buzz personify: survival guide for bands
DESCRIPTION
Buzz provides unique guidance and best practices across every style of music, based on years of research. The backbone of Buzz’s message of Persona, Planning, Promoting, Plugging-in, and Playing, relates to any person or group attempting to build an audience.TRANSCRIPT
2a survival guide for bands
PERSONIFY It IS Ok tO FEaR thE maN. hOwEvER YOu ShOuld NOt FEaR SOmE OF thE wORdS “thE maN” uSES. ultImatElY YOu havE twO OPtIONS wIth YOuR muSIc. makE It a hObbY, OR makE It cOmmERcIal.
GRAPHIC LEGEND
iiBAND LINK WEBSITE LINK COMMUNITY LINK
DADDY CRIMBOwww.myspace.com/daddycrimboband
DADDY CRIMBOwww.myspace.com/daddycrimboband
THE MATCHESwww.thematches.com
THE MATCHESwww.thematches.com
LIVE EVILwww.facebook.com/liveevilrocks
LIVE EVILwww.facebook.com/liveevilrocks
POPE OF YESwww.myspace.com/popeofyes
POPE OF YESwww.myspace.com/popeofyes
These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Heze-
kiah king of Judah: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to
search out a matter is the glory of kings. As the heavens are high
and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
Buzz brings professional design directly to new bands,
helping new musicians distinguish themselves. Buzz
distills and distributes essential wisdom gathered from
fans, bands and industry professionals.
art director STEFAN ARONSEN
assistant designer ZEN ZENITH: PLEASE DO NO FIGHT
executive editor IAN TUTTLE
field editor BRANDILEIGHA ROBIN STRACNER
collaboration OLIVIA PARIOT: WIRETAP MUSIC
collaboration MIKE G: WIRETAP MUSIC
fourth executive advisor LIAN NG
third executive advisor CAROLINA DE BART0LO
second executive advisor TROY ALDERS
first executive advisor BRAD RHODES
photo assistant AMY SCANDURRA
photo assistant STEPHANIE TRAPP
contributing writer KENDALL DIX: ATTORNEY AT LAW
contributing writer LINDSAY GARFIELD: OR, THE WHALE
contributing writer IAN STAHL: ERA ESCAPE
contributing writer AMY WILSON: CPA IN TRAINING
special thanks to MOM & DAD, BROTHER, SISTER, FAMILY,
FRIENDS, JACOB HENNESSEY-RUBIN: MORAL SUPPORT,
OLIVIA: WIRETAP MUSIC, ANTON: JUDGEMENT DAY,
GRANT: BATTLEHOOCH, ZEN: PLEASE DO NOT FIGHT,
PETER: EAROFTHEBEHOLDER, JUSTIN: PUNCHFACE,
DAMON: PARANOIDS, PEARL STARBIRD, NIANA LIU:
WATERCOLOR MAPS, CASEY KOERNER: ARTIST,
LARA DE GARIE: ARTIST
web design STEFAN ARONSEN
digital director JASON ROBINSON
web editor MICHAEL HERAUF
web video YOUTUBE.COM/SFINTERCOM
social network MYSPACE.COM/SFINTERCOM
social network FACEBOOK.COM/SFINTERCOM
president STEFAN ARONSEN
email [email protected]
phone 415.894.2302
consultant OLIVIA PARIOT
consultant MIKE G
mailing address PO BOX 423525 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94142
general info [email protected]
office number 415.894.2302
web SF-INTER.COM
BUZZ MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY
SF INTERCOM AND FEATURES
WIRETAPMUSIC.COM
The goal is to help new bands and struggling bands
become more viably successful. Buzz utilizes existing
social networks to connect with bands; this ties the book
into a rich web presence that serves as an interactive
clearinghouse. Buzz is the lifeline linking bands to their
audiences, venues, labels, and producers.
These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Heze-
art director StEfAN ARoNSEN
executive editor IAN tuttLE
web Sf-INtER.Com/buzz
• PO BOX (32)
• 1st HOw-tO (58)
• LAw PROtECts AGAINst … (70)
• EARsOFtHEBEHOLDER (94)
• tEN sURVIVAL tIPs (78)
• BUskING (50)
• 2ND HOw-tO (60)
• stOP FOOLING YOURsELF (72)
• INsIDERs sCOOP (62)
• I AM NOt tRIXIE RAsPUtIN (74)
• LAst wORDs (102)
• IPICkMYNOsE (95)
• JOURNAL REVIEw (66)
• CD DEsIGN (56)
• sF POtRERO 94107 (44)
• MYMAIL (34)opening mail
booking shows
insiders scoop
contributing writers
the scene & be seen
buzz guide
• DEADtwEEts (38)
last words
sPECIAL tHANks:
stephanie trapp, amy scandurra, olivia: wiretap music, jayson: music for animals, peter: earsofthebeholder, cory:
absolutely kosher records, petros: dizzy balloon, kimi: lilofee, laura: foxtails brigade, daemon: paranoids, vincent
lo - astro studios, jason: maus haus, grant: battlehooch, ian: era escape, shayna rader: editor
stEPHANIE “REGs” tRAPP: PHOtOGRAPHER
There’s an intimate power in small spaces. “Regs” trains her street-savvy eye on the ubiquitous and shrinks it,
making it personal. She is responsible for the Dead Tweet photos throughout Buzz Magazine. She spends her time
working on her own photography, photo assignments for SF Station, and taking in as much local indie music as
possible. Babysitting provides a positive and lively balance to her typical photographic material.
kENDALL DIX: CONtRIBUtOR
This jovial Midwesterner found his true home in San Francisco, where he once offered tickets to a sold-out concert
on Live 105 to anyone who could help him land a job. His voracious appetite for local culture and music made him
a valuable companion throughout Buzz Magazine’s development, and his law degree is still getting better with age,
ready to be tapped by a discerning employer.
