Here at Music Is My Day Job, we’re always looking for new ways to help you make music your full-time gig, thus our “Musician’s Library” feature, where we look at books, articles and ideas that you should be adding to your reading list. Today, we are focusing on The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris and, more specifically, Ferris’ concept of “Elimination”

(For those not familiar with it, The 4-Hour Work Week is a system developed by Tim Ferris which allows one to reduce the time they spend on business-related items (think selling your music, booking gigs, contracts, etc) to a minimum, allowing you the maximum amount of time to do what you love (writing music, practicing, touring, etc).  While there has been a lot of talk about Ferris, his blog and The 4-Hour Work Week–both positive and negative–none of it has really highlighted how his system can help musicians.)

When Ferris refers to Elimination, he is describing a process of purging your daily routines of those things that produce the least while taking up the most amount of your time, whether that be meetings, difficult clients, email, media/internet distraction or tedious tasks.

Sounds great in principle, but implementation is more challenging.  For example, with regards to media and internet use, his recommended media diet is as follows (from page 87 of The Four-Hour Work-Week):

• No newspapers, magazines, audiobooks or non-music radio. Music is permitted at all times.
• No news websites whatsoever…
• No television at all, except for one hour of pleasure viewing every evening.
• No reading books…except for…one hour of fiction pleasure reading prior to bed
• No web surfing at the desk unless it is necessary to complete a work task for that day.  Necessary means necessary, not nice to have.

Now, we’re not saying that you should be as extreme (though you’re more than welcome to try), but in keeping with the intent of this concept, think about your day for a moment: how much more could you accomplish–writing, recording, practicing, marketing–even if you were to do half of what he recommends?

Out thoughts exactly.

He also has similar suggestions for optimizing use of e-mail and social media (including using auto-responses and improved use of FAQs), eliminating difficult clients and more, but the one section that may help you the most as a musician regards eliminating tedious tasks, and batching those that you can’t eliminate.  He suggests that we should all stop looking at tasks in terms of how much money we are saving, and re-frame them in terms of how much money/time they may be costing us.

For example, let’s assume that you are doing all of your physical product shipping by yourself because you don’t want to pay CD Baby’s $4/CD charge.  So, when you sell a new physical album, while you have to spend 30 minutes to package the album in a shipping container, address the shipment and deliver it to the post office, at least you are not losing $4/album to CD Baby.  If you sell seven albums a week, that is approximately 210 minutes of your time, or 3.5 hours–not much time, considering the week has 168 hours–and you are saving $28/week (CD Baby’s $4 charge x 7).  However, if by spending one more hour each week calling venues and promoters you could book one more gig per week–which pays you $300 for two hours of work–wouldn’t it be wiser to batch all of those shipping-related tasks into one and let CD Baby take that $28 so that you can spend your time booking additional gigs?

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Your challenge for today: make a list of those things that produce the least but take up most of your time.  Create a plan to get rid of the top three within the next seven days through either straight-up elimination or batching.

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You can learn more about Timothy Ferris and The Four-Hour Work-Week by visiting his official website and blog here

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Few films seem to have had as lasting an impact on my adolescent mind as did Ghostbusters.  Yes, in my later teenage years, like many of you, I spent hours pondering over works by Fellini and Bergman and Antonioni,  but well before discovering them, I thought Ghostbusters was one of the greatest things ever (and to be honest, part of me still does!). From the (then advanced) special effects to Bill Murray’s ridiculous delivery to the images of an idealized city that would eventually become my home, the film blew by juvenile mind (even if I may not have understood half the jokes at the time).

I have been thinking a lot about Ghostbusters lately–not just out of nostalgia–and the more that I think about it, the more that I believe that there is a lot that independent musicians can learn from the film.  Seriously!  Thus, our new series: Ghostbusters and The Modern Musician.  While we are going to focus on various parts of the film in the coming weeks, today I want to consider one of the key subplots, a tale of passion and love that transcends time and all obstacles. Yes, today I want to talk about the relationship between Zuul and Vinz Clortho.

