TMOTTGoGo Magazine - January 2015

TMOTTGoGo Magazine | January 2015 | Page 1


KEEP GRIDNING UNTIL YOU NO LONGER HAVE

TO INTRODUCEYOURSELF.

-KATO HAMMOND

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Why Bands Need to Stop Bitching

Genny JamRIP Boy Troy

5 Grassroots Ways To Create Collective Hype OnSocial Media

JANUARY 2015

24Introducing Patrice Nickols…

Genny Jam

REGISTER NOWVISIT

THEMIAMITAKEOVER.COM


Genny Jam

Has D

eparted The B

el’a Dona Stage In a post from her Facebook page, Genevieve “Genny Jam” Konecnik has announced

her decision to leave the DC famed All-Female band Bel’a Dona. (see announcement below)


We are very saddened to find and report the passing of the Go-Go Family’s own and fellow musician Troy Williams (fondly known as Droopy Dogg) who passed away to cancer on last Friday, January 2, 2015. He was 48 years old.

Williams, who we at TMOTTGoGo often referred to as “Boy Troy”, was not only a fellow musician who played in such go-go bands as Central Groove, Physical Wonders and Petworth Band, but also a well known producer in the music industry period. One who had without doubt become on of the most sought after producer in the mid-Atlantic region. He was at one time one of Polygram Music Publishing’s top in-house producers. As well as having many in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area who were serious about pursuing a record deal, pursuing one of his tracks. A few local projects include teen divas Exhale, and B-Baller Dennis Scott.

We would like to offer our condolences and prayers up, out and with Troy’s family, friends and fellow musicians.

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VISIT: www.tmottgogo.com

VISIT... 99andKato.com


5 GRASSROTTS WAYS TO CREATE COLLECTIVE HYPE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

WE’RE IN THE AGE OF “ME” IN WHICH NEWS FEEDS ARE SATURATED BY BANDS ALL DOING THE SAME THINGS.

“ “Let’s face it: We all know the hustle. Sometimes we find ourselves trying to market our music more than we ac-tually have the opportunity to play it. If a tree falls in a for-est, does it make a sound? If we shout into the Twitter void, does anyone see it if we don’t have followers?

We’re in the age of “me” in which news feeds are satu-rated by bands all doing the same things. So, how do we fight Facebook algorithms and trending hashtags to be seen?


1. Team up with like-minded artistsWhat artists are similar to you? What other bands do you like? Make sure the musicians and bands you have decided to work with have a similar ideology about music and the world. Once you start working with someone, you become associated with that person – and therefore, if he or she gets into trouble, it reflects poorly on you.Collaborate with people you’ve shared the stage with, people who’ve commented on your SoundCloud links, artists who’ve been reviewed alongside you on blogs, etc. There are so many resources on the internet that can get your music out to people from all over the world.

2. Don’t just post – interactAsk questions! Post behind-the-scenes snapshots! Retweet! Repost! Engaging with your fans on social media directly means that they’re more likely to come back and check out your pages again in the future. Creating a dialogue by asking questions or by shout-ing-out your hardcore fans makes people feel more invested in you and your work.

3. ContestsHolding contests over Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter is an exceptional way to get organic likes. I know that most of us musicians are too poor to target paid likes through Facebook, and nowadays without boosting your posts, it seems like most of your con-tent won’t even reach a fraction of your fanbase. Teaming up with artists for a contest, however, is a great way to achieve likes organically, because you’re creating a larger network of fans by pooling your online reach together. Their fans see you, and your fans see them.

4. Show some love and get sponsoredThere are a lot of people and organizations out there that are eager to lend a hand to show you support. I’ve had web series and theater companies willing to use my music, and filmmakers and local businesses sponsoring my work. I’m absolutely floored by the kindness of people!If you’re offering something special or unique to businesses, artists, filmmakers, etc., they’re more likely to help you out later. What’s important is creating a partnership as opposed to just asking for favors. The name of the game is being a nice person and experiencing those people’s niceness back. I’m an avid supporter of local businesses, and because I’ve bought their products in the past, and they’ve seen my face, they’re more likely to donate their products, spaces, or in-kind services to my shows and videos because they feel comfortable and know that I’ll promote them back.

