The Flavors of Electronica in New Hampshire, Part 1

New Hampshire has over 100 Electronica style bands.


When I think of Electronica, I don't expect there to be much in the way of vocals, but it turns out that a lot of MySpace artists use Electronica to indicate the synthesized sounds in their instrumentation.

There's quite a variety of sounds to be found, from metal to jazz. Most of these artists haven't gotten serious about their work enough to keep their pages up to date, produce an album and put it up for sale, or gig and tell.

N Holo K (myspace) has an electronica sound combining rock beats with strings, and he's got a demo album out by now. Unfortunately he hasn't updated his page in a long time, so we don't know how it turned out.

Felt Tip Pen (myspace) is an electronica group which combines elements of experimental sound, movie clips, against hip hop beats.

Ulysses Campbell (myspace) is a vocalist whose sound is more indie with electronica and psychedelic influences.

Courtney (myspace) performs with electrocab, below.

NESticular Trauma (myspace is unusual for New Hampshire electronica bands as he has clear metal influences which he deftly combines with NES sounds.

Electrocab (myspace) is a band with an experimental sound, combining elements of Jazz, unique sounds, and electronic organs.

JUSTICE 3000 (myspace) makes perfect msuci for Doctor Who episodes. He's still learning his craft.

travis bickle's mohawk...(myspace is an electronica artist who likes to play with loud sounds. Very experimental.


Spawn Campers (myspace) have a sound that emphasizes beat over melody. He's still working out his material.

Too Bad for You (myspace) is really an indie rock band with slight electronica influences. It's great for casual listening. Unfortunately they don't list any of their gigs and their real website is gone.

Sad Science (myspace) produces an electronica style mixed with electric guitar.

Yve (myspace is a singer songwriter in search of a band. Her sound has electronia influences. Her voice is well suited to the dark moody style she sings.

Greg (myspace produces rock with electronica influences.

Flapjack Muncher (myspace) plays a lot with sounds. It's very unique. He's doing it for fun.

DJ Stove(myspace) is a DJ who makes electronica beats suitable for the club scene. He seems pretty active in his music scene, involved with gigs as well as booking and promotion.

Svend (myspace) is completely different from most electronica artists. His piano work is quite elegant. You'll have to go to his main website to hear his other work, which is also quite nice. Very peaceful.


the evil genius (myspace) sound is more genius than evil, as his band name implies. His sound is ambience combined with just enough tension to make it interesting. He doesn't have an album out, but go have a listen anyway.

New Folder (myspace) is still working on his craft. He has some good ideas that would be better with better instruments. It's got a Super NES feel to it right now.

Jeff (myspace) is learning the craft. He's got better ideas than a number of other electronica artists I've heard. Good Luck, Jeff. But please change the picture; it really grates.

Andrew Greene (myspace) is really a Jazz artist with some electronica influences. But It's mostly Jazz.

El Hache 2 (myspace) is an ambient artist with an rock sound. It would make a decent backdrop for movies.

Phenix (myspace has an ambient sound that has a slight jazz feel to it combined with electric guitars. He's still working on his material.

Josh Byra (myspace) was more of an indie singer, but now he's part of Icelab, a group with a more elctronica/Trance sound. And he was the first artist who actually seems to gig and mentions shows you can go to. Amazing.

Soul Forge (myspace) is a DJ who remixes "non-lyrical songs". He's probably out DJing somewhere, he's just not telling us where.

Volden (myspace) has a sound that is very different from most electronica artists. Instead of going for the ambient or dance feel, he has a metal sound. He's still working on his material.


Big Boy Productions (myspace is an artist who is making beats using an electronic/ hip hop style. Very easy to rap/sing over. He's still working on his material.

The National Institute of Mental Health (myspace) is an electronic band that has been around a while. They are no longer together and have moved on to other things. But their music has a hypnotic ambient feel to it.

The Jitsu Brothers (myspace) were pretty ambitious and went ahead and created an album without doing local market research. Sadly for them, the market didn't bite. Perhaps it wasn't electronica thatdidn't sell, but rather their particular brand of it didn't fit in in their circle.

