MORE THAN A MUSIC SOCIAL NETWORK

With OurStage, users are able to promote their music, discover new talent, and win opportunities to perform and work with some of the entertainment industry's biggest names. OurStage is not just another Social Network, it's a Vehicle for Mass Promotion that knows no limits or bounds. http://www.ourstage.com/about/us

THE COLLABORATION STATION

Hello Music Lovers, are you Looking To Collaborate with Other Liked Minded Music Lovers by sharing, Trading Ideas, or Lending Your Musical Talents and Gift of Music? If You Create Music, Make Beats, or Simply Love Music, This Group is for You! Maybe You Know Something About The Music Industry and Would Like to Share that Information by Posting or Blogging it. If that be you, I Want To Invite You To Join Me in the Group Page “COLLABORATE STATION”
       http://www.facebook.com/groups/collaborationstation

 

CHRISTIAN MUSICIAN CONNECTION

We are Independent Artists Networking with Online Radio Personalities and each other by working together to help promote and gain exposure through airplay and other media. This facebook Group Page is where You and the Christian Musician can Connect and Network with other Christian Musicians, Fans and Venues. Please Feel Free to Share your Music, Promote your Websites, Music Blogs, Videos, Upcoming Performances and any Helpful Music Industry Information and Resource you’d like to share. If you are looking for Christian Artist and Musician to Minister at your Church or function, or just want to Network. Feel free to post that information and make a connection.

THIS IS A CHRIST CENTERED MUSIC GROUP WHERE WE LIFT UP THE NAME OF JESUS IN OUR MUSIC.

I truly believe that God’s gift to us is life, and what we do with our life, is our gift back to Him……
LET’S ALL GIVE HIM GLORY.

INDEPENDENT MUSICIAN RADIO

IMRadio (Independent Musician Radio) is an innovative international entertainment company that offers free radio airplay while providing revenue opportunities to all independent musicians with original music. IMRadio plays the music of local bands from hundreds of cities worldwide to an audience in 165 countries. Each artist/band registers a brief IMRadio profile/bio page where they can communicate with their local fans and introduce themselves to a worldwide audience, while generating some additional revenue. Artists can grow their fan base by getting free radio airplay, obtaining new fan email addresses, and getting their song(s) reviewed along the way. Listeners can hear music from around the world with new songs being added everyday. Enjoy the music! http://www.imradio.com/davidemaxwell

For more information and facts about IMRadio, click on the link below;
http://www.imradio.com/main_index.php?f=faq

START YOUR OWN SUCCESFUL RECORD LABEL

Somethings in life are "FREE" and yet somethings will "COST" you something. You be the judge as to what you are willing to pay to get information that will be of great benefit to you and yours. I can remember a time when I desired something and could not afford it right away, I would "Lay- It- Away". We call it today "Saving Up For It". Check out this information and Pass It On. In either case what do you have to loose, but weigh what do you stand to gain? ...Again you be the judge.
CLICK HERE: http://tinyurl.com/9karmlc 

 

SUNRISE

This is a rough draft instrumental version of my new single that will be featured on my next CD Project soon to be released called "SUNRISE". All Rights Reserved, Use By Permission.Your feedback is always welcomed. God Bless. http://snd.sc/NoDr3Q I AM INSPIRED BY YOU ALL!


Yours in service
David E. Maxwell

Who Is David E. Maxwell?

My name is David E. Maxwell and I am an Independent Christian Musician, Producer and Composer who became interested in music at the early age of five. I play by ear and I’m basically self taught and can play several different instruments. As a young adult I joined several top forty bands that traveled and played on the local circuit. April of 1990 was an important turning point in my life. Returning to my church roots, I began again, to rebuild my foundation and faith in God. As the years went by I was blessed to have been the praise and worship leader for several churches. In 2011, I released my debut CD called, “The Praise Up Project”, and I’m now currently working on releasing my second CD in 2012. Being an Independent Artist has many challenges. This is what prompted me to create “Christian Musician Connection” on facebook. Where I provide a platform for Christian Musicians, Worship Leaders, Gospel Singers, Recording Artist, Music Producer/Promoter, Radio Personalities and Venues to Post and promote their Music, Blogs, Videos and Connect with Other Artists, to exchange valuable music industry information, share ideas and much more. One of my visions is to create a Record Label not only as a business but as a ministry as well. My goal is to help other independent artists reach their goals in the music industry. You will always hear me say, “God’s gift to us is life, and what we do with our life, is our gift back to Him.”
Check Out The Links Below

Like Me On Facebook

Follow Me On Twitter 

Also See David E. Maxwell Music

And On Reverbnation

Get Music - Refer A Friend - Get $10.00

Hey everybody, check this out. I am running a special promotion for my music. I am asking all of my family and friends to help support me in my music ministry, and in turn enjoy the benefits of a great music site where you can listen to and buy music you can't get anywhere else from some great independent artists.

