AUTHENTICITY

Failure motivates this artist to succeed. All the lost opportunity and disappointments in life, the regrets and struggle, turn into lyrics that release an echo of bass and strength.
Ty Peurifoy of Philadelphia, Pa found a niche for putting all these situations in freestyles. He has a story similiar to any resident of the sometimes violent city. In 1995 he became AUTHENTIC, the rapper, dropping his first freestyle project with instrumentals. His goals are to succeed and open doors for others in every walk of life while creating jobs and businesses and become a mogul in the industry. Inspired by family members who never gave up, a special grandmother nana Cynthia Prescott Peurifoy who passed away in 2010.
AUTHENTIC is on his way to the top in the rap game managed by RealityMusic’s JannyShmanny, artist developer, and soon to be a voice for the people as he knocks down the barriers that has had a hold on many other artists from his city. The artist has a grind hard, no sleep mindset that keeps him on his path as the street artists named him BARS. Connecting and learning from the successful musicians that came before him, AUTHENTIC  is steadfast in his game.

Authentic’s youtube video of his track “Friend or Foe” has been going viral on various music blog publications as well as the venues he has performed in 2019. His lyrics “Gotta watch my back, gotta watch my front, It’s a shame, people change. This ain’t what you want!”, has spread throughout the city of Philadelphia and leaves no silence from the fans when the artist performs. Check out these video posts from various blog sites and what people are saying about the up and coming artist.

http://wuworld.com/profiles/blogs/authentic-friend-or-foe

http://nervedjs.ning.com/m/blogpost?id=2260384%3ABlogPost%3A163613

http://newyorkundergroundradio.ning.com/profiles/blogs/authentic-friend-or-foe

http://www.rapordie.com/m/blogpost?id=3802139%3ABlogPost%3A84979

http://hot-92.ning.com/m/blogpost?id=4551915%3ABlogPost%3A56876

http://iplanethiphop.ning.com/m/blogpost?id=2042258%3ABlogPost%3A54187

http://raphead.com/profiles/blogs/authentic-friend-or-foe

http://dsradio.ning.com/profiles/blogs/authentic-friend-or-foe

Connect with the artist through his social media and online platforms at: https://lnk.bio/WMSd

For bookings contact: realitymusicco@gmail.com authenticambition2018@gmail.com

 

 

 

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HOW GRATITUDE CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER MUSICIAN

In my network of study, I ran across and interesting topic. I was touched by the advice of Patrick McGuire, a writerand musician, who lives nowhere in particular, creates music under the name StraightWhite Teeth, and has a great affinity for dogs and putting his hands in his pockets.

I’ll tell you why.
Straight White Teeth’s lush and defiantly triumphant new single “Lifetime”was written and recorded during what was undoubtedly one of the worst years of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Patrick McGuire’s life. After he moved to Philadelphia in late 2015, he sustained a severe injury to his right arm in a hit-and-run biking accident that left his ability to play guitar and piano in question. The song “Lifetime” was  created during a trying 11-month period between two surgeries in which McGuire underwent to bring full functionality back to his arm. To make matters worse, in May of 2017, the lo-fi pop musician and his family were forced to leave their Philadelphia home at the request of local police because of violent conditions on their block.

Straight White Teeth’s music and collection of songs are centered around the idea––and real life conviction––of escaping a life of convention, and almost by way of self-fulfilling prophecy, McGuire’s brief and turbulent Philadelphia tenure turned out to be just that, though certainly not in the way he’d hoped or planned. After leaving Philadelphia in mid 2017, McGuire wrote, produced  and recorded the other songs in basements and bedrooms in Philadelphia, his former home of Denver and various cities. Currently without a permanent residence or band, Straight White Teeth is performing at small solo acoustic shows in venues across the US.

Check his music out at: https://youtu.be/xQXpB_-iHNY  and stream him on Spotify.