The Mobius Strip (myspace) combines the sound of electric guitars against a hypnotic beat. They only have 1 song.

Flavors of the Revolution (myspace) is a band with a laid back, experimental sound. They are still working on their album.

Tiny Like Small (myspace )is not really electronica; it's more of an indie sound. That's why he's moved his band page, I guess.

Juggernaut's (myspace) electronica has a circus-like Rock quality to it.

DJ Duquette (myspace) is a DJ who remixes Dance tracks, and the results are definitely dance worthy.

Not Until Now (myspace) is not really an electronica band; it's more alternative, but he is until he gets his vocals on his tracks.

Norova (myspace) has a sound I'd expect to hear if I were getting on a space ship. It's an intriguing mix of Rock, experimental and classical sounds in a calming way.

The New Folders (myspace) sound has a video game/Final Fantasy feel to it.


Poisson Rouge's (myspace) sound has a more ambient feel to it.


I already wrote about Electric Didge Therepy (here)

Double Trouble (myspace) is an Electronica group with a Dance/Pop feel to it.

Justin Walker's (myspace Electronica sound has a definite Jazz feel.

Intravenous Flytrap's (myspace) "Break Apart"' has a Pink Floyd feel.

Karmic (myspace) is true electronica with varied textures of instruments and a laid back feel.

Pure Synthetic Sound (myspace) is a Electronica/Trance artist, with a bit of a rock flavor. He doesn't have much to say about his aspirations, so we'll have to check back another day to see how he's doing.

Mindmelter ( ) is a true Electronica Artist with a love of distorting sounds. He's still working on his first CD.

Afternoon (myspace) is more of a rock band with Electronica influences. He's still working on his material and production technique.

DJ Chill (myspace is a DJ; he takes familiar songs and remixes them. His style is more Electronica/Dance and seems a good fit for the clubs. He doesn't list where he DJs though, too bad.

Baby Ruthless (myspace) is going for a more industrial sound, but she is still learning her craft.

quietesque's (myspace) sound is more experimental and has a certain emptiness to it.


Manfights and Medics (myspace) mixes some vocals with an electronic beat. It's somewhere between between rock and dance. They are still working on their material.

20 Easy Steps to Advance your Music Career

Well, I learned a lot about the various states of people's music careers in Bluegrass from my bluegrass research. So here are the ways to advance your music career in 20 easy steps:

1. You need to put your songs on your website, even if you have no CD.
2. You need to write something coherent about your music.
3. You need to put any shows or even the intent to show somewhere on your page.
4. You need to try to get on the radio, even if its only 1, and write about it on your website.
5. You need to make a CD and say that you have one for sale. And let people buy it.
6. It’s the unusual acts that are getting on TV. And charity events.
7. Try for a festival eventually.
8. Anyone can do an open mic.
9. Videos are not important if they suck. Get a tripod.
10. Put up a picture of your band.
11. Any film credit is good, even a free one.
12. You need to do a little work to get friends on myspace.
13. Most real band pages don’t have many friends, and that’s okay.
14. A concert on your porch is better than none at all and makes for interesting reading.
15. If you’re just starting out, do a bunch of open-mics.
16. If you do open mics, upgrade to regular acts in the same venues.
17. If you do regular venues, do some festivals.
18. If you do festivals, get to know bands in mainstream genres and try to open for them.
19. You can gig a lot if you want to, or just a little.
20. Have confidence in yourself and have fun.

tips advance music career

MySpace Statistics for New Hampshire Blue Grass Artists

I finished going through all the Bluegrass artists in New Hampshire, and here is what I found as of May 23rd, 2007:

There are 24 New Hampshire bands and artists that play Bluegrass style.
A solid 50% (12) of those artists fool around, while the other 50% (12) are serious. What I mean by that is that 50% of bluegrass artists haven't produced a CD or played a gig and told the world about it. 4% received radio play (that's 1) and 4% (again 1) recieved TV/film notice and mentioned it.