5. Get the non-musician crowdPlaying shows in non-traditional spaces, such as office buildings or retail establish-ments, is a great way of organically targeting people who you might not necessarily find in the “music scene” or at the regular haunts you may be playing.Offering discounts to arts workers, educators, volunteer firefighters, graffiti artists, etc. and doing something to shout-out what they do makes these people feel great about themselves, and in turn, they’ll be more receptive to your music. Make sure to pick a theme that gels well with your music and overall brand. Recently, a good friend of mine held a Twin Peaks-themed show that invited audience members to dress up Twin Peaks-style. The band had a successful event because they pulled in not only their own fans, but fans of that show.

In the end, creating an online community for your work is pivotal for grassroots momen-tum around your work. You’ll feel good that you’re helping out others, and you’ll feel good because more people will be listening to your tunes. And isn’t that the point, after all?


As an thank you to fans, every person that buys a ticket to “The Ultimate Reunion” will receive one of the first copies pressed of Rare Essence’s “Re-union 2010” CD, which won’t be available in stores and online until January 19th, and a collector’s VIP pass to commemorate the event. The pass con-tains a digital copy of a classic Rare Essence PA tape recorded live at the Howard Theatre in 1979.


As an thank you to fans, every person that buys a ticket to “The Ultimate Reunion” will receive one of the first copies pressed of Rare Essence’s “Re-union 2010” CD, which won’t be available in stores and online until January 19th, and a collector’s VIP pass to commemorate the event. The pass con-tains a digital copy of a classic Rare Essence PA tape recorded live at the Howard Theatre in 1979.

VISIT: RAREESSENCE.COM


WHY BANDS NEED TO STOP

BITCHING

Put on your “busi-ness goggles” and look at your band through the eyes of a venue operator and you will see a financial risk, not an asset.

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I am writing this article fully aware of how likely it is that the comment section below will turn into a blood bath. This is a very touchy subject with a lot of sing-ers and bands and I’m certain my brutal honesty will be seen by some as hostile and overly critical. But those that know me well are well aware that I am ex-tremely supportive of artists and want to see them succeed.

Readers should also keep in mind that I have personal experience when it comes to nearly every angle of the is-sue at hand. I’ve been a part of shows in which the venues did nothing to pro-


mote what we had going on. I’ve head-ed up promotions for shows, including Rocket’s own artist development com-petition. I have asked questions of own-ers and operators of venues as well as professional promoters. And during nearly two decades working as a radio journalist, I have witnessed how vari-ous types of legislation and the econ-omy have harmed the very restaurants and bars many of you want to play.

Got all that? This is really long but, if you stick with me, you might learn something.

Saxophonist Dave Goldberg recently got a lot of attention lately for an open letter he wrote a while back (proof things can go viral long after they are posted) to operators of venues that host live music. The letter, which can be read HERE, was Goldberg’s way of sounding off against venues not paying artists as much money as they feel they deserve. The text, while not hostile in nature, was extremely misguided and managed to ignite another round of firestorms by similarly misguided art-ists. It was missing a lot of important information concerning why the music scene is the way it is right now and re-ally offered little in the way of how to improve it other than to say venues should simply pay bands more money. Making matters worse, and this should have been expected, the comment sec-tion under the article turned into yet another “people need to support live music” scream session.

So I spent the past five or six days thinking about what Goldberg wrote and took into consideration the points he was trying to make…and I came to the conclusion that I could not disagree with him more. See, it is easy for sing-ers and musicians to criticize venues for not paying them more money to per-form. It is easy to use the anonymity of the Internet to lash out at the venues just like it is easy to complain about it when in the company of other musi-cians who feel the same way. But many artists find it easier to be critical in this situation than it is to sit down and take a hard look at WHY things are the way they are…because to do so properly involves a massive amount of self-eval-uation. That is something most artists simply refuse to do even though it could be the key to a more successful music career.

