March is National Music Therapy Month. Music Therapy is the skillful use of music and musical elements by an Accredited Music Therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Music has nonverbal, creative, structural, and emotional qualities. These are used in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate contact, interaction, self-awareness, learning, self-expression, communication, and personal development. Music Therapy is huge part of Blue Star Connection. d Support the Support Musical Therapists and Support Blue Star Connection. And be sure to support Blue Star Founder John Catt.
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PROPOSAL FROM MICHAEL T. HORNBUCKLE ON FACEBOOK
I want to propose something to MUSICIANS:
If you’ve ever released a product, and found it beneficial to solicit reviews, whether from publications, “industry professionals” or the sort, you may have noticed two things:
1.) There are politics involved with many publications. The big local ones suck. Plain and simple. However, there are some independent and smaller ones that do VERY good, like Tim, Chris and the fellas over there at Music Buzz,. They take care of their locals wonderfully. But if you’re trying to establish something larger, and have, and continue to, put in the work, and are releasing top notch product that deserves to be heard, it’s tough. If you can’t afford a reputable publicist and go a DIY route, either you don’t meet certain criteria, or you need to know who to blow, how long to blow them, the desired pleasure, and which friends of theirs also require attention, it can be very tough.
2.) Industry professionals. long sigh.. .
I could go on forever about my disdain for that “title” alone. They require 2 things for you even to be worthy of their glance. 1.(See for mentioned blowing) They want to see if you already, have a sheepish, “industry” product to sell, i.e. look like a model, sing like a robot, and have no critical views, cares, or concerns to sing anything of substance that may give people deeper social, or personal contemplation, because THEY are the professionals and THEY know what people want. Well, THEY can blow ME. In a nutshell; will you sellout?
3) They need to get paid, hence the word industry. ’nuff said.
I digress.
My proposal is this, and perhaps it’s not revolutionary but this just popped into my mind, so to me I’ve convinced myself it is:
Why don’t we musicians, establish a simple way to make a community that reviews each other’s stuff. We don’t bash anyone, we don’t over stroke anyone, but we make it supportive to build and expand our local scene. I wanted to put this out there before I make a community page and start adding a bunch of folks without their consent. (That’s a whole different subject).
Fit: Don’t add me to your freakin’ group. K?
Anyways, if you’re into it, show support by liking, and adding a comment. We’ll give it a go, and I’ll make the “Colorado Musicians Review” page. (Sorry, I get to name it.) We’ll establish some disorganization and see what it evolves into. I’m interested in anyone’s thoughts.
Thanks for the time,
Michael
Barb Dye comment: The Colorado Music Business Organization works towards those goals, too, Michael. A couple of things that we do (as a non-profit organization) is to play local unsigned artists’ music on our website. We will also be running our 4th Annual Songwriters’ Contest this year where we get SONGS out to music supervisors, publishers, movie, television, and commercial people who are listening to the music and not looking for that new “Justin Bieber” or whomever. And don’t forget the local radio DJs like Johnnie Johnson of Innvervision or Chris Kresge of The Colorado Sound who play and promote Colorado musicians 24/7/365+!