Go online and get one.

In the dismal days before the internet, you had to buy your second-hand ticket through a dodgy tout at the actual event. This meant getting ripped off, or even possibly handed bogus tickets which would likely be spotted as you tried to enter the event – meaning you not only miss the sports event or music gig, you’ve lost a lot of money in the process.

Nonetheless, things have improved for sports and music fans. The resale ticket niche has improved remarkably in the last 10 years or so, thanks to the internet. Now there is a huge amount of competition to resell tickets on the internet, the market has actually become self-regulating. You’re selling the ticket for HOW much money?! I’ll look elsewhere! And so many vendors offer very cheap insurance if the sports event / music gig is cancelled. And with strong competition online, secondary tickets have dropped in price to the point that sometimes you’re not spending a lot more than the actual initial price of the ticket.

Today you can buy tickets for all sorts of sports events and concerts. From soccer to basketball matches to cricket, right through to getting your mitts on front row seats for your favourite band; resale tickets provide a second chance to attend the concert you want to see. How can you get tickets online? Use a search engine like Google and enter in your keyphrase like Green Day tickets, and you will discover a large range of secondary ticket brokers who have the ticket you’re looking for.

Not everyone is content with the idea of resale tickets though. For example, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails calls secondary ticket agents “parasites”, and he’d like to see an end to the resale of event tickets. However, he’s missing the point of resold tickets : people simply do not have the time to queue up for tickets. They’re more likely working when the tickets are on sale, and physically cannot be in the right place at the right time to get hold of the ticket they want in that precious 60 or so minutes it takes for an entire tour to sell out.

While there is strong competition between secondary ticket agents, we believe this is a much needed service for true fans who were unable to buy the tickets the first time around.

When I look at Texas, and all that’s happening there, only one question crosses my mind- why Texas? Not just why Texas, but why not Wisconsin, Missouri, Arizona, Maine, Delaware, Nebraska, and the list goes on? Country music is a whole lot bigger than the south. There are rednecks and hillbillies all over the place. So what does Texas have that we don’t? I think it comes down to relationships- three very important relationships.

Artist/Artist Relationships
The first thing that makes the Texas music market successful is the good old fashioned principle of teamwork. What is good for one is good for all. Often times, in a regional market, there is 1-3 lead horses. And damn, don’t they feel good? They are the band that the radio stations call when they need an opener. They are the band that headlines every county fair, rodeo, pig roast, corn broil, and keg party in the state. Then there’s everybody else. They play shows here and there, and book what they can, wherever they can. If we as local musicians recognized our opportunities and learned to work together, we could do so much more together than we can as individuals. The artists in Texas look out for each other. Imagine the power that a union of 5-10 bands could hold. They could do so much. They could host their own independent musical festivals. They could pool their resources to bring national acts to the area, and they could all have an opening gig. They could fund an indy label and recording studio where they all have the opportunity to affordably produce and market their music. They could develop a referral network and help each other find jobs.

There’s really no limit to the possibilities. And arrogance is the only thing in the way. Look, you may be the most popular country band in the state, but what does that really mean? Wouldn’t it mean more if your state was known for great country music? I think you’ll agree that it means a lot more to be even on the bottom rung in a place with Texas’ reputation than it does to be on the top rung in any other regional market.

Artist/Radio Relationship
Artists and radio need to meet in the middle somewhere. Here’s a reality check for independent country artists: Radio is annoyed to shit by you and your relatives’ constant calls to play your song. And here’s a reality check for radio: If you guys would throw us a god damn bone once in a while, we wouldn’t always be on your ass. We’re both in this industry, so why don’t we work together? For a regional music market to work, the fans have to be exposed to the music. It’s plain and simple. And the best way to expose them to the music is to mix it in with the regular radio play list. For the most part, indy artists don’t want a freakin’ royalty check. They want a NAME check. They want their song to be sandwiched between Kenny Chesney’s latest hit and a classic from Alabama. They just want to be heard. But as artists, we need to understand the station’s position as well. They are responsible to their advertisers and listeners. And just because your grandma wants to hear your latest song, that don’t make it good. HONESTLY assess your music. If what you are about to send does not stand head and shoulders with or above what’s currently on the radio, don’t send it. Don’t waste their time. Why should they play a half-assed song by an artist nobody knows? You have to give them a reason to play your stuff. And it better be good. So focus on your VERY best material.

