Include your band’s name, website address and free gift details.

3. Team-up and collaborate with 5 or more local bands of the same or complementary genre and promote each other online and offline.

4. Use the networking communities (esp. Facebook, MySpace, ReverbNation) to communicate with the locals. Always make your website The focal point.

5. Create a mailing list / database of fans, friends and family, target those within your locale and ask them for support. And don’t forget, if you can’t make it locally with the support of your fans, friends and family, you’re not going to make it anywhere!

The Art of Composition

Suppose you’re about to practice, compose, or improvise: Do you aim to restate past ideas or come up with fresh ones?

Assuming that deliberate self-copying makes you cringe, then, to be creative, you’re going to have to step beyond your known universe and toward an indefinite future.
Maybe your ideas will soar; maybe they’ll sputter. How can you know where your intuition will lead?

You can’t.

And that’s one reason why so many people don’t create: The uncertainty of the process sends them fleeing toward the familiar.

For example, musicians who dread risk will devise conventional programs, improvise with shopworn licks, shy away from entrepreneurial projects, and otherwise languish.
Creative artists, by comparison, love venturing outside of their comfort zones. They know that their greatest discoveries will be found in uncharted waters, and they fearlessly set off in search of adventures. For them, the thought, “I don’t know,” echoes, “Let’s find out!”

Becoming a fearless creatorHere are five ways that aspiring musicians can embrace the mysteries of the creative process and become fearless creators.

1. Refine your goals Your big and small goals will interact either to fire your enthusiasm or douse your potential. Authentic long-term aims and specific daily objectives will spur you to work. In contrast, vague aspirations – such as to “get better” – can leave musicians unsure of what to practice.

2. Trust yourself As W.S. Merwin states, your accumulated knowledge matters. Still, your know-how isn’t your art; rather, it comprises the tools you use to create art. To innovate, then, you have to trust your abilities, dive into a task, and let go of worry about how things will turn out. Although you can’t know where your creativity will take you, by believing in yourself, you can be certain you’ll arrive somewhere meaningful. For instance, a trusting songwriter will decisively start composing a new piece, confident that the simple act of beginning will stir up ample material she can craft into a song.

3. Generate copious ideas If you want to scuttle your creativity, tell yourself to come up with brilliant insights exclusively. Then, your wellspring of ingenuity will become blocked by an inner critic. Conversely, to tap your reservoir of imagination, let yourself churn out an unfiltered stream of ideas; then, toy with them.

4. Experiment & evaluate playfully With a cache of ideas in hand, adopt a playful approach to separating out the valuable nuggets from the raw material. In the practice room, let’s say, you might record some passages, listen back, make revisions, record again, and so forth. Take pleasure in the possibilities you open up, pursue the ones that resonate, and set the others aside.

5. Persevere Some days you’ll enjoy a cascade of ideas and a flood of accomplishment; other days you could be snarled in difficulties. Nonetheless, creative achievement is typically built on piles of discards. So bring a tenacious attitude to your work. Perseverance and mental toughness are as vital to the creative process as are artistry and technique.

Overcome Stage Fright

Stage fright can turn the experience of performing in front of others into a nightmare of dread. Luckily, there are several things you can do to get over your fears and get on with the show. This page will give you some tips on How to Overcome Stage Fright.

You've probably felt it before—your palms are sweaty, your hands are shaking, and you have a mild feeling of nausea. Whether you're about to rock the crowd with your band or speak in front of a large audience, stage fright has a way of getting the better of even the most experienced performer. So how do you overcome the potentially crippling effects of your own jittery nerves? This post will help you figure out how to get over it.

Step 1: Know the Symptoms of Stage Fright
The first step to overcoming stage fright is to know what the signs are so that you can identify it when it happens. Symptoms of stage fright can include tightening of the throat, parched mouth, upset stomach, cold and quivering hands, trembling and rapid pulse. In addition, out of the ordinary emotions or physical occurrences can signify stage fright.

