From Producer Greg Hansen to Fellow Musicians

Fellow Musicians,

After my 30 years in the music business, we FINALLY have something that is EXACTLY what songwriters and singers need, to be heard and get opportunities.

YourLDSneighborhood.com has sponsored an idea fostered in the FCMA (Faith Centered Music Association) by Jeannine Lasky and Staci Peters, -it’s called the Neighborhood Jukebox. It’s just that-a free online jukebox player. (http://www.theneighborhoodjukebox.com.)

Singers and songwriters can upload demos and songs, and get them heard by producers and voted on by the public. Established artists can get more exposure for their albums. By encouraging your family and friends to go listen to your songs on the Jukebox, everyone benefits from the traffic. It’s free to listen and vote. It’s the go-to place for producers to find new songs and singers for upcoming albums. It even links to your site or your album for purchase. The Jukebox is heavily advertised on BYUTV, billboards and radio.

To contribute songs to the Jukebox, you must be a member of the yourLDSneighborhood Music Directory-the yellow pages of LDS musicians. A $75 a year fee gives you the benefits of basic advertising, as well as making it possible to upload your songs to the Jukebox for $5 a tune.

Professionals such as Jason Deere, Jon Schmidt, Jessie Clark Funk, Michael Dowdle, Alex Boye, Dallyn Vail Bayles, Dan Beck, Sam Payne and Steven Kapp Perry have all joined the Jukebox and Directory. After only two months of operation, two new people are already negotiating record deals as a result of being on the Jukebox.

But it gets better! At the end of the year, the songs and singers with the highest views and votes will be considered by a committee of professionals, to have their songs produced at no cost to them on the Best of the Neighborhood Cd.

This is such a no-brainer great deal for every musician, I have gotten completely behind it. It's a total, everybody-wins, and everyone-can-be-included thing with no downside.

Please go to the Jukebox and sign up. You can push the Contribute to the Jukebox button to pay your $75 fee and upload your songs. Instructions are on the Help button.

If you want to just listen, push the category button, then the song button, and listen. To vote and comment on songs, follow the directions given on the Join the Jukebox button.

If this all just sounds too hard, simply email me and I'll get you signed up and all set.

Remember: the greatest song ever written does no good without an audience.

Sincerely,
Greg Hansen

Performing Opportunities Abound for Musicians

by Greg Hansen, Visiting Blogger
yourLDSNeighborhood -- Music Block // Jukebox

Many singers and musicians wonder how to get opportunities to perform, but a little effort and research will turn up more possibilities than ever before.

As an example, a simple look at PositiveMusicandArts.com magazine reveals a host of events, contests, classes, venues and locations with chances to perfom for those with a good act or presentation.

The In the News column of the magazine lists five recent music and dance contests that had open auditions, resulting in national exposure or cash prizes, and those who won them.

Check your local paper: for example, The Utah Valley Event Calendar has four pages of activities going on, many that include open audition performances, and even some paying gigs.

There have been four open calls for songs in the last two months found on PositiveMusicandArts. Last week, a BYU student won $1000 for his song about the march of the Mormon Battalion.

By using a little initiative, musicians will realize that every city has their festival week and needs performers, there are artists who sing but don’t write songs themselves, and there are more performing contests than ever before, due to the spread of reality tv.

Look for city festivals, fund-raising dinners for charity, and the educational performances, dance concerts, non-profit venues and arts festivals in your area. Just by entering, and having a good presentation, you can get as many gigs as you want.

Summer events, winterfests, Christmas events, and holidays all provide occasions needing entertainment.

Those who are willing to do a little homework can go as far as their talent will take them.



Join the Neighborhood Newsletter . . . Subscriptions are free and joining is easy. Just by signing up and maintaining your subscription to receive the yourLDSneighborhood.com newsletter, you become eligible for our "Thank You" prizes. Our dozens of giveaways range from a trip for two to China, to iPods® (each with a $50 gift certificate for LDS music), cruises, and more.

Learn about our amazing monthly, quarterly, and annual giveaways by clicking here.

Return to the Neighborhood.

Lindy Kerby—One of God’s Great Instruments

Have you ever been so thrilled by the unexpected that it puts you to tears? I recently was by my good friend Lindy Kerby. I’ve known Lindy for several years as she was one of the foursome, along with myself, who performed together as the “Perfect Mother’s Society”. I thought I knew Lindy’s music and style better than just about anyone, but at BYU Women’s Conference, held the end of May…Lindy totally blew me away!

Sitting in the DeJong Concert Hall at BYU I probably bragged just a little too much to the sisters sitting next to me about my good friend Lindy’s amazing musical talents. She was performing at the end of the “Women of God” workshop we were attending. I can’t describe what a thrill ran through me as I saw and heard Lindy perform her original duet “I’ll Stay with You” with the fabulous actress/singer Jessica Perry. I was overcome with the spirit during their incredible vocal performance as they acted out the parts of Naomi and Rachel from the Old Testament. It felt like we were watching the climactic scene of a Broadway theatre piece. Everyone was brought to tears and when it was all over I turned to the gal next to me, as we were wiping our eyes, and said “Didn’t I tell you she was good?”

The song “I’ll Stay with You” can be found on Lindy’s newest CD “Thy God, My God”. While this album only contains three of Lindy’s original songs it also includes the background tracks to all three allowing you to sing along if you want and perform them yourself. Plus it includes one of Lindy’s beautiful original piano medleys as a bonus track. Lindy has used three wonderful vocalists, besides herself, on this album…Jessica Perry, Angel Howlett, and Rebecca Lopez. You can go to The Neighborhood Jukebox at http://www.yourldsneighborhood.com/ and listen to a full length recording of “Living Water” sung by the gorgeous vocals of Rebecca Lopez.

I know how many years this has been in the making for Lindy and I’m so happy to see her dream finally start coming to fruition with the release of her first album of her original songs. Her first album, of just her beautiful piano medleys is called “Little Miracles” and can be found at http://www.kerbymusic.org.

So do yourself a favor and check out Lindy Kerby’s music and see why she is an inspiration in my life and will be in yours!