Music Without Labels & Beat-Play at the Independent Music Conference –Northampton, MA....

Saturday Novermber 19-23, 2009....

Founder and President of Music Without Labels, Dante Cullari, has been blessed with the pleasure to speak at this year’s Independent Music Conference in Northampton this Saturday at the Clarion Hotel in Northampton, MA, in which, he will be one of a select expert group of panelists, mentors, and workshop presenters, gathered to discuss empowering ideas for indie musicians to achieve success. The four day long IMC, offers many influential opportunities for independent artists, thanks to the educational and internetworking platform provided by the event’s coordinator, InterMixx.

            Featured panelist, Dante Cullari, has been invited to discuss the underlying issues within the current music industry, while providing clear and insightful solutions to its impending transformation. Along with the ideas, Mr. Cullari has founded Music Without Labels to provide an effective, yet free, promotional outlet to the musicians experiencing the repercussion exerted by the current industry. Mr. Cullari states, “Artists should take advantage of the real promotional opportunities the Internet provides, in an effective way,” and suggests several tools to do so – INDEPENDENTLY.

            The Independent Music Conference is known for offering a resourcefully valuable learning experience for producers, musicians, industry professionals, students, and a dedicated online fan base of over 7000 supporters. Music Without Labels serves as an educational platform to discuss the issues, share, the solutions, and promote the organic evolution of the music industry.

COME OUT AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!!!....

            For additional information and/or tickets to the IMC, please contact them at 203.606.4649, or visit www.imc09.com. For further information on MWL, catch them at Music Without Labels
, or call 717.412.0341.

Every independent artist in today’s music business has the same question. When will the right person hear my music? The problem with this way of thinking is the fact that you have now set your focus on pleasing someone that could ‘potentially’ help you out, rather than focusing on the creation and production of new music. Musicians are supposed to create new music to stimulate the fans interest, but in today’s market every band and record label has the focus set towards publicizing the already created music.

            If fans want to hear the old music you had made then they will obviously go back and do that based on a song they had enjoyed of yours. Too much time and money is put into the promotion of music these days that you only see new music from a band maybe twice a year if you’re lucky. What the artists need to realize is that they will make more money, create a larger backing, and promotion becomes free through the fan base.

            Here at MusicWithoutLabels, we offer that same FREE promotion idea discussed to help the artist get their name out there so fans buy the music. With Beat-Play comes the first social network radio, in which users will login, activating the radio. Each user will have their own playlist where the friends that they make on Beat-Play will pull new music from to play on their radios. With this, the user has the ability to hear a new song every time you hit next. Once you hear something you like, you then save it to your playlist, to help spread the music. The radio system truly is a great innovation to the business of music promotion, all free.

            With a model like this, it is proven that all the artists will need to do is create new music to spread on the site. This will give the artists more traffic on their site for ad revenue along with the ability to sell their music. Once it is on the site, the rest is up to Beat-Play, allowing the musicians to be musicians. Then, finally pull in the amount of money that is being made off their music, rather than having it taken from them because of promotional costs made by the labels.

Keep Makin’ Music

www.musicwithoutlabels.com

Give us some background. Where are you from originally? Born in Enid, Oklahoma, raised in Princeton, Illinois....

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Where are you now? I live in Denver, CO. ....

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How did you get there? I drove a Honda Accord ....

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What Genre would you classify yourself as? Swing Jazz and Blues Singer-Songwriter....

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What is it that drove you to pursue a career in music? Pretty much every crummy day job I’ve ever had. ....

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What it is that drives you individually as a musician? Crying babies, barking dogs, bills, complaining wife. (kidding! My family is the best!)....

Seriously, I don’t really think anything drives me – being a musician and songwriter just is what it is and is what I am.  I wake up, work my day job, take care of my family…and then just about every other spare moment I have is spent listening, writing, recording, and playing music.  I can’t imagine any other world.....

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What struggles have you faced with having your music heard and getting your name recognized by outside markets? ....