Step 2: Right Before You Hit the Stage
Be prepared. Make sure you're well rehearsed before your performance. You will only be more nervous if you don't feel completely ready to go. You might even try performing for a couple friends beforehand as a sort of dress

Eat right. Don't chow down on any greasy fast food beforehand. It might upset your stomach even without the anxiety of having to go on stage.

Warm up. Whether you sing, speak, or play an instrument, you should warm up before you perform. This will ensure you are comfortable and at 100% from the first note of the show (or the first word of your speech).

Stretching beforehand will help keep you lose, especially if you're playing an instrument.
Vocal warm-ups aren't just for singers; you can stretch out those vocal chords to get ready for speaking, too.

If there is no green room or backstage area at the venue, warm up at home before you leave.
Listen to music. Listening to music that will pump you up can help get you energized, confident, and in the zone. Conversely, listening to soothing music might be best to calm your nerves down.
Meditate. With meditation, it's all about the breathing. Learn some basic meditation techniques or other relaxation breathing exercises. This can help you focus while relieving tension.
Think positive. There's no reason to worry about mistakes. The more you think about messing up, the more likely you are to do it. Picture yourself succeeding and executing your performance flawlessly.

Exercise. Getting some exercise in beforehand can help you expend some of that nervous energy in a constructive way. Do some backstage push-ups or jumping jacks.

Do something silly. You're going to have to leave your inhibitions behind, so you can't worry about looking dumb. The best way to combat this insecurity is to do something that makes you feel silly or embarrassed backstage like making funny faces or dancing around. This can help you get over the feeling and realize that even making a fool of yourself isn't that bad.

Have a group pow-wow. If you're in a band or performing with a group of people, get together right before the show starts to help everyone get focused and on the same page.

Realize it's no biggie. Never forget that when it comes down to it, it's no big deal! You're there to have fun, and you will do your best. Even if it doesn't turn out to be your finest moment, it's not the end of the world.

Leave it all backstage. It's game time—are you ready? Take a deep breath. This is when you have to leave all your baggage behind and just go out there and do it!

Step 3: Once You're On Stage
There's no turning back, now... Hopefully you're relaxed enough at this point that everything goes smoothly.

Make eye contact. If it's appropriate to your performance, you should make a point to make eye contact with the audience.

For musicians and public speakers, eye contact is essential. For athletes and dancers, not so much.

Eye contact may seem distracting at first, but the more you do it, the more you'll get used to it. It is much better than staring at your feet or a script the whole time.

If you're in a dark club, try looking at the wall on the far end of the room. This way, you're looking up at the crowd, but you won't get distracted since you can't see any audience member's face from that distance. This only really works if there are people standing in the back, of course.
Relax even more. You may tense up again when you first get out there. Acknowledge it and let yourself relax again. Loosen up and move around a little. The crowd wants to see you succeed as much as you do, and they want to see that you're enjoying yourself.

Be conscious of your body language. Avoid nervous body language such as fidgeting and sticking your hands in your pockets. Being more animated will help you loosen up.

Band Flyers that WORK!

Good Flyer Designs

Flyer’s are a very effective method of promoting your nights to people offline, they also have an easy way of finding their way to your target audience by being left at Venues, Bars, Clubs (the usual places). Getting your Flyer’s to the right people is important, but getting people hooked into reading your flyer with interest can be difficult.

Planning is important when creating a flyer you have a few things to consider –
Flyer size – A4/A5/A6/A7 and Business Card size. When i started i went straight for the A5 size, until one day when someone give me a flyer advertising a car wash. This flyer was a5 aswell and i decided to keep hold of the flyer. I folded up, creased it and ripped it trying to get it into my pocket and when i did it went straight through the washing machine, i then had a light bulb moment. Why not make your flyer’s Business Card size? Now obviously this means all text, images and artwork have to be smaller, but if you design them to be double sided you shouldn’t have a problem. When handing out these flyer’s i noticed a lot of people slipping them straight into their wallet and i never changed back to a5. Not only did more people hang on to the flyer’s but they are also a lot cheaper to produce.