JACOB HENNEssEY-RUBIN: DEsIGN sUPPORt
There’s something profound in that first friendship in a new city. Hennessey-Rubin has remained a constructive,
insightful ally to Aronsen and SF Intercom even as his personal focus has shifted from graphic to industrial de-
sign. Acting as a personal curator of over 200 blogs, Hennessy-Rubin kept Aronsen’s own finger firmly planted on
the indie music pulse.
tROY ALDERs: ADVIsOR
An art director at LucasFilms and teacher at the San Francisco Academy of Art, Alders served as a sounding board
and filter throughout SF Intercom’s development. Favoring simplicity over noise, Alders took Aronsen’s original
goal of “I want to fix the music industry” and honed it do a doable task: “I will create a survival guide.” Overf lowing
with an electric energy, Alders is good for advice on everything from hairstyles to relationships.
CONTRIBUTORS
stEFAN ARONsEN: ARt DIRECtOR & EDItoR-IN-CHIEf
Stefan grew up surrounded by a musi-
cally gifted family and he was inspired
by their passion for music. He figured
it was his calling to be a musician. At
a young age he took up drums, it went
poorly. He wasn’t fazed, he figured he
wasn’t a percussionist, he moved on
to the clarinet. He could hear every-
thing he did wrong, but nothing he did
right, clearly wind instruments weren’t
for him. He did this with 4 other in-
struments until finally he realized he
wasn’t a musician at all.
OPENING WORDS: BUZZ … Hey! It’s Ste-
fan, let me in! I’ve come to help make
bands more successful. How am I going
to that? Well … not alone! Obviously! SF
has a community of fans, bands and in-
dustry professionals with solid advice to
make you a better you. That’s right Buzz
is here to help you avoid making the
same mistakes others before you have
already made. Why should the same
mistake be made twice? IT SHOULDN’T.
ZEN ZENItH: AssIstANt DEsIGNER
Home-schooled and hugely huggable,
Zenith is lead singer of the talented in-
die band Please Do Not Fight. His eye for
clean design kept Buzz Magazine look-
ing sharp. His personal involvement
in the indie music scene kept its voice
authentic. His spirit aided SF Intercom
morale when obstacles presented. Ze-
nith splits his time equally among mak-
ing music, teaching guitar, and leading
events for fellow “unschooled” folks.
THE DONT’Swww.facebook.com/thedonts
THE DONT’Swww.facebook.com/thedonts
SUGAR AND GOLDwww.facebook.com/sugarandgold
SUGAR AND GOLDwww.facebook.com/sugarandgold
MUSIC FOR ANIMALSwww.myspace.com/musicforanimals
MUSIC FOR ANIMALSwww.myspace.com/musicforanimals
030PERSONA - STEP 5
bY EmPhaSIzINg advIcE FROm ExIStINg baNdS, SPOtlIghtINg
vENuES that catER tO INdIE muSIc, aNd buIldINg a NEtwORk
OF RESOuRcES dESIgNEd wIth thE INdIE muSIcIaN IN mINd,
buzz taRgEtS a NIchE maRkEt.
032PERSONA - STEP 5
I dON’t thINk thERE’S a gENERal aNSwER
FOR EvERYONE, thOugh thERE aRE
PRObablY SOmE cOmmONalItIES.
stOP FOOLING YOURsELFPeople see what they want to see … but
you can play with that and stretch their
reality a bit with sound and sight. Of-
ten times the 2 are one in the same and
always complimentary. The songs we
perform aren’t written nor recorded in
a day-to-day; atmosphere-it is an alter-
nate reality with strong emotional and
chemical charges. Writing music is ex-
traordinary and sometimes transcen-
dental, so clothes and external props
can help to complete the picture of this
place you were when you wrote the song.
Both mentally and physically.
JAY: Music For Animals
Go oRGANICForming a band is an organic process
and every band develops differently.
The look, feel, style, name, etc. are all
part of that. It’s the business behind
the band that can be controlled.
PETER: Earsofthebeholder.com
YOU CAN MAkE It AwEsOMEMake sure you’re acting in a way that
you want your band to be represented.
Plan out things like when and where
you’re playing and how often and when
you’ll release new material. You have
to watch yourself because others are
always watching you. The only person
who can mess everything up is the
same person who can make it all awe-
some: you.
PETRO: Dizzy Balloon
bE uNIQuEDifferentiate yourself from all the other
bands out there so that people will al-
ways remember you. A persona makes
you yourself, it is a representation of
yourself, and that makes you unique.
VINCENT LO: Astro Studios
CORY: Absolutely Kosher Records
tHE NEXt LEVELWell, when Rob and I first started mak-
ing music there wasn’t even the thought
of a band or a live show, we just wanted
to create.
However, once we had written a couple
of songs, it was obvious that we wanted
to take it to the next level.
In essence, we want to be a really con-
ceptual-media oriented band, and I’m
huge on story-telling so for us every-
thing ties in together.
Every band is different, but for us, it
was important to have a story and a
theme from the get-go——-everything
since then has been evolving from that
initial fairy-tale of Princess Lilofee.
Whatever shape a band decides to take,
I think the most important thing is to
really stand behind what you are doing.
In this day and age, you can get away
with almost anything as an artist, as
long as you back it up 100%.
KIMI: Lilofee
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PRACtICE, PRACtICE, PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE
Things pretty much never go as planned.
I guess the best advice I can give is to
just make sure whatever it is that you
create is the best it can possibly be and
is real and true. I hate when stuff is
fake except candy f lavors. Everything
else should eventually just fall into
place somehow I reckon, I mean I sure
hope. OH! Make sure you practice as
much as possible.
LAURA: Foxtails Brigade
034PERSONA - STEP 5
maus haus Concrete / Dub / Crunk
www.facebook.com/maushausmusic
Here’s my personal list of do’s and don’ts, I wouldn’t call them survival tips though.
1) Don’t depend on your friends to come to every show — unlike you, your friends have lives outside of your band (like their own band) & you shouldn’t expect them to see you any more than they’d see any other band they’d like. The whole point of you having a band is to turn people onto something they’d like based SOLELY on the music.
2) When you book shows, make every show special, and don’t play every week. If you really just love playing shows, drive to Santa Cruz, Davis, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, or any other town where they’re not constantly being bombarded by awesome music.