Patrick gave us his view to discover:

HOW GRATITUDE CAN MAKE  YOU A BETTER MUSICIAN

Gratitude isn’t something we think about much in the music industry. The relentless work ethic it takes to make music and compete in a fierce and unforgiving music climate makes it hard for musicians to think about anything other than what it takes to make meaningful momentum happen for their work. But if you’re a musician trying to build a career in music, stepping back for a moment and being grateful for what you’ve already accomplished in music can help give you a positive new perspective and hope for your work.

What is gratitude in music?

The comparison game is something that plagues a lot of serious musicians working today. It’s an attitude of entitlement predicated on the idea that if an artist works hard and is talented enough, tangible success is sure to come their way. Most of us know that’s not how music works, but we often can’t shake the feeling that when another artist succeeds, we’re somehow on the losing end. Gratitude is a great way to combat that feeling.

Gratitude in music shifts an artist’s focus off of industry expectations and the successes of other musicians and points it back on what’s happening with their own work. It’s about looking away from where you desperately want to go in music and being happy for where you’re at––no matter where you’re at. Instead of wishing you had a certain number of fans, views, likes, or money made from music, gratitude invites you to consider how far you’ve already come and to celebrate your progress. Even something as simple as being able to hold an instrument and summon music from it is a childlike appreciation most of us haven’t accessed in years, but that sort of simple gratitude is exactly what can help us see our work in a new light.

What is there to be grateful for in music?

Without gratitude, you’ll never be happy or fulfilled in music. No matter how materially successful you are, there’s always going to be someone faring better. This means that gratitude ends up being a big deal in music, whether you’re a major superstar or a kid making music in your bedroom. You can be grateful in music for everything from a tour running smoothly to a fan saying your music means something to them. The key is learning to recognize victories large or small and to take the time to celebrate them.

Gratitude is not ambition or complacency
( which means being smug or stuck up thinking you’re all that and a bag of chips)

And before you think this is an attitude that’s at odds with the ambition it takes to be successful in music, it’s really not. Gratitude asks us to look outside of ourselves to recognize everything positive that’s happened with our work. Complacency doesn’t ask us to do anything but go through the motions and maintain the status quo.

STRAIGHT WHITE TEETH

Topic was discussed 2/10/19 on REALITYMUSIC’S 1STLADYOFREAL PODCAST at http://www.anchor.fm/1stladyofreal

