The LyPhyS Music Blog

Howdy! Today I’m going to marry two of my passions to give my music friends some insight that (hopefully) doesn’t feel patronizing. I do graphics and UX projects as both my job and as a hobby. I sometimes take freelance projects for musicians varying from flyer design, album art, CD layouts (for print), and media elements to incorporate photos. I love this type of work. I’m also a musician with multiple released media / album projects. And as a musician that does her own artwork, I’ve realized that there are things I instinctively and by trade know that many of my clients do not. These are tips for potential clients (or any musician working with a designer) so they can maximize their experience with a visual artist: 1. LOTS of options! And for this I mean photos. Give me everything from that shoot. Tell me your favorites for sure and tell me which you don’t want and why. I can retouch photos, change lighting, warp, and fix lens issues so don’t be afraid to hand over photos you are if...

Creating music is costly on its own. From instruments to marketing, if you’re actively trying to reach potential fans, you are aware or quickly becoming aware of the costs. For purposes of this post, I’m not going to talk about fame-seeking vs sustaining career. Nor am I here today to entertain the argument that creation is free or even an expensive hobby. The intent of this post is to give artists starting into the space an understanding of the hidden costs of maintaining a credible online presence. And FYI, I am not being paid or otherwise compensated by any site cited below. The good news:  You can maintain a very basic internet presence with little to no cost. Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, YouTube, a (very) limited amount of SoundCloud presence, and Bandcamp are free to use to reach potential fans and provide them a means to listen to or buy your music. And yes, you should make use of these where you can. I highly recommend using Bandcamp, where there are no up-front cost...

More releases or fewer... I can never decide.  Certainly keep them coming, but how often?  This is a thinking-aloud piece if you haven't figured that out. Some people are constantly creating (I being one of them) and enjoy doing quick improvisations or creating on the fly. However, not every piece I create gets posted or published or monetized. Then there are other artists I know that release something every time I turn around. Some of them release amazing things routinely, but with others I do hear a lack of quality. I’m certainly not arguing that one way is right or wrong. Frequent releases work well for some genres and very talented improvisational players. For others it may not be the best method. I'm going to hit the pros and cons of releasing multiple works and I heartily encourage comments and discussion. Pro:  Publishing pieces as you make them keeps the world abreast of your latest endeavors. Your fans hear what was just in your head. This makes for an intimate...

So you go to distribute your music or post to a new platform and there it is: the genre drop down pick list. (Insert dramatic organ music here.) You have to choose a genre or two or three (maybe even a sub-genre). Ack! "But I don't fit any of these!!!" you might be thinking. Or perhaps you are offended that you should even have to choose. Why should you give anyone any expectation as to what they are getting into? Why should you pigeonhole yourself for the sake of search functions? You're original right? You're you! Here's the thing: if you think you want to distribute your music across streaming platforms, catch the eye (and ear) of bigger bloggers and reviewers, or are hoping for radio play in the future, you need to categorize your sound. Getting people to listen often means giving them a reason to click that play button. Would you buy a box of snacks with an odd name, no ingredients, and no indication of type of snack? Are they corn chips or peanut butter...

It can range from “writers block” on a specific project to a general funk / slow down to a total creative burn out. And no matter how energized you may be one day, there will come a time where you feel it, whether it’s on a project or overall. Don’t panic! I’ve been there. Often after I’ve run myself ragged or I get stuck in a boring routine otherwise. Here are, in no particular order, some of the ways I deal with that inevitable creative rut. Switch gears: By this I mean work on a different project. For me, I can work on another song or start a collaboration. This is most useful, of course, when a particular project is giving me grief. That song may just need more time or a different frame of mind and will be all the better for what you learn while working on a different song. Pick up a brush! Or a pencil, a crochet hook, some clay, a camera, etc. Many musicians have other artistic talents and hobbies that keep their creative wheels greased. And sometimes I have to remind myself t...

This is a post about stretching your ears and mind to accept and enjoy more types of music. Music is forever changing from musicians learning about and fusing other genres, with new technologies in instruments and recording, and the experimental nature of many artists. That being said, I have had far too many conversations where a person tells me they just don’t enjoy anything “too different.” Too different from what? A little prodding reveals they mean different from the standard offerings. Music didn’t come into being as rock, pop, country, blues, jazz, etc. It evolved into those genres and multiple variations of each over time. So what’s too different? And if you are reading this and wonder how you are supposed to find that new and changing music before it is so ingrained as to be on the radio, this is for you. First, go out and look for it. Internet radio and interactive streaming were my windows to the world in college. I found sites (similar to Jango) where I would type in an a...