3) DO go out to other local shows and meet people in real life & give them a card so they remember when they’re hung-over the next day. Don’t be a walking advertisement, though, people are usually weary of shameless self-promotion—talk to people in other bands, not just the bands who are playing who have 100 other people to talk to that night. It’s important not to look desperate, but networking is helpful.
4) Networking isn’t everything! Post flyers in real life. If you’re relatively unknown, make sure the flyer looks good and maybe gives people an idea of the “vibe” of the music. Spend time on the flyer, don’t just throw together some lame clip art. It’ll immediately look like a lame show they won’t want to go to. Don’t spend money on cheesy glossy postcards: that’s total cheese.
Don’t post your flyers on other bands’ Myspace: it really doesn’t work. Bands with real fans will only be annoyed, and bands whose comments are flyer graveyards typically don’t have that many real fans. Use that time sending your music to people who write blogs about music & get some descriptive feedback. Hit up the newspapers, people still read those, and it adds credibility.
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4a) If you really love spending a lot of time on Myspace, find bands in other nearby towns that you think will like what you’re doing, and do a SHOW TRADE. If you just try to open for more-established bands, you don’t really have any bargaining power—they’ll only help you out if they’re REALLY impressed by the merits of your music, I promise. If they don’t get back to you, don’t assume they think you suck, because people are busy & don’t have time to listen to every band that friend-adds them.
5) Play art openings & house parties—you’ll find people there that would never go see a local show at a dive bar EVER (usually because they don’t have money or give a shit) but you can be the pleasant surprise. When you play free gigs, have a donation can, and always have a flyer for your next booked show. Bring a mailing list to the house party, as long as you’re playing the house party. Mailing lists DO WORK.
6) Check local sites such as The List, Wiretap Music, Sonicliving, etc. and make sure your show is listed.
7) Know what you’re going to get paid BEFORE you play the show—get a guarantee or a guaranteed percentage. Free shows are fine, especially if you’re trying to be heard, but know that you’re worth something & know that you’re giving your talent for free. If you’re playing two shows, and one you’re going to get paid, and the other you’re not, PROMOTE the paying one. (Especially if you’re headlining.)
7a) KNOW WHAT ORDER everyone’s playing in advance, at least a week before or more. Make sure everyone agrees so you’re not fighting about it once you get there. This shit happens all the time, especially at small joints like the Knockout, Edinburgh Castle, even Hemlock. It equals a lot of bad energy and some band bitching on stage to 12 people how they’re sorry to be playing at midnight on a Tuesday. BTW: No one should play at midnight on a Tuesday, and if everyone in a band in San Francisco boycotts this, it’ll just stop existing.
036PERSONA - STEP 5
8) Think nationally. Write really good songs, record them really well, get advice from friends about how to improve them (even if they’re not musicians, everyone’s a critic), make what you’re doing FRESH and interesting, and think big. You can only get so far with San Francisco, period, and if you want to eventually be known in lots of places, you need to spend time letting people know you in lots of places. I learned this one the hard way, because there’s a point in every band’s career where you’ve been in every newspaper & website, and the amount of people interested seems to plateau. It’s hard & it’s sometimes expensive, but touring bands that tour constantly are usually the ones that go the furthest, because record labels know that you’ll be selling their records door to door for them, and booking agents know that you’ll be a steady stream of work for them.
Just make sure that before you pack up the van, you really believe in what you’re doing. You might ask “am I trying to communicate something special/unique, or do would I want to listen to this if I wasn’t in this band?” if you’re not sure, get back into the space & don’t come back until you’re pleased with your MUSIC! If you really truly know in your heart that it’s good, then there WILL be an audience—it just takes tons of thankless work, e-mailing, and unpaid hours to get it to them. But don’t forget, this is your dream!
(Jason Kick, member of Maus Haus & The Lovely Public)
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tylerhagenME LOOKS LIKE THE CAPS LOCK IS ON.1 day ago from web
brokeassstuart Things I hate: when people wear shirts of bands they don’t actually care about. Irony should have limits dammit!!!1 day ago from web
brokeassstuart Truthfully, with all the potential for being stepped on, blue suede shoes just don’t seem worth the aggravation1 day ago from web
Benangel Business Tip: Manage ur emotions. How often do u see pro’s lose it. Ok, except maybe elton John. Now there’s a queen!1 day ago from web
anthonyrstevens protip: when crafting a press release, don’t proclaim yourself as a thought leader in a paragraph containing two grammer errors.1 day ago from web
newandused @sfintercom As The Passionistas told me, Google-ability is very important with your band name.1 day ago from web
CareersSTL Quick Tip: Change your email to something more professional, and get any music off your voicemail. Just until you find your new job.1 day ago from web
sirjohncard Pro tip: If you are going to be speaking on a call with hundreds of listeners, you MIGHT want to prepare beforehand. Just sayin’.1 day ago from web
whoissyntax Tax tip 28 - People don’t need superman vision to see through bullshit.1 day ago from web
TIP: Most bands don’t need a website. Buy your domain name and forward that address to Myspace, Facebook, Youtube or Twitterless than 5 seconds ago from web
sfintercom
Photo by Stephanie Trapp: www.StephanieTrapp.comii
MAUS HAUSwww.facebook.com/maushausmusic
MAUS HAUSwww.facebook.com/maushausmusic
SCENE OF ACTIONwww.facebook.com/sceneofaction
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SCENE OF ACTIONwww.facebook.com/sceneofaction
bOOkINg ShOwS thE haRdESt PaRt 0F bOOkINg ShOwS IS kNOwINg whERE tO bOOk ShOwS. attachEd aRE a cOuPlE gOOd vENuES IN: POtRERO
044PERSONA - STEP 5
if you go To The ToP of PoTReRo on a cleaR day, you can See all of The miSSion, and PaRTS of downTown.
