WELCOME TO THE ROOFTOP SUITE OF SPACE TOWERS
This is my Friend, SPIRIT
Spirit came to me from Alaska with a problem. His family and friends are being wiped out by "Bozo's With Bazooka's" who storm out of the sky in small planes, spook the wolves into running and then slaughter all of them with high-powered rifles.....from the Air!!! This is done with the encouragement of the Alaskan Governor, I might add. What next? Hand Grenades into the dens? Spirit and I are hoping that the wolves can be taught to use ground-to-air missiles and have a bit of a Tango themselves. Surprise Mister Hunter!!! POP goes the Weasel!! Have a need to kill a wolf?? I'll hand you the knife myself! Now the fight is fair. Have fun! :^)
Well, on the lighter side, I've had a Space Site for a year now and I've discovered MANY things. I guess the most important would be that there are more genuinely "nice people" here than I would have guessed, lots of them are musicians and lots of them are FEMALE musicians.
My purpose in being here is, essentially, TWO FOLD;
I'm seeking a CHALLENGING and Creative day gig after taking a Year off to think about what I wanted to do with my life. I'm one of the luckiest guys on the planet because I've been fortunate enough to work in a field that I love, music. BUT, I was always bothered by the fact that in the "selling of musical instruments", the USING of females, or, "Babes in Bikinis" was a big part of the marketing of those instruments. Kinda made me want to puke so I'm doing everything I can to try and support Female artists while, at the same time, give my support to ALL of the musicians I've met here that have amazing gifts.
I found myself here in Space, surrounded by very talented Singer/Songwriters who were looking for ears to hear their music. I've devoted my time in Space to trying to help them find those ears....YOUR ears. The problem seems to be that EVERYONE is screaming for attention and not taking the time to do any listening
Some of the things I've found here are totally contradictory to the basic themes of marketing and I hope to be able to make some changes occur which will help musicians in their pursuits which focus on simply being heard. One of the most damaging things to allow yourself to fall into here is a totally ridiculous concept called TOP FRIENDS. If there's a single game that's most detrimental to you actually making a name for yourself, it's that. If you have a brain, use it and go set your Top Friends device to Randomize. You'll notice that the number of hits on your page will rise dramatically as soon as you do.
While I don't buy in to the politics of the Top Friend thing AT ALL, I'd add the fact that I have THE BEST collection of friends in this entire place....or Space! Now, that's not up for debate, it's a fact!! Take a look around and you'll see that the people gathered here are some of the finest on this or any planet! I'm not looking to simply "collect numbers" here. I like people. I'm also not here to try to sell you anything. Space is FREE and, in many ways, you certainly get what you pay for. Fortunately, friendship is something that many offer "Free of Charge". I'm looking for quality people with something they'd like to share. Are you, perhaps, one of them?
MORE ON LIFE??--visit my personal "sell-you-nothing" website for a slightly expanded explanation of my views on the state of the world.http://www.richbriere.com
~~As YEARS Go By~~A Day in the Life
PLEASE TURN UP YOUR SPEAKERS--No, WAYYYYY Up!!
Should you attempt to read any further while the music is playing, YOUR computer will self-destruct, blue screen, and die before your very eyes. Do you REALLY want that to happen? I didn't think so. Sit back, relax, LISTEN and BREATH. This site is dedicated to lowering stress.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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See that banner above? If you feel like hitting the line under it,"Want this Badge?", copying the code and popping it somewhere on your site, that's cool. It'd help to direct people to this joint and they'll find lots of NEW music, quite possibly YOURS.
If you DON'T have a banner, and you're a musician, you're NUTS!. Shall I repeat that? :) Let's say that you have 500 friends. If each of your FRIENDS only had THREE visitors in a WEEK!!!!, that would be 1500 people who saw your face....people that wouldn't know you exist without that banner being there. It's fun, it's easy, there's all kinds of different styles......and you can get lots of FREE support from folks who have a heart.If you find that you've created a banner and it leads to the place where you spent 14 hours creating your "dead" masterpiece, perhaps you'd like to HIRE me to do it for you. I used to do it for free and then found that I wasted my time because the folks who received them never bothered to actually put them up. Your badge is your street sign. Use it.
"Poor Richard's Almanac"
I spent the first ten months in here promoting artists. I spent almost all of my time working for others and doing very little for myself. I also watched as the art of "promotion" became VAST and it seemed like if you couldn't actually play an instrument yourself, had no marketing experience yourself, but wanted to sort of "help out", you found a way to do so. There are now somewhere around 300 "promoters" hard at work here in Space and still, no wheels are moving at all. Hmmmmm. We really need to fix that.
Currently, I'm enjoying my life as I look towards the Sun and recharge my mental and physical batteries. I'm going through some exciting times and spending a lot less time here. If you'd continue to support the musicians that I used to "promote", I'd sure appreciate it. Visit their sites, say hello, buy their CD's and put their music and banners on your sites. Would ya' do that for me?