It’s really hard to get people’s ear – both industry people and music buyers.  Everyone knows CD sales are down and digital sales are up – seems like one needs to find a mix of both, along with licensing opportunities, and live performance revenue.  Most potential music buyers seem to be content to either listen to what’s currently on the radio or listen to their favorite oldies.  Those who are out there really searching for indie music and new stuff are in the minority – I know they’re out there – but they have so many choices on the internet now.  If I could just get their ear for a second… Other challenges would be similar to what other artist’s face I guess; small fish/ big pond.  There are so many other artists out there.  Technology has opened up the floodgates.  My style is very retro-but-with-contemporary vibe.  It comes from a different place than the big markets of today like hip-hop, new country, Pop R&B, nu-metal, top forty.  I don’t think it’s too eclectic though and fans of other styles would dig my stuff if they heard it.  I truly believe that.  But it all comes back to getting their ear and getting some momentum.....

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What kinds of things do you do to promote yourself? Live shows, E-mail blasting, Myspace, Broadjam, SonicBids, A&R Unlimited, Internet Radio, Garageband, collaborations with other artists.....

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Is there a predominant message you hope to get across in your songs? Well I do write a few “Boy meets Girl / Boy Loses Girl” songs…but mostly I like any other kind of tangible subject matter with characters, foods, drinks, bars, hotels, streets, cities, etc.  I tend not to be too political, spiritual, or emotional in my writing. I’d like to save the world but I have a kid to feed.   I know there are heroes and villains out there but most people I run into are neither – they’re just folks sitting next to me at the bar watching the ballgame, tapping on their Blackberries, and trying to win the lottery.  I guess if there’s a message in my songs it’s that I’m a lot like you; let’s hang out and have a drink together, and forget our problems for a little while.....

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What are your thoughts on the future of the music industry and where it’s going? ....

First, the industry (PRO’s, songwriters, copywriter legislation, publishers, labels, etc) has to get digital distribution figured out.  It’s still a mess right now.  From what I read, they are working on it.  Digital distribution will continue to grow and hard copy sales will continue to shrink. We have to come to terms with an equitable method of keeping a far price to the buyer, but understanding the huge profits that were captured by major labels in the records, tapes, CD’s…are not going to be there.  It’s digital now, let’s all get on board and distribute the profits equitably.  The record companies hate this because their profit was tied up in the mass production and distribution of the hard copy, and that’s going away now.  The have to come to terms with this and implement new models.  I think they’re coming around to it little by little.  It will all probably result in mergers of the big labels, and a constant popping up and dying off of smaller labels and independents doing their own marketing.....

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Are you currently unsigned, and do you plan on staying independent?  Unsigned, probably will stay indie.  But if there was an opportunity with a label I would definitely at least consider it.....

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What are your reasons for being an independent artist? No other choice right now really....

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Who are some of your favorite artists? Some of the short list would be…Dave Frishberg, John Pizzarelli, Frank Sinatra, Horace Silver, Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, Muddy Waters, Lonnie Johnson, Bennie Golsen, Beatles, Stones, Jim Croce, and Dave Matthews Band....

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Do you ever feel that people will be missing out on your music because you are not signed to a major record label? I think yes currently, but there is potential to change my recognition with or without a major.  But no doubt a major can still increase recognition the fastest.  They still have the clout, distribution channel, marketing /advertising channel, and connections to get the word out fastest about a new artist.....

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Your art can be very experimental. Do you ever wish there was an easier way to access the music you sample from, or wish that you had access to a huge library of undiscovered music, which is updated everyday by itself? There are plenty of sources for undiscovered music.  I’ve listed several above.  The problem is outside of I-Tunes, Rhapsody, satellite radio, and maybe a few others…all the web music hosting sites, internet radio, etc seem to be populated by 90% other musicians trying to market their own stuff.  Not the best potential buyers.  I would like to get some play in sites that are visited by non-musicians.....