REtOX LOUNGE
Way out in the dogpatch boonies you’ll
come across this 1970’s plane crash with
relief and delight. Upstairs is a typical
bar. The downstairs is a legit airplane
cabin. Retox is the perfect venue for a
basement house party … only in some-
one else’s basement … which happens
to have airplane portal windows.
www.retoxsf.com
628 20th St
San francisco, ca 94107
cross street: 3rd St
district: Potrero hill
Tel: 415.626.7386
bottom of tHE HILL
Time-tested and top talent approved,
Bottom of the Hill’s insides look like a
rooftop mid-earthquake. This is a per-
fect venue for medium-sized indie bands
but advertising is key as it will feel emp-
ty if only 20 people show up. An elevated
stage, smoking patio, great bar, and tasty
kitchen round out a solid spot.
www.bottomofthehill.com
1233 17th Street
San francisco, ca 94107
cross street: missouri
district: Potrero hill
Tel: 415.621.4455
MIGHtY
If you’re sure your band can bring in 300+
and you want to blow somebody’s roof
off, book Mighty. The venue hosts many
DJ, Noise Pop, and other high-volume
shows out in its isolated Potrero locale.
www.mighty119.com
119 utah Street
San francisco, ca 94103
cross street: 15th Street
district: Potrero hill
Tel: 415.626.001
bOOkINg ShOwS: SF POtRERO 94107
Bar reviews made possible by ian Tuttle: www.sf-inter.com/category/venuesii
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046PERSONA - STEP 5
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CONNECtICUt YANkEE
The Yankee doesn’t usually host shows,
known more for serving amazing soup
and playing all the major games on TV,
but if Fritz takes an interest in your
project he’ll make an exception. Highly
recommended for bands that can put
down a security deposit and draw 50-
100 fans. (And if you can’t muster up
those sorts of troops, Fritz will be the
first to tell you to go back to playing
your friends basements).
www.theyankee.com 100 connecticut St. San francisco, ca 94107 cross street: 17th Street district: Potrero hill
Tel: 415.552.4440
tHEE PARksIDE
Thee Parkside screams indie rock
from its swinging bar doors down to
its grungy bathroom. The bar is dark
and serves drinks for countless indie
shows, including Wiretap’s feature
events. How can you not agree with its
self-proclamation as “San Francisco’s
Premier Dive Venue.”
www.theeparkside.com 1600 17th Street San francisco, ca 94107 cross street: wisconsin district: Potrero hill
Tel: 415.252.1330
tHE VERDI CLUB
A quirky cross between a boyscout hall
and a bingo swing-dance room, the Ver-
di Club mostly hosts Big Band events. A
nice, separate bar, and elevated stage,
though, ensure an amazing concert ex-
perience if you have a jazz band or a
solid vision of how to take advantage
of the space.
www.posthoc.com/verdiclub.htm 2424 mariposa San francisco, ca 94110 cross street: Potrero avenue district: Potrero hill
Tel: 415.905.5712
bOOkINg ShOwS: SF POtRERO 94107
Bar reviews made possible by ian Tuttle: www.sf-inter.com/category/venuesii
050PERSONA - STEP 5
bOOkINg ShOwS: SF POtRERO 94107
There is no secrecy as to what can be determined as “our
success”. We just play our asses off, walk our own path, do
the groundwork, and generally kind of just work it out.
ABOUT US:
1. we started playing cause we love to play
2. the only step to success is to do it to it
3. no regrets
4. greatest success is baring my soul unquestioningly
(if that is a word)
D: The Ferocious Few
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They didn’T call in advance, TickeTS weRen’T Sold and noBody knew They weRe coming. howeveR, Today on The STReeTS of Sf BaTTlehooch Played live foR hundRedS of PeoPle. how?We’re also pretty lousy at getting media/blog attention in the bay area, so we
wanted to do some original-type promoting.
1. We started playing on the street because we were tired of playing in clubs
and bars mostly. most of our shows were 21+ and we wanted to play to an all age
audience. we also knew that there was nothing out there on the streets like us,
so when we imagined all the possibilities of what could happen if we set up on a
corner like 16th and valencia, made us laugh … (we generally like to make normal
situations as vivacious as possible).
2. Play with your friends, make a band or an event out of it … absurdity, origi-
nality, transcendence, sense of humor, visually stimulating … those are my five
successful requirements.
3. No regrets. every street performance teaches you something new … every time
we go out there, we get different crowds (which means different responses), we
meet new people, we LAUGH a ton. I’ve referred to the word laugh twice now,
that’s because i want to emphasize that we’re having an unmeasurable amount
of fun when we play.
4. Our greatest success is this quote i just looked up:
”The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and
dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.”
–Dale Carnegie
Basically, we’re like magnets for fantastic!
Hope this helps.
GRANT: Battlehooch
www.facebook.com/battlehooch
ON thE StREEt buSkINgSTEFAN ARONSEN: SF-INTER.COM
above, far left: PoTReRo - San francisco neighborhood watercolor painting by niana liu: www.nianaliu.comii
CHAIRMAN WOWwww.facebook.com/longlivechairmanwow
CHAIRMAN WOWwww.facebook.com/longlivechairmanwow
ran
aS SOON aS YOu SOuNd gOOd, YOu NEEd tO lOOk gOOd. havINg a gOOd
PERSONa IS kEY tO SuccESS.
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ran
056PERSONA - STEP 5
lEt mE StaRt bY SaYINg, “I hEaRt YOuR muSIc,” IF
YOu chEck mY PlaYlISt I PlaY It all thE tImE.
I juSt thINk YOu ShOuld kNOw that YOuR haNd
wRItINg SuckS aNd YOuR blaNk cd ISN’t hElPINg
mE gEt IN cONtact wIth YOu … what IF I
waS a bIg ShOt REcORd PROducER. IS thIS cd hOw YOu waNt tO bE
REmEmbEREd? NO!
advice: you have no money for cd packaging and your craft sucks ... That doesn’t mean you should stop making cds at home ... it means you should stop sucking!!! get your boyfriend/girlfriend or somebody with good handwriting to put your band name, a contact person, a phone number and a web address on all cds hand-made and professional.
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058PERSONA - STEP 5
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Don’t book a show in a venue you can’t fill. It is better to
book a small venue and pack it out, rather than book a large
venue and play for a couple friends.