On myspace, 63 bands list bluegrass as an influence, but a number (39 in all) didn't have detectable influences or were someone's joke band that didn't have any music.

I was very surprised at the mismash of websites and the shocking lack of color taste that often produced pages with unreadable text. And these were gigging bands! Also, not everyone uses the "shows" feature on myspace when they have gigs. A user doesn't want to have to work hard to find out if you're playing somewhere or if you have a CD for sale. It should be listed on the front page!

Of the bluegrass bands that I heard, all had a professional sound and some played regionally as well as internationally, and even some of the bands just fooling around sounded great; they should start gigging. Only one band (Truffle) plays with a superstar act and mentioned it, and I suspect that the genre has as much to do with it as anything. Truffle's rock slant lends itself to larger venues because there are more Rock groupies than traditional Bluegrass groupies.

Overall, 65% of the bands I have covered are fooling around, and 33% are not really bands or artists at all.

new hampshire music myspace bluegrass statistics bands

Blue Grass in New Hampshire, Part 2

Jeff Burt (myspace) is guitarist who plays in several bluegrass bands like the excellent Estes Boys and has a definite bluegrass feel. He didn't post his schedule up so I don't know where he might play next. He has appeared on 91.9 WUMB (Boston).
12:00 PM, and it's free!

The Jack Pine Holdouts (myspace)is a band with a nice deep bluegrass sound. Mike English builds his own instruments and they sound wonderful. You can catch them at their next show on August 3, 2007 at Downtown Plymouth Main St., Plymouth, New Hampshire at 12pm. They're great. Go see them!

Jon Cumming (myspace) is a great singer/banjo player, and he's probably playing bluegrass tunes somewhere. Unfortunately, he doesn't maintain his site, so I can't tell you much more.

Rachel Funk (myspace) is more of a country singer than bluegrass, at least from what I heard. She hasn't got her act together because she hasn't posted any shows or music on myspace.

Parker Hill Road (myspace) has been playing their style of country bluegrass in New England for eight years. They don't have any show information, so you'll have to ask if you want to hear them play. Hopefully, they'll fix their website so we can find them play because they are really excellent.

Frosty Morn (myspace) is a funny artist who has a great bluegrass sound. Unfortunately for bluegrass fans, he's keeping his performances in his home. I look forward to his career advancement any day now.

Chuck Grisby and the Musky Bandits (myspace) is a great bluegrass band with a limited gig area. They have a great sound and I hope to see them play live somewhere, because they really should. Until then, you have to visit their back porch.

Bow Junction (myspace) has an exciting mix of bluegrass, country and folk and you can catch them on June 8th at the Sunapee Coffee House at 72 Main Street in Sunapee, New Hampshire. Definitely worth a listen if you like Bluegrass.

Dan Morgan (myspace) is a great acoustic guitarist who is looking for a home base. He's definitely got a great folk sound and would fit in on the acoustic scene all over New Hampshire.

The Plourd Family Quartet (myspace) is a gospel style band with bluegrass influences. You can find them spreading the good news in churches, nursing homes, and convention across new hampshire. They have appeared on the radio in an interview on Crosstalk Live, Radio Station WVFA - 90.5 FM. They even have a CD.

Kacey Pelletier (myspace)is an acoustic artist with a folk style. She's got a great sound, with a few kinks, and I'm sure that in time she will be a fantastic addition to the live scene in New Hampshire. I look forward to seeing her music progress and some reports of any live shows.

Cole Coburn & The Coburn Gang (myspace) has a great, polished country sound, so I was a little surprised that I didn't see any of his shows listed on his website. Probably an oversight. In the mean time, you'll have to check out his website to hear him.

The Marcy Hill Band (myspace) has a tight bluegrass sound. The harmonies are excellent. You can tell they've played a lot together. Anyway, you can find them at Harlow's Pub on June 16th in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Unfortunately, they won't tell you when they'll be there.

