Below you’ll hear a track from Django by Ferro. “Oh, Miss Daphne” includes hot, versatile harmonica playing, and Mike’s gentle voice, full of spice, grace and wit, lyrically dancing over this Django Reinhart composition.

Make 1 Big Business Goal for the next year.

That’s right, indie musician, even though you wear 18 hats, choose one goal. The goal must also be doable and scale-able, but let’s start with identifying it.

No biggie.

Related reading: https://www.inc.com/damon-brown/why-you-should-double-down-on-only-one-goal.html

There is power in collaboration! We hope you enjoyed the videos.

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We do have freedom of speech, yet how do we use it? This is a separate topic worth pondering.

Some may long to be part of an elite class. However, sometimes being well heeled and in the inteligentsia isn’t all its cracked up to be and here’s an example.

I’m running sound in a listening room for a songwriter and it’s one of those peel the paint off the walls kind of songs. The whole room seemed to be cringing with each note yet staying in polite attention. Why? Because they are supposed to. It’s a civilized listening room! Give everyone your full attention and clap politely. Don’t dare demand more.

Then, I went into the kitchen to get some tea or coffee which I could do as an employee. There behold, the dishwasher was playing Cumbia music through a small boombox and the noise was joyous. The beat was infectious and he was singing along. Now he, was having a good time.

Too bad the people in the paid listening room were not.

Is your music your own? Does it help you through hard times or the daily grind? Or, is it just made to please some populus or tradition?

Cumbia represents music that truly brings us joy.

Give me Cumbia or give me death!

It seems to be getting along fine without it. The fashion, the stances, the scenes, the jeans, the sunglasses, the liquor sales, the branding, the scrolling. I mean, who needs music, anyways?

Music is a dusty concept. It belongs in some empty symphony hall. No, I don’t need music, I’ve got Instagram. Let me put my headphones on and wallow away the day to some bleeps and blops.

Dynamics are a word, right? Is it singular? Plural? I don’t even know what that means. Everything is compressed to fit into a tiny digital signal that comes through the ear piece and oh, I have to take out my ear buds, were you saying something?

No, I don’t need that. When I shop in those…stores…I hear music — it’s up in the distance, in the rafters, coming out of speakers. Mu-zac, I think it’s called. Is that what you’re referring to?

I’m purchasing brands, I am shopping, I am streaming, I am friending, I am connecting.

I’m clicking, I am scrolling, I am searching, I am googling, I am talking to inanimate objects.

My search history and my community of peeps is online, who needs music? My soul is made of plastic and wrapped in cellophane I bought on Amazon.

I heard you play guitar, violin, piano, a drum. I heard you gathered to hear each other do this thing. I heard that you had voices, spirits and minds.

Instruments are so…yesterday.

Software is so…today.

The future is…empty.

Who needs music? I do, we do.

An article on Digital Music News is where I got this little insight (it’s #83 in this article: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/07/22/music-industry-99-problems-2/).

Almost all of these problems listed in the article have to do with what musicians face in the post-Internet world, and have little or nothing to do with music itself.

Here’s a list of 50 questions musicians could be struggling with (if life is problems anyways and it’s a matter of having better problems but that’s another philosophical article and let’s stay focused). The point is, when will musicians take on the Rubik’s Cube of music itself, instead of the square peg – round hole conundrum of adapting music to a digital age?

