Yesterday I decided that I wanted to lead a revolution to free indie musicians from the constraints of the RIAA in general and the major labels specifically. Article I of our manifesto was entitled Avoid Risk And Die.

To wit: Properly think through and through and DISCUSS with your peers and advisors and (in the case of bands), your fellow band members and decide and agree wholeheartedly what you want to accomplish and what you are willing to risk or sacrifice to get it.

Article II - "Why Not Ask Why Not?"

BUZZ WORD: FORWARD THINKING

Music as a profession is an exercise in preconceived notions and assumptions - half-truths and generalizations that hinder creativity and stifle individuality. The formula produces several songs that sound alike or at least rarely do they deviate from the conceived norm. Some examples:

* A hit song needs a great title
* A hit song needs a catchy and memorable chorus
* A hit song must not exceed 5 minutes in length
* A hit song should have an underlying story to tell the listener

Why all of these may or may not be true, certainly history has shown us many, many exceptions.

Beauty In the Eyes Of The Beholder



In advertising, one of the most successful albeit controversial campaigns in recent history was Dove Soap's Campaign For Real Beauty.

These ads, generated in 2004-05, took the fundamental rule of beauty products marketing - that women featured in beauty ads need be stick-model perfect to be effective role models - and asked "Why not ask why not?"

Why not seek unconventional beauty, something more curvy and realistic, to promote their skincare products. The principle behind the campaign was to celebrate the natural physical variation embodied by all women and inspire them to have the confidence to be comfortable with themselves. The result was a campaign that made women feel special about not conforming to conventional views of perfection.

There have been similar examples of forward thinking in music.

* Rap as a genre began at block parties in New York City in the early 1970s, when DJs began isolating the percussion breaks of funk, soul, and disco songs and extending them. In 1979, The Sugarhill Gang's recording of Rapper's Delight proved that rap and hip-hop could be commercially viable.

* In 1958 Richie Valens becomes the first latino to cross over into American rock and pop music. His hit song "La Bamba" reached #22 on the US pop charts and was sung entirely in Spanish.

* Bob Dylan goes electric. In 1965 Bob Dylan releases the single "Like A Rolling Stone", creating a hybrid of electronic-folk music that alienated hardcore folk fans but achieved tremendous critical and popular success, reaching #2 on the pop charts. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine called it the single greatest song of all time.

* In 1976 Peter Frampton disproves the theory that a live recording could not become a commercial success. Frampton Comes Alive tops the charts for ten weeks, remains on Billboard's top 200 for 97 consecutive weeks and becomes the year's top selling LP. He also disproves that a top ten single be restricted to 3:30 in length when monster hit Do You Feel Like We Do finishes the year as the 10th best selling and most requested single - clocking in at a whopping 13:46.

* In 1997 Shania Twain releases Come On Over successfully blending county & western and pop genres and becoming the most successful crossover performer of any genre in history, selling 34 million copies and reaching #1 on the country charts for the year and #2 on the pop charts. The LP remained in the Top 20 for 99 consecutive weeks.

Successful and popular music is all about the artist's performance. As a performer, you have to have a vision for the track and be able to make that vision a reality in the studio. A great song will work in any format and becomes timeless. You can't destroy a great composition. Dare to be different. Why not ask "Why Not?"