Just as musicians join together to form bands and orchestras, there comes a time to join various music related groups and organizations. The benefits are many and vary from group to group. Typically you will at the very least benefit from meeting and networking with other people, and you may also get other things like discounts on equipment, health insurance, world wide web pages, group advertising, distribution, Internet sales, etc.
Here are some organizations that we at GeoSynchronous Records have joined and found useful in the promotion of Les Dudek, Mike Pachelli, Bong Water Taffy, and Big Red & The Bus. This is just a sampling, there are many others! Some are free, and some charge dues for membership.
Artists Support Group (ASG). Central Florida's grassroots musician & artist co-operative was incorporated and chartered a year ago right here in Brevard, and is currently serving the specialized needs of the acoustic music artist community as well as literary and visionary artists. The Artist Support Group hosts acoustic music showcases and music circles at Phat Cats Supper Club in downtown Melbourne on the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month. The ASG has plans for a showcase hotline, live recording, additional showcases, volunteer fund raisers, internet presence, and continuing promotion of legitimate seasoned music, literary, and visionary artists. More information can be obtained from Cisco Harris, 777-2185, or e-mail asg12@juno.com .
Creative Musicians Coalition (CMC). CMC is a group of approximately 500 independent musicians and bands with the goal of promoting and selling their music and video art. They offer telephone sales, telephone listening lines, Internet sales and web pages, shared advertising, retail distribution, "Aftertouch®" catalog, an interactive forum on the World Wide Web, and much more. They are very well developed in Internet marketing. You can call them at 800-882-4262, or check out their web site at http://www.aimcmc.com
The International Songwriter's Guild. This is a songwriter's organization with offices in Orlando, Los Angeles, and New York, and has been serving songwriters for twenty years. The Orlando chapter meets on the first Sunday of each month at 5:30 PM in The American Federation of Musicians Union Building, 3020 E. Robinson St. Members play tapes of their songs for critique by the other members, and guest speakers talk about various subjects of interest to the songwriter. For more information, contact President Russ Robinson, 407-851-5328.
The Songwriter's Guild of America. This guild has been in existence for more than 60 years, and has offices in Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York. It offers song writing workshops, critique sessions, ask-a-pro sessions, political lobbying, health insurance, a credit union, and various discounts on car rentals, travel, etc. Call 615 329 1782 for more information, or check their web site at http://www.songwriters.org.
National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). NACA consists of college entertainment programmers and entertainers who perform or want to perform at colleges. They have conventions where hundreds of college student programmers come to look for entertainment for their campus. Performers can showcase their act, or have an exhibit booth with videos, photos or recordings of their act. The entertainment covers everything from musicians, lecturers, carnival rides, hypnotists, and other strange things. I once saw a man use a hammer to drive a six inch nail up his nose as part of his act! NACA offers a national membership or a regional one for less cost. Contact NACA at 800 845 2338 or their web site at http://bbs.naca.sc.edu.
National Association of Independent Record Distributors & Manufacturers (NAIRD). Join NAIRD if you decide to start your own independent record label. Their objectives are to improve the communication between labels and distributors, and to promote the independent music industry. Call NAIRD at 606 633 0946. Editor's Note: NAIRD has recently changed their name to Association For Independnet Musicians (AFIM).
If you are receiving air play (or soon will be) on songs you have written , you should join one of the performance rights societies. These are non-profit organizations that collect money from radio and TV stations, and most any other public performance of your song, and then pay you. In the USA, there are three: Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) 615 401 2000 or http://www.bmi.com; American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) 212 595 3050 or http://www.ascap.com; or SESAC 800 826 9996 http://www.sesac.com.
About the author: Steve Bussey is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and is currently the owner and general manager of GeoSynchronous Records (http://www.pan.com/geosync, Listening Line 800 235 9193, ask for a free catalog), an indie label handling artists such as Les Dudek, Mike Pachelli, Bong Water Taffy, and Big Red & The Bus. Prior to this, Steve earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Acoustics from Georgia Tech, designed sound equipment and guitar amps for Fender, and supervised design of communication systems for the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center.