50 Issues Musicians Could Deal with More if they wanted to:

1. What is a bridge, truly?
2. Which two notes sound best together?
3. What are 4 ways of creating rhythm on a non-rhythm instrument?
4. What are 4 ways of creating melody on a rhythm instrument?
5. What’s the best length for a song?
6. What’s a way to write lyrics backwards and why would you do that?
7. How can you write a song on just the bottom half of the piano?
8. Or the top half?
9. What’s a tune you could write on one string of a bass, cello, violin, guitar, etc. (stringed instrument)?
10. How many notes does something have to be to be considered a melody? (This isn’t a legal question).
11. What is the difference between talking and singing?
12. What makes a voice or isntrument sound fierce? Gentle?
13. What would a song sound like if it included two genres and not one?
14. Why not have chorus, verse, instead of verse-chorus?
15. How would you set a poem to music?
16. How can you turn a scribble into a piece of music?
17. If you chose a painting by Picasso or Van Gogh, or your favorite visual artist, and had to write a song that corresponded with it, what would the colors sound like?
18. How would you start freestyling lyrically about what you are looking at right now?
19. How can you write a verse of lyrics based on a photograph?
20. What are three chords that sound the best together, why?
21. How can you jump between notes in different ways?
22. How can you glide between notes in different ways?
23. How can you make a drum beat on a chair?
24. Which one of your friends would you most like to write a song with? Which one would you least like to write with? Choose the latter and get cracking. Why did you think it would be hard? Co-write a song with a non-songwriter. Ask them to help you with a song. I guarantee they will love giving their input.
25. How can you combine a song style from another era into your writing?
26. How can you make a melody in monotone?
27. How can a musical theme be adapted until it no longer resembles what it started as?
28. If you were going to play or write something that was all about groove, what would it sound like?
29. Listen for 5 minutes to your environment. Now listen to music for 5 minutes. What’s the difference?
30. What’s a random sound that you’d like to hear in a song or recording?
31. What makes music classical? Can classical music be played on an electric guitar?
32. How can electricity be more invovled in your next song or performance?
33. How can electricity be less involved in your next song or performance?
34. How can you use random numbers to make a composition?
35. How can you use a newpaper article to make a composition?
36. Should an album show a mix of songs or evoke a singular mood?
37. What’s the benefit of learning cover songs / or trying to?
38. What’s the benefit of writing an original tune / or trying to?
39. If someone from another country asked you to describe the music you listen to, how would you explain it?
40. Imagine the music of another country. How can you translate the style?
41. How can you collaborate with musicians of other genres and styles and scenes and ages?
42. How can you make an instrument out of plastic or glass bottles?
43. How can you write a song based on whistling?
44. If you had to make a melody to represent the Grand Canyon, what would it sound like?
45. If you had to make a melody represent machines clashing what would it sound like?
46. What is the purpose of harmony?
47. How many instruments does it take to make a song sound complete?
48. What’s the most number of instruments you could imagine playing with, or writing for?
49. What’s the simplest bare bones type of song you can imagine?
50. What is the most complex, rich, tapestry of sounds you can imagine?

Ok so that’s not 99 but you get the idea.

Until we as musicians take charge of the innovation within our industry, by out-creating ourselves with ideas, innovations and curiousities we will continue to be chasing our tails, checking our social media numbers, streams, and more while wondering how to truly make revenue…I challenge any musician reading to ponder this. And to think of ways to innovate so that technology is trying to keep up with us. Artsits and musicians are the eyes and ears of humanity. We also need to be the heartbeat and the forward-moving feet.

In the 2000s, blogging become more mainstream, and by the time this blog started (it actually started at www.onaxismusic.blogspot.com and still lives there) it was 2010 and the blogging revolution was already underway. Companies started seeing the value of these blogs as an instant way to get street cred; personal testimonials from people, directly talking to other people, about their brand. Thus content marketing was born. This means instead of a billboard interrupting you to say “buy Brand XYZ!” you see an article about how Brand XYZ changed someone’s tire on a dark country road. Then, brand interest, awareness, a new kind of loyalty was born.

Even today, brands are encouraged to think of their online image – which is a series of pictures, posts, videos, feelings, sentiments, etc. all wrapped up in everything you see online about a brand. It gets rather overwhelming to think of all the instances of a brand and how it can affect people. This is why branding people have jobs. Blogs have become one part of the online stratosphere, along with social media, profiles, websites, articles, etc. Imagine for a moment how different it is for Company ABC, who used to only have visibility in the Yellow Pages, perhaps a brochure, signage, a print ad, word of mouth, or articles carefully sculpted in PR releases. Now, every time someone makes a video using their product and uploads it to YouTube, or tweets about it, etc. all that info is out there online. From 1999 to 2019 obviously it’s a different world.