Bruce Simonds (myspace) is a country singer with some bluegrass influences in his sound. He's got a great songwriting craft. He also completely undersells his skills on his website. I hope he gets on the performance scene soon, because he's really talented.

Red Quill Productions (myspace) is not really a band, but rather a production company who is able to make bluegrass music and video, if you need it.

new hampshire music myspace

Bluegrass Bands Part 1

One of the most traveled Blue Grass bands from New Hampshire is Truffle (myspace). I wouldn't call it traditional blue grass. Instead it is an electric mix of Rock, Blue Grass, R&B and Soul. They've headline with many international acts such as Little Feat, Phish, The Band, Dave Matthew’s Band, David Lindley, The Radiators, and Blues Traveler. You can catch them at the Press Room in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on June 1st,2007 at 9:00 pm.

A more traditional irish bluegrass band is The Makem & Spain Brothers (myspace). They have a tight a'cappella feel. You can catch Tommy Makem at the Cleveland Irish Festival on July 20-22, 2007 in Concord New Hampshire.

The Stillhouse Jammers(myspace) are a true bluegrass band. You've have a foot stomping good time with songs like "Grumpy Old Banjo". You can catch them in action on June, 3 2007 for Cancer Survivor Day at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital in Keene, New Hampshire at 12:30P.

The Back Shed String Band (myspace) couldn't provide any music to listen to yet, as they're still working on their website. But you can catch them in person at June, 2 2007 at Pike Town Hall, Pike, New Hampshire at 7:30 pm

Cordwood (myspace) is a country bluegrass band that has a real New England Feel. You can catch them at the The Blue Mermaid from 9:00 pm to closing on June 22,2007 in Portsmouth, NH.

April Hobart (myspace) is an acoustic artist with bluegrass influences. She plays for a lot of private parties, but you can catch her at Aug 11 2007 at 2:00P at the Richmond Blueberry/Fiddle Festival in Swanzey, New Hampshire.

Tim Cahill (myspace) is a laid back acoustic group. I didn't hear more than touch of blue grass in his music. You'll have to go south to Boston to hear him, as he doesn't have any gigs in New Hampshire any time soon.

Dag (myspace) is an acoustic artist who has a bit of a country blues feel, mixed with some blue grass style. You can find her at the American Legion in Rochester, New Hampshire on June, 9 2007 at 5:30 PM.

Steve Roy (myspace) will be appearing at Hermano's w/ Joe Gattuso and PJ Donahue on July 19,2007. His acoustic style blends folk with definite bluegrass influences.

Old Time Dave Talmage (myspace) is a great acoustic artist. He's got a nice sound. He didn't put up any show info, so I don't know where he might be playing.

Death Punch Morning (myspace) is really a rock band but some of their songs (number 6, for example) have a bluegrass feel mixed with trumpets. They haven't updated their show info, so I don't know where they are playing. It's a good group though.

Brown Hill (myspace) looks like they have a fresh sound, a new kind kind of bluegrass rock band. Why? Most bluegrass bands don't have any females singing! Unfortunately they don't put up much information on their myspace and their regular website isn't up yet. But you can catch them in action on June, 2 2007 at the Berely House on Main ST., Concord, New Hampshire at 9pm.

Kyle Carey (myspace)is an acoustic artist originally from Alaska. Her style is beautiful, and I look forward to hearing more about her when she gets through school.

The Monadnock Mountain Boys (myspace) is a mouthful if you haven't lived in New Hampshire. They have a great bluegrass sound, but are always looking for a place to play.

Of the Fallen myspace is really a metal band, and I didn't catch any bluegrass influences. When they have more material, I'll listen some more. They have had band "issues" and haven't had a recent show posted.

Neptune's Car (myspace) is an acoustic duo with country and bluegrass influences. They don't have any shows listed or CDs out so you'll have to settle for their myspace page.

Here come the Celts: Celtic Music in New Hampshire

If you know any Celtic artists, you've probably heard of the famous Enya and also Loreena Mckennitt, but have you heard of New Hampshire's own Celtic artists?


