Bob Findlay...Blues Rock from Tasmania

Flying in the face of the widespread notion amongst a large majority of musicians I am not doing the world a favour by making my music available to listen to.

I am making it available to listen to as, firstly, I enjoy creating it immensely. Secondly I would like to think that someone out there somewhere might get a kick out of it and it may brighten their day, take their mind off unpleasantries or give someone some food for thought or discussion. Thirdly, there is nothing more that I can do with it. Having put my music here, there and everywhere for the above reasons, at the end of the day the choice is yours as to whether you decide to listen to it or not. It doesn't take hours of listening to figure out whether you dig someones music or not. The tracks immediately below can be listened to and if you like them, download them. I f you like the genre of music that I play, simply click the orange 'iLike tis artist' button.

It's always YOUR choice.

        

For the most up-to-date news on new releases, free downloads and other music-related news I opt for ReverbNation as it provides an easy sign up form with an easy 'opt-out' for supporters. This also applies to iLike as new releases are automatically and bulletins can be sent from there. Bulletins appear on my iCast on the "Bob Findlay Music Page" on Facebook. 

                                     Bob Findlay Music Page | Promote Your Page Too
                                                               

  

 Marketing is an area that I have never been fond of and am borderline neurotic with regard to 'pestering' people with updates. I attempt to keep them relevant, concise and to a minimum.

At the end of the day, as the title of this particular blog states. Music. It's Your Choice.

 

Despite the almost unbelievable access to the globe at the click of a button there are obvious ‘hazards’ to be taken into account prior to ones’ first gig at Madison Square Gardens a week after discovering how to switch the computer on.

Firstly if you are able to do this, with your limited background in computing skills, then so can a rather large amount of others.

Many artists seem almost overwhelmed to the point of gluttony when presented with these new avenues of reaching a global audience often to the point of completely losing their musical focus only to find themselves several years later with rather a lot of internet aquaintances, an awful lot of internet music site addresses and three songs that are “in pre-production.” …….whatever that is!

In my case I was guilty on the first two counts. Any music site that was free, I signed up to. Any ‘friend request,’ I accepted. Towards the middle of 2008 I decided & announced that I was going to ‘centralise’ my music to ReverbNation.

There were reasons that I chose ReverbNation. It offers very specific and in-depth statistics; who’s listening to what & from where, percentage of song-plays, who’s reading your messages and so forth. It also offers outstanding internet promotional tools. In addition the site is transparent in that it can’t be ‘rigged’ by the artist (why one would want to, is beyond me).

Without a great deal of effort on my part I soon rose to the dizzying heights of #63 in the rock charts there in a field of close to 30,000. Very soon I inadvertently discovered the ‘knack’ to it. It is heavily dependent on communication with supporters and their participation. This discovery came when I didn’t visit the site for a few weeks and discovered on returning that I had dropped to position # 500-plus in the rock charts.

I was & am well-satisfied with my previous #63 ranking there I decided that, as they do say on the site, ones’ rankings are no guarantee of success.

Since then I also started up the adventurously named “Bob Findlay Music Page” on Facebook. Although primarily a ‘social’ site, after some investigating I discovered that it offered some handy functions as far as promotion, feedback and recruitment.

From the “Bob Findlay Music Page” on Facebook I am able to link directly to my previously neglected iLike account. From here I could post my songs directly onto my ‘personal’ page on Facebook and send songs to friends and supporters. My updates on iLike were also automatically transferred to the “Bob Findlay Music Page.”

I have found this to be a much easier and, more importantly, less intrusive means of communicating with those who choose to listen as opposed to sending out updates partly in order to maintain ones’ rankings. (Fess-up, we’ve ALL done it at some point). There are no rankings involved. It also allows a much easier, more direct and more personal avenue for supporters (and critics) to leave a comment.

A short time after this I went back on my word of a few months earlier and parted with a small amount of cash in order to release my first digital album ‘Blind Horse’ in late December, 2008, on iTunes and Amazon. Purely as an experiment I have released four singles through different distributors. I am yet to track their progress however it is much more financially ergonomic to release albums as opposed to singles.

My second album, ‘Renegade,’ was released a few weeks later. 

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of music on the internet is access to it. Immediately I was consumed by the amount, diversity, & speed of availability. I was literally like a posessed kid in a candy-store.

It was at this point where my over-entusiasm combined with naivety led to quite a degree of time being wasted later down the track. So excited was I at being able to instantly access the likes of The Rolling Stones Hand Of Fate live from their 1975 tour that I soon forget where it had been saved as I whizzed on to look & listen to Warren Zevon live at The Roxy belting out Lawyers, Guns & Money.

As the initial weeks & months progressed I was amassing a phenomonal amount of material that I never even knew existed, particularly the material of Bob Dylan. Such is Dylans literary prowess as far as output is involved, his Never Ending Tour has seen countless hours of audio & video material available to the point where it is so difficult for him to legally control that, musically, he is transparent. Watching one of his live bootleg videos of Shelter From The Storm gives an almost unnerving insight into the man. This is something of a paradox when one considers how difficult it is to capture or categorise Dylan outside of his profession.

Such limited availability flies in the face of Dylans obsessive outlook in regard to illicit profit being made from anything relating to him. This was evident even before he was known. His early near-neurotic viewpoint on this seems to be totally out of his reach today & no doubt his line of interest. I guess one could say he....used to care, but things have changed.....

This is in direct parallel to the first supergroup Cream. Due to the less self-serving attitude of their manager, Robert Stigwood, who had any material produced by the band so tightly guarded legally that the only available versions of the likes of Tales Of Brave Ullyses can only be sought in their rather brief discography, albeit fo $1 at a car-boot sale.

 There is also the issue of value for money for the consumer. One doesnt have to go out & actually purchase an album &, typically, discover that two or three at best tracks are the only ones that they really enjoy or indeed want. One can stream a vast array of material free on iLike purely for the pleasure of it without paying a cent. Free! You can then go to iTunes, Amazon or Rhapsody & the likes & only download the ones that take your fancy. Risk-free.

Baring in mind my limited time on the internet combined with my somewhat tunnel-visioned tastes in music it is wise, from the outset, to take some time preparing categories and easily-accessible areas for your music. Imagine being given the task of organising the largest music library that you can; because that is what you have at your fingertips. What a gig! It certainly would have saved me a lot of time and stress. Then again it's only rock & roll.....

.....but I like it.

There is a myriad of differing views on the treatment of a musicians fans by the musician.

When at the grass-roots level, musicians are generally playing to crowds largely made up of people that they know by one or two degrees of separation. It is at this early stage where a musician or band can make or break themselves.

To my mind this point in ones? career is crucial. The opportunity to interact personally with people who have gone to the bother of seeing what you have to offer carries so much latent support down the track. Early followers of your music are far less likely to follow you further afield, if that opportunity arises, if you isolate yourself from them when they?re right in front of you.

How many stories have you heard from early Beatles fans where they took the time to sign an autograph, even before they were ?big?, or stop & have a chat, albeit brief?

Most musicians who ?hit the big time? have gone through this very same process. Showing genuine interest & appreciation of those who, in effect, helped create them. Unfortunately, these days, bands are able to skyrocket to commercial success in a relatively short period of time and are unable to enjoy the ?personal? aspect of musical interaction.

There are exceptions, however, in the form of musical wizards whos? very nature doesn?t lend itself to communicating with listeners on a personal level. Such artists are a rarity however their followers continue to support them purely on their music alone.

With the internet as it is today there is no reason that a musician at is not able to communicate personally with their fans.

The opportunity is there for every musician at any level.