Being able to choose a research topic presented a special opportunity and also a harrowing realization that being interested in a wide array of topics, narrowing in on one would be a difficult task. I knew that I would have to spend many hours reading about and searching for the information I needed once I chose my topic, so for my own benefit, I should choose something I really want to learn about and that will benefit my life somehow. Though I have (what I like to consider) many passions, my first love and continuing intrigue lies in the realm of music. Initially I wanted to research something which was completely original and somewhat revelatory. Even though I have been playing the drums for around eight years now, for the past three years I have began to explore the world of harmony and melody through one of my all-time favorite instruments, the piano. My fascination and exploration into the piano has lead me to acquire a growing love for classical music and over the past three years I have taken multiple classes on music history which has given me a general knowledge of this vast and ancient art.
[...] Make flyers with show info on them, and hand them to total strangers, go to parties with flyers in hand, go to other shows at the venue you are playing and talk with fans of other bands. Get creative. (Millen) The more I read these articles, the more I realize much of this promotion business is about time and effort. You really need to exhaust all the strategies you can with as much effort as you can; this will only the chance of people attending your shows increase. [...]
[...] If you give your fans the impression that they can just see you in a couple weeks someplace else, you'll split your draw and start to dilute each gig you play” (Millen). Another simple, yet ingenious piece of advice which I was unaware of previous to reading this post, as Millen puts it himself, must promote every show like it's the only show” (Millen).While these are great pieces of advice, Millen expands on simple strategies for getting as many people to shows as possible: You and all of your band members must become shameless self promotion machines. Invite everyone you know and bust their chops to come see your show. [...]
[...] But upon my attempts to research this topic, I found it very difficult to find any sources dealing with the future of classical music or its modern role in society. Though I was surprised, I was not disheartened because classical music is only one of many other genres which I love. Then I realized the answer was right in front of my face and for some reason I had overlooked it during my considerations. I have played in rock bands for over five years now and am currently a core member the band Mongoloid, whom I have played with for almost three years. [...]
[...] When I examine other promotion tools later in this paper, I am now aware that I should include my website (www.myspace.com/mongoloidband) on everything I create. Another interesting strategy involves going to message board of like minded bands and music that are more established and join the community, talk to the fans, and tell them about your band as well (Summers 197). I visit message boards myself of bands that I enjoy and sometimes listen to bands that the people of the boards recommend. [...]
[...] After being introduced to research techniques in our library orientation, I felt capable of getting a solid start. I began by looking for books on the subject matter. I expected to find a disorienting abundance of choices and found myself scratching my head when the results were quite low. Though I tried various searching strategies, I struggled to find up-to-date books on the music business and namely on promotion. The few that I did find were unfortunately checked out and these, the most recent publications, were from years such as 2002 or 2001. [...]
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