When blogs started, those 23 blogs in 1999 I bet were more personal rather than corporate. One of the first blogging platforms was called “Open Diary” obviously referring to a highly personal account of one’s life. These personal online diaries were featured in an article which said, “demographics of the site as 75% female, with more than half of all diarists being 21 years old or younger.” [source]

This makes me wonder if blogging isn’t a personal catharsis of sorts, perhaps only meant for the young. Or perhaps for the young in spirit?

In 1999, the Internet was bold and loose, you had no idea who was reading what. There weren’t a million online profiles and Google searches. Just the blogger, and the journal. It just happened to be on a screen.

Those days of quiet contemplation are missing in communication online today.

In an effort to capture a truly personal expression, for yourself, if you blog or journal (on paper or digitally), consider blogging like it’s 1999.

Cover image is a piece of art at a location in Chicago / subject to copyright

Rapper Jason Ferg weaves together soulful influences from Chicago with his new, elevating album Woke + Righteous. Here’s the interview with Chicago Music Guide:

The Woke + Righteous album starts with an intro like you’d hear while settling in on an aircraft. What led to the airplane theme? What is the metaphor for?

As a music lover, I personally regard airline travel as the perfect time to dig into a new album. While putting the finishing touches on the Woke + Righteous project, I wanted to create a listening experience that offered the same level of concentration and focus that I have while seated on an airplane wearing my favorite set of headphones. In addition, the airplane theme is metaphoric for elevation.

The topics I address on this album invite us all to think higher thoughts, receive and freely express love on a higher level, and navigate life with a more expansive vantage point that what is simply offered on the ground level.

I want to offer a huge shout out to my good friend, Kimberly Saulsberry (who happens to be a real-life flight attendant) for so wonderfully recording the flight attendant snippets and helping make my vision a reality.

What promotional activities or shows have you done surrounding the album?

We recently celebrated the album’s release with a live performance at Tha Juice Joint, an epic and increasingly-popular jam session hosted every Monday night in Hollywood. I am now seeking booking opportunities for live performances as well as public speaking. Through Woke + Righteous, I want to spark and help facilitate meaningful dialogue surrounding the various themes covered on the album.

What do you want the effect of the album Woke + Righteous to be? How is it more than just an album?

Woke + Righteous is certainly more than just an album. It chronicles aspects of my personal journey as I faced our nation’s tumultuous socio-political climate over the past few years. I dealt with fear and anger as I watched the resurfacing of an element of white supremacy that is reminiscent of our nation’s sinful and bloody past. Then, I dealt with a deep sense of disappointment and shame for not being able to maintain control and for being so upset and consumed by what I saw in the news day after day. My wokeness was lacking balance and was getting the best of me. I began to meditate and write about the things I know to be true regardless of what is going on in the world around me. I found balance as I coupled my wokeness with righteousness, which I consider to be my oneness with God. The fear and anger dissipated. I didn’t turn a blind eye. I remained passionate about social justice issues, but I realized that my greater purpose is to always operate from a heart posture of love, just like Jesus Christ.

This album is about finding balance by clinging-on to what is true and rising above the surface-level concerns of this world in order to fulfill our higher purpose and call.

How does music tie in with your ministry, beliefs and spreading the word?

I am a follower and student of Jesus Christ who happens to rap. I do not, however, classify myself as a “Christian Rapper” in the Music Industry’s sense of the term. I am an artist. I am also a whole person, a husband, a father, a former student athlete who grew up on Chicago’s Westside and so much more. The music I create provides a forum for me to share my many truths in an authentic way. My spiritual beliefs are very real to me. They are not tucked away in a cute religious box that I access on Sunday mornings or when the going gets tough. My faith permeates all aspects of my existence and my aim is to make room for that to be reflected through my music.

How did coming up musically in Chicago influence your approach?

Chicago is one of the most musically soulful places on the planet.

The training and experience I received while coming up were mainly about how to feel music and, further, how to make your musical expression heartfelt. Whether singing in the church choir or performing spoken-word poetry at an open mic, the people expect you to give it straight from the heart. Proudly, that still influences my approach today. Stated simply, if I don’t believe it, if it isn’t true to my experience, I don’t sing/rap about it.