 Normally you would pay $0.99 or more to download a song. Now you can get my songs from my debut CD as a download for only $0.49 each. You Can Get My Entire 12 song CD for Only $5.88.   That's half off the Original Price.

Just click on this link and sign up >>> http://www.emusic.com/album/David-E-Maxwell-The-Praise-Up-Project-MP3-Download/12645104.html, or copy and past it to your browser.

 AS AN ADDED BONUS, GET THIS FREE DOWNLOAD JUST FOR CHECKING OUT MY MUSIC. Even if you do nothing else, please take advantage of this FREE download.

Click on this link and download. >>> http://soundcloud.com/david-e-maxwell/word

 I'm an eMusic member as well, and I think it's right for you too! Check it out with a FREE* $10.00 credit and see what you think.

 P.S., I'll get $10.00 credit too if you become a member for 2 consecutive months.

 Thank you so very much for taking an interest in my music. It is because of friends like you that makes this worth it. You allow me to spread my music and be a blessing, when you become a fan. There is more to come, Please tell others about the music, God bless you.

 ~ David E. Maxwell ~

Let's Build A Strong Community Together

This is a post From my Facebook Group "Christian Musician Connection"

It has been a while since I've addressed us as a hole, so I'd like to take
this time to welcome all new members to the group who have joined over the
last few weeks. I pray that you find this group page to be unique and
refreshing in that not only you can post your Music, Blogs, Videos,
Advertisements and your Websites etc, etc..., but that we may also inner
act one with another by leaving comments with one another and sharing ideas
and information in the hopes to enhance our community and commitment by
lifting each other up. I believe that this helps build strong and lasting relationships.

Let's face it, the music industry can be very demanding at times and as
Christian Artists, we know that the enemy would like nothing more than to
draw us apart and discourage us and have us fight amongst ourselves. I
truly believe that if we take some time to show more love towards all and help each
other by inner acting, and be encouraging. In turn we will be helping ourselves reach our goals.

We have some wonderful and anointed talent in this group from all walks of
life that I feel honored to be associated of you all. So I want to
personally thank each and everyone of you for your participation in sharing
your gifts and talents as well as your prayers. Again I thank you all!
So with that being said have some fun, share, and most of all be blessed.

8 Reasons Email Marketing Will Boost Your Music Career

1. People Generally Check Their Emails 

One of the best things about having a mailing list with all of your fans on it, is you can contact them easily any time you want. While some people may not check their other online accounts daily, people generally do check their emails. After all, everything goes through there. Their Facebook account, their Twitter account, their gym membership, their work related things, and much more. Therefore, having access to their email address means your message should get in front of them.
People are often very responsive to their email messages. As long as you’re something of interest to them and you have an enticing heading, there is a good chance they’ll go on to open your email and read it through. Once they get in the habit of doing that, as long as you keep providing useful information and songs, they will stay a reader for life.

2. Retain More Fans By Getting Them On Your Mailing List 

When people visit your website, a lot of them will probably have a look around, download a song or two, and never come back again. That’s just the way of the web. While they may like what you have to offer, there’s just so much to look at on the net. Because of this, unless you do something to retain your visitors, many people will only visit your site once and never return.
One of the best ways of retaining a visitor is to get them to sign up to your mailing list. If you get them on your list, you will have access to them whenever you want. You can also encourage them to come back to your site when you need to.

3. Remind People You Exist Through Your Emails 

Like I said, the net has so many different things to offer people. There’s always something new to see or do on the web, so unless you’re always in someone’s face they could forget about you very easily. If you manage to capture their email address when they visited your website however, you have the ability to remind people you exist. When you send them messages (Be sure not to email them too much) you are effectively appearing on their raider again. If they remember about you, there is a good chance they’ll go back to your site to see what’s new.

4. Email Marketing Builds Up A Relationship With Fans Of Your Music 

Once you have people on your list, you have to market to them with emails. This isn’t as cold as it sounds however, and it can actually help improve your relationship with your fans. The more someone hears from someone or about something, the more they become accustomed to it. As long as you don’t overdo it, people will warm to you once you have been sending them messages for a while. You want to make people feel as if they almost really know you, and have them feel involved in your development as a musician. If you can make them feel like that, people will buy into you and your products. After all, why WOULDN’T you buy something that you’ve had a hand in making?