Color and Fonts – Lots to choose from, but i suggest you use the principle Keep It Simple Stupid. Nice Bold Text in an easy to read font and nice vibrant colors. I have seen many flyer’s with crazy looking fonts and unusual colors. I have good eye sight but i struggle to read some flyer’s, consider people who don’t have good eyesight if they cant read the text they wont know what your advertising. Another point i would like to make is that when you hand these flyer’s to people you are taking their attention away from their busy lifestyles, if they cant read the entire flyer within 20 seconds and make a decision whether to keep it or bin it, they will just throw is straight in the bin.

Images and Photos – These provide a good summary of what your flyer is about, i highly recommend you add some form of image to your flyer. If nothing else they make the flyer look more interesting. Be careful what images you use, make sure they are relevant to what your advertising.

Design for your Target Audience – If your designing a flyer for a Punk rock night then make sure it’s obvious in the color, font and design you use. Somebody should be able to walk past your flyer and have a rough idea what it’s about within a split second of looking at it.
Themes – Keep it topical! I once generated lots of interest for a gig purely by theming the flyer. The event was taking place next to Portsmouth Harbour used heavily by the navy. The Event night took place the day after the anniversary of D-Day, so i used a military theme. Purely by having a photograph of a navy boat on the flyer, they went like crazy!

Selling Points- Before you start designing your flyer you need to jot down 3 selling points, 3 points that will make people want to come to your event. Once you have these, you need to make sure these 3 points dominate your flyer design and can be clearly seen above everything else.

Include the important information – Once your flyer’s go to print there is no time to correct any errors. Make sure your flyer includes the following information. Venue, Venue Directions, Time, Dates, Participating Bands, Cost and any special discounts that the flyer offers.
Proof Read, Proof Read, Proof Read

Quick Tip: If you have room, always promote your other upcoming Gigs. If someone can’t make this one, they might be able to make the next one!

A simple summary is to use your common sense, make it attractive to as many people as possible and don’t forget people who might have disabilities

Management DealsMany bands and musicians after toiling away on the gig circuit are likely to get their first taste of success by being offered a management deal. Having booked your own gigs and public appearances you are naturally going to be more than happy to get such a deal. There is no doubt that having management and PR is a stepping stone to a record deal. But it is very important to be aware of the consequences of being tied to a management deal.

Most management deals will involve the Management Company having sole and exclusive rights to exploit you as a band/artist. This means that only they can book your gigs and arrange promotional events. This may suit some acts but if you have been getting your own gigs then you may have a deal with a local venue that you are happy with but will no longer be able to conduct as your managers will decide where and when you play. It might be easy to see this as a progression but you may lose local support if you are seen to turn your back on the places that gave you your first break.So it is very important to discuss these issues before you sign anything or even look at a contract.

You must find out as much as you can about potential managers- How long they have been in business? What type of artists do they already have? How have they helped them so far? (getting in touch with artists on their books is vital). Once you are satisfied that they might be right for you then you can look at the deal. Below are some examples of common management deal clauses that you should look out for:The term of this agreement shall be for a period commencing on this date hereof and continuing until the date three years thereafter.Although you might be happy that they have offered you a long-term deal I would always advise you to shorten it to one year with an option after six months to extend the deal. This way you are able to assess after a period of time whether the Company has helped your career. This assessment will be based on the amount of exposure you have gained under them and obviously how close you feel you are to getting a record deal.

We (the company) shall not be entitled to sign any agreement on your behalf and we hereby undertake not to hold ourselves out as having the right to do so. This is a very simple yet important clause to have in a management deal. It means that any decisions that are made about you as an artist must be approved by you first. This highlights the importance of sounding out the company and building an amicable relationship with them.

Many deals may not have this clause in them which would allow the company to involve you in events that might be more beneficial to them and not you. You will want as much exposure as possible but certain methods may not suit you.We shall have one irrevocable option to extend the term PROVIDED THAT the option will only be exercisable by us in the event that you have entered into an exclusive recording or publishing agreement approved by you during the term. This is another important clause, which shows that the Company must aim towards arranging a record deal for you. Most obligations on the Company will be quite vague-i.e. Arranging gigs and promotional events. This clause is much more direct and it puts the onus on them to achieve your ultimate goal. Many deals may not have such a fixed clause and in my opinion are not real management deals. If you do get such a deal with no real obligations it may be worth changing it to an agency agreement-this will mean that the Company do not have an exclusive right over you which allows you to work with others. Such a decision should not be taken lightly and it is vital that you get legal advice before you rush into anything.