For those of you who enjoyed the music of Sue Leonard, LATE FOR BREAKFAST, Jerry Donahue, Nicole Hart, Zera Vaughan, Jen Foster, Janet Robin, Di Thomas, TIMA, Lizann, Jonatha Brooke, Susie Warley, No Escape, Alice Peacock, and so many others for the past months, go to their sites and CONTINUE to listen. Continue to leave them comments and tell them what you think about what they do. A COMMENT is much more than a glittery, "Have a Happy Hump Day" written by someone else. Tell the person on the other end that you're thinking about them. It doesn't have to be all glitter and pictures. A simple "thank you" means so much to a singer/songwriter who is spilling their guts to you...and hoping you like it.
If I might be so bold, consider adding their banners/badges to your site if you're into helping people find the music I've been featuring. While on the topic of banners, if I make you one, use one and boldly go where few artists have gone before.....SEND IT OUT to your friends in a bulletin. If you've got 6,000 friends, and they've got 500 friends apiece, you can get your beautiful faces and music in front of a quarter of a million people with a single click.
Cross market. If you're sending out YOUR banner..send out a half dozen more WITH IT featuring other artists that your FRIENDS might like. :^) You kindness WILL come back to you. KARMA is KING!
There are also hundreds of other VERY talented people on here as well. I hope that you'll take a little time out of every day and pick a Singer/Songwriter at random and just listen to one of their tunes from start to finish.
So what is making music all about?
I think it's kind of like falling in love--as they're both matters of the heart. There are those days when you write a tune or play with someone who has just written a GREAT one and everything just clicks, the way it clicked when you looked into the eyes of your lover and saw the Sun, the Earth and the Stars, sitting right there, close enough for you to reach out and touch. Then there are also days when love is putting up with those things about your lover that absolutely drive you insane!
“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.†Hunter S. Thompson
I've always really liked that quote as it does apply to many parts of Corporate America, not just music. Having just said that, I'm now at a point in my life where I'd like to meet and reconnect with old friends from the "business of making music" as well as everyone who's climbing onto what I see as the future of music: the Independent Labels and Distribution Network.
If you're involved in the future of music and arts and looking to create a Team of Experienced Performers, I'm interested.......Get in touch and I'll get a resume out to you. If you need a Partner in your CREATIVE business, I might be the guy. :)
Working in Artist Relations for several major instrument manufacturers during the 80's was the joy of my career as I was able to work with folks like Genesis, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Heart, The Police, Rush, Reba McEntire, Moody Blues, Eric Clapton, Vince Gill, Tom Petty, Neil Diamond, Restless Heart and scads of others. I kept my eyes and ears open and learned much about making bands a viable "product" in a world that was quickly turning corporate and ugly. The best part was discovering that many of the top names in the industry were, indeed, amazingly gifted, talented and extremely likable.
Musicians are almost always terrible business people and should be...they work with different sides of the brain. I worked for Fender Musical Instruments for many years and it was a wonderful learning experience. I gathered up a wall-full of awards and TONS of experience that has now really come in handy and I'm ready to apply that knowledge in other ventures. "Do what you like in order to pay the bills and you'll never have to "work" a day in your life". I'm still looking for that "day gig" and I hope to find it.
Many of my "friends" on here are also my friends in real life, wonderful people and artists who share their lives with all of us via that cosmic vehicle known as "music and arts". I sincerely hope that you'll get to know them as I have, or as I'm doing. We're very fortunate to have these artists here. Please give a listen and support live music.
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Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary mission statement
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Speaking of Coming Together.........I have a dear friend whose brother is a Sheriff's Deputy. Recently he stopped a car, got out of his cruiser and was shot by the driver of the car. He's in the hospital and could use your support. If you put badges on your page, or even if you're about to begin with this one, would you do all of us who are tired of criminals getting a slap on the hand for shooting ANYONE, a favor??? Would you put this badge on your page to show Rob and all the cops who put their life on the line every day that we DO care about them. Thanks.
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The greatest "healer" for me, you ask???? Music....of course! A Strong belief in "something" helps us to get from Monday to Friday and then we have a couple of days to kick back and play more music or, for some, to get away from music and relax in Golden Silence. :^)I'm 56 years old. I'm not sure how that happened as I was twenty-something about three days ago. Now you 20 year olds will snicker at that but let me assure you that as the years go by they get moving faster. All of a sudden you're a geezer and people are calling you SIR or MA'AM all the time. When that happens to me I just want to reach out and twist their ear. Remember when your Grandmother used to do that to ya'? OUCH!