5. Funnel Fans To Where You Want Them With Your Messages 

Emails are great, as they allow you to draw attention to a specific going on or area you want people to pay attention to. Let’s say for example you have a big gig coming up, you could always email your visitors and let them know that this is happening. You could also include a link to a page where they can read more information about the gig, and a link to where they can buy tickets to attend. This minimises the chance that people will miss anything to do with your music, as you can easily highlight the most important parts.

6. Mailing Lists Show The Most Dedicated Fans Of Your 

Music 

As I’m sure you know, there are different levels of fans. Some of your fans may think you’re all right, but they may also like lots of other musicians and bands. They’ll open the odd email from you if the header sounds interesting, but they wouldn’t always open them or follow any links your provide in these emails.
On the other hand, there will be fans who open all your emails as they have a big interest in you. They will often look further into the information you provide in your emails, and most likely go on to buy your new releases.
When you sign up to a mailing list provider, you are provided with stats for free. These stats show you quickly and easily who your most dedicated subscribers are, who in turn are probably your most dedicated fans. Once you know who they are, you should go out of your way to give them free bonuses and make them feel welcome. They are generally the ones that will buy your releases and help spread the word about you, so make sure you keep them happy.

7. Easy To Promote Your Song And Merchandise Releases 

Then great things about when people sign up to your mailing list, is they pre-qualify themselves as people who could be serious about your music. If someone goes on your website and isn’t too impressed with what they’re seeing, they’re not going to sign up to your mailing list, let along buy one of your songs. If they do like your music and want to hear more from your however, there’s a good chance they’ll sign up. They actually want to hear from you, and have made that clear.
These are the ideal people to sell to, as they are targeted visitors. What’s more, you now have unlimited access to them whenever you want. This is ideal if you have a song or album to release, what better way to make some initial sales then to promote your new release to your mailing list?
I’d advise you don’t over bombard them with emails during the time of your music release, as people will get annoyed by this. If they get annoyed, they will unsubscribe and you won’t have access to them any more. I’d suggest you message them twice about the release, maybe once to say it’s coming next week, and another time to say it’s out now. If you’re running a special offer e.g. The song is reduced in price for the first week, you can message them once more when the special offer is about to run out, reminding them of that. I’d say you don’t message them any more then that though, people don’t generally like being sold to so don’t push them. If they want to buy your music, they will during one of the first two emails. Therefore, sending a third will just wind them up.

8. Email Marketing Encourages Fans To Interact With Your Music 

A good idea is to add autoresponder messages to your email marketing campaign. Autoresponder messages are messages that are sent out automatically once a certain condition is met e.g. Someone has been on your list for 30 days. If you send people a free songs automatically say once a month, you are reminding people what you can do, and encouraging them stay a fan of your music. You can also offer them more to do, telling them if they liked that song they can go and buy the rest of the songs on your website. Be sure to add a link to the relevant page on your website where they can buy it, as if you make it difficult for people you will lose sales.
You can also use your emails to get people involved with your music via competitions, via asking them their opinions on things, and by generally having two way communications with them. There are a lot of different ways to do this, so use your imagination and make them feel like they’re part of something special.

How To Build Your Own Mailing List

So now you know how important building a mailing list is, how do you actually go about building one? Well, we look at exactly this in lesson 5 of the IMA Music Business Academy. We also show you how to start raking in the subscribers, how to market to your list effectively, and lots of other great tips and advice that will have things moving in the right way. So if you want to learn more, check out the Academy now.

Email Marketing For Musicians Conclusion 

As you can see, incorporating email marketing into your music career can be very beneficial to you. Communicating effectively with fans have never been more important to the independent musician, or musician at any level. Having them on your mailing list makes this more easy then ever, and is cheap to set up. If you want to take your music career seriously and want to start moving forward, you need to set up your mailing list and start building up a relationship with your fans today. If you liked this Welcome to email marketing for musicians guide, please share it around.

Are You Promoting Your Music Enough?

Promotion, possibly a musician's worse enemy? I say this because it's the part most people get wrong, intentionally or not. I've seen people take time to record the perfect CD, pay to have an excellent cover done, get it into shops worldwide, then just sit down and wait for their CD to sell. But it hardly does. Why? BECAUSE THEY HARDLY PROMOTED IT!! You can't just expect people to walk into a record shop and buy your music, you have to let people know it's there and give them a good reason to buy it!

