the "music" video

In my current class, Business Storytelling and Brand Development, I've been learning a lot on how business storytelling works. TED is a great place to find all kinds of stories and experiences told in an interactive and interesting way. As I watched countless videos on cool and inspiring business stories, I stumbled upon one that stood out to me.

South By South What?

Have you heard of SXSW (South By Southwest)? When I first heard about it I thought it was just another typical music festival, but I was wrong. I just recently found out what it's all about, and I think I'm still wrapping my head around it all. Check out a quote I found, it explains it all:

"Every March, thousands of young, jeans-wearing techies, filmmakers and musicians descend uptown Austin, Texas, harboring dreams of getting noticed and hitting it big. They come not just for the balmy weather or the Tex-Mex food but for South By Southwest, a collection of conferences and festivals that's considered one of the most influential happenings on that annual cultural calendar." - CNN

The Art of Planning

This month I have been taking a class called Project and Team Management. I've learned a lot so far about teams, planning, and budgeting and have tried to relate that to the music industry. As a fan of music/musicians I never really thought about what all goes into a show or an album, I just simply enjoyed the final product. I think I have seen only the beginning of the business side to music, and I’m excited to learn more! I asked my friends Amanda and Audrey, who play together as Bridge 19, to tell me a little bit about what they’ve experienced as a duo in relation to planning, budgeting, and teams. This is what they said:

“As an independent artist, budgeting/planning is imperative. You're responsible for recording/paying musicians/ CD replication/merchandise/website/gas/lodging etc. It's important to play enough shows to cover your expenses, which is where planning/budgeting come into play. Communication is an important part of the team because any money that one person spends directly affects the other. We compared it to managing a family’s budget.”

Hey guys! A few friends of mine thought I should post a playlist on here, so here is my latest playlist that consists of some great artists you should check out:

1. Shake It Out by Florence + the Machine
2. Paradise by Coldplay
3. Holocene by Bon Iver
4. Nothing At All by Madi Diaz
5. Get Gone by White Arrows
6. Stay Young, Go Dancing by Death Cab for Cutie
7. How Come You Never Go There by Feist
8. Lights Out, Words Gone by Bombay Bicycle Club
9. Heavy Heart by Ghostland Observatory
10. Starry Eyed by Ellie Goulding
11. Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars
12. Wide Eyes by The Local Natives
13. Shake Me Down by Cage The Elephant
14. This is Twice Now by Lydia
15. Dreams by Brandi Carlile
16. When My Time Comes by Dawes
17. Kick Drum Heart by The Avett Brothers
18. Ashes & Fire by Ryan Adams
19. Midnight City by M83
20. Lotus Flower (Jacques Greene RMX) by Radiohead


Click here to listen!

Kelsey Who?

Hey Readers!

I'd like to share with you another friend of mine, Kelsey Harmon. Who knew there was so much talent coming from Kentucky? Kelsey is now a student at Belmont University, which is located in Nashville, and she is studying music business. She is quite the talented independent singer/songwriter! Here is one of her original songs, called "I'm Happy". It is by far my favorite song of hers.

Bridge 19

Bridge 19 is an alternative folk band made up of Amanda Lucas and Audrey Cecil. Amanda and Audrey are harmony driven and extremely passionate about their music. They have shared the stage with artists such as: Ben Sollee, Garrison Starr, Girlyman, Company of Thieves, and many other musicians!