Jessie Gagne-Hall (myspace) is an excellent fiddle player for Wake the Neighbors. They're not playing a concert in New Hampshire soon, but you can catch up with her at the Sandy Island Suzuki Camp on June, 26-30, 2007 in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire.

P.S. It's a camp, not a concert.

Electronic Sunshine (myspace) is another New Hampshire artist with celtic ideas, although I heard more rock, acoustic, and electronic infliences in his music. He's still working on his material.

Jim Tyrrell (myspace) is an indie musician who plays a blend of acoustic rock and irish ballads. You'll be sure have a good time wherever he plays. Speaking of which, his next show is at Totem Pole Campground on May, 26 2007 in Ossipee, New Hampshire at 7:30 pm. Check him out.

In the interest of completeness, there were 3 other so-called "celtic" artists, but they didn't really reach the fooling around state of affairs. Finish those web pages folks!

So, where are all the gospel singers in New Hampshire?

I must admit that I was a little surprised with my gospel search, as I was with my earlier planetarium search (article here) that I was not able to find many dedicated NH musicians even though there's a local radio station that just does gospel. I know they're out there but where are they? I'm not too worried, because there's still Christian and Christian Rap to be covered another day.

Real Gospel in New Hampshire

If you want to listen to real gospel in New Hampshire, check out Dawn Boyer (myspace) Her song "Death came a 'Knockin" is awesome. Dawn is part of the gospel choir Rock My Soul. Have a listen!
She needs to update her shows though so people can find her.

The Furious Five

The Furious Five (myspace) is a new rock band and they listed as gospel but really play Guns-N-Roses type rock. They're still in high school, and they play well together. I hope they have more on their website soon so I can better describe their music. The guitarist is excellent. They don't have any published shows yet either so we'll have to wait for more information.

Preaching the Gospel through Music in New Hampshire

New Hampshire sports at least one Gospel radio station - 91.1 out of Concord.

We have 3 native gospel artists saving souls one at a time.

First up is Eric Donnelly, who performs on the keyboard with the Rock My Soul Gospel Choir from Maine. His (myspace music is a fantastic collection of upbeat smooth funky jazz. And he's playing on June 2-3, 2007 at Ashworth by the sea at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. So go see him.

Radio Stations of NH

Here's a list of all the radio stations of NH:

Belmont - WNHI 93.3 FM

Claremont - WHDQ Q106


Concord - WEVO 89.1 FM (NPR)

Concord - WJYY 105.5 FM

Concord - WKXL 1450 AM


Concord - WOTX FM 102.3

Concord - WSPS 90.5

Concord - WVNH 91.1 NH Gospel Radio

Conway - WMWV 93.5 FM

Dover - WDER 1320 AM


Dover - WOKQ 97.5 FM

Durham - WUNH 91.3 FM

Exeter - WERZ 107.1 FM

Farmington - WZEN 106.5 FM

Franklin - WFTN-94.1FM

Gilford - WBHG-101.5FM


Hanover - WDCR 1340 AM (Dartmouth College)

Hanover - WFRD 99 (Dartmouth College)

Hampton - Shark 105.3FM & 102.1FM

Henniker - WNNH 99.1 FM


Hooksett - WCNH-FM Classical 94.7

Keene - WKNH 93.1 FM (Keene State College)

Laconia - WEZS 1350 AM

Lebanon - WXXK 100.5 FM

Lebanon - XL 92.3 FM


Manchester - WGIR 101.1 FM

Manchester - WZID 95.7 FM

Moultonboro - WSCY-FM

Nashua - WHOB 106.3 FM

Nashua - WSMN 1590 AM

New London - WNTK 99.7 FM


North Conway - WMWV 93.5 FM

Plymouth - WPCR 91.7FM (Plymouth State University)

Plymouth - WPNH-FM The Planet

Portsmouth - WHEB 100.3FM

Portsmouth - WSCA-LP 106.1 FM - Portsmouth Community Radio


Wolfeboro - WASR 1420 AM


new hampshire music radio stations college commercial

Who's Getting Radio Play? Hip Hop/Rap/R&B

Can you spit like DJ Danger (myspace) Keep your eye on him, he fires up the mic against some seriously powerful beats. And he's getting some radio play in New Hampshire and Mass.