Now I know you may not have yourself down as a sales person. And that's OK, most musicians don't. But I'll tell you now, without including some form of promotion in your campaigns, your music won't get very far.

So how much promotion do you need to do for a successful release? Well, that would depend on the size and type of the project. One thing's for sure though, you should be promoting your release between 2 and 4 week prior to the release date. You start out mentioning it without too many details, then as the date gets closer give more details and making a bigger deal out of it. Creating anticipation is a great way to pre sell your music, and if done correctly will mean that a nice portion of your sells should come within the first week.

Once you've released your CD, you should carry on promoting and spend all your time on it. Where possible you should be doing radio appearances, live shows, interviews, online promotion, flyering, and anything else you can fit in. Simply writing a one off post on a music forum won't get you the amount of sales you'll need to even cover the cost of making your music, so think bigger. Even a one off advert in a popular magazine often isn't enough, people react better to buying when they've seen your promotion in a few places and are more curious about your product. That means for the next month or more after your release you need to be EVERYWHERE your customers turn!

Please don't make the mistake of under promoting your music, if you're going to put the effort in to recording and releasing your music, the least you could do is let it reach it's full potential. To your success.

CD Release Cost

Thinking of releasing your own record or starting a record label? There are lots of things to concern yourself with - promotion, distribution, pressing and so on - but the one thing it all comes back to is money. So just how much is this endeavor going to set you back?
Well, that depends. Album release budgets run the gamut from bargain basement to top of the line. It all comes down to the choices you make. Suffice it to say that you should have a realistic idea about how much you can afford to spend in advance, and you should take advantage of every cost cutting measure you can find along the way. Regardless of the choices you make, here are the costs you'll have to find a way to cover:

1. Recording Costs: If you're a musician putting out your own record, obviously the recording costs are going to fall on you. If you're a record label, especially a small indie label, sometimes the musicians will come to you with a finished product. If they don't, you may have to spring for some studio time. (As an indie label, this is a good time to be honest with your signings about your resources. For instance, it doesn't serve anyone if you empty the bank account on recording and then don't have anything left to spend on promotion. You might consider structuring a deal so that the musicians share recording costs with you. Do these deals really happen? Yes, they do.)
   Recording costs can get out of control in a hurry. If you can call in some favors and keep your costs down, do it. If money is tight, save the six week session in an out of town studio for your sophomore release. Keep the cash in check by turning up well rehearsed and ready to go. Keep the distractions (and distracting people) outside of the studio, and have all of your arguments about new parts and what have you before you show up to lay down the tracks. (Oh, come on, you know it's going to happen.)
   
2. Pressing: Manufacturing may be one of your biggest expenses. There are a few different ways this can go down:
   
   • If you have a distribution deal, your distributor may pay for manufacturing up front and then recoup the costs from sales. This kind of deal is getting harder and harder to find, though, and don't forget that this set up means it may be a long time before you see any money from record sales. The upside of this kind of deal, apart from easing your cashflow concerns upfront, is that the distributor will get a better price from the manufacturer than you could on your own, because they are likely to have a standing relationship with them.
     
   • You simply arrange for manufacturing yourself. Usually a manufacturer will not extend credit to a new customer, so you're likely to have to pay for the whole order up front.
     
   • You skip manufacturing completely and go for a completely digital release.
     
   Obviously, going all digital is the cheapest way to go since it cuts out this cost. If you do decide to press physical copies, try to keep your spending in check. In other words, special packaging, colored vinyl and things like that may be fun, but they also jack up your costs. A common mistake is to assume that if you shell out extra for these kinds of bells and whistles that your album will sell more. Probably not. "Oooh...cool" doesn't pay the bills, and nifty packaging isn't what is standing between you and stardom. Another thing to keep in mind in terms of pressing costs is being smart about how many copies you manufacture. Sure, you'll get a better per unit price for larger orders, but it's a good idea to press what you think you realistically have a chance of selling. Pressing 500,000 copies to save 30 cents per unit is a false economy if 499,500 end up sitting in your mom's garage. Want to be really depressed? Open your credit card bill while looking at a 250 boxes of unsold CDs.
   