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What would you say if I told you that there’s a new force in Independent Music that will give you all of the power of the Major Labels and more, while at the same time giving you complete control over all aspects of your musical career, and you will never have to sign a thing? ....

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And you would have access to the worlds first ever audio component auction, where pieces of songs are sold off at auction prices to be repurposed in other songs.  What kind of impact do you think that would have on your music? ....

Frankly I’m kind of scared of this to tell you the truth, but I’m not exactly sure where you’re going with it.  IMO the music world needs less sampling and more originality.  But I would be willing to listen to more of these ideas before passing a final judgment. I would be interested to hear if the artist retains complete control of their actual songs, and is compensated on every purchase and play that the “sample” of their song is used; what control the artist has in approving or blocking the sampling; what kind of tracking is done for these things.....

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The only catch is you have to choose to use it to your benefit, or not.....

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It’s called MusicWithoutLabels

Tomorrow at 5p.m.  visit http://www.mywcwp.com and click the media player, where you can hear MusicWithoutLabels Founder, Dante Cullari talk about the Independent Music Industry and the ideas built behind this company.  Most importantly, all artists and fans feel free to ask any questions by logging into AIM and instant messaging MYWCWP. Looking forward to hearing from you. Visit www.musicwithoutlabels.com for more information about us.

Give us some background. Where are you from originally, where are you now, how did you get there? ....

My name is Soi Disant. And I am part of The Blue Roof Group that has been blue for the past four or five years since I left my past life behind. The Blue Roof is a cumulative and diverse group that incorporates my, that is Soi Disant, creative surges into one file as it were. It’s a whole other personality almost to the other me. I am predominantly a musician. But I also write poetry. I have published one poetry book independently and have created a series of short stories too. They can be accessed at lulu.com. I am also a fine artist and actor too.....

I am from London, England. I’m a 21 yr old guitarist. I am presently in Vancouver and I got there via Sweden on a plane. ....

I was in a couple bands in London but I mostly stuck with doing acoustic nights in various public houses. I prefer just being on my own playing what I wanna play....

Soi Disant means self-styled in Latin....

What Genre would you classify yourself as? 
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Poetry and acoustic guitar. Some call that folk, country or singer/songwriter. So I guess something along those lines if not all of them. I don’t really focus on genre. I play what I like. I am planning on writing songs in several didn’t genres too. I’m not stuck on just one. I don’t like listening to an album where every song sounds like the last one. (except when it’s the Ramones), it gets a bit dreary. I like listening to whole albums rather than skipping through to the most played radio tracks (if there are any).....

What is it that drove you to pursue a career in music, and what it is that drives you individually as a musician or a band? 
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My first interest in music came from two different areas. I went to a market in England and bought a Shania Twain record and also a Stereophonics record. Then I got really into taping the radio onto my cassette and wearing headphones so I didn’t have to listen to my mom. Then one of the songs I taped was jumping jack flash by the stones my dad had all the records which I borrowed. It was like a rush of music from then on. I just had to go out and buy records all the time and really got into the indie scene that way. My friend introduced me to the Libertines and Blur and it all kicked off.  ....

My songs are stories based on my personal life and a big part of that is my White Rose. She saved me. Also my teenage years are a highlight in my songs because it was rather hectic. My songs are written spur of the moment and while I am listening to other music. This is how my music can sound like various different styles because each song is influenced by whoever I am listening to at a time.....

What struggles have you faced with having your music heard and getting your name recognized by outside markets?  
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With this band in London I recorded a few songs with them but I never had an opportunity to record any of my own stuff. They had this hierarchy in the band which sucked.....

 From moving around and jet setting to Vancouver and trying to earn money in between I haven’t had a chance to record my own stuff as yet. But I have a lot of songs I have demoed on my laptop and am saving up for some studio time to do it all properly. I have been able to make videos with a camcorder of me playing my songs and they are now on my myspace web page. www.myspace.com/soi-disant. please kindly check it out.....