Top Unsigned Band Advice

Quick Advice
1. Pick your band members wisely (the easiest way to avoid bad band chemistry)
Talent isn't everything. Sounding good is only half the battle - you need to gel as a band. If you're having fun together, the audience will feel it. If the guitarist and singer can't stand each other, the crowd will pick up on that, too. You might be able to fake your way through it, but you better be great at it. Otherwise, your audience won't respond well.

2. Know your goals.
If you each know what you want out of the band, you'll have a lot less problems. If you agree on what you want (just playing locally versus becoming world famous versus something in between) then you're all set. But what if the drummer loves playing shows, the singer desperately wants to be famous, and the bassist is just hoping to pick up a date? Well, now you know that your drummer will say yes to any kind of tour, the singer will want to tour in big cities, and the bassist will want big crowds and post-show mixers. Know what will make everyone happy, and go for it.

3. Let go of the egos.

Just because it's your idea, doesn't mean it's the best one. Be flexible - especially with the minor stuff. Does it really matter if the guitarist wants to move the third song on the set list up a spot? Be civil to each other, and try not to take anything too personally. Remember, you are in this to have fun, right?

4. Know when to cut your losses.
If someone in your band isn't working out, know when to say goodbye. Don't avoid it because no one wants to be the bad guy. Draw straws if you have to, or approach it together, but take care of it. It's always better than the alternative - practices becoming further apart until one day you realize you broke up without knowing it.

5. Have fun.
It will solve virtually any problem.

THE Social Media Guide for Unsigned Acts

Social media has become a massive part of our culture. In fact, it has changed our culture. It's changed the way we do business, how we talk to each other and how we entertain ourselves. It's also changed how music fans experience music and how they experience the artists behind the music. So if you are an artist promoting your music on the Internet and you're not already plugged into a social media outlet or two, it's time to jump in. If you're not connected, you are quickly becoming disconnected with what's going on around you, socially speaking.The explosive popularity of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter demand that you, as an artist, become more immediately accessible to your fans. It's not enough to have a web site or even a MySpace page anymore. Your fans want to know you, they want to follow you and they want to interact with you. They want to chat with you personally, comment on your music and see what you're doing right now. Your fans expect you to be part of their daily "friend-checking" routine. Your life is interesting to them. Your life is entertainment to them. Your life is a reality show and you didn't even know it!If you ask me, it's all getting just a bit creepy.On one hand, the level of personal interaction social media encourages is a good thing. When it comes to Internet marketing, developing relationships with your fans is a key element. It always has been. But now, as you get more involved with social media and start posting your "status update" several times a day for the world to see, things begin to get personal, perhaps a little bit too personal. How do you cope with this?Having been active in the social media world for a while now, I've discovered the importance of setting boundaries for what I do and do not post for the world at large to read. I have learned that if you cross these boundaries, there can be social consequences. Have you ever really thought about how the words you post come across to your fan base? What you post can drastically change your reader's opinion about you, in both good and bad ways. While a fan might be thrilled to find you on Twitter or Facebook at first, after following your posts for a while they may actually become bored with you, disappointed in you, turned off by you or even angry at you.Social interaction with your fans is a good thing... to a point. But it would be wise to give yourself a few rules to go by; rules to help protect you not only from yourself (you can be your own worst enemy), but also those who follow you that may or may not have your best interests in mind.Consider this a lesson in social media self defence.

Here we go:1) Measure Your Words Carefully.