3. Promotion: Promotion is your most important cost. If manufacturing and recording are "save" expenses, promotion is your area to splurge. Promotion costs are campaigns to earn radio/press coverage of your release and advertising costs. You can save money by doing your press and radio promotion yourself, or you can hire a PR company. As a general rule of thumb, it is more difficult to break into commercial radio without the help of an established radio promoter than it is handle print/web promotion yourself - something to keep in mind if you only have money for one such "pro" campaign.
   On the other hand, don't expect PR companies to work miracles. Is radio a good fit for your release? Is your audience listening to the radio? The key to spending wisely on promotion is to know your audience and make sure you're targeting them.
   

So, bottom line, how much is it going to cost to release your album? In many ways, the answer is up to you. The expenses listed above will all need to be met, but there is a lot of wiggle room within each category. The key is to take a long term view and spend enough to give this project the push it deserves while making sure you don't set yourself so far back financially that you don't have any cash leftover for a follow up.

Making Money As A Singer Or Musician Without Touring

By IndieVinny, on February 27th, 2012 © 2012 Vinny Ribas For many artists, touring is simply not an option. There are thousands of reasons for this, including other employment, not wanting to leave their families, health challenges etc. Whatever the reason, the good news is that it is still possible to make a decent income without going on the road. Here are some ideas. Of course you can start with traditional local venues such as nightclubs, restaurants etc. You might even seek out a house gig. Most private clubs such as AA clubs, to fraternity organizations (Elks Club, Moose Club etc) hire music for dances and private parties on a regular basis. You can make money by recording and posting YouTube videos and then selling the songs themselves on iTunes. One way is to record your own unique cover versions of popular tunes. When someone searches for that song, your version will show up near the original version. Many people will check out your version as well, and then buy it if they like it. You can write and produce songs specifically for films and TV. Study how to write for and pitch to these mediums. If you are prolific, you may even build your own music library specifically for this. Don’t forget providing music for corporate films and documentaries. Contact the communications departments of larger companies, as well as video production companies. Writing jingles can be an excellent source of income. Contact advertising agencies, video production companies, web designers and recording studios. Also listen tot the radio and watch TV, taking notice of advertisers who don’t have a jingle. Write and record short jingles for them, then pitch them directly to them. You can generate great income as the entertainment for house parties. Teach your fans how to host these for you! Form an a capella group that can perform any time, anywhere. You can be hired for daytime/lunchtime events and never have to carry a boatload of equipment. Form specialty groups that play hard-to-find or in-demand kinds of music, such as vaudeville, Christmas carols (see www.thenashvillecarolingcompany.com), Dixieland, 50’s and 50’s etc. You’ll be hired for all kinds of events where the buyers don’t want ‘the usual’. Many nursing homes have entertainment budgets. You may even be able to get a ‘house gig’ at one. You can write and then perform and/or record custom songs for weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions. You can create niche CDs and market them, such as ‘military songs’, ‘baseball songs’, ‘motorcycle songs’ etc. These can be original songs of covers. Singing telegrams may be corny, but you can make a great additional income doing this. Do something different and unique that might put you in demand. Playing weddings and other private parties (anniversaries, retirement etc.) can be very lucrative. Don’t forget the ceremony and the rehearsal dinner. Country clubs, boating clubs, golf clubs etc. all hire entertainment for in-house and catered events. Playing corporate events can generate substantial income. Performing for all grades at local schools can create daytime income. You can do this by putting together educational programs. You may be able to get grants to do this. You can get work as a local studio musician or singer. Be sure every studio in town has your demo. You may volunteer to do a session for free just to showcase your talent. Modern technology makes it possible for you to sing or play on recordings be made anywhere in the world. You can do this in your home studio, or find a local studio that you can book inexpensively. Many trained singers teach voice lessons, and instrumentalists teach music lessons. You can teach lesser-known skills such as performance, songwriting, music marketing etc. Your local fairs, any and all festivals and even sporting events all use entertainment. Many Of Indie Connect’s workshops, semiars and networking events are now live online! See www.anymeeting.com/IndieConnect for upcoming and past events. Learn enough ethnic songs to perform ethnic events. One example is playing Irish music for Irish weddings, anniversaries, family reunions and funerals, as well as St. Patrick’s Day. Another is German music for Oktoberfests, polka dances and German private parties. Churches and other spiritual institutions often hire music or all kinds, not just ‘religious’ music. For example, many hire music for their bookstores/cafes. Find singers who get gigs but need accompaniment, or musicians who get gigs but need a singer. Make it known that you are available for free-lance gigs. Many band leaders and booking agents get gigs and then put bands together to play them. You can get paid to host karaoke nights and sing throughout the night. You can also do this for private parties. Find a venue that will pay you to host jam sessions. You can get paid to be moderator, invite the musicians and market the event. Play music from specific eras, such as the 60’s, and play class reunions. Every high school and college has them! Contact the alumni via Facebook groups. If you can book your own acts, you can do the same for another similar act. You already have the connections and the trust of a number of venues. Turn those relationships into additional cash! Vinny Ribas is the founder and CEO of Indie Connect, a global business club for serious independent artists, songwriters, musicians and music professionals. Indie Connect helps its members increase their chances of success by providing practical career direction and education, combined with live and online industry networking opportunities. During his 40+ year career, Vinny has been a full time musician, an artist manager, a booking agent, songwriter and the Entertainment Director for the NV State Fair. He is a published author and popular speaker at music industry conferences.