He's got a mix party coming up on June 1st:
June, 1 2007 at ROCCOS
253 Wilson st, Manchester, New Hampshire 03101
Just $5.00 at the door...

Free Live Music in Mancester, New Hampshire

I was digging on myspace today and I'm amazed at how hard it is to answer the question:
what new hampshire artists are playing live?


Anyway, here's today's 'free live music' plug of the day.
I recommend checking out Building James (myspace).

They're playing at Milly's Tavern in Mancester at 7:30pm on May 29th, 2007.
They have a great acoustic ( they call it 'power pop') sound with strong melodies and catchy tunes. They have a pretty tight sound. So go see it.

Milly's Tavern is at:
500 Commercial St in Manchester, New Hampshire 03101

Robert D (myspace)is doing his keyboard magic at the Breezeway Pub on May 21-22, 2007. A veritable jack of all trades - he'll play what you like, just ask!

Breezeway Pub is at:
14 Pearl Street, Manchester, New Hampshire 03101

Where are the planetarium musicians?

New Hampshire boasts *six* planetariums. Who knew there were that many? The most well know is the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. The rest are school related:

Christa McAuliffe Planetarium
3 Institute Drive
Concord, NH 03301

Keene State College Planetarium
229 Main Street
Keene, NH 03435

Nashua Senior High School Planetarium
Riverside Drive
Nashua, NH 03062

Oyster River Planetarium
Oyster River High School
Coe Drive
Durham, NH 03824

Plymouth State College Planetarium
Nat. Science Dept. Boyd Hall
Plymouth, NH 03264

Salem High School Planetarium
Geremonty Drive
Salem, NH 03079

With 6 planetariums, I figured there must be at least 6 ambient or eletronic
musicians in New Hampshire specializing in creating and selling planetarium music even if they are students in High School or College.

I found zero, and I was looking. Now I know that there are many planetariumesque songs from artists out there living in the granite state - I've heard them. But if I were holding a party at a Planetarium and I wanted someone to play planetarium style music, where would I look? If I wanted to commission a new show, where would I go?

It turns out I'm not going to find a New Hampshire artist. I'm going to find an artist from Atlanta, Georgia, and his name is John Serrie. His music (myspace) is definitely for the planetarium. Blast off! But he's also going to get the job because when I look up planeterium music I can actually find him.

Tip of the day: if you've got music that fills a niche, make sure that someone can find it. Electronic and ambient musicians of New Hampshire with space music alert: If you've got some space music laying around, make sure it comes up when you type in "planetarium music". And contact those planeteriums, too!

Music as Service: Jazz sells shoes

I recently went to a large shoe store and happily spent a good deal of time there searching every isle for the perfect shoe for me. Whilst on this rare journey, I couldn't help but notice the jazz music playing in the background. Jazz music is perfect for selling shoes because it's unrushed tempo and relaxing atmosphere encourages shoe shoppers like myself to stick around for a long time buying shoes.

When you make your music, it helps to know who is best served by it. Country music sells steak. Jazz sells elegant living - and shoes. Children's music sells birthday parties and day care centers. Dance music sells clubs. Acoustic and folk music sell drinks.

If you produce music and you don't know where to gig, consider the successful tour of this band: "Joe Hemp/Didge Therepy" (myspace link) based out of Portsmouth. The exotic sounds of this band may not sell shoes, but apparently, they they do sell herbal products, yoga, and new age living based on their tour info. Their sound is very unique. Check them out.

What does your music sell?

music sells shoes new hampshire NH

5 Facts about the New Hampshire Music Microcosm

In my previous post I ranted about the many hands that take precious cash away from a musician. In this post I'm going to describe the New Hampshire music scene. The state is so small, that research is straightforward, and it can serve as a test bed for whether you're going to be successful marketing your music in your area.

