Iokua Promotions

Through my courses in school I found out about the site BandMix.com. It is a great way for artists to find band members, musicians to find bands to play with, and other music industry resources. It is the largest and highest rated musicians classifieds on the internet.

What's so good?

The one thing that stands out the most is the detailed search options. Of course there is the normal criteria for searches such as state/zip code, but you can refine your search much more. You are able to narrow down the search to the specific instrument. For example, if you play a certain instrument, you can find a band that is looking for someone who plays it. Same goes if you are band, you can search for people who play the instrument you are looking for. Also, you can narrow it down by the genre, which is very helpful when searching for musicians because everyone plays different genres. Not only can you search for bands/musicians but you can search for other people in the industry that you might need. Such as photographers, songwriters, managers, lighting experts, and much more.

Another great thing about BandMix are the articles that can help any artist. Such as articles about writing up a press release and other tips for things like promotion, finding the right studio, and how to watch out for scams.

If you are an individual musician, or a band, this site is one of the best ways for you to get connected with other musicians and industry professionals. If you need more to convince you to use the site, just check out the testimonials.


Thanks for reading! Please be a fan of the Iokua Promos Facebook Page and follow on Twitter. Thank you!

For the past week or so I have been listening to Kaitlyn Rosenblum's music non-stop and have constantly been sharing her videos, so it only seemed appropriate that I do my first featured artist post about her.

I found out about Kaitlyn Rosenblum through Tyler Ward's USA Live Lounge contest, in which she was the winner. After beating out many other talented YouTube artists, Kaitlyn proved that she has the talent to win. What did she win? She was able to fly to Colorado and perform two covers with fellow YouTube artist Tyler Ward (He will be my next featured artist). The two covers that they did were "Empire State of Mind" (Alicia Keys) and "Jar of Hearts" (Christina Perry). I bought both of these covers on ITunes and it was worth every penny. Kaitlyn has a smooth, beautiful voice, and has amazing control. The video for the "Jar of Hearts" cover was just released today, and the first word that comes to mind is beautiful. She sings with so much passion and I can feel every word that she sings. Her voice just pulls you in wanting more. The video for it helps even more to feel connected to her singing. I have a lot of respect for her because it is not easy to pull in the audience through songs that aren't your own, but Kaitlyn makes each song her own which is amazing. Here is the video for "Jar of Hearts":




It was Kaitlyn's cover of Katy Perry's "Firework" that really got my attention. To tell you the truth, I didn't listen to Katy Perry's version until after I heard Kaitlyn's cover. Kaitlyn's cover of "Firework" is far better than Katy Perry's. I hate comparing cover songs to the originals because often they are both different but great in their own way. But I think if Kaitlyn's cover was put to Katy Perry's music video for "Firework", then the message would get across even better. There is something unique and magnificent about Kaitlyn's voice. It is soothing and pure. I felt every word she sang, but once she hit the chorus I was almost in tears, it was so powerful. I can honestly say that this was one of the most beautiful covers of any song that I have ever heard. Listen to the cover:




I look forward to hearing more from Kaitlyn and I hope her the best in her singing career, I know her voice will take her very far. Please subscribe to her YouTube and don't forget to buy her music on ITunes!

http://www.youtube.com/user/KaitlynAnnnn

I have been aware of Kickstarter for a while now, but it was recently brought to my attention again through my Talent Management class. Kickstarter is one of the best ways for artists to get funding for their projects.

How it works

You can start a Kickstarter project to fund just about anything for you as an artist. Such as, a debut album. You set a goal amount that you feel is how much you need for funding. Your fans are your funding. They are called "backers" and you can set amounts with prizes as incentives. For example, for donating $10, the backer will get a digital copy of your album when it comes out. Theses incentives can be whatever you want and can range at any price.

Tips for starting a project

• Start a project: It can be anything you want, as long as it is reasonable and pertains to you as an artist. For example, musicians usually have a project for their debut/next album or even funding for touring.
• Setting a time frame: Usually the time is for 30 days. It can go as long as 90 days, but since todays culture is on impulse, people do things right at the moment. So extending your project for longer does not mean you will make more money.
• Setting your goal amount: Do your research. Research the costs to fund your project. It does not have to be exact, but your best estimate. Do not just throw any number out there. Keep in mind that Kickstarter does take a small percentage of your goal amount.
• Backer incentives: Get creative. Of course you want to include general things such as, a copy of the album. But you will get higher backers if you create an incentive that allows the fans to better connect with you as an artist.

This all sounds great, so whats the catch?

The only con about Kickstarter is that you have to meet the goal amount you set within the time period, or you don't get any of it. It is all or nothing.  Of course if you go over your goal amount, you get all of it, but if you go under, you don't get a penny. Don't worry, anyone who did back you doesn't pay a thing unless the project is successful and reaches its goal. Kickstarter does this because if you know your project is a $5,000 project but you only get $2,000, you fans that did back you wouldn't really want anything less than a $5,000 project.

An example project that has done well is AJ Rafael's First Full-Length Album

Kickstarter is a great opportunity for funding for new artists and can really help new starving artists, but be smart when putting the project together. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Kickstarter, as I have used it previously.

***Post transferred from Tumblr blog

 
Normally I choose what I write about but this time Rachel Wong asked me to write a review of her album Curtain Fall and I am happy to do it.

When I first listened to Curtain Fall, I could imagine just relaxing around a campfire listening to the songs, and maybe even people singing along. All the songs have that catchy acoustic theme that everyone loves. There is no doubt that you will relate to just about every one of the songs just because they are about everyday life experiences. Rachel draws influences from artists John Mayer, Sara Bareilles, and others like them. You can definitely hear that when you listen to this album. If I was to pick a favorite song I would say it would be “Disease”. It is about how love is a welcomed disease and it is an interesting way to look at love. Back in Bellevue, WA I heard Rachel perform this song live and it is great to hear it again.

Rachel Wong is a very talented singer/songwriter. I look forward to hearing more music from her. Anyone reading this review should go and buy her album NOW!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/curtain-fall/id403804523