You can help & share the love
Music doesn't do too well in a vacuum. It thrives on that crazy good stuff that passes back and forth between an artist and music lovers. Hallelujah for the love.
Music isn't a huge profit center for the vast majority of artists, either. It might best be summed up by this quip: "There are hundreds of dollars to be made in music."
But when the simple songwriter (me) can find ways to connect with brilliant, beautiful, intelligent music loving men and women (you), all problems get solved. So if you're a fan, please consider sharing the love at whatever level of love makes you happy--and I'll meet you there. Here's what I mean:
The Casual Crush:
Oh yes, there've been glances across a crowded room, the vibe is good, but you want Zero Strings Attached, right? I can absolutely hang with that! Let's follow each other on Facebook or Twitter and just see where it goes. Or sign up for the no-spam email list for occasional news and gig announcements. (Both options are right there in the right hand column.) Or drop a comment just to say hi. All of it -- no strings attached!
The Tell-Your-Friends Crush:
You think your friends might be interested in what interests you? Then download the current free song and share it with 10 of your friends. Or post that song to your Facebook page, Twitter, or your blog. Then drop me a note to let me know so I can thank you!
The First Date:
If it's time for that first face-to-face, come out to a show or two or ten! It's easier if you live in Austin, but check the calendar to see if I might be coming to your part of the world any time soon (or just jump down two levels to the "It's Time To Tell My Friends Stage").
And if it doesn't look as though we'll be seeing each other any time soon, please consider contributing a one-time $5-$10 "virtual cover charge" to the virtual Karmic Tip Jar to help support the work. (Yes, the Karmic Tip Jar looks a lot like a PayPal link, doesn't it? Sometimes Karma comes in odd packages. And, full disclosure: a karmic tip, while incredibly appreciated and meaningful, is not tax deductible!)
The Early Courtship:
You ready for some whispering in your ear? Buy a CD -- or all of them -- and drop them into your iPod. Even better, put those earbuds into your actual partner's ears. I recommend "Yes (p.m. version)" from Breathe to achieve the desired effect of the early courtship.
The "It's Time to Meet the Family" Stage:
(And by family, I really mean friends, because friends are our families of choice, aren't' they?) It might feel like a major step, I know, but I'll come to them! Seriously, your friends won't be disappointed if you host a house concert and let me play for you and them at your very own show. It's fun, it's easy, and it's memorable. It's fun, it's easy, and it's memorable. Click here to learn how easy it is.
The Committed Relationship:
If you value the work and want to hear/see more of it well into the future, I would deeply value your considered commitment of nominal, ongoing support. Through Patronism.com, fans become partners in the success of their favorite artists by pledging a pay-what-you-feel amount of money on a monthly basis. It's microfinancing for musicians, and even small amounts make a difference.
A monthly commitment of only a few dollars a month through Patronism gets you free unlimited access to all publicly released music, as well as content only available to patrons: out-of-print CD downloads, unreleased demos, videos, pithy blog posts and more.
Patronism turns fans into partners and makes it possible for artists like me to keep doing the work:
- * $2/month keeps me in guitar picks
- * $5/month covers annual printing costs for gig posters, flyers, cards
- * $10/month takes care of guitar strings
- * $15/month pays for enough gas to get me to 1,500 miles worth of gigs
- * $20/month keeps this website alive from month to month
Please visit my page at Patronism and learn more about the most powerful way out there to show the love.