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LET’S TALK ABOUT PROMOTION

Promotion seems to be what every indie artist struggles with the most, but it’s also one of the most important aspects of any artist’s career. Even if you are paying for PR or some type of promotion, there are things that you can be doing that will put a strong push behind your campaign.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN PROMOTION:
A big part of your promo campaign will be spent on PREPARATION. There are a few things that you need to do before you even begin to promote that will really help give your promo a better chance at getting results. A lot of artists don’t plan and prepare, they just jump right on in without having the tools to get the job done. Here are a few things that really help give your promotion the push it needs in order to see that return of investment:
1. MAKE SURE YOUR PRODUCT IS GREAT! You are competing with a ton of others, including the major artists; which means that your music must be mixed and mastered. Think about it – potential fans (that aren’t in the music industry), are used to hearing music on the radio, at clubs, festivals, stores etc. – which means they are used to hearing top quality records, so you must deliver! Plus it gives your records a better chance at getting played by DJs. Also, not every record that you record should be released. It’s good to be able to test out your records by playing them to associates behind the scenes and getting as much honest feedback as possible BEFORE you decide to release them.
2. Find your NICHE and narrow down your TARGET AUDIENCE – Know your brand. What makes you special? What do you want to be known for? Who could you be compared to? Who does your music appeal to most? Then cover your grounds. Where do potential fans go to find new music? Where do they hang out? Think of all of your options – indie record stores, the mall, corner stores and small businesses in your neighborhood, restaurants, etc. Think outside the box. By answering all of these questions you will have a much better idea at who you are, which allows you to understand who you should be promoting to. It’s not about getting your music in front of just any audience, you have to get your music in front of an audience that would be interested.
3. MAKE SURE YOU’RE BRANDING IS ON POINT! This means, you must look the part! You should have an official website in place and updated with professional photos, bio, current shows, social media info, mailing list, and blog. You need this for a few reasons: for one it makes you look like the professional artist that you are. There are way too many “artists” out there with no website (only a Facebook page and/or Twitter or YouTube account) and it doesn’t make their brand look very good. Those that are successful all have official websites, so should you! Plus, you’re fans need a place to filter the traffic back to. You don’t want to get in XXL mag, the Source, Thisis50, and a bunch of other sites if you don’t have an official website. Your results will be mediocre at best.
4. Make sure that you have the materials to promote: This means promo graphics that appear on all of your social networks (Facebook covers, Twitter Header, you get the point). Your brand must be recognized across all platforms and whatever you’re promoting should stand out. This is called BRAND recognition. You also should have a video for your single (or at least a professional graphic for your single if you haven’t shot the video) that you can promote with the link to the song. I’ve always noticed that artists that promote videos get a better response out of promo than an artist without a video. Also, if you have online flyers and/or promo graphics, be sure to have them handy. If you’re going to run a contest, be sure you know exactly how it will be run. You must have all of these things organized and easily accessible so that you can promote properly.
5. Create GOALS | Map Out Your BUDGET. Do you want to reach a certain amount of views or downloads in a certain amount of time? Do you want to bring 50 fans to your next gig? Do you want to sell a certain amount of merchandise? The better idea you have at what you want to accomplish the better your plan will be. Also, how much will your promo materials cost? How much do you have to spend on a publicist and other promo services? Do some research and put together a budget sheet.
6. PRESS RELEASE – Whatever you’re promoting must have a press release with all the intriguing details to make people interested. You have to make it easy for press to write about you. If you hire someone like myself, I’ll handle this for you, however you should do some research on how to write your own press releases as well. Hiring a PR team to handle things for you can be a very helpful tool, however there are things that you need to be doing yourself to help the campaign grow.
ONCE YOU HAVE THE PRODUCT:
7. NETWORKING | Street Team | Blog Outreach – Some of the best promotion happens behind the scenes. The more you get people talking, the easier it is for your music and brand to spread. Ways to promote behind the scenes: conversations with friends, colleagues, family – encourage them to share whatever it is that you’re promoting. STREET TEAM – gather a group of friends, family members and people in your network to not only help with promotion, but utilize them for feedback on almost everything you do (music releases, performances, etc.). They can wear t-shirts with your name on it, they can spread flyers at their jobs, where they live, and they can post your music on their social media. BLOG OUTREACH – are you in contact with any blogs or publications? Make note of those who have supported your music in the past as well as others you may have come across along the way and be sure to build relationships and utilize them as sources for promotion.
8. Digital Campaign | Digital Distribution – Most people go online to find new music. You need to map out what and where you will be posting in order to promote your product. Make it interesting! Content is king when trying to reel people in and location is also important. Not only do you have to map out how your music will be promoted but you need to map out where people will have access to it. It is best to filter the traffic directly to your website and have your music available for download there. Also, you can use CD Baby or Tune Core to make your music available for sale on the major digital outlets such as iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc. You must also do your job to help the others that are posting your music – this means re-posting all tweets, press, etc. – you must help promote those who promote you! That’s how you continue getting support.
9. MAILING LIST – A mailing list of your own is an amazing tool – And I don’t mean finding random email addresses and spamming them with your music, I mean collecting emails of those who are interested in hearing from you combined with utilizing the emails of those who you have already been in contact with. You should treat your list as VIP, send them special offers, let them be the first to preview your new releases, give them cheaper concert tickets etc. This list is GOLD!
10. PERFORMANCES – This is one of the most important factors in promotion. Your fans plus potential fans need to see you put on a memorable show. The more you impress people with your performances, the more people will want to see you again and again. Perform everywhere possible (except for them pay to play showcases, you really have to use your judgement when it comes to those). Perform at open mics, get to know promoters and event planners, perform at as many local events as you can.
The key to marketing is to be able to grab and keep people’s attention. You need more than just a listen or a view, you need people to share. The key to this is getting people to feel some sort of emotion because that’s when they take action. When you can make people FEEL something with your music and the way you present yourself, that’s when you’ll really start gaining some traction.