And Then Measure Again. Think twice about every word you're about to post before you actually post. When you first get involved in social networking, the most natural thing do to is to just "be yourself" and post your true feelings, thoughts and opinions about everything under the sun. This can be a two-edged sword when it comes to how your fans perceive you. Your fans like your music because they relate to it somehow and as a result on some level they think they know and understand you. But the truth is, they don't know you at all. That means that with every word, thought or opinion you post there is the potential to taint someone's image of who you are. Always measure how your words match up with your public image. If you write beautiful love songs, but your posts are filled with cynical ramblings, crass language and sexual innuendo, how does that affect your fans image of you? Destroy your fans image of you and you will cost yourself future sales. So, before you post your opinions on this or that, always make sure what you post is truly how you want to represent yourself to your fans. This means you should…

2) Be Wary of Discussing Politics, Religion and Controversial Subjects.

That is, unless those very things define who you are as an artist. If your music is political by nature, you can be political in your commentary. If your music is not political, and you spout off in a negative, cynical way about politics or the leadership of your country, you'll likely put off some of your fans who may respond as if you are attacking them personally. The same is true about religion. If your faith in God defines you and your music, then by all means be that person of faith. Don't hold back. But if your music isn't defined by your faith, just know that if you start praising the Lord in your posts you might put off some of your fans. Politics and religion are potentially divisive topics, as are abortion, gay-rights, immigration and even extreme environmentalism. Being controversial can be good for publicity, but when you're trying to develop relationships with your fans, going on and on about your political, social or religious views can be the very thing that turns them against you. Be very careful not to use your status update as your own personal soapbox to preach from, unless you feel so strongly about those things that you don't care if you lose fans and sales over it. It may be that you don't care if you lose fans over expressing your opinions, and if you don't, then go for it. Be who you want to be. Your strong opinions will likely appeal to a few like-minded thinkers. Just be aware of what you post, how it might come across, and whether you're OK with how it effects others' perceptions of you. The question I always ask myself before posting something potentially controversial is; "does what I'm about to write define me as an artist and a person? or am I just venting?" My politics, for example, has nothing to do with my music. So I keep my thoughts on politics to myself, generally speaking. I am not defined by my politics. I am defined by my faith in God, however, so I, personally, have no problem praising the Lord in my status updates. I just do it tastefully. Not every post I write says "Hallelujah," but I'm also not afraid to thank God publicly for a beautiful day. It's all about balance, and being watchful of your public persona.SUGGESTION: When it comes to politics, especially, I understand how hard it can be to restrain yourself from venting your political frustrations in your status update. If you find you simply can't restrain yourself, let me suggest you create another outlet specifically for your political rants. Perhaps a Twitter account specifically set up to let you express your political views, one that doesn't have your name on it. Then you can have the satisfaction of expressing your opinions to the world at large without destroying your relationships with fans of your music that have an opposing viewpoint.

3) Stay Positive. Don't Worry. Be Happy. Listen, no one likes a complainer. Don't use your status update to tell the world how lousy you feel, how stressed out you are, how hard life is, how unfair you've been treated, how misunderstood you are or how much you hate your job. People tire of whiners quickly. Do you enjoy listening to people complain? Neither does anyone else. Complaining is the fastest way to lose friends and followers (in real life too). Whatever you do, when you post a status update, be positive and encouraging to others. Present your life as good, blessed and happy, even if it isn't at every single moment. If you are a joyful person, people will be drawn to you. When you post, do so with a smile, and you'll make your reader smile. Smiling is good.

4) Be Interesting. Be Inspiring.

If you're going to update your status to tell the world what you're up to, find ways to make your posts exciting to read, even if it's just the way you phrase something. Don't post an update that says… "checking e-mail" or "watching tv" or "just chillin'" Blah. Who cares? Be creative. Be imaginative. Be specific. Make every post count and mean something. If the post you're about to write isn't something you'd care about if someone else wrote it, then why bother writing it yourself? Make sure that, from your readers' perspective, you lead a very interesting life. If you don't feel like your life is very interesting, then do something about it. Don't just sit there staring at the TV. Make your life interesting. It's in your power to do so. Then talk about it in happy, positive ways. Make your life sound like the "dream life." Your fans don't expect you to be dull. Life is too short to be dull. Don't be dull!