Some music facts about New Hampshire:

1) Fans - New Hampshire has a population of 1.3 million
about 23% are under 18
about 12% are over 65
This is roughly in line with the rest of the country

2) Advertisers using your music (radio and TV) -
about 5 TV stations
and 38 radio stations
about 30 newspapers (all kinds)

3) Gig sponsors/restaurant and club owners
there are 2650 restaurants of all kinds
39 different wedding venues
55 live theatres


4) Film, and TV
There are 90 production and advertising agencies in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has its own film festival

5) There are 1126 bands registered with myspace in New Hampshire with countless others wandering forth from the Boston area and beyond. Assuming an average of 4 members per band, 1 out of 300 people in New Hampshire is in a band! Did you think that is a lot? Consider that there are 3 million myspace bands, and the US has a population of 300 million. Apparently, everyone wants to be in a band. There's probably less competition in this state than in others.

facts about new hampshire music stats

WARNING: The Music Money Sink

I've been writing music for a long time. In the beginning, I was just doing it for fun, a ditty here and there, for me own personal enjoyment, or for friends and family. If your family is like mine and music is an unusual talent, then they probably gush with praise that anything sounds even remotely decent.

After a while, I thought my music was *almost* good enough to be professional. And here is where the money sink begins...

I could write professional music if I had a scoring program.
I could make professional sounds if I had an orchestra on hand. Hmm.. That's not possible. Maybe if I could buy just a few (one!) professional instruments.
I could sound better if I hired a professional teacher.
I could record my awesome piece in a pro studio and sell it everywhere and I'll be rich!

Then reality sets in and you think maybe you're not the next Sting or Britney.
Nah, why waste the money, I'll mix and record it myself!

And so the sounds of many cash registers begin to play. You buy the instrument. Or worse, you don't think you're good enough to play pro yet, then you need something to play for you... MIDI to the rescue! But wait...MIDI doesn't play sound, you have to buy the sounds. So you buy a sound library. Then you need to buy a mixer. Gonna rap? You need a microphone. What? No sound? Hey, it needs a pre-amp. And all the while you're hearing about this thing we call mastering and so you need speakers. What! Basic speakers aren't good enough? What's a monitor? And on and on it goes.

If you've managed to get as far as making a CD without spending all your summer's earnings, then the real money hole begins. No one but your mom knows you have a CD. You need to promote it and play gigs. Hands come out of the woodwork to promote you or sign you or book and manage your tour, lawyers will help you manage your contracts for a fee...

This brings me to music fact #1:
It is easier to make money off a musician than as a musician. At every stage of your career, someone is waiting to take your money "to further your musical career".

A fellow blogger wrote about what was wrong with the industry, and I won't dispute the facts (
Whats Wrong with the Music Industry in One Long Sentence (annotated) )

But the real problem in this digital era is the music marketing and promotion sales and distribution business is hugely inefficient for the average musician.

Here are the people who can give a musician money if they choose:
Gig sponsors/restaurant and club owners
Fans
Advertisers using your music (radio and TV)
Film, and TV music directors
public radio

Here are some of the people who take a piece of every dollar you earn if you let them:
the government (taxes)
lawyers (contracts)
producers (mixing your CD)
labels (they help you sell, you give them what you earn)
promoters (radio, gig)
distributors (CD sales)
credit card companies (CD sales)
CD printers (making the CD)
promotional supplies (posters and the like)
managers (get you gigs for a %)
mastering houses (make your CD radio ready)
internet distributors (CD sales)
TV and radio advertisers

Got it? Put another way:
(Money coming in) - (music industry overhead) = (not a lot usually)

music make money sink

So you Thought you Wanted to be a Musician

So, you've got the itch to make music? I know I do. Anyway, this blog is about the musicians of New Hampshire and the state of the music market in the state. I hope you find some of it to be useful and find some interesting music too.