Of Keymasters and Gatekeepers

Of course, Zuul and Vinz Clortho are the names of the two demons who end up possessing Sigourney Weaver’s Dana and Rick Moranis’ Louis, also referred to by their titles, the Gatekeeper and Keymaster. The two of them must “hook up” in order to open the portal that will bring their omnipotent, creation-destroying master Gozer into the real world.

In the music industry–especially with regards to new, developing and independent artists–we often speak of the “Gatekeepers,” or those who can expose our music to a larger audience, whether that be though radio & video play, inclusion in a video game or booking an artist in a large festival.  However, we rarely discuss the Keymasters, and I am convinced that one of the main reasons more musicians don’t make it past the Gatekeepers is because they have not spent enough resources with the Keymasters.

Who Are The Keymasters?

“Are you the Keymaster?”
“Yes, actually–I’m a friend of his. He asked me to meet him here.”

Think about it–who is it that is going to convince that head of programming or that booking agent that they should pay attention to your music?  In the past, you could count on a major-label-backed promotions rep or big-name manager to convince the gatekeepers to give your music a chance.  But in a world where even the most well-established of media companies are having a hard time making themselves heard, who is going to get them to listen to you?

You are.

Look at many of the most successful new artists who have emerged in the last five years–Lil’ Wayne, Danger Mouse, The Decemberists, Mastodon, Animal Collective, Soulja Boy Tell’em–all of them focused on building massive scene-based and/or online followings, having so much success at that level that the established gatekeepers could not ignore them. (Yes, there are the exceptions like Lady Gaga and the Idol-affiliated singers, but odds are if that is your thing, you’re not reading this anyway.)  In a world where you can force your music in front of the formerly-untouchable Gatekeepers with enough YouTube views or a sold-out club tour based on nothing but public radio play and some good blog write-ups, who else but you holds the keys?

The New Gatekeepers

Your fans, of course, are also important, but not in the way that you may imagine.  Yes, you can mobilize your fans to act as Keymasters via petitions and letters and other noise to make the local commercial radio station pay attention to your band, but you could have done that in the 80s and 90s as well.

No, the real importance of your fans today is in their new role…as Gatekeepers!

As Bob Baker put it in his Music Think Tank article on this topic:

But now there are new gatekeepers. You can also call them “filters.” And it’s these new filters that help weed out and determine who is to be highly successful, moderately successful, and not very successful at all…One type of new gatekeeper are music consumers. You must get a response from at least a small slice of people in the marketplace to gain traction and grow your career.

In an interview with Hypebot, iLike’s Ali Partovi stated something similar, expanding on the consumer’s role as Gatekeeper or filter:

“I believe, that if your music is great, we’ll find it, and it’ll get played. Help us find it!”
- Kevin Cole, KEXP

Consumers have more influence not only on getting a “personalized” experience for themselves, but also impacting what gets “programmed” to other people with similar tastes.  A social network is a very natural mechanism for this: if I discover a new artist that I love, I have a natural desire to share that with my friends on Facebook…the consumer is also creating “new content” in the form of commentary. Seeing what normal people (especially your friends) have to say about a song is just as much part of the experience as hearing the music.

In other words, the new Gatekeepers are your fans and potential fans, which makes what you need to do relatively obvious if you accept that you are the Keymaster and want to bring your version of Gozer into the real world–hook up with the Gatekeeper!

(And yes, for the purposes of this article, we are assuming that Gozer is a good thing–imagine him destroying the world of the old-school music industry if it makes you feel better).

Now, however, knowing which key to use when and where can be the real challenge. Again from Barker’s article on Music Think Tank:

…there’s another new filter that has become more obvious to me in recent years. And that has to do with effort and workload…In fact, a large percentage of artists have disdain for most marketing activities and curse the long list of things they must do to promote themselves effectively…

“Where do these stairs go?”
“They go up.”

Again, the real challenge now lies in knowing which keys to use when and where.  Every artist has different time constraints and commitments, and no two fan-bases are identical, so I am not sure that there a one-size-fits-all answer to this question, so now I open it up to you–how do know which keys to focus on, or in other words, how do you determine your priorities as an independent artist? Let us know in the comments below.