060PERSONA - STEP 5
Portions of the inside scoop were inspired by The indie Band Surivial guide by Randy chertkow and Jason feehan - www.indieguide.com/ii
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You’re not impressing anybody by playing a great show to
little or no audience. Bookers will remember you, and you
might not get to play that venue when your band is big
enough to fill it.
062PERSONA - STEP 5
idenTiTy iS a SuPeR comPlicaTed Thing. when you fiRST glance aT TheSe maRkS you may See The Same SymBol oveR and oveR and oveR. howeveR … when i look aT Them i See TonS of Tiny unique diffeRenceS.There is no formula to create the perfect persona. It will
take a lot of trial and error before you find the perfect mark,
the perfect fit, that sexy pop.
Perhaps your mark can best be compared to hipster jeans.
Those fuckers are so tight I can see your balls … the messed
up thing is that you wanted that. How many pairs of jeans
did you try on before you felt that click. There is always that
moment when you know you’ve found a perfect match. You
won’t settle till you find those perfect jeans. Don’t settle till
you find that perfect mark.
Trying free drawing the same way that writers free write.
If you keep drawing scribbles eventually your scribbles be-
come circles, your circles become squares and then “POP”
you’ve got wings, a banner and a great tag line.
Now go get them tiger.
OvER aNd OvER aNd OvER aNd…STEFAN ARONSEN: SF INTERCOM
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064PERSONA - STEP 5
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Your persona is important. You don’t always have to create
it … but you do need to control it. A band must consider how
they do and do not want to be seen. Personally I like it when
a band has a street look and a separate stage look. When a
band hits the stage with outfits that match there sound I
know they came to rock. When they arrive with outfits loud-
er than life I know I’m going to have a good time!
In your next meeting … because you have meetings … I want
you to talk about your persona! Somebody in the band has an
opinion. I want you to talk about why it is you’re so scared to
look good when you’re on stage.
I’m NOt SuRE whY muSIcIaNS ShuddER whEN thEY hEaR thE wORd
bRaNdINg … but thEY dO … SO tO tRIck thEm INtO accEPtaNcE I uSE
thE wORd PERSONa. muSIcIaNS lOvE that wORd! I thINk It’S aN EgO thINg.
On the air since February 8 2006, Pa-
cific Noise has been introducing you
to the best new local bands we could
find. Our goal is to amplify the po-
tential of the local music scene here
in San Francisco.
At this moment there is a huge re-
surgence of independent music. Lis-
teners are looking for new sounds by
using methods that are outside the
traditional mainstream radio and ca-
ble tv. While the mainstream music
media tries to “figure it out”, there
are so many bands who are getting
lost along the way. Most of the bands
we feature are releasing albums and
planning tours and it’s all DIY. And
to me, the music being made by un-
signed bands is way more exciting
than any thing i hear on the radio. So
with this video podcast, I hope I can
help a lot of these bands gain a larger
audience by using the technology
that is freely available for me to use.
Recently Pacific Noise has teamed up
with Lennon Studios to help make
some great new episodes. Each week
we invite a band into Room 8 to per-
form a few songs, and introduce their
unique sounds to you.
Community
066PERSONA - STEP 5
don’T go oveRBoaRd wiTh maRking youR TeRRiToRy. you don’T wanT To Be The nexT meTallica and end uP wiTh a RePuTaTion foR Suing youR fanS.It probably goes without saying that a band’s image can be as
important as its sound. Just ask The Sex Pistols, or more spe-
cifically Sid Vicious. The guy could barely play an instrument
and ended up as the public face of one of the more culturally
significant bands of the last fifty years*. And while you don’t
have to trash hotel rooms or take a crap on stage to achieve
success, it’s important that a band control its image for a
couple reasons.
1. Integrity. If Dr. Dre had just gone for the money and left
his image up to somebody else, he’d still be wearing se-
quined gloves and doing choreographed dance numbers for
the Wrecking Cru. He wisely decided to take control of his
image and went on the establish NWA and took hip hop in
an entirely new direction. When you control your image, you
control how the public perceives you.
law PROtEctS agaINSt SabOtagE
Unless you have a lot of time, somebody else is going to have
to do a lot of your marketing for you. If you decide to sign
with a label, it’s going to be the label doing it for you. In just
about every recording contact, there will be clauses address-
ing who controls the band’s likeness and name and how they
can be used. Taking a hands-off approach could lead to the
label making your album cover for you.
If you don’t want your label making tacky T-shirts with your
faces and giving them away at your local amusement park on
Christian Family Day, you better make damn sure you put in
your contract that you control your image. Likewise, make
sure that you and the label understand who has the final
say on public appearances if you don’t want to be performing
at that amusement park next to the shitty shirts. The same
goes for lending one of your songs in a TV commercial. Again,
make sure it’s in your contract.
Don’t go overboard with marking your territory. You don’t
want to be the next Metallica and end up with a reputation
for suing your fans.
kENdALL dIx ATTORNEy AT LAw
These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men
of Hezekiah king of Judah: It is the glory of God to conceal
a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. As
the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts
of kings are unsearchable.
Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material
for the silversmith; remove the wicked from the king’s
presence, and his throne will be established through
righteousness.
Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not
claim a place among great men; it is better for him to say
to you, “Come up here,” than
for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. What you
have seen with your eyes do not bring [b] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you
to shame? If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not
betray another man’s confidence, or he who hears it may
shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation.
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of
silver. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
The art on this page was created by casey koerner: www.caseykoerner.com/ii
067BUZZ
by SF Intercom
068PERSONA - STEP 5
You can’t pretend persona isn’t impor-
tant. Look at Obama, Brittany Spears,
Keane, MJ, ANYONE on a stage. For some
reason the public loves to keep their eye
on and pick apart those in the spot light.
Especially if they deserve it. This is true
on both large and smaller scales.
Be Aware:
I was at a show a few months ago and the
new bassist of a pretty popular and well
established local band got pretty drunk.
He was running around, loudly slur-
ring his words, grabbing girls, the whole
nine yards. Then something happened
that still, to this day, makes me laugh.
