Where to get music from – “fit to your ensemble”

            Today in our community music group forum discussion, I want to talk about POD services, those are Print On Demand services that take sheet music and make it available to print from any computer. Of course a purchase has to be made before you can print the music, but that’s not important at this time, unless!

            You are probably wondering why am I talking so much about the business side of community music groups lately and not the performance side of the industry. I am trying to develop an attitude of the complete community music musician. This can also be applied to the group of community music musicians.

            The movement is designed to foster and develop the art of being a musician, for the rest of your life. Attached to this attitude is a sparkle of fellowship; the getting together for the purpose of creating music together. The development happens when you start to include an attitude of business professionalism.  

            POD services have several strengths. One of its strengths is a 100% Guarantees policy. I was impressed with the issues covered in its Guarantees policy, which guarantees 100% that all transactions will be safe. There is also a 30-day return policy that is in place to makes consumers comfortable with the purchases of product.

            Another strength is its Viewing and Printing policy.  There are several considerations as far as the ability to access the product that makes this POD interesting. The buyer has the option to View and Print the product through the aid of Internet friendly players and sheet music applications.

            The existence of your community music group depends on quality of music performed. When it comes to getting your music library organized, take advantage of some of the POD sites that are out here. There are several PODs’ that cater to various ensemble configurations, and this is music written by talented composers and arrangers. Sometimes the big guys forget about the little community musicians groups that are thriving out here in “music world”.

“Repetition creates perfection,

the more you do it the better you get”

What Can You Look Forward To – “you can do this as a profession, but you will have to gain knowledge”

            At this point in your community music group’s growth it would make sense to consider the possibility of making your music world known, and possibility for a little profit. Start looking for a seasoned representative, such as an agent, entertainment lawyer, or musical manager to represent yourselves and to help you with record labels. You can’t go into the ring “unsolicited”.

            Look for a representative that is knowledgeable about the genre of music your community music group performs. Not all agents support all types of music, so make sure the have your musical style “definable” by a reputable music agency. Don’t forget to look up the government occupational sites in order to get good task oriented descriptions.

It is time to consider your material, how to promote and protect it.

            There are several music-publishing models out that you might want to try, but there is one model in particular that appeals to the community music geek in me. The New Self-Publishing and Distribution revolution is proving to be a good way to get your music out to the community music industry, especially if you put it into print music. This new revolution of music publishers is totally self-sufficient, having a thorough knowledge of the standards of the industry.

            Make sure that your group has a “product”. You should have enough music to cover several CD’s. It should be music that reflects the heart and soul of your community music group. Although your group may be comprised of weekend instrumental musicians (vocalists included), the fact that you have committed to giving up time and energy to perform a musical instrument has a natural spark to it that must be cultivated. So, record it, promote it, and get it out into the world of music, for all to hear.

“Repetition creates perfection,

the more you do it the better you get”