What kinds of things do you do to promote yourself?  ....

I don’t really do anything. I have some ideas about how I want to do it just on my own. But really I want to be totally independent and want people to just stumble on to my scene rather than have it shoved down their throats. I am planning on playing a lot of acoustic nights in Vancouver when I am fully settled and get sufficient time to do that. ....

Is there a predominant message you hope to get across In your songs? 
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My songs don’t have a specific message. The stories behind them are quite personal. But I guess there are plenty of people that have had similar issues in their life as I have in mine. If they get something from the songs then that’s great.....

What are your thoughts on the future of the music industry and where it’s going? 
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Bring back the LP. The 7” is great. Music is going quite static at the moment. Its hard to get into it. Too many judgemental people out there.  Simon Cowell has too much say in what is good and what isn’t. ....

Are you currently unsigned, and do you plan on staying independent? 
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What are your reasons for being an independent artist? 
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I am currently signed by The Blue Roof group. This is a totally stable society, of just me and my computer. But it is the most independent you can get. I like being unsigned because I get to decide whether what I am doing is good or not. It means no pressure and no one checking on productivity. No one saying to me time is money and all that. I don’t do it for the money. ....

Who are some of your favorite artists? 
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My favorite band is Aerosmith. I feel privileged too have seen them in Hyde Park a few years ago....

I prefer the 60s and 70s tunes. Hendrix, Clapton, Dylan, Beatles, Kinks, Yardbirds, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd. I like the blues artists like Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, B.B.King. I like Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison and Leonard Cohen.  I like David Bowie, Charlatans, Echo and the Bunnymen. Modern stuff I like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Muse, Stereophonics, Foo Fighters. I have a large CD collection. As does everyone with the internet. ....

I like to read musicians biographies and find out there influences and go and listen to that myself. It gives a broader knowledge and often I prefer them to who I was listening to the first time. Generally, I find, it all comes back to Beatles, Dylan and Chuck Berry. ....

Do you ever feel that people will be missing out on your music because you are not signed to a major record label? 
 
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What would you say if I told you that there’s a new force in Independent Music that will give you all of the power of the Major Labels and more, while at the same time giving you complete control over all aspects of your musical career, and you will never have to sign a thing?  
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I would say, “let me have a piece o’ that, mate!”....

And you would have access to the worlds first ever audio component auction, where pieces of songs are sold off at auction prices to be repurposed in other songs.  What kind of impact do you think that would have on your music? 
 
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I hope that that will not take off. I have heard some of this stuff and it is the most unsatisfying type of music. My songs are songs I wouldn’t want them to be cut up and put into someone else’s scene. Because they are personal stories the other person probably wouldn’t do it right. It is not real music.....

The only catch is you have to choose to use it to your benefit, or not. ....

It’s called Beat-Play, and it will be beta tested this Fall 09. Sign up at www.MusicWithoutLabels.com

Give us some background. Where are you from originally, where are you now, how did you get there?

I am originally from Caro, Michigan USA but moved to Seoul after graduating from a degree in music at Eastern Michigan University. I have been living and writing, producing and performing music in South Korea for the last seven years.

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What Genre would you classify yourself as?

That’s a hard one, as I love creating all kinds of vibes/emotions through music. I would have to admit that

I am most attracted to “Ambient/Atmospheric” music mixed with “Dream Pop/Space Rock” with a bit o’  the electronic vibe thrown in.

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Can you tell us about your musical process?

The music I make comes from experimentation. I usually begin the process with the piano or guitar and flesh out the basic idea rattling around in my brain bit by bit. After there is some kind of basic backbone for the idea, next is finding a melody for the vocal line(if any). It’s fun piecing the puzzle parts of a song together. I enjoy the mystery of how a song can bring itself into existence through seeming nothingness.

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What is it that drove you to pursue a career in music, and what it is that drives you individually as a musician or a band?....