The lead guitarist (who had been in the
band for years and worked his sweat
and blood into it’s success), walks over
to the drunken bassist and puts a hand
on his shoulder. Smiling, and looking
across the room as if he was just shar-
ing a joke with a friend, begins to speak
lowly into his bassist’s ear. The bassist
smile fades, and he nods his head.
Magically the obnoxious bassist disap-
pears and his twin “Non Freakaziod
Buffoon Bassist” takes his place for the
rest of the night.
Be Yourself:
Yes people will like talking about you
if your obnoxious. Yes gossip sucks but
people do it. Yes the truth is what you
do affects the whole band. Having said
that, live your life (actually a quote
from the drunken bassist). Say what
you feel is important to say, give the
gift of who you really are to the world.
Being wise (I.E. astute, aware, careful,
clever, cunning, discerning, discreet,
enlightened, foresighted) doesn’t mean
being fake.
Be Nice:
I was working a show at Bottom of the
Hill and the drummer from a certain
band was rude to me. Now I may be just
a lowly promotions assistant at a radio
station, but he didn’t know that. Even if
I was just a fan, it’s always a bad move
to give people attitude.
Later on at this show, I was taking down
signs and the lead singer (Ah the lead
singer, a breed somehow naturally pro-
ficient at schmoozing and BS), knowing
that I worked at a radio station he would
like his band to be on, ran up smiling,
started helping me take down signs,
and asked if he could give me a free cd.
why aRe you PReTending PeRSona iSn’T imPoRTanT? why aRe you lying To youRSelf? do youRSelf a favoR, ShaPe uP oR geT ouT of my face.
StOP FOOlINg YOuRSElF!!!IAN STAHL: ERA ESCAPE
While I don’t have a large ego and can
usually let things go pretty fast, after
Mr. Rude Drummer I honestly didn’t
want their bands stupid CD. I have a
whole stack at home I haven’t even lis-
tened to yet. Let alone put in any of the
DJ’s/Music Producer’s mail boxes.
Be smart:
Conversely I have seen several bands
gather a huge fan base by little more
than their charms. It’s actually pretty
genius, they hang outside after shows
with their f liers and f lirt. A lot of
times young concert goers don’t even
really know what kind of music they
like yet, and are just at a show because
the scene is exciting. So if you walk up
to a girl, act like you think their cute,
give them a f lier and ask them to come
to your show … I have been freaking
amazed at how well this works for
growing a fan base.
Don’t live to please everybody, but
people are watching you. So don’t be
a fool. You don’t have to be fake, but
for goodness sakes have a care. Don’t
make your girlfriend worry, but you can
catch many f lies with just a little bit of
honey. So don’t be a jerk.
These are more proverbs of Solo-
mon, copied by the men of Heze-
kiah king of Judah: It is the glory of
God to conceal a matter; to search
out a matter is the glory of kings.
As the heavens are high and the
earth is deep, so the hearts of kings
are unsearchable.
Remove the dross from the silver,
and out comes material for the sil-
versmith; remove the wicked from
the king’s presence, and his throne
will be established through righ-
teousness.
Do not exalt yourself in the king’s
presence, and do not claim a place
among great men; it is better for
him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than
for him to humiliate you before
a nobleman. What you have seen
with your eyes do not bring [b]
hastily to court, for what will you
do in the end if your neighbor puts
you to shame? If you argue your
case with a neighbor, do not betray
another man’s confidence, or he
who hears it may shame you and
you will never lose your bad repu-
tation.
A word aptly spoken is like apples
of gold in settings of silver. Like an
earring of gold or an ornament of
fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to
069BUZZ
by SF Intercom
070PERSONA - STEP 5
TheRe iS noThing woRSe Than going To a Show wheRe a SingeR/SongwRiTeR iS Telling you aBouT Some TeRRiBle Time in hiS oR heR life, and all you can Think iS “geez, ThiS iS moRe BoRing Than leaRning Sex-ed fRom my 75 yeaR old Science TeacheR in The 6Th gRade!”
Sorry folks, but being an entertainer (read: songwriter)
means entertaining your audience. It does not mean stand-
ing at the front of the room in a tee shirt and bemoaning
your pathetic childhood. It means giving people of piece of
yourself that they want to remember and experience more
than once.
I am NOt tRIxIE RaSPutIN
This takes a lot of finesse, as most of us are actually bor-
ing, whiney, pathetic brats that long to be famous for all
the wrong reasons. But if you are still crazy enough to want
to be a performer, know this: you must bring a PERSONA to
the stage, and not the REAL YOU. In fact the more notorious
the persona, the better, because all of the fans out there
jOSIE SHRAdER IS TRIxIE RASPuTIN
These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of
Hezekiah king of Judah: It is the glory of God to conceal a
matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. As the
heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings
are unsearchable. Remove the dross from the silver, and
out comes material for the silversmith; remove the wicked
from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established
through righteousness.
Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim
a place among great men; it is better for him to say to you,
“Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before a no-
bleman. What you have seen with your eyes do not bring
[b] hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your
neighbor puts you to shame? If you argue your case with a
071BUZZ
by SF Intercom
are looking for a wild ride when they come to your show. If
they aren’t then you are REALLY boring, and should use a
stage name like Michael Bolton or Amy Grant to streamline
the process for everyone.
Now there is a girl out there named Trixie Rasputin, and she is
kind of a self proclaimed badass. Her real name is not Trixie,
nor does she get paid to wear slutty outfits. And yet, at every
show she’ll be wearing something that will simultaneously
give you a boner AND make you feel like it’s your fault for
being creepy. This is all intentional however, because Trixie
is an alter ego of a person who is really quite nice and polite,
but with an insatiable need to write, sing, and torture the
world with her music. The only way this could be achieved
was for the nice girl to create a very impolite and engaging
character (Trixie) to be her rep out there on stage. Trixie hap-
pens to be a hell of a lot more interesting than the real person
inside of her, mainly because she is impervious to emotion,
criticism, and embarrassment. That’s the point of persona.