How do you balance music, work and life?

Utilizing my academic training and other gifts to have a positive impact in my community and to provide for my family are non-negotiables. My music wouldn’t be worth crap if I neglected those. True to the values instilled in me, I put in the time and effort required to stay on top of my core responsibilities. While it can be tough to maintain balance between music, work, and life, I consider it to be an absolute necessity for my wellbeing. Music gives me life and, thankfully, my wife and children generously honor that. I can recall many occasions when I came home after a rough day at work and my wife comforted me with “Why don’t you get out and enjoy some live music tonight?” I also recognize the value of being a focused and deliberate musician. I plan ahead and establish healthy boundaries to ensure that I am being a good steward of my time. I sometimes dip out of the jam session a little early when I know I have to get my kids off to school and facilitate a big meeting at work the next morning. Yes, there are plenty of times when I would love to just create, teach, and perform music on a full-time basis but, until that time comes, you can find me right here, striking this balance.

Two Bluesmen, Two Shows: “Dos Hombres” Stop in Wisconsin June 1 & 2 While Touring World with Award-Winning Album Dos Hombres Wanted CD Release Shows in Madison & Milwaukee

May 6, 2019 – Johnny Burgin and Quique Gomez, two internationally acclaimed bluesmen, are performing in June in Wisconsin as part of the world tour to support Dos Hombres Wanted. This new blues album has charted #9 in Roots Music Report Blues Chart and #13 in Living Blues Radio Chart. The CD Release Party shows are June 1, 2019 in Madison, WI and June 2, 2019 in Milwaukee, WI. Following these Wisconsin shows, the duo will head to Europe for Festival de Americana Music (Madrid, Spain) in June; BluesCazorla (Cazorla, Spain) in July; and The Swing Blues Festival in Belgium in August.

“Pure entertainment that really delivers…this is blues for good times by a pair of daddies that love their work. Delightfully hot stuff.” – Midwest Record Review, Chris Spector

“Rockin’ Johnny has consistently been a strong recording artist, but the addition of Gomez’s talents for Dos Hombres Wanted takes this one to another level.”

– Bill Michell, Bluesbytes

Johnny Burgin earns his name as ‘The Worldwide West Side Guitar Man’ by performing up to 250 shows a year in Europe, Japan and coast to coast in the US. Johnny started his career in the rough and tumble neighborhood blues joints on Chicago’s West Side with Howlin’ Wolf disciple Tail Dragger, and went on to tour with blues legends such as Pinetop Perkins, Sam Lay and Billy Boy Arnold. He’s been praised by the Cascade Blues Association for his “stunning guitar playing—the pure Chicago styled sound”, and his fans love Johnny’s take on the intense, stripped-down “West Side sound” of Otis Rush, Magic Sam and Buddy Guy. Johnny is a Delmark and Vizztone recording artist with 8 CDs to his credit. He was nominated for a BMA for Best Traditional Blues CD of 2017 for Howlin’ at Greaseland, a Howlin’ Wolf tribute. http://www.johnnyburgin.com/

Quique Gomez has toured all over Europe, The Midwest and California as a blues singer and harmonicist. He has performed with many of the last generation of traditional Chicago blues artists such as John Primer, Eddie C Campbell, Bob Stroger, Jimmy Burns and Taildragger. He also sings Frank Sinatra song with the Bob Sands Big Band in his hometown of Madrid. He also had a Spanish radio hit with his swing-influenced band, Los Gatos Bizcos. His eclectic and jazzy approach combine with his bedrock in Chicago blues for a unique sound. His best quality is his engaging showmanship, walking the crowd and filling the club with his voice without a microphone like the great Kansas City swinging blues singers.

Press Kits:

Dos Hombres Wanted album:http://bit.ly/doshombresEPK

Johnny Burgin:https://rockinjohnnyburgin.com/presspromo/

Photos:

Contact: Rjohnnyband@gmail.com

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