Number one on everyones to do list should be to purchase an independent recording. Dollars are votes in the business community. Further, the one thing the independent music economy needs, more than anything else, is an increase in overall cash flow. I am sure many artist would agree.

Second in this list of socio-economic schemery is the flip side of the first. The recording industry has been financially gutting musicians for years. Turnabout is fair play friends, don't support the major labels with your purchasing. Every time you do you actively reinforce the stranglehold the big five have developed on the market. This is a sacrifice as not all major releases are garbage, many are fabululous, but in the long run quality artists will recognize the shifts in purchasing and move accordingly.

Network, network, network, independents have to work with each other, the more cross pollination of independent thought the better. Learn from and promote your contemporaries. My father has said many times "music is not a race" we are not in competition with each other. This is a fallacy created by years industry domination and our own fears.
Use every ounce of technological advantage you can come up with. Independents are the innovators of the music industry, push on! it's a noble undertaking.

Stick to your guns. If a label is willing to offer you 10.000 dollars to sign a record contract, ask yourself, "How much is my work worth" it's more than the label will offer period, end of line. It is a turning point for many independent artists when they are recognized and offered a "major" deal. Don't be taken in by the same forces that made getting there so hard in the first place.

And finally when all else fails do it again. I lost a considerable amount of $$$$$ last year working with independents nationwide on "TourBaby". The show was fabulous, ran smoothly, and fell onthe worst Halloween night our entertainment district has seen in many years. So two days later licking my wounds I stop by my local pub and see an old friend who was a concert promoter for Styxx in the 70's. HE asked me how it went, I told him, and without a moments hesitation he said, "When's the next one?" Some of the best adcvice I have ever been given.

Proactive is the word of the day for me. Got to head out to the studio, myself and a small group of artist from around the country a recording a a Spanish jazz album. The drummer flies in today. Take care out there.
Yer Pal Ethan

Got any schemes feel free to contact me at ethan@oatpublishing.com

Oh yeah, we've got lots of schemes. And several are already in action. Today's a holiday and I'm on the road, but we'll be back to talk about them tomorrow.

good luck ethan, you'll have my support. The big 5 lost my support years ago. I believe anyone over 20 will understand the problem and the solution. It will be tough to get the younger audiance to see the situation for what it is. The media machine has worked long and hard to program our youth to buy anything they hear on the radio (once you hear something 50 times you will start to think you like it, it's proven) "topical subliminal programming" Anyway my point is, I think our children are going to be the deciding factor. I like to think my kids are smarter than the media machine,(but we all know thats not the case) So, as a parent I don't want to destroy all the radios and tv's in my house, and I dont like telling them "no you can't have that album" thats too much like the problem I'm so against in the first place. I'm going to set up my old PC with kazaa, buy a big box of cdr's and let 'em have at it, and keep trying to turn them on to independant music (which I will gladly pay for.) This is the turning point for me, with no clear solution in sight maybe my contribution to the "problem" will help speed things up a little. Sorry if this offends anyone, it offended me before I really sat down and thought about it.

Nice concept pov...
That's a good way to keep your kids slowly but surely worked into the midst of the independent artists.... can't force an idea and expect someone to take it as gospel... they have to recognize it on their own and that will truly have an impact.

Pearl Jam just walked away from their record label "until they [the label] got their shit together," according to Eddie Vedder. Vedder estimated this will probably take 10-15 years.

Welcome to the movement, Eddie.

If I grow up and have kids (I'm 21 and never plan on doing either), indie music is all they're going to listen to... By the time they hear other music at school or whatever music, the ***concept*** of indie music will be quite ingrained in them...

This article at p2pnet also seems appropriate.

Why buying CD’s hurts the musician and supports tyranny.

http://www.p2pnet.net/may03/mus.html

I hate to sound like a cynical guy who's here just to disagree with everyone, but I think that file sharing is just hurting our position. It's often been said that two wrongs don't make a right, and I think that certainly applies here. I don't think that you can justify stealing music by saying "well, they overcharge us for CDs". I tried to rationalize file sharing (which I used to do, in excess) by saying "I've paid so much for CDs, this is right." No matter how much they've screwed you over, it's still not right to steal from them. No amount of getting cheated out makes stealing right.

Secondly, I think a boycott would be more effective if P2P numbers weren't so high. RIAA has an equally plausible, if not more plausible angle than we do; we're doing something illegal. Regardless if they're a monopoly and heavily entrenched in payola - what we're doing is still wrong. Imagine if P2P users were low in number, and record sales were still down. At that point, they would have few choices but to embrace a new business model. It would look terrible, too. Bad publicity.

It is RIAA's right to control the means of distributing the music they own the copyrights too. It is their right to decided if they want to stop selling certain artists or albums. It is theire right. However, it's our right to boycott, and send them a message. We want a new business model, and if we don't get it, we can go without music. At least without their music.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the RIAA by any means. I just think a boycott would be far more effective if we all stopped sharing files. It would be a stronger message. And besides, you could prove to yourself just how dedicated you are to this cause.

Bootleggers 4 life. j/k

I love the record industry.... its been kind to me so far. oh wait Im lyin