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PMF EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES: SPRING SESSION>>>>>The Portland Music Foundation’s educational series continues with a members-only educational event May 14. It will be held at 6:30 p.m., with doors open at 6 p.m., at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St., Portland. The PMF educational series is presented in collaboration with the Maine Center for Creativity.

Educational sessions have drawn more than 200 attendees to events held Jan. 16, Feb. 20, and April 16. The organization now has more than 200 total members.

The May 14 event will feature two in-depth educational sessions on the following topics (membership sign-up will be available on site—$20 gets a year’s membership):

Publishing 101 will be hosted by Sam Pfeifle, music writer for the Portland Phoenix, and feature Erik Philbrook, a 14-year veteran of ASCAP, and currently the organization’s assistant VP, marketing media, and editor in chief of ASCAP’s Playback Magazine. Philbrook is also a graduate of the University of Maine and a member of the Brilliant Mistakes, a touring rock band. Also speaking will be Bob McKillop, who just released a solo EP and is the editor of www.mainefolkmusic.com, and recently went through the process of registering his songs as an ASCAP member.

The panel will discus why it is important to understand music publishing, how to place songs in film and other media, and whether it’s true or not that “publishing is the only way a musician can make money anymore.”

From Load in to Load Out will be run by Jim Begley, freelance recording engineer, who works extensively at the Studio and running sound for venues like the Big Easy and many others. He will be joined by Dan Willis, owner of AV Technik, a video production company in Scarborough, and a former house engineer at the Irving Plaza in NYC; Pete Kilpatrick, a local performer who has toured extensively; Adam Jackson, live sound engineer for the band Zox; and Spencer Albee, a local performer who has toured extensively.

The panel will discuss best practices for playing a show at a club, concert hall, or any live venue. From whom to talk with to how to do a proper soundcheck to how to be the opening band, these veterans of the music scene will tell you what to do, and what not to do, in virtually any situation.

All in-depth sessions will be followed by a Q&A session, and all panelists will be available after the event for further discussion.

Further open introductory open seminars and in-depth, members-only sessions will follow in Sept./Oct. For more information or, if you have ideas for future sessions email: info@portlandmusicfoundation.org

Sonya Tomlinson, aka Sontiago: Don’t assume people know who you are. Don’t try to promote your disc nationally without a paid publicist. Don’t forget to sign up with ASCAP or some other publishing firm. Don’t forget you can write all your music expenses off as part of your taxes.

Herb Ivy, station manager, WCYY, WBLM: Don’t forget to communicate and plan. Calling something a McPigeon sandwich on the air is a bad idea if McDonald’s advertises with you radio station. As the stakes get higher, plan more.

Dan Connor, musician, Goud’s Thumb, Gypsy Tailwind: Don’t name your band Goud’s Thumb. Make sure you think about your band name, have a story behind it, and use the English language.

Kate Schrock, solo musician: Make sure you understand the motives behind the decisions that are being made for you by people who work for you, like publicists and agents. Don’t forget that people make bad decisions for bad reasons, and sometimes it can sidetrack your career.

Todd Richard, musician, publicist, jack of all trades: Don’t forget to take some of the money your band makes for yourself. Even a little bit for a few beers or gas money means a lot. If you’re a Christian band, don’t worry about how many Jesuses per minute you have in your songs. Seriously. Check the credentials of the people offering to work with you or for you.

Yasmin Craig Vitalius, violinist, Portland Symphony Orchestra (and other ensembles): Always be prepared, whether it’s for an audition or a gig. You might have five minutes that will affect the rest of your career. Don’t practice so much you injure yourself. Make sure to take care of your body and treat it as nicely as you treat your instrument. Stop if you hurt, but take it to the limit if you can.

Spencer Albee, musician, Rustic Overtones, As Fast As: Don’t put your high-minded ideals about taking advantage of good opportunities. If you have a chance to play in front of everybody who’ll be distributing Arista’s albums for the next year, don’t just play the songs you think are cool and impressive. Play your hits. If a famous producer like Daniel Lanois wants to work with you, don’t try to dictate the terms. Just make the record. But also make sure you listen to your instincts and don’t make something that isn’t yours.

Brett Wickard, co-owner, Bull Moose Music: Always remember what’s in it for the other guy. Make sure the bar does well the night you play, or the store that sells your record makes money off it. If there’s nothing in it for them, why would they contribute to your success? Always make sure you treat the frontline people well, whether it’s at a record store where you’re making an appearance or at a club where you’re playing. The owner of the place will judge you by how you treat the counter people and the waitstaff, so don’t shit on them and then suck up to the owner. That won’t get you anywhere.