Where to begin?

by Wade Sutton, Rocket to the Stars


THE FINE LINE BETWEEN “ART” AND “BUSINESS”

You can be an “artist” in the privacy of your own home or when you are record-ing or when you are playing at an event that doesn’t involve money. But once you step into the realm of playing in exchange for cash, you leave the sanc-tuary of being an “artist” and enter the no-holds-barred world of “business”. That changes the rules quite drastical-ly because the level of expectations becomes much different and you sud-denly introduce several variables over which you have little or no control. Once money is involved you become a businessman (or woman), a marketer, and a customer service representative.

The music business is a business of re-lationships and you need to have good relationships with your fans as well as the venues at which you are hoping to play. Yet I see so many of you burning bridges by publicly blasting the venue operators for not giving you what you want instead of creating a better situa-tion for yourselves. And you CAN make a better situation for yourselves. I know you can because there are bands out there right now “making it” just fine, only they aren’t sitting around bitching and moaning about the current state of things and are instead finding new ways to thrive in the evolving business environment.

WHEN VENUES WON’T PROMOTE

In a perfect world, venues would be just as enthusiastic about promoting your shows in their house as you are. Sadly, it isn’t a perfect world. I had the honor of being involved in a truly wonderful show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Pittsburgh. I was the show’s writer and host and, taking my role in shows as seriously as I do, I was present for every rehearsal for the months leading up to it (yes, we

rehearsed for MONTHS for one show…and lived to tell about it).

A few weeks before the show was scheduled to take place, one of the performers brought to our attention that Hard Rock not only wasn’t trying to promote the show, the venue hadn’t even put it on their website’s schedule. The show’s producer, James Meny, attempted to contact Hard Rock about the issue to no avail. Relatives of some of the performers in the show started calling the restaurant wanting to know why it wasn’t on the site’s schedule. Nobody could get any answers. Were we upset about it? Of course we were. How did the performers in the show re-spond? They kicked their ticket selling efforts into high gear and, not only did they sell out the venue, the Hard Rock that night was over capacity.

You wish venues would do more to pro-mote your shows. I understand that. But this is an issue you have little or no control over. So you can refuse to play those venues or you can accept it for what it is and find ways to improve your own marketing skills (something you should be doing anyway). I can tell you this though: Whining and complaining will change nothing other than a ven-ue’s desire to have you back.

PAYING YOUR BAND IS A RISK FOR A VENUE, NOT AN ASSET

Put on your “business goggles” and look at your band through the eyes of a venue operator and you will see a fi-nancial risk, not an asset. This happens for a lot of reasons. Many of you fail to stop and think about how many other bands walk into a venue on a daily ba-sis and shower the owners with prom-ises of sold out shows. Then the night of the show arrives and you bring in around 100 people. Why is this such a huge financial risk for the venue? Not


People are less likely to come to your show on a Friday night when they know they can see you Saturday or Sunday night…or some time next week. So many of you are burning out your au-diences and it is ruining your ability to get more money from venue operators. Stop saying, “I’ll start playing venues that are farther away when I have more fans coming to my shows here”. Go do it NOW so you can build up your fan base, play more cities, and make your shows back home MEAN something when they happen.

YOU ARE WORTH WHAT SOME-BODY IS WILLING TO PAY YOU

I’m so tired of hearing bands saying, “I understand the economy sucks right now but I deserve to be paid more”. First of all, you deserve to be paid what the market dictates you should be paid. If the highest payment you can find for your act is one-hundred dol-lars per show, well, I hate to break it to you but you are a one-hundred dollar band. Stop bitching about it and start looking for ways to improve your worth (like building up your e-mail lists and creating a better live show). When you are WORTH two-thousand dollars per show, you will make two-thousand dol-lars per show.

And as far as the economy is con-cerned, restaurants and bars have been hurt by far more than just the economy, something you would know if some of you would take some time to sit down and TALK to these venue owners instead of bitching about them from behind a computer screen. They have a laundry list of reasons for being so mindful of the money going out right now.