If you’re following all of these guidelines, the next step would be to hire a PR agency to help get your music on larger platforms that have a big reach, while you do the leg work and build your buzz 1 on 1 and in your hometown. Why should you hire a publicist or marketing agency? Because they have the relationships and access that you don’t.
blog credits: Paul Porter, RAPREHAB

CEO RAISES THE BAR

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ~ SYMFYNY ~ CEO OF WORDSOFLIFE PRODUCTIONS/BESTATEVERYTHING 

  ANTHONY BROWN, 42 of Philadelphia, Pa, an above average former social worker of 15 years, gifted with many talents and the ambition to start his own business. Bringing forth a dream of helping others in the music industry. From previous experience, he entered the entertainment business as SYMFYNY.

Taking on roles as Artist/Show Event Producer, Production Business Owner, Founder and Executive Producer of WORDS OF LIFE PRODUCTIONS (2013) and BEST AT EVERYTHING ENT (2016)

His showcases tour around different cities frequently and SYMFYNY has been a consistent path to building exposure and artist development.

Stay current on SYMFYNY’s platforms for helping artists succeed.

Check out his interview segment with HIDDEN IN HIP HOP  internet radio host DJ L.Marie of Georgia who has also become a self made business owner who strives to bring peace and unity through music and mentoring.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=967732766760231&id=1

For artist opportunities, platforms and foundation contact

Symfyny (215)796-9010

wolssinc@gmail.com

IG: @symfyny @bestateverythingent

FB: https://www.facebook.com/symfyny.artistproducer

blog editor JannyShmanny #1stladyofreal #Promotions

Aug 29, 2018

6 Tips to Make Your EPK Great

1. Put your best songs up front.

Make sure to put your best three songs at the top of the list in order. Even if they only listen to 30 seconds of your first song, having extra material can come in handy later in the selection process.

2. Add some killer photos

Your press photo is the very first image they should see, so it needs to be high quality, aesthetically pleasing, and match your style as an artist. They also highly recommend including stage photos to demonstrate your performance style, passion, and stage presence.

3. …and a few videos, too

Videos are necessary to demonstrate that you are a legit artist. Include a high-quality, live performance video first, then a well-edited and representative music video. The more comprehensive the content, the more likely they are to consider you.

4. Showcase your following

Link any and every social site you can. Show off how many fans you already have and what makes you unique. In an Instagram-heavy market, don’t forget to curate your YouTube channel, SoundCloud and Facebook pages, and keep posting new content! Weird discrepancies between play count and engagement on your posts: huge red flag. Archive those low-quality photos, too.

5. Keep everything up to date

Don’t keep old songs, photos or videos in your EPK that no longer represent who you are as an artist, period.

6. Spruce up your bio

Don’t lose them on the final turn. They want to use your bio to promote you to the public, so keep it short and sweet.

Credits: MicXSic and Marc Gianni

 

MUSIC IS NOT YOUR HOBBY

Want To Be Successful In Music? Try Thinking Of It Like Your Job.

Having musical talent and intuition is good,but if you really want to succeed in music, you’ll need much more than that. Whether it’s the discipline it takes to spend hours at a time practicing an instrument or the planning and communication skills needed to book shows and pitch new music to press outlets, Sheer talent isn’t enough to make it in music, especially in today’s INDIE driven industry. If you want to find success in music, you might want to try thinking about it like your JOB.
A JOB is more serious than a HOBBY
If you want to find any sort of success in music, you’ll have to stop thinking of practicing, playing shows, and writing songs as a hobby.