5) Watch Your Back. Guess what?

Not everyone who follows you is a "fan." Did you know that people might follow you who don't care about you or your music? It's true! It's easy to forget this sometimes. You just happily post away assuming everyone loves you and thinks you're terrific. But you never know who's following you, and not everyone who follows you is friendly toward you. People who are curious about how you do business might follow you. You ex-girlfriend with a grudge, stalker boyfriend or an overzealous fan might follow you. People looking for ways to tear you down might follow you. People who want to test your integrity might follow you. People who are looking for good ideas might follow you. People who want to copy what you're doing might follow you. Always be aware that people might be following you who don't have your best interests in mind. So don't be giving away all those family/trade/business secrets and don't be too revealing about yourself. Don't give your enemies ammunition to use against you.

6) Keep Your Private Moments Private.

Doing something cool and fun with your family? Use social media to tell people about it after the fact, not before. Don't post a status update saying… "Taking my kids bowling at Lois Lanes in a few minutes. Should be fun!" That will just invite curious fans to come down and join you. Might be OK. Might be weird. Instead, wait until you've finished your fun family outing and then post a message about the great fun you had earlier in the evening. There are, of course, times when you want your fans and followers to meet up with you somewhere; when you're playing a show, or just a special meet and greet with fans, for example. But keep your private moments private.

7) Don't Ignore Your Fans. Respond With Enthusiasm.

When you start posting frequently, fans and others will respond with comments of their own. Respond back, acknowledge them and be positive, enthusiastic and encouraging. If folks respond to your comments and you repeatedly ignore them, some are bound to take it personally. Always engage your fans. If they comment on a song or an album of yours, thank them and let them know you appreciate it. Tell your fan their comment made your day and in doing so you'll make their day. Just think - every day you can chat with dozens of total strangers, encouraging them to share your music with their friends and family. Do you realize the power of this? If a hundred people are following you, that's a hundred people you can ask, via your status update, to spread the word about your music. With social networking, you always have a crowd at your fingertips. Work the crowd.Social media is a great thing, and a fantastic way to stay in touch with your fans on a day to day basis. But words are powerful, lasting, and shape people's perceptions of who you are. So always be watchful of how you present yourself in writing. Think twice before you post, stay positive, be enthusiastic and avoid being negative or boring.

Make your website incredible.

Here is a simple check list of what your site should do to be one of the best in the business:

1. Loads fast
2. Looks good
3. Is in character
4. All links work
5. Is useful
6. Is interesting
7. Has purpose
8. Is different
9. Is fun
10. Offers an easy mailing list sign-up
11. Does not use spurious methods for Spamming
12. Has a clear privacy policy
13. Offers something free
14. CDs are easy to buy
15. Accepts credit cards
16. Has a newsletter
17. Has very clear navigation
18. Is always changing
19. Has Reviews
20. Has Contact info
21. Has gig page PROMINENTLY displayed

In it for the long term?

Bands and artists should always try and remain self-sufficient and look after their own affairs as much as possible. Sustainability, the most demanding aspect of longevity, is down to a band’s continued belief in why they formed in the first place - the scene that inspired them and in turn the music that inspires the fan base. A fan base will care for a band and keep them alive, so bands and artists must care for them back with a true to themselves attitude and great music. Nurturing this fan base and realising its importance is crucial.

Twitter Tip

Blog – Twitter Idea?

Do you follow some awesome band on Twitter that you would kill to jam with? Why not tweet at them? It can’t hurt. You never know who’s going to be down to hook up with you — especially if you don’t try. Eric Victorino of The Limosenes was able to score a kind of collaboration with DJ Samantha Ronson by merely paying attention to mentions of his band on Twitter.

“We keep tabs on who’s talking about [us] and who’s mentioning us,” Victorino says. “Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan were both talking about us once, so we just reached out to them, like, ‘Hey, hi.’ And from that came — I wouldn’t say a friendship — but just sort of an e-mail conversation with her. And whenever Samantha would go DJing, we’d give her a new track.”