First off, many restaurants and bars are still trying to recover from when public smoking bans were enacted in several

only would they be in the hole for what they agreed to pay you for performing, the owners would have scheduled too many employees to work (waitresses, bartenders, cooks, hostesses, dish-washers, bussers, etc). That is a lot of money to not make back because you made empty promises about crowds you knew you couldn’t bring. And imag-ine how pissed off the employees would be if they were told they had to work on a Friday or Saturday night only to get sent home two hours into the shift. In that case, not only is the venue out a lot of money, now their employees are unhappy.

Want to know how you can clear this hurdle? Develop a strong reputation for drawing big crowds on a consistent ba-sis. There are two things you can do to start down that road.

The first tip is to start putting a seri-ous and legitimate effort into collecting e-mails and expanding your fan base. And don’t just collect e-mails, segment them. That means be sure to get the zip codes of every person signing up. Want to impress a venue owner and put yourself in a better BUSINESS position to leverage more money? Slap down a list of 800 e-mail subscribers all living within a twenty mile drive of the venue. That is 800 people you can market to directly about that show.

The second tip goes hand-in-hand with the first. Many of you need to start branching out and stop playing in the same geographical area night after night. I see so many bands doing two and three shows a week, every week, in an area of about a 20-mile radius. I’m not talking about bands in major cities; I’m seeing this from bands in rural ar-eas. You are damaging the demand for your product, which is weakening your business leverage against the venue.


I’m talking about audiences that are not watching you because they are talking to each other, eating or drinking, looking at their phones, and leaving early. If that is what is happening at your show, then the venues are seeing you as nothing better than a jukebox (which they prob-ably already spent money on). That is part of the reason why they don’t want to pay many of you more money.

I will give you two reasons why people are not “supporting local music” and you can do what you want with the in-formation. The first reason is because people don’t want to shell out money for a cover charge, pay to park, fork over cash for food and drinks, make a quick stop at the gas station, not to mention pay a babysitter just to see a band that isn’t all that entertaining in person. Just because YOU are having fun on stage doesn’t mean the audience is having fun. The second big reason is because you are failing in your mission to com-pete against every other form of enter-tainment available to your fans. The amount of money people have to spend on entertainment is like a pie and there are only so many pieces to go around. Remember earlier when I said you are a business? Businesses COMPETE whether you like it or not.

When two people have a certain amount of money each month to spend on entertainment, they are trying to decide between your show, shows by every other band, movies, sporting events, clubs with DJs, live theater, go-ing skiing, shopping at the mall, buying a new television, amusement parks, video games, banking that money for vacation, and every other form of en-tertainment available. And YOU want these people to pass up their other op-tions and spend their hard earned mon-ey on YOU when you won’t even spend the time to put together a top-notched live show? If you want them to come

states. The drop in business was expe-rienced almost immediately. That came around the same time as the passage of bills promoting ethanol-based fuels, which resulted in massive spikes in food prices that were either absorbed by the restaurants and bars or passed down to customers. More recently, the Affordable Care Act struck and insur-ance premiums skyrocketed for both employers and employees. If all that wasn’t enough to make them tighten the purse strings, keep in mind that when-ever states have a pet project they want to fund, taxes on alcohol and tobacco are often the first targets. What do you think happens to restaurants and bars when the price of alcohol goes up? It isn’t good, I can tell you that. And now restaurants are staring down the pos-sibility of steep increases in dairy pric-es. Ever consider how many items on menus are smothered in cheese? Oh, and don’t forget that many of these es-tablishments are already paying thou-sands of dollars a year to organizations like ASCAP, SESCA, and BMI for music licensing.

So when you approach a venue and get so bent out of shape because they won’t pay you more money, don’t as-sume that their financial books are as rosy as many others think. Get off your butts and do something to make them want to move you from the “risk” col-umn to the “calculated risk” column.

WANT PEOPLE TO SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC? GIVE THEM A REASON TO!

Going back to the constant cries about people not supporting local music. Let’s be honest with each other: Many of you (not all) have live shows that suck. Before you get all bent out of shape about me saying that, take this into consideration: Are you aware of how many of you put on live shows that are nothing more than background music?


venue would rather have them. The venue is in business to make money, not provide you a place to play.