Music is a drug to me. It works on me in so many levels that I need a whole book to just awkwardly convey my feelings. Regarding the passion with music that I share with fellow humans, I feel it is less of a decision to pursue it and more of a surrendering to the gravity that constantly pulls at us. I don’t want to imagine my life without the existence of what is music.

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What struggles have you faced with having your music heard and getting your name recognized by outside markets?

We live in an extremely interesting and revolutionary time in the history of music.

I feel pretty blessed when it comes to being heard. I started recording right as computer/internet technology allowed people to upload their tunes on sites that the whole world could have access to. I was aware that musicians before this didn’t have it so lucky. They had to be both extremely talented and had to have been in the right place at the right time for their visions to be exposed via the controlled media.  Today, I think one problem that creators of music face is that the bar is raised because EVERYONE has access to hear and being heard. So much good music, and so little time puts the importance of marketing/promotion to a new level, when before a bit of promotion and the talent of the band could make waves.

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What kinds of things do you do to promote yourself?

To quote a friend and producer/artist mentor, “(Music)...is cheaper than therapy.” So first off, the music I create helps me to believe that I can have a spiritual connection in this world. I don’t mean to convey that my approach is egotistic, just a form of art I love to create that helps me survive and flourish if other people listen or not. With that said, I feel a bit lacking in the expertise of effective promotion. I do believe, though, that the best and oldest form of promotion is word of mouth. Music sites where I can get to know listeners as friends rather than just a marketing target are where I enjoy hanging out and promoting my music. (Like on www.thesixtyone.com  where you had found me as well as some other friendly artists).

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Is there a predominant message you hope to get across in your songs?....

I don’t think I have a single message  to convey, but the lyrics and themes within  the songs I write are mostly about  my fascination with what lay beyond the death of mind and body.

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What are your thoughts on the future of the music industry and where it’s going?....

This is a very interesting topic. I believe with the massive changes in the medium of media format (i.e from CD/tapes/records to pure digital form; mp3), the ground that the music industry once stood firmly on has now been pulled from under. I believe that like it or not, things will change about music and the internet. Powers that be (or that are to be) will most likely attempt to control the way we sell and distribute music. Music licensing for tv/movies/other media, however, will probably operate in the same fashion.....

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Are you currently unsigned, and do you plan on staying independent?....

I am indeed unsigned. I think if I had a chance to be signed and had a good contract, distribution, etc, I would jump at the chance to have my music represented by a decent label.....

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What are your reasons for being an independent artist?

Well, I guess why am I not an independent artist? I have access to the same tools and knowledge that professional artists and producers have as well as resources to have my music heard all across the world. It is a revolutionary time for artists to have their art exposed.

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Who are some of your favorite artists?

Tons of them…I think it would take about a month to write down all of the music that I hold dear to me. Ill be super brief and say…The Autumns (a dream pop band out of L.A.) M83, Sigur Ros, Slowdive, Hammock, Spiritualized, Altus(excellent indie ambient music artist based in Canada).

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Do you ever feel that people will be missing out on your music because you are not signed to a major record label?

Hmm. I think having good promotion is vital to having a good fan base(along with that world of mouth thing, gigging….AND actually being GOOD; ). If an artist doesn’t have a label, that doesn’t mean they wont have good sales. It really is about finding your niche in this giant haystack of great music in the world.

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What would you say if I told you that there’s a new force in Independent Music that will give you all of the power of the Major Labels and more, while at the same time giving you complete control over all aspects of your musical career, and you will never have to sign a thing?

I would say, “Where’s my limousine with the hot tub?”: )

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And you would have access to the world’s first ever audio component auction, where pieces of songs are sold off at auction prices to be repurposed in other songs.  What kind of impact do you think that would have on your music?

I f I am able to keep the rights to my material in a  non-exclusive form, then I really look forward to finding out!

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It’s called Beat-Play, and it will be beta tested this Fall 09. Sign up at http://www.MusicWithoutLabels.com