My Interview with Just Gospel Interviews

David E Maxwell

January 30th, 2012 davidemaxwell

1. Tell us a little bit about your band, your vision and your experiences in the music industry.

I am an Independent Artist/Producer/Composer, who loves God with all my heart. I am a solo act for now. I would love to someday have a Band to travel and perform with. I got interested in music at the early age of five when my father and his band would rehearse in the basement. At the age of eleven I formed my first neighborhood band. My vision is to have a Record Label not only as a business but as a ministry as well. My goal is to help other independent artists reach their goals in the music industry.

2. How long have you known the LORD for, and how does your relationship transcend into your music?

I was introduced to the Lord at around age eight but growing up in the inner city trouble was always at hand. It was not until Easter of 1990, that was a very important turning point in my life. I reached out and called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who answered and delivered me from the gates of hell. Returning to my church roots, I began again, to rebuild my foundation and faith in God. I began to be strengthened and grow in grace more and more as i acknowledged the gift giver. As the years went by, I became the praise and worship leader for several churches, realizing that the gift of music is not just for self but to minister to others as well.

3. Do you consider your music to be more of a ministry or a business?  How do you feel about the artists and bands that operate other than you?

Well, I must say that my business of music is a ministry for the simple fact that music has always ministered to me by filling me with joy and gladness. Whenever I was sad or just dealing with life issues my music ministered to me and gave me peace. Of course there are those who are in Christian or Gospel music strictly for the money, and some of them have great musicianship and play only on Sunday morning. I can not judge them, however they have to give an account for themselves.

4. How did you get started in the music industry/ministry?

I joined the Hebron Tabernacle Church, where I filled in and played the piano behind the Pastors wife during praise and worship services. I fell in love with Christian music. Ever since then I wanted to do my own music and at times I did and it gave me much joy.

5. Tell us about the best experience that you have had since you started working/ministering through music.

One of the best experiences I had was when I was ministering with the group called Friends. We would travel from state to state and would minister through Songs, Testimonies and short Skits. We were at a tent revival in Baltimore MD.,  while we were in the middle of singing, a drug dealer came strolling down the isle, threw his drugs down on the ground and gave his life to God. Not soon after that a Police Officer who was assigned  to watch the tent, came up and gave his life to the Lord too.

6. Tell us about the worst experience that you have ever had in the music industry.

    To be honest, I really can’t recall a worst experience except for one time in the middle of a song we lost electricity for about twenty minutes.

7. Has being a musician become a full time calling, or do you still hold down a 9 to 5?  If so, what do you do and how does it relate to your music?

Not yet, I long for the day when it becomes full time, though I am not working full time, I do spend a lot of time in my studio and on line ministering, sharing, promoting and preparing to make it full time through social networking.
8. What is your discography? (Please provide album covers and links for purchase…preferably CD Baby and Amazon).

I released my debut CD 01/05/11 entitled “The Praise Up Project”. It can be purchased on

CD Baby ~  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidemaxwell
Amazon.com ~ http://www.amazon.com/The-Praise-Up-Project/dp/B00589HP24/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310452161&sr=301-1
iTunes ~ http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/free-flow/id444650063?i=444650077&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
…And many other digital download distributors.

9. A lot of music professionals have stated that the music industry is dying.  Do you agree with this statement?  Why or why not.

I disagree, because how can the music industry be dying when there is more and more music being produced. I can go to my website and my social network page, upload my own music to the web in a matter of minutes, and sell it to anyone in the world with an internet connection…I would say the way that the music industry use to operates is dying but not the industry as a whole.

10. How has the Internet played a roll in the promotion and marketing in your music?  Do you consider it to be the great equalizer in the music industry?