My musical tastes developed as a result of the "British Invasion" and didn't move for quite some time. For those of you who are under 35, that "Invasion" was not the Revolutionary War, it's the period when Ed Sullivan was keeping us entertained every Sunday Night. Shindig, Hullaballoo, Dick Clark and American Bandstand were life-changing experiences for us, while Lawrence Welk and his crew entertained the Geritol Generation.
Start with the Beatles, the Byrds, and the Beach Boys and move forward from there--Kate Bush, Eagles, Jackson Browne, Buffalo Springfield, Linda Ronstadt, Yes, Pink Floyd. It seems that most of my favorite bands came from England and California. The current period in the growth of musicians is showing lots of promise in my humble opinion and since the current state of the music is, without any doubt, at its very lowest point, we can only hope that it evens out soon and begins running back up that hill. Sirius Radio and a smattering of Computer Bound Indies could lead the charge if we support it, get THEM to stop playing the same tunes over and over again, and put a crush on the two or three MEGA Corps that decide what and WHO we're going to listen to. I know, it's asking for a lot. Let's get involved.........we CAN change the world and put more than 15 people back in the clubs. Support live music!! :^)
It seems that two-thirds of the sites I hit have a Nashville, New York or Los Angeles address and that many artists are still getting caught up in the "pay to play" scam. That statement won't make me a popular guy with the club owners who are picking your pockets because you're an artist and not a good business person, but I believe that it's something we should get together on. We'd make out better to rent halls or put up live internet sites of our own than we do now; dragging truckloads of gear to play for a half-dozen drunks at 2 am. Is it worth it? "Come Together, Right Now"..........
NEWBIE WARNING!!! Like everything else in life, there are some folks in here who are not AT ALL who or what they pretend to be. Why they do this I'm not sure, but they do, routinely, and some of them are very good at it. PLEASE know who it is that you're giving your trust to. Think you found a "Superstar" because that's who they TELL you they are? Google them. If they're not anywhere to be found, guess what? You've been had. :^)
Television?? YOU want ME to watch Television???.No thanks..it kills your brain. THEY control the vertical. THEY control the horizontal. They make you think that you have to be and buy what they tell you to. I'm possibly the only person on the planet who has NEVER seen American Idol or any other show which most often humiliates a person in front of the entire world and forces them to consider taking up bowling instead of pursuing a career doing something that they love. Television reached a new low with "reality shows" and I don't think it'll ever recover.....except for the possibility of THIS video. Have you ever had a dream....but you don't have the right "look" and you don't have the connections or ????......well, you'll see....PLEASE WAIT for the other song that you're listening to...to END...then hit play on this video. It restored a tiny bit of my faith in humanity....
Good books about all facets of music and my favorite musicians fascinate me. I CAN tell you that if you're on here and not receiving and reading "Performing Songwriter" magazine, we should talk. They hit it right on the head, month after month, during a time when nobody else does. Do I work for them? I do not, which is unfortunate for both parties as I should be there. They have a fabulous Team. I'm a subscriber and always will be.
I've had a "hero" since I was in my late teens. She's a woman named "Guinnevere" and I'm still looking for her--hoping that, before I go to that bass place in the Sky, I get the pleasure of spending some GREAT years with a wonderful mate. We each have a dream in life--a special Angel that we look for; Guinnevere has been mine....since the day in the late 60's when I heard the first Crosby, Stills & Nash album and a misty vision formed in my head. I'm relatively certain that I'll know her when I see her. Listen. :^)
Believe it or not, anyone who can make it through a day the way life is now is my hero. Life needn't be like this....living a lie and stressing ourselves to the point where we must swallow handfuls of pills in order to cope. We're a mess.....our Children are a mess and our future is bleak. Our leaders may yet still find a way to blow up the Earth as they line their pockets by reaching into ours. All we have is Hope and Dreams. Those, however, can't be stolen from us if we still have our Arts and Music. They shield us from the Wrath of Greed...but it's up to us to FIX the problem before it consumes us. It's my belief that we need to put a stop to a way of thinking that's been handed down from Generation to Generation.....take back our thoughts and make them individual......and Independent.
The Gentle Man that you see below is Michael Tobias. He builds basses for many of the Top Players on Earth and because I was, somehow, Grandfathered in, he builds mine as well. He and I go back to my very roots in being a rep and Artist Relations guy and his as being a builder. He's even kinder than he appears and if I had to pick a #1 as far as the human that I happen to admire the most..he gets it.
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Mike Tobias
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Diane
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Hedda
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Michaele
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Happy
SUE LEONARD
Have you Heard this woman Sing? Oh Man!!!!
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Rae
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Kacee
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Kacee
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Jen Foster
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Stephane Blache - Paintings with Sounds
Stephane
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She said......
Listen on Myspace
Laura
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Kate Bush Trib
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The LNBB
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Late for ALL Meals
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Stephane Blache - Paintings with Sounds
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