“There were about 50 people there in this small venue, so it was a good turnout. At the end of the night, I go to get paid, and hope to book another gig. The club owner was angry. ”Where are your people?” he asked. ”All these people, I brought in. We had a speed dating event and they are all left over from that.” I pointed out they all stayed and listened to the music for 2 hours af-ter their event ended. That was 2 more hours of bar sales, because without us, you have an empty room with nothing going on. He just couldn’t get over the fact that we didn’t walk in with our own entourage of fans.”

While I’m sure the owner of the venue was happy the people attending the speed dating event stayed a little lon-ger, it doesn’t change the fact that YOU failed to bring in fans (are you noticing a trend?). And, yes, he was upset about you not bringing in anybody. That was whole reason he hired you!

I know some of this sounds extremely harsh but the reality of the situation is I REALLY want to see more artists find-ing success with their music. And many of the artists having successful careers in music have managed to move past all the garbage talked about in this ar-ticle. They understand that music is more about business than even the music itself…and they have done what all good business people do.

They don’t waste time complaining and find ways to adapt.

out and “support live music” you are go-ing to have to become the better option.

SOME DIRECT QUOTES FROM GOLDBERG’S LETTER

Feast your eyes on these craptastic quotes…

“When a venue opens it’s doors, it has to market itself. The club owner can’t expect people to just walk in the door. This has to be handled in a professional way. Do you really want to leave some-thing so important up to a musician? This is where the club owner needs to take over. It is their success or their fail-ure on the line, not the musician.”

This comment is covered in fail. So he is saying that the venue should be in charge of all things related to promot-ing the musician’s show there because bands can’t handle “important” tasks? That is a slap in the face to every band out there making it right now because of hard work and business smarts.

“I’ve played places where, for what-ever reason, only a few people have walked in the door on a Saturday night. The club owner got mad at me, ask-ing, “where are the people?” I turned it around on him asking the same thing? “Where are all the people? It’s Saturday night and your venue is empty. Doesn’t that concern you?”

Well, David, only a few people showed up for your show. Doesn’t that concern YOU?

“Usually their (the venue) answer is to find another band with a larger follow-ing. This means the professional bands get run out of the joint in favor of who-ever can bring in the most people.”

Maybe the band that brings in more people is a better band. Of course the




Introducing Patrice NickolsThe Best You’d Ever Had

One if the biggest things that we want to put focus on as this new year begins are artists to watch on throughout 2015. The object of this, of course, is to in-vite artists, performers and musicians to illustrate their ranges of approach to producing affective, sensational and sensuous experiences through music and performances.

It is always inspirational to getting to know so many exceptionally talented young singers and musicians so ear-ly in their careers, and gratifying to be able to watch closely as they grow and develop to what they are destined to be.

Therefore, I would like to start the ball rolling by presenting to you are daz-zling performer who’s star is currently on the rise. I actually first encountered Patrice Nickols over a year ago as she was performing at the Atlas Theatre with the band Be’la Dona. During this performance where she sang the John Legend hit “Tonight”, what really caught my attention (along with her soothing vocals) was how she commanded the stage and connected with the audience in doing so. To say the least, she made


Introducing Patrice NickolsThe Best You’d Ever Had

had me in pageants and talent shows at a very young age and I just remember performing and loving it.

What made you first realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?I think I’ve known since I was about 4. After feeling the energy from people when I was onstage at pageants and talent shows I knew I wanted that feel-ing forever.

How old were you when you started getting involved in music?About 4 years old.

How did you become involved in the type of music you play/sing now?I have always loved R&B music and storytelling. A lot of my music has a very sexy vibe and R&B music has always been very sexy to me. I also love the story-telling aspect that usually comes from country music and to fuse that to-gether (for me) is amazing!

Can you me a brief rundown of the experiences that you have had in the music industry (i.e., groups, bands, other other projects leading to where

me truly believe what she was saying as she belted out the lyrics, “I don’t wanna brag, but I’ll be the best you ever had.” (see video clip below)

Well, after almost a year since that night, I finally caught up with Patrice to talk about her life, the bands, the music, and the continued growth in it that she plans on achieving.