Thanks to the demand caused by the rising number of independent music artists and their desire to sell music online, several websites have risen to support this market. The old way has changed where you had to be on a major record label to have your music distributed or even recorded and promoted. Now I’m able to produce my own professional music independently.

11. Do you have any upcoming record releases or tours that we should know about?  Any recent awards?

I am currently working on my second Cd project and prayerfully it will be released sometime in midsummer. I’m in the process of collaborating with other artists. Also, I have a few Radio interviews coming up, I haven’t Gotten any awards yet.
12. How do you balance your music, family, faith and work?
Prayerfully and with the love and support of my wife Theresa who loves music and encourages me. I must admit, at times I can lose my balance but she is always there to level me and keep me steady. I can say that I’m truly blessed by her patience and sacrifices……I Love you Theresa!

13. If you could meet 1 person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?  (if there is more than 1 member of the band, let each one answer individually).

Well, this is kind of a tough question because there are so many I’d like to meet. One that comes to mind now is Bruce Lee, because I like martial arts and I like his philosophy. I have always been a fan and would love to have sat and talked with him.

14. What church do you attend?  Do they support the band?  If you could change 1 thing about their support, what would it be?

I just recently joined Bethel Deliverance International Church and have not joined the music ministry yet, but  the last church I was the Praise leader and they were very supportive of me and my music. There really isn’t much I would have like to change.

15. What is your favorite bible verse?  How does it apply to your music and your life?

    My favorite verse is ROMANS 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. This verse helps me when I want to ask God questions like, Why is this happening to me and I don’t understand it,  and when Lord am I going to have what I asked and pray for. I’m sure many of us have asked those question many times. This verse helps me keep Gods word in perspective.

16. What is the most amazing thing that a fan has ever done for you?  How did it impact you?

One fan being a street team member help me promote my music and fan page on the web for free, and I thought that was very nice. It inspired me to start a group page on facebook called “Christian Musician Connection”. This Group Page is where You and the Christian Musician can Connect and Network with other Christian Musicians, Share ideas, you Music, Promote your Websites, Music Blogs, Videos, and any Helpful Music Industry Information and Resource that could benefit and edify those in need.

17. What advice would you give to an artist or band just starting out?

I would say to always put God first. Set goals and follow your dreams and never give up. Practice, practice practice. Get as much information on what it is you want to do, then apply it. If you can perceive it and believe, then you can achieve it.

18. Who are your musical influences?

I grew up listening to Earth Wind and Fire, The Commodores, Brass Construction, War, Cameo, Brick, George Clinton, Slave, Steve Miller, KC and The Sunshine Band… In recent years I’ve listen to Commissioned, Ron Kenoly, Clint Brown, Ben Tankard, Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton, Tye Tribbet, Gospel Ganstaz, Cross Movement, Mary Mary, and many more…

19. What is the creative process for the band/artist in the studio?  How does the music come together?

It varies at times. Sometimes I start by laying down a basic drum track or base line and other times I would hear a melody on the piano and build from there. Just recently I started dimming the lights and just sitting quietly meditating a few minutes on the goodness of Lord and all he’s done for me. This helps me to relax and block out all distractions.

20. Where can people find you online?

You can find me at:
http://www.davidemaxwell.com
http://www.facebook.com/davidemaxwellmusic
https://twitter.com/davidemaxwell
http://www.reverbnation.com/davidemaxwell
http://ministerdmax.com/fr_home.cfm
http://www.youtube.com/dmaxmog
For the past year and a half I have been building a web presence. If you Google my name as you see it here, david e maxwell, you will find me on many other websites as well.

21. Anything else you want our readers to know? 

      One of my favorite sayings is:
God’s gift to us is life, and what we do with our life, is our gift back to Him...

Posted in Contemporary Christian, Rhythm & Praise, Urban Gospel Tags: Christian Music, David E Maxwell, The Praise Up Project

