Lisa Gilman profile picture

Lisa Gilman

lisagilmanpublicist

About Me

I am a publicist and a musician with over ten years experience working in various capacities within the music industry including Atlantic and Capitol Records, as well as an independent public relations firm. Prior to that I worked at a major New York radio station and the booking agency of a popular club in Boston, Massachusetts. Now I am working on my own to better be able to bring artists personalized campaigns that will result in long term success.
Disappointing changes in the music industry led me to take a break and pursue my other love, teaching music. Teaching brings with it a skill set that includes management, motivation and the dissemination of information, all useful skills when planning an effective publicity campaign.
While teaching has many rewards, my passion for the creativity of formulating and nurturing long term campaigns for artists urged a return to the public relations field.
As a musician myself, I understand the creative process and the passion for music, and I share that passion regardless of musical style. I embrace the notion that music is a creative process and not just a spreadsheet line item to be placed like a product you find in the supermarket.
Varied experiences in the business world, the music business, publicity, performing and teaching make me uniquely qualified to tailor a creative plan for making your creativity a success.
There are a plethora of public relations firms out there that have been around for years. The record industry has been going through and continues to go through repeated downsizing. Sounds like reasons not to open shop on my own. On the contrary. This is a crucial time in the music business. As the industry grew and seemed to be making huge amounts of money, something was lost along the way: the music. It became a marketing game. Product placement. Who fits the current bill of popularity. Sure, the short term return was immense, but as with most plans that see only the immediate gains, it backfired. There was no commitment to these artists beyond their project of the moment. People got bored, moved on. Tastes changed. And the internet became a fantastic tool for people to hear and purchase music.
Music can’t and shouldn’t be marketed that way. Now more than ever with all the changes happening in the industry, is a need for getting back to the grass roots approach. This doesn’t mean to say technology isn’t needed - it very much can and should be a part of promotion. It's a fantastic tool to use but it shouldn't be the only means of marketing your music. There desperately needs to be someone who believes in the artist as a musician, first and foremost. Someone to take the time to develop a campaign that isn’t a generic, well target all the typical outlets approach. A campaign that looks at the music and the artist and builds a following, or takes the following already established and pushes them in new directions. The focus always being the music, and the commitment to the artist being more than a one cd, flavor of the moment passing fancy.


Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor - Image Hosting

My Interests


My GoalsDevelop a partnership with the artist and view this partnership with long-term goals mutually agreed upon.

Develop a press campaign that draws on the uniqueness of the music and personality of the artist, and will help ensure a long-term place in the market.

Embrace a mix of old and new - utilizing the benefits of the internet with the ‘old school’ hard press.

Make sure there is a comprehensive website in place that is actively maintained.

Music:



What I Will Do For You*Create a campaign that will be tailored to your specific needs, not ‘cookie cutter’ style

*Serve as publicity liason by coordinating showcases in various markets worldwide

*Prepare a unique campaign that reflects your current project

*Use ‘new media’, like the internet, to bring your project to more people worldwide

*Coordinate exposure in ‘traditional’ outlets such as magazines, newspapers and radio

*Design and maintain an up-to-date website that serves the fan base as well as press

*Develop a partnership with the artist to achieve long-term goals

*Craft timely and relevant press releases that reflect your current projects

*Work within your budget to give you the best value for your publicity dollar

*Embrace the shift toward ‘grass roots’ while still maintaining more traditional outlets

*Push an established following into new directions, or establish a new following

*Generate buzz and increase fan base

*Suggest creative ways to showcase your projects

My Blog

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Live at Wembley

Robert Plant never ceases to amaze me. He has traveled on so many different musical journeys. I've always been floored by everything he's done both studio and seeing him live. Seeing the concert in a ...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Sun, 25 May 2008 03:06:00 PST

Steve Winwood at the Blender Theater, NYC

After having missed the chance to see Steve Winwood with Eric Clapton earlier this year at Madison Square Garden, I jumped at the chance to see him solo in a much more intimate setting. He's currently...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Thu, 08 May 2008 06:13:00 PST

Speck Mountain

I read a review of Speck Mountain in one of my UK magazines and the description intrigued me enough to check them out on Myspace, particularly as I am a fan of psychedelic and ambient music. I was not...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Sat, 03 May 2008 08:38:00 PST

London Bound - Looking for Music to See

Hi all,I will be in London for a couple of days this month. Anyone who is playing in town Friday, May 22nd please let me know. It'd be great to see you live.Cheers,Lisa
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Sat, 03 May 2008 08:13:00 PST

My Latest Purchasing Spree

Supergrass - Diamond Hoo HaAlthough this Oxford band have been around since the mid-90s, it was only recently I discovered them. They came of age during the Brit pop era in the 1990s but what separate...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:36:00 PST

Tunes on TV

I remember the first time I heard a rock song being used to advertise a product, I think it was the Who and I was mortified. I thought like so many did, "what a sell-out." Mind you this was back when ...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:11:00 PST

The Clay Faces

I’m all for a band that brings in elements from other musical styles so it’s no surprise when I discovered The Clay Faces, I’d love their music. It’s got the energy of The Pogu...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:33:00 PST

Cool New Electronica

I’ve always been a fan of electronica, though I admit to being a bit particular as to what grabs my ear. I tend to stay away from things that sound too "club" - that repetitive droning sound. I ...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:10:00 PST

Is Bigger Really Better?

It often seems that we’re a nation raised on the philosophy that bigger is better. We supersize our meals; buy electronic devices with so many bells and whistles they could almost do our work by...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:35:00 PST

Parish Music Box

In my never-ending quest for new and interesting music, I recently stumbled upon The Parish Music Box. They list Richard Hawley, Brian Wilson, Calexico and the Jayhawks as influences; all bands I like...
Posted by Lisa Gilman on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:35:00 PST