Seeing music as an actual job is a better way to go about it because with a job, the stakes are higher and much more is required of you. People stay in their jobs and do things they don’t always want to do because they have to. And while that strict sense of obligation is something lots of people turn to music to escape from. Nothing good in music will come to you unless you work for it. For that hard work to happen, the stakes need to be much higher than they would be if you were spending your time on a hobby.
People with jobs have to stick to a schedule.
As much as we all like to think we can be serious with music without any set schedule, that’s rarely the case for most musicians. Lots of people dread going to their jobs because it requires them to stick to a strict schedule, That sort of discipline and devotion to time is essential for keeping a band together and making music seriously. No, you don’t need to wake up two hours early and make music before heading out to your actual job, but creating and sticking to a weekly practice schedule is critical in helping you thrive in music, no matter what your goals are.

A JOB is a COMMITMENT
Thinking of making music as being a CAREER is helpful because it forces you to make a real commitment to what you’re doing. Believe it or not, lots of people actually enjoy their jobs and show up to work every day for more than just a paycheck.

No matter what you’re doing in music, payoffs like affirmation, receptive listeners, and record sales are often sparse and hard to find, especially if you’re just starting out. This means that you’ll have to find rewards in your commitment to the craft.
Committing to something means working through temporary setbacks and challenges and showing up to something every day, whether that’s a job or a relationship. If you really want to do something meaningful in music, you’ll have to fully commit to what you’re doing.

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INDIE ARTISTS DON’T UNDERSTAND BUDGETS

Many indie artists don’t understand the widely used term, “What’s your budget?”when seeking help with building a music career. Here I’ve found a breakdown that will assist in understanding why it takes a secure plan to build a future in music.
In case you ever forget that it takes money to make money with your music, here is a summary of some general income and expense categories that may factor into your business/budgeting forecasts. Now you know why music industry professionals say that it costs MORE to market and promote music than it does to record it!

1. Artist Income Sources:

a. Live Performance Fees
b. Record Label Recording Contract Royalties
c. Publishing Income Sources

* Mechanical Royalties
(Sales of CDs/DVDs)
* Performance Royalties
(Broadcasting: Radio, TV, Satellite Radio) * Synchronization Fees
(TV, Film)
* Sheet Music Sales
* Commercials/Jingles Income

d. Merchandising Royalties ( T-Shirts etc.)
e. Misc. Income Sources

* Internet Streaming / Downloads
* Investment Income
* Endorsements
* Book and Video Sales
* Multimedia Product Sales

2. Artist Expenses:

a. Recording fees: CD/DVD

* Producer/Engineer
* Studio Costs
* Misc. tape and/or digital storage costs, and other studio supplies
* Equipment Rental charges
* Guest Musician fees
* Mastering fees

b. Graphic Artist/Cover Art Design costs
c. CD/Vinyl Manufacturing/Duplication charges

* Promotional Expenses
(Indie Radio Reps/Sales Reps,)
* Marketing and Sales Plan costs (One sheets, Coop dollars, Ad money)

d. Publicity/Promotional Material Costs

* Publicists Fees
* Promo/Publicity Kit Design costs
* Flyers, Posters, Envelope Design costs
* Printing/Copying charges
* Photographer fees and duplication charges
* Internet Website costs (Design, maintenance, access fees, etc.)
* Misc. online promotions, events.

e. Office Expenses

* Rent
* Stationary and office supplies/furniture
* Postage, phone and utilities bills
* Office equipment (computers, fax, phone, et al.)