Scott Ordway, owner, Ideal Entertainment Group, management firm: You need to treat your music like a career, and it can be your career if you treat it that way. Focus on the business aspects, learn about contracts, make sure you network and develop contacts. Like any business, whom you know is as important as what you know or how you play.

May 20, at One Longfellow Square, 1 Longfellow Square, Portland, 761-1757.

June 24, at Rivalries (upstairs), 10 Cotton Street, Portland, 774-6044.

These events are open to everyone, not just PMF members, so bring your friends and family. However, PMF members will get various discounts off food and drinks. This is a networking event, so attendees are encouraged to bring flyers, CDs, business cards, etc., and be ready to trade them with like-minded musicians and other industry members looking to build a stronger Portland-area music scene.

For more information email info@portlandmusicfoundation.org

As with "Greetings From Area Code 207 Volumes 1- 6" (compilation CDs released in 2000-2005), 100% of the proceeds will go to benefit The St Lawrence Arts Center on Munjoy Hill in Portland. The six volumes (plus a best-of CD, "Maine Tracks", released by Bangor Savings Bank in 2007) have raised over $100,000 to date.

Headlining Volume 7 are previously unreleased songs by Ray Lamontagne, Rustic Overtones, Phantom Buffalo, Sara Cox, The Coming Grass, As Fast As, The Boneheads, Darien Brahms, Adam Gardner (Guster), Jon Nolan, Steve Jones and Seekonk, along with 9 others. The disc was mastered at the world famous Gateway Mastering studios in Portland by Grammy Award winning engineer Adam Ayan. The new CD will be available at all Bull Moose stores (located throughout Maine and in Portsmouth and Salem NH) and at Borders Books and Music in South Portland. It will be available on-line at www.bullmoose.com and at www.cornmealrecords.com.

“I guess I say this each time we release one of these compilations, but this is the best one yet“ said Charlie Gaylord, the CD’s executive producer and principal of Cornmeal Records. “It is a testament to our local musicians and music scene that, pound for pound, we continue to be asgood as any city in the country”.

Of special note on Volume 7 are the two live tracks recorded at One City Center by Ray Lamontagne and Rustic Overtones. Lamontagne, with a solo acoustic song, is appearing on his fourth consecutive GFAC 207 CD and The Overtones recording is from their historic comeback show held on July 27, 2007 on the BLM patio, overlooking Monument Square, in front of an estimated 6,000 fans. These two tracks are not available anywhere else.

Please pre-register by contacting Kathryn or Nicole at 207-874-6521 or by e-mailing patent@usm.maine.edu This seminar will be held from 3:30 to 5:00 pm in Room 165 Science Building on the Portland campus. Folks can park in the law school lot (short walk) or on the street, or at the Abromson Center.

Admission: $5 for students, $10 for the general public, and $20 for attorneys seeking CLEcredit. Admission will be collected at the door - cash or check only please. Refreshments included.

Thursday, May 8, 2008, 3:30pm-5:00pm
Film/Video and Music
by Spencer Albee and Mark Fischer

Pierce Atwood and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development are sponsoring this seminar series to help enhance the economic power of the creative industry sector in Maine

GOT THE FEVER? THE ONLY CURE IS.....

MORE PROMO!

Well fellow Mainers, the weather is getting better and better. The snow, finally, seems to be gone. Well, lets wait another 5 minutes just to be safe.

Nah, it's gone.

With the return of nice weather we all find motivation we've been lacking for months. Motivation to spring clean, clean out and wash the car, get outside and exercise, walk the dog, clean the yard, set up the BBQ, open the pool, etc. If you're a musician, this is the time to push your music with ultra force. This is the time to be seen on and off stage. To be heard on and off stage. This is the time when you can walk half a block and connect with someone who might dig your band or your record.

Over the past five or six months, most music fans have been home and staying warm. It sucks, but people don't want to brave the cold for anything during the winter. They fatten up and go a bit clueless as to what’s making noise in the music scene. Some may venture out to clubs and record stores, but they’re few and far between.

Luckily, the sun is now beaming warmth upon us. Now we've reached that time of the year where people want out and "in" on everything. Have you noticed that on even the first close to nice day, weather wise, people were out to the streets as if there was a championship parade in town with free popcorn. People are buzzed about doing stuff and getting on board with things. So go get them!

