Using the "IKEA Effect" to connect with your audience
June 17, 2010In his new book, The Upside of Irrationality – The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home, behavioral economist Dan Ariely describes the psychological effects of ownership and creation, what he calls “The IKEA Effect”. In a nutshell, we tend to overvalue what we create or work on. This phenomenon is well documented and…
Jazz as a business model
June 9, 2010OK, let’s face it. It’s not easy making money as a jazz musician. As a matter of fact, today it is probably more difficult than it has ever been. The audience is understandably small because the music is sophisticated. It requires the listener’s complete attention and an inherent interest in the format. Nonetheless there are…
Taking care of business – We’re all self-employed
June 9, 2010Reading Paul Resnikoff’s essay this morning it occurred to me that the ‘vehicle’ for the future of the music business will be a completely individualized start-up mentality. Everything has changed; what it means to be a performer, a recording artist, a songwriter, an instrumentalist, a composer, a music publisher, a record label… As long as…
Why Do You Do It? – Pt. 2
May 29, 2010Most record labels were started by people who loved a particular type of music and wanted to share their passion. They liked to make money, but most were driven by a real love for music. Labels had unique identities – Atlantic, Delmark, Blue Note, Reprise, Prestige, Columbia, Nonesuch, Verve, Folkways, Deutsche Grammophon… As I discovered…
Why Do You Do It? – Pt. 1
May 28, 2010Reading Simon Sinek’s new book, Start with Why I was struck by his statement that, “…people don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.” Sinek describes a simple formula he calls the Golden Circle. The center ring is WHY, the middle circle, HOW, and the outer circle, WHAT. Most businesses he says,…
Career Tracks: Killola
May 20, 2010Photo by Thaddeus Bridwell I recently had the opportunity to speak with the excellent folks in Killola, a four piece “Hardpop Altcore” band formed in 2003 and based in Los Angeles. Consisting of Lisa Rieffel (lead vocals), Mike Ball, (guitar), Dan Grody (drums) and Johnny Dunn (bass), the band’s indie work ethic and unique blend…
Nonesuch knocks it out the park with Brad Mehldau’s ‘Highway Rider’
May 13, 2010Nonesuch Records is doing some very cool stuff with their promotion of the extraordinary Brad Mehldau recording, Highway Rider. The website is engaging and features an innovative scrolling musical score and a fascinating story book (with streaming audio) that takes the listener/viewer through the programmatic trajectory of this unique project. Highway Rider is available on…
Making a profit by adding real value..
May 12, 2010If we learn anything from the Wall St. crisis it should be this: Sustainable businesses make a profit by creating and adding value to the world. Windfall “paper” transactions are unsustainable and eventually lead to financial disaster, and/or the degeneration of industry. Take a look at this heated debate between 37signals principal, David Heinemeier Hansson…