f. Taxes

* Local, State, and Federal taxes
* Tax preparation costs/Bookkeeper fees

g. Band Equipment Costs

* Instrument purchases/rentals
* Tour Luggage
* Misc. equipment repair/maintenance costs (strings, drumsticks etc.)
* CDs and MP3 players (for listening and study purposes)
* Misc. recording/playback equipment (4 track recorder/mixer, etc.)
* Sound system
* Rehearsal space costs

h. Songwriting

* Copyright song registration / filing costs
* Performance Rights Organization Fees ( ASCAP-BMI-SESAC)
* Lessons/Study/Research expenses
* Conferences/ Seminars budget

i. Artist Business Team Costs

* Personal Manager/Consultant fees
* Business Manager/Accountant fees
* Booking Agent fees
* Publicist fees
* Music Attorney fees

j. Transportation costs

* Auto/ Van purchase/rental/Insurance costs
* Maintenance costs (gas, service, repair)
* Airline, bus, and/or train tickets
* Highway/Ferry tolls

k. Touring expenses

* Per Diem ( for food, lodging etc.)
* Road Manager/Roadies salaries
* Lighting/Sound equipment purchase/rental costs

l. Merchandise (T-Shirts etc.)

* Design costs
* Manufacturing and shipping costs

m. Miscellaneous Expenses

* Costumes/Stage clothing
* Insurance (health, equipment, life etc.)
* Union dues
* Trade magazine subscriptions
* Video production and manufacturing costs

Whatever else comes along that you forgot about can be covered by extending your budget for inconsistencies.

3 REASONS NOT TO LET MUSIC CRITICS DESIGN YOU

Whether songwriters like it or not, critics and tastemakers representing blogs and media outlets are a major part of how music is vetted, marketed and sold, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. With how important music criticism is to the success and longevity of a release, it can be tempting for writers to try and make their music sound like something they think will please critics, but they shouldn’t. Here are three reasons why:

1. Music written for critics comes off as insincere

Music that manages to stay relevant, genuine, and impactful almost always comes from a place of longing, dissatisfaction. and true emotion in a songwriter. Music critics and listeners will be able to discern whether your music comes from a real place of honesty and thoughtfulness or if it’s aiming to imitate the feelings and ideas of someone else’s. While you write music, make sure you’re working in a way that honors your unique thoughts, ideas, and story.

2. The sort of music that resonates with critics is always changing

With thousands of artists writing and releasing music more than ever before, it’s almost impossible to predict what ideas are going to last over the ones that will entertain the masses for a year or two and then fade into permanent obscurity. Shaping your music in a way that fits current stylistic or thematic trends is a bad idea because you run the risk of making something that sounds tired and dated the minute it gets released. Songwriters have to walk a delicate balance here between finding their own unique voice while recognizing that the music around them is constantly shifting and evolving.

If you find yourself wanting to imitate the trends you hear in the music around you, take some time and ask yourself what exactly it is you resonate with so much. Whether it’s the vocal manipulation techniques currently employed in so much electronic music today or the folk “whoop!” heard in so many songs back around 2010, many trends in music are short lived, so don’t put them into your music to please critics.

Get unbiased fan feedback on your songwriting, production, and more with brand new Crowd Reviews

3. It won’t work

Probably the biggest reason not to create music to please critics is because it most likely won’t work. Despite what you might think, music criticism isn’t an easy job, and an experienced critic will be able to tell if your music is written to cater to them after a few seconds of listening. Your best bet is to do the hard work of creating music on your own terms that honors your own ideas and story. The trick here is to recognize your influences and interpret them rather than to imitate them outright. That’s no easy task, but it’s something you’ll have to do if you want to make impactful music.

Also, it’s important to recognize that critics of any artform shouldn’t be the final say of whether something is good or not. Whether it’s a giant music blog with lots of traffic or a Youtube commenter, remember that criticism is merely an outside perspective. If your main motivation for songwriting is pleasing other people, neither you or your listeners will be happy.

1STLADYOFREAL PROMO