In Texas, not only do the regional artists get regular airplay, but they even have a Texas music chart where regional artists chart their latest singles. I realize that some stations are owned by the evil conglomerate drones like Clear Channel, and their hands are tied. But every station could all be doing something to help their local bands and expose their listeners to some great local music. Maybe it is a weekly 1 hr. program on the local scene, or maybe it is a daily featured song from a local artist. But damnit, do something! We’re more than willing to work with you! Indy artists, focus your attention more on independently owned stations. They typically have more freedom with their play lists.

Artist/Fan Relationships
This is the single most important relationship in the equation. For a regional country music market to thrive, there has to be demand for it. And only the fans can create the demand. It can’t be faked or manufactured. It has to be real. There has to be a commitment from the artists to stay true to themselves and their music. And there has to be a commitment from the fans to go to the shows, buy the music, and help promote the artist. See, that’s what so many musicians forget. The only difference between an artist and his fans is which side of the microphone they are standing on. The sooner we all realize that, the better off we’ll be. Fans don’t want some phony ass wanna be up there. They want someone real. Someone who will be true to the music, true to himself, and true to them. If they want an arrogant jackass to feed them bullshit, they can get that from plenty of major label egomaniacs. They don’t need us.

So I guess Van Zant’s got it right. If you want to build a regional music market, damnit, help somebody if you can. Oh, and a little sip now and then don’t hurt either.

Pat Watters is a St. Louis-based singer/songwriter/honky tonker. He also runs The Man in the Middle, a blog that looks at the country music industry from the perspective of an independent artist.

More articles are available at http://www.patwatters.blogspot.com

Visit Pat’s virtual Honky Tonk at http://www.patwatters.com

Check him out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/patwatters

I have been teaching music for many years and always thought that there must be a better way of reaching more people who have a desire to learn a musical instrument but who have no idea of how to go about it.

People who live in remote areas. People who do not know of anyone who teaches their desired instrument in their area. People who might think that they may be thought of as “odd” for wishing to learn a particular instrument.

I teach bagpipes and have been a professional piper for many years as a competitor and as entertainer. Of course, I am Scottish! In between piping commitments, I have always taught young and old folks with a desire to learn properly. But, people are only willing to travel so far, for their weekly lesson and so we, as teachers are limited to the area that we can cover.
A few years ago, I put together a tuition programme for the complete beginner that took all the jargon out of learning and explained it all in simple language.

I then created a tutorial book with all the techniques needed to play properly. And put all the cotent on cd.

I then recorded an audio cd to explain and demonstrate everything on the tutorial cd.

I then recorded a video cd, showing my hands in close-up so that the student could see exactly what was needed.
Now I had the complete tuition course for the bagpipes. I advertised it on my website and sales have been very good with orders coming in from all over the world.

Still, I was not 100% happy. I was not reaching enough people. So I decided to try a new approach to teaching.

Live web conferencing or video conferencing where there can be many people online at any one time who, are all at the same stage of learning and can gain by watching and listening to the way others are progressing or are having a hard time. The competitive element really works.
There can now be people interacting with me from all over the world. The play for me and I can tell them what they are doing right/wrong and can demonstrate how to do it properly.

The feedback I have had so far has been really positive with people willing to pay between $20 and $50 for a one hour lesson.
I am hoping to start this type of tuition at the beginning of April and would welcome any comments or suggestions that might be of some benefit to me or my students.

Please join me on my website: www.learn2pipe.com

I can be contacted by e-mail at: enquiries@learn2pipe.com

Telephone : +44(0)1239 711868

Cellphone : 07751014474

Thank you for taking the time to read this short article.

Pipe Major Robert R. Pinkman.

Pipe Major Robert R. Pinkman Has been a professional piper since the age of 13. Innitially taught by members of the family, at the age of 12 he was tutored by Captain John McLellan at Edinburgh Castle, which also housed the British Army School of Bagpipe Music, famous for excellence the world over. Bobby, as he is known, is a successful solo-ist and Pipe Major having competed and entertained all over the world. He started teaching in his local area and was soon stuggling to keep up with demand so, he developed his website and tuition programme on a series of cd’s, tutor book, audio & video. He then realised that people needed a personal touch and came up with the idea of video conferencing. Feedback has been great and the live tuition is due to start April 1st.