It’s absolutely essential for any musician to practice choking
off the real person and letting their inner problem child out
of the cage. If musicians don’t do that, we’ll be forever stuck
listening to people like Michelle Branch tell us how hard it
is to be pretty, white, and young in an industry that favors
people who are pretty, white, and young. SHEESH.
TRIXIE RASPUTINwww.myspace.com/therasputinproject
TRIXIE RASPUTINwww.myspace.com/therasputinproject
074PERSONA - STEP 5
BUZZ GUIDE baNdS aRE aFRaId OF thE wORd
bRaNd. SO wIth that IN mINd I SaY “YOu dON’t NEEd tO bRaNd
YOuRSElF aS lONg aS YOuR cREatE a StRONg PERSONa.”
075BUZZ
by SF Intercom
076PERSONA - STEP 5
1 _IT IS O
K TO
BE C
OM
MER
CIA
L: it is ok t
o fe
ar t
he m
an. h
ow
ev
er y
ou s
ho
ul
d no
t fe
ar
so
me o
f th
e wo
rd
s “t
he m
an” u
se
s. ult
ima
te
ly yo
u ha
ve t
wo o
pt
ion
s wit
h yo
ur m
us
ic: ma
ke
it a ho
bb
y, or m
ak
e it co
mm
er
cia
lly v
iab
le.
2 _ MA
KE S
MA
RT D
ESIG
N C
HO
ICES
: po
or d
es
ign c
ho
ice
s wil
l re
fl
ec
t po
or
ly on y
ou. y
ou
ma
y be a w
on
de
rf
ul
ly tal
en
te
d ba
nd, b
ut if y
ou
r gr
ap
hic
s su
ck, p
eo
pl
e ar
e go
ing t
o as
su
me
yo
ur s
ou
nd s
uc
ks. if y
ou’r
e no
t go
od a
t de
sig
n, hir
e a de
sig
ne
r.
077BUZZ
by SF Intercom
MAKE SMART DESIGN CHOICES
BUZZ GUIDE
078PERSONA - STEP 5
BUY YOUR DOMAIN NAME
3 _ BU
Y YO
UR
DO
MA
IN N
AM
E: yo
u ar
en’t t
ru
ly yo
u un
til y
ou o
wn y
ou
r na
me. a
s so
on a
s s
om
eb
od
y bu
ys y
ou
r do
ma
in na
me …
th
ey a
re m
or
e yo
u th
an y
ou. e
ve
n if yo
u do
n’t kn
ow
ho
w t
o de
sig
n a we
b sit
e yo
u ne
ed t
o ow
n yo
ur d
om
ain n
am
e.
4 _ CR
EA
TE A S
OLID
WEB
PR
ESEN
CE: t
his h
as m
ult
ipl
e me
an
ing
s. fir
st, b
e se
ar
ch
ab
le o
n t
he w
eb, p
eo
pl
e ne
ed t
o be a
bl
e to f
ind y
ou. s
ec
on
d, tie a
ll o
f yo
ur w
eb c
on
ce
pt
s to
ge
th
er
vis
ua
lly. t
his w
ill l
et p
eo
pl
e re
co
gn
ize y
ou w
ith
ou
t se
ein
g yo
ur n
am
e.
079BUZZ
by SF Intercom
BUZZ GUIDE
080PERSONA - STEP 5
5 _ CR
EA
TE A P
RES
S KIT: w
ha
t yo
u pu
t in yo
ur p
re
ss k
it ch
an
ge
s da
ily. ho
we
ve
r, sim
ply
ha
vin
g o
ne
is e
xt
re
me
ly im
po
rta
nt.
i r
ec
om
me
nd
ke
ep
ing
it s
imp
le,
inc
lu
de
a b
an
d b
io, s
tic
ke
rs a
nd a c
d. so
me p
eo
pl
e ma
y wa
nt a b
an
d ph
ot
o, ot
he
rs m
ay ju
st l
au
gh a
nd d
ra
w m
us
tac
he
s on t
he
m.
6 _ ALW
AY
S CA
RR
Y CO
NTA
CT IN
FO: s
imil
ar t
o th
e bo
y sc
ou
ts m
ot
to, b
e pr
ep
ar
ed, c
ar
ry
co
nta
ct in
fo im
pl
ies ju
st t
ha
t. yo
u ne
ve
r kn
ow
wh
en y
ou’r
e go
ing t
o ru
n int
o a an in
du
st
ry
pr
of
es
sio
na
l th
at w
an
ts t
o wo
rk w
ith y
ou. w
rit
ing o
n yo
ur/t
he
ir ha
nd is n
ot g
oin
g to
cu
t it pr
of
es
sio
na
lly.
081BUZZ
by SF Intercom
BUZZ GUIDE
082PERSONA - STEP 5
7 _ PU
T CO
NTA
CT IN
FO O
N EV
ERY
THIN
G: p
ut y
ou
r co
nta
ct in
fo o
n yo
ur c
d, on y
ou
r cd c
as
e, o
n yo
ur p
ho
to
s, on y
ou
r sh
irt
s, ev
er
yw
he
re. fa
ns, b
an
ds a
nd in
du
st
ry p
ro
fe
ss
ion
al
s wil
l g
et in c
on
tac
t wit
h yo
u if yo
u ma
ke it e
as
y.
8 _ MA
KE M
ERC
HA
ND
ISE: m
os
t b
an
ds
do
n’t m
ak
e a
lo
t o
f m
on
ey
on
cd
sa
le
s. t
he
y d
o h
ow
ev
er m
ak
e mo
ne
y se
ll
ing t-
sh
irt
s, st
ick
er
s an
d ot
he
r ba
nd m
er
ch. m
ak
e so
me …
th
en
pu
t yo
ur c
on
tac
t inf
o on it.