This is the time to hit the streets pushing your revolution. Pick a night. Grab a backpack. Stuff it with stickers, CDs and flyers for your next gig. If you have an iPod, bring that too. Get stomping. Walk around and stop by the clubs, Bull Moose, Tattoo parlors, book stores, bars, pubs, restaurants, coffee shops and any other business where music fans may be lounging.

Hang up flyers where you can promote your next show. (Just make sure you don't hang a flyer much more than a week prior to the gig. Thats a posting rule of thumb.)

People who you strike up conversation with, hand them a sticker and handbill flyer. Give them something that might stay in their pocket. When they get home and clean out their pockets ... BAM, they see your name again. Get your band/album name burned into people’s heads. Give them a sticker. Even if they don’t put it in a choice place, they might stick it somewhere, anywhere. You can't beat that opportunity.

Show your face around the clubs. That’s a GREAT sign that our scene is serious; seeing musicians at clubs on any given night. Show your face even if you aren't playing that night. Let other bands and fans and clubs know you're in the mix. You're visible and you care about what’s going on even if you aren't in the middle of it that particular night.

Chat up with club door guys. They are important people to always be in the know with. Maybe you walk by the Big Easy and Uncle Eddie is there. Talk to him. Introduce yourself if you don't who the door person is. Let them know about your band. Burn your band name into people’s heads. "Hey I'm ____ from _____. We're looking forward to playing here again soon." Whatever you want. Just say something that shows your interest to the scene and their club. Also, door people are there for hours and hours, doing nothing much right? They're just there holding down the fort, but they are THE representatives of the fort. For so many of them, conversation is the backbone of their night. Plus, while you yap up with the club door folks, you will see fellow musicians and potential fans walk in and out. Let people see you and they will remember you. Build the buzz.

CDs ... yeah they aren't free to you, but why not to someone who might help you build the buzz. Hook up a door person. Smoking a cig and talking to someone outside a coffee shop or Tatt place? Give them a disc. Sure you lose a sale, but they could help you gain five new ones. They think you're cool as heck for the free disc and they will see your passion to make things happen for your music. Don't ever get scared of giving out some free discs here and there on the streets to potential fans. You can't put a price on buzz.

Hey, how about hitting Amigo’s, Geno’s, Downtown Lounge, Asylum Sportsbar, Whiteheart and give the bartender a free record? Or Bull Moose or a Tattoo place or hip clothing store. Why? Well I can assure you they will probably put it on their stereo in the business that night. If not that night, soon. And you know what, if they don't play it in the business and it sits next to the CD player un-touched, I GUARANTEE it won't go un-noticed. You will surely have 2,3,4+ employees, who probably love music, look at the CD and take notice of the name on the record. That builds buzz.

How about those people you meet who are willing to hang out and chat about music? If you're at a spot smoking a cig outside of a club or hot spot and the conversation is going good, say, "Hey, can I play you like a little bit of a song or two?" If they say yes, play them a couple tunes. Well, maybe half of each song if they're cool about it. Afterwards, get some feedback. "What did you think? You like one better than the other?" Any response you walk away with is priceless. Let them know you're trying to figure out if you should add the song to your set or something and their help is going to help you make a decision. That way they feel their taste/opinion is worth a lot to you. Of course, take what they say how you want, but damn man, there’s some direct feedback big time.

How about something even easier? Maybe you just want to walk Congress with a band mate or a friend. Flyer-less, no stickers. You just want to walk. Have someone in your crew wear a band shirt. So that way walking by anyone, they see your band’s name. BAM! I mean we stare at Nike, ECCO, Vans, Reebok, Red Sox and others as people walk by us every day. Why not push YOUR Nike. YOUR Reebok. Wear, or have someone wear, your shirt, push YOUR band. Even the laziest person can do that. Walking billboard. Plus hey, you are promoting your killer merch!

Lets face it, the cold, the winter should never keep you from pushing your band and your music. But if you find yourself with an itch lately, act on it. If the weather is motivating you to get out, then get out with your music. ALWAYS be ready to push your music. Unless that’s not your main goal. If not, just enjoy the weather...

...while we can!

TIP of THE MONTH ARCHIVE

NEWS ARCHIVE

Equipment includes: Pro Tools; Neumann, AKG, and Shure microphones; Millennia Media and Universal Audio microphone preamps; and Universal Audio's 1176ln compressor... just the tip of the iceburg of gear!

Port Media is offering a 10% discount off of its hourly rate to PMF members.

Check out www.port-media.com for all the details, or email Michael McNerney, the proprietor.