The Rejection of Instrumental Music by the Early Christian Church

One interesting period in the history of instrumental music was its rejection by the early Catholic Church. The church believed that music should serve religion by transmitting thoughts and beliefs of Christianity. Since they claimed only words had the power to do this, vocal and lyrical music was the only acceptable form to be heard in services or prayer. This meant that instrumental music was unable to convey religious thought, and therefore, barred from the church.
This rejection of was not held to a mere banning in church masses. References to many types of instruments in the Book of Psalms were written off as allegories and metaphors. The use of instruments was purposefully erased and separated from any church history or event, although some Christians used instruments in the privacy of their own home to accompany hymns and psalms.
To the church, the use of instruments and the large instrumental concerts and celebrations that occurred in other cultures were seen as pagan rituals that should be condemned and avoided. Vocal music represented a shunning of worldly pleasures and a more soulful mode of music making. It was the type of music that perfectly expressed the church’s dictations about living modest lives in service of the one true god, and sacrificing earthly materials for those of heavenly.
With the focus directed to chant and other vocal styles for over a thousand years by an institution as influential as the Catholic Church, instrumental music did not develop steadily from where the Greeks left off. It is interesting to think about how much the church changed the course of music history and how it might be different today without its actions.
Although instrumental music was mostly ignored for a great period, the theoretical developments of chant and other lyrical styles would eventually be rejoined by and translated back to instruments, and today the church has no such preoccupations about the worthiness of non-vocal music devices.
For better or for worse, the Catholic Church is a big factor in the development of western music in general, and a study of music history needs a keen understanding of this relationship.

How To Profit From Giving Away Free Music

If there is one thing clear about music and the internet, it’s that there are no clear options for distribution. Rather, there are hundreds of varied strategies that may work depending on who you are and what your situation is. Creativity and understanding of how the web works are the two things that will help you the most.
To most people the idea of releasing free to use music may sound unprofitable and wasteful, but when looking at the bigger picture it turns out to be a very smart move. There is no better way to spread your music than to release it for free. In most cases you wouldn’t be making much from selling it anyway. Just like in any business, you need to have a customer base before you can make any profit.
Assuming you are a musician who can perform live as well as produce studio recordings, the ways to make money in the modern music environment will not be from album sales. The album as a concept is slowly but surely disappearing, as music is no longer released on disks and more emphasis is being places on EPs and singles. These are harder to sell for considerable profits, and by offering them only for payment, you limit how many people will obtain them.
Instead of trying to go against the unstoppable juggernaut of illegal file sharing and music downloading, go with it. Give your music away and watch it spread as far as it can. Keeping in mind that you could only make so much off it anyway, in the beginning at least, the positives outweigh the negative.
In return for passing out your music free of charge, you obtain promotion and reputation in return. In other words, you get more fans. Fans are what lead to profits down the line if you are a musical act, and they are the most important thing when it comes to the business side of the equation. So the move is to get your music out there in any way that you can if you think it will lead to promotion and new fans.
New fans can lead to increased albums sales, concert ticket sales, and music placement in commercials or films, and that is when the money will be coming in. But if you started off selling a few albums for $10 a piece, you would be sitting around with $50 and five fans. That $50 is nothing compared to the long term income obtainable from establishing yourself as a popular musical act.
So when you are thinking about how to make a living with your music, think about how to get fans before you think about monetization. Look for sites like freeusemusic.net that work to get people’s music out there and their names recognized, and use any tool you can find. Creativity in promotion is the name of the game on the internet, and the key to getting your work heard.

Starting A Mailing List

A mailing list is the most surefire way to make sure people come to your shows. If you don't have any shows yet, a mailing list is still a good idea. You can use it to let people know when and where you're playing, even if that's just an open mic night. It's possibly the most simple thing you can do to help yourself on the road to more shows. Just write at the top of a sheet of paper "Mailing List" and then announce from the stage that you have one, and anyone interested in signing up on it should talk to you after your set. You'd be surprised at how many people will want to sign up. The most important thing, though, is to actually send mails to your mailing list. But don't send too many! Spamming people that could have turned out to be your biggest fans is definitely a no-no. Once a week is even too much sometimes. The most respectable thing to do is to send a mailer once a month. You can even do it on the same day each month. Even if there's nothing going on in your career, you can send an email out saying hi to your fans and letting them know you still appreciate their support. You can tell them you're still plugging away at that demo, or that you're working on getting shows. You can even suggest they check out other bands in the meantime. This'll keep you fresh in their memory without making you look needy and obnoxious. When you do start getting gigs, be sure to send out an announcement and invitation a week before the show. It gives people enough time to plan ahead, but it's close enough to the date that it'll still be fresh in their minds when the night rolls around. Sending out three or four reminders for one show is annoying and confusing to your fans. And finally, when you send out those emails, make them personal! That doesn't mean you have to send separate emails to everyone on your list. But constructing the email as if you're talking casually to friends you know and respect goes a long way. Speaking in the third person (unless someone else is actually in charge of your list) can sound pretensious. It's always thrilling to go see an artist or a band you enjoyed, then receive an email from them a few days later.