083BUZZ
by SF Intercom
BUZZ GUIDE
084PERSONA - STEP 5
9 _ GET S
PO
NS
OR
ED: a
th
le
te
s ge
t sp
on
so
re
d so w
hy c
an’t y
ou? f
ind s
po
ns
or
sh
ip fr
om
co
mp
an
y’s yo
u lik
e. se t
his a
s a wa
y to h
av
e fo
od w
he
n yo
u’re o
n to
ur, c
us
to
m ge
ar w
he
n y
ou’r
e on s
tag
e an
d cl
ot
he
s to l
oo
k st
ee
zy a
lwa
ys. t
he
n ho
ok m
e up!
10 _ CO
NS
IDER
ALTER
NA
TIVE A
DV
ERTIS
ING
: wh
er
e a
re
yo
ur
fan
s? a
re
yo
u a
dv
er
tis
ing
th
er
e? a
re
th
ey
re
ad
ing
it? ta
lk
to
yo
ur
fan
s, f
ind
ou
t w
ha
t t
he
y r
es
po
nd
we
ll
to,
ad
ve
rt
ise in w
ay
s th
at w
or
k ... st
op w
as
tin
g mo
ne
y on a
dv
er
tis
ing t
ha
t isn’t h
el
pin
g yo
u.
085BUZZ
by SF Intercom
BUZZ GUIDE
086PERSONA - STEP 5
I get a kick out of this guy! I see him everywhere. That is not
an exaggeration! He is everywhere! I saw him at the trea-
sure island music festival 2008 and 2009, the green Festival
2008 and 2009, the bay bridged makers fair, the ferry build-
ing farmers market and numerous other places. His tactic
is brilliant: a type writer a bench and a cup for donations.
you can find this typewriter poet at: www.zachhouston.comii
087BUZZ
by SF Intercom
088PERSONA - STEP 5
THE SCENE & BE SEENwhO dO YOu kNOw?STEFAN ARONSEN: SF INTERCOM
These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of
Hezekiah king of Judah: It is the glory of God to conceal a
matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. As the
heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings
are unsearchable. Remove the dross from the silver, and out
comes material for the silversmith; remove the wicked from
the king’s presence, and his throne will be established through
righteousness.
Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a
place among great men; it is better for him to say to you, “Come
up here,” than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.
What you have seen with your eyes do not bring [b] hastily to
court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you
to shame? If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray
another man’s confidence, or he who hears it may shame you
and you will never lose your bad reputation.
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise
man’s rebuke to a listening ear. Like the coolness of snow at
harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send
him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters. Like clouds and
you aRe only aS SucceSSful aS The PeoPle you know. So who do you know? geT off youR BuTT and meeT Some PeoPle in youR induSTRy.It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the scene of you’ve been
playing for 50 years, you need to know who is currently sup-
porting the scene you play in. In most situations your suc-
cess relies on your ability to reach out and connect with fans.
Some bands may attempt to find their audience independent-
ly. However, if you’re smart, you’re recognizing the need for a
community and reach out to the people working in your field.
There are fans, bands and industry professionals that want
to help connect you to your fans, help you become more suc-
cessful. I suggest starting with bloggers. Generally speaking
they already have fans and many fans find blogs to be a good
filter for the music they should be listening to. Here are some
blogs you should be reading.
089BUZZ
by SF Intercom
090PERSONA - STEP 5
visit earsofthebeholder at: www.earsofthebeholder.comii
THE SCENE & BE SEEN
I constantly type this address wrong! I
have started reminding myself, we have
two ears for listening, not just one. Thus
when you visit his site type www.ear-
Softhebeholder.com, without the S you
end up on a site that in no way relates
to music.
I met peter at Benders during a Sugar &
Gold show. He was introduced to me as
“my friend with the blog.” Eventually the
friend with a blog got a chance to tell me
his name and his site. After the show
I went to my studio to do my research.
What I found was pleasantly exciting.
Similarly to ipickmynose.com, Peter writes
a blog about the indie scene as it unfolds. If
you want to know who’s big in SF, who you
should be listening to, whom you should
book your next show with … read peters
blog. Eventually you’ll get to know his
writing style, at that point you should send
him your music. Make sure you follow his
guidelines. Bloggers are a great way to get
your music out to a larger audience and get
a feel for how you’re doing.
haS Been inTRoducing you To The BeST new local BandS They find.
EaRSOFthEbEhOldERPEtER ARkO
By: STEFAN ARONSEN
091BUZZ
by SF Intercom
visit ipickmynose at: www.ipickmynose.comii
IPIckmYNOSE
and we all poop. so are the days of our
lives. but seriously ipickmynose.com, the
blog not the habit, has made it his habit
to review and be in the know about all
major music happenings in the bay.
You may be too busy picking your nose
to notice some majorly cool band playing
in your hood. Never fear Anthony is busy
picking bands to profile so you can keep
picking your nose.
ipickmynose.com is living testimony that
not all movements need web hosting,
some big projects find all they need on a
blog platform. (This does not mean you
don’t need to buy your web address.)
Check out ipickmynose.com, read his
blogs, write your comments, and when
you’re ready send him your material.
However, make sure you read his guide-
lines. Yup! He has guidelines. (One being
that you actually know his writing and
have been to his site more than once.)
educaTing The PuBlic aBouT The San fRanciSco Bay aRea indePendenT muSic
ADRIAN bISCHoff
By: STEFAN ARONSEN
LIVE EVILwww.facebook.com/liveevilrocks
LIVE EVILwww.facebook.com/liveevilrocks
094PERSONA - STEP 5
095BUZZ
by SF Intercom
096PERSONA - STEP 5
097BUZZ
by SF Intercom
098PERSONA - STEP 5
099BUZZ
by SF Intercom
thE Old REcORd INduStRY mOdEl haS cOllaPSEd. cd SalES aRE dOwN, PRINt magazINES aRE dwINdlINg, aNd INFORmatION IS SPREad vIa thE wEb IN a cOmPlEtElY chaOtIc aNd uNREFINEd mESS. Out OF thIS dISORdER, buzz cOdIFIES a SOlId SEt OF RulES, ImPOSES a NEw ORdER, aNd aSSIgNS PRactIcES aNd habItS that wIll lEad EmERgINg muSIcIaNS tOwaRdS SuccESS.
BUZZ is produced by SF Intercom