What is your name?Patrice Nickols

Where are you from?Glenarden, Maryland

Thinking back to early childhood, what was your first experience with music for the first time like? What song do you remember most as a child?I was told I’ve been singing as long as I could talk. My grandfather is a Gram-my-nominated Quartet singer and many of my family members sing as well so I am sure I got the “bug” from them all. I just remember singing Karen White’s “Superwoman” and “Hero” by Mariah Carey as a little girl. My parents

by Kato Hammond


you are today)?I had the amazing experience of per-forming with so many bands and groups in the DMV area—BeXperience Band and Be’la Dona. I am a member of Reid Temple and had the honor of perform-ing with the choir during the BET Honor Awards in 2009. I have been blessed to perform in many different settings and also had the honor of writing my high school’s Alma Mater when I was just 15 years old.

What can people expect to see at your live performance?I give a CRAZY amount of energy on stage. I will jump off the stage, stand on tables—anything I am feeling that

matches the energy of audience and the song. I was recently asked by my management to give one word that describes what a performance is and my word was “sweat”. The stage is my office. It is where I work, and I aim to leave everything I have on that stage. People will see dancing, a little acting, live musicians, and lots of ENERGY. Be ready to sweat the weaves out ladies!

What do you feel distinguishes “an artist” from just a musician?My stage performance, my personality, and being open with my life experienc-es makes me a little different from other musicians. I feel like a superhero about to conquer the world when I hear the first note of a song while on-stage. I am also a concept artist—I listen to what others are going through or think about a specific time in my life and write or

connect with that energy. I write about love and having a good time, but I also believe that we go through so many changes in-between going to the club or being head-over-heels in love. I like to write about the in-between times—when you don’t know if you’re going to make it in your relationship. I also like to address things that women don’t want to admit—men aren’t the only ones do-ing the wrong thing.

What project(s) are you currently working on now, and how soon can we expect a release of it?I will release a teaser single in February 2015 and the full album will be out on my birthday June 16, 2015 with a huge album release party. I will have two vid-eos to accompany my songs as well. I will also premiere a reality series of my journey in music in August 2015. We are filming that now.

Is there anything that you would like to do in addition to making music?I am truly interested in writing a book for young women and continuing to do community outreach. Broadway would be awesome as well—the live element is a big deal to me. I could say screen acting and that could be a great oppor-tunity if it comes along but I really want to maintain a physical connection with people to continue even after my ca-reer progresses in order to maintain my genuine approach to my career.

Art & Music has an impact on both young and old. Everyone loves a ce-lebrity, so what advice do you have for the youth of today?I will just give a few of my mantras-“In every situation, look at yourself be-fore looking at anyone else and think about the impact you can have on the situation and the other person”.

“Be kind to all people because you NEVER know who you will have to

I feel like a superhero about to conquer the world when I hear the first note of a song while on-stage.

“ “


come across later on in life”.

“Every opportunity isn’t for you and you can’t do everything alone”.

Finally, “You are the only person you get to live with for your entire life—take care of yourself”.

If you had only five minutes on earth to perform one song that could leave a great impact on the world today, what song would you perform and why did you choose this particular piece?My song “Wonder Woman” would prob-ably be the song I would perform. It is full of empowerment for women but it also emphasizes how fulfilling it is to nurture the men we love as well. The song is up tempo and exudes every-thing I want to give the world—we are wonderful and can do anything within God’s will.

Do you have any video links where people can see you?Follow me on Instagram @patrice_live! My website will be up in a few months as well—www.patricelive.com

Is there anyone special you would like to thank for making your dream come true as an artist?I want to thank God, my entire fami-ly, my friends, my management team DCLA, the entire DMV area, and every artist who has shown me it can be done!

Just for fun… fill in the blanks!Without music, I would be incomplete.Music is my source of energy.My music makes me feel alive.I write the songs because I want to help someone else.Support music because people give their lives to offer it you.


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TMOTTGoGo Magazine - January 2015