*****

Further Reading – the ideas that inspired this article:

• Malcolm Gladwell on how David beats Goliath
• Music Think Tank on The New Gatekeepers
• KnowTheMusicBiz‘s feature article by KEXP’s Kevin Cole
• Hypebot’s interview with iLike’s CEO, Ali Partovi
• DigitalMusicNews on the challenges of Social Networking

and, of course:

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In our Musician’s Library features, we highlight books, articles and essays that can help musicians as they strive to earn a living from their music. Today, we feature some of our favorite articles from around the web that you should consider adding to your library (virtual as that library may be)…

• As we have previously highlighted articles on Josh Freese’s unique album packages, we wanted to be sure you caught this interview with Josh about those packages from Indie 103.1 (via Hypebot–thanks guys!)
• Somehow, between gigs and band practice, Cameron Mizell from MusicianWages.com has found the time to churn out some must-read articles over the last few days.  Here are his tips for musicians looking to effectively create an online presence, and here are his tips for dealing with the challenges that are intrinsic to leading a band. Keep ‘em coming, Cameron!
• Our UK friends over at Creative-Choices.co.uk have interviewed 40+ artists, entrepreneurs, academics and others on the Creative Economy and its evolution in the wake of the current economic melt-down.  The book is free, though you do have to register (we registered, and thus far, we have not received any spam from them!).  You can also read some excerpts here.
• I have nothing good to say about Congressman Jim Cooper’s editorial for Nashville’s The City Paper–to me, it looks like a blatant plea for campaign donations from the RIAA–but it’s good to know both sides of a story, as confused and anachronistic as one may be, right?
• The best thing only good thing about the Swine Flu epidemic? Amazing new ambient music! Experimental artist Stephan Zielinski sequenced the flu’s genetic code, and then translated that into music! You can visit his blog to both download the track and find out more about how he did. The end of the world never sounded so great! (via Idolator)

Comments? Thoughts? More suggestions? Share in the comments below or via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for more articles and useful goodness for independent musicians.

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I finally sat down and spent some time going through the Red Bull Music Academy interview with Public Enemy’s Chuck D from October of 2008, and while it is long (more than 120 minutes!), it’s worth either watching the video or downloading the audio version.

Besides describing his discovery of DJ-ing and providing insight into the early days of hip-hop and the history of P.E., as this was the Red Bull Music Academy, he also delves into what it means to be a modern musician and how to become a successful independent artist, including:

• The importance of musicians becoming their own multimedia networks
• Why you should customize an album to your specific needs, regardless of what others are doing
• Working with your fan community (both in the pre-internet era and in the 21st Century)
• Not resting on past success

From the interview:

…We’re in a different marketplace now than the ‘90s, so 17 tracks in the digital world can be three albums. Who’s to say one album can’t be seven tracks, one six and the other one four. You put your artwork and concept behind it and you can make a digital release of it. Of course, you might have to put 17 tracks on a CD if you’re making one, if you believe the CD is the format of the future. The CD is the format of now, but blank CDs are the ones that sell most. So get yourself out of the ‘90s way of thinking and develop your own way…In the audiovisual age you should be a person who can do it all…



If you don’t have two hours to spend going watching/listening to the full video, you can also checkout the transcript here.

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Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions? Share in the comments below or via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for more articles and useful goodness for independent musicians.

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On the DigitalMusicNews.com today, editor Paul Resnikoff published an piece on independent/D-I-Y musicians and the relatively bleak outlook he predicts for the future careers of the vast majority of them.

I tend to approach all of Resnikoff’s editorials with a healthy sense of skepticism, as he generally sounds as if he is trying to be Lefsetz, but with much less real-world music industry experience. Yes, I read his site daily and it is the go-to authority for current updates on music in the digital space–I have never met him, and I have nothing personal against him; again, I use the wonderful resource that he provides almost religiously.  However, with regards to speculation and commentary, his goal often times seems to have more to do with describing the status quo than it does with offering solutions or real insight, asking questions without identifying answers, as if he is afraid of offending potential sources, advertisers and readers (note: that’s just my speculation).

His current article offends in its ambivalence and more. In The DIY Utopia, Resnikoff takes on the idea that independent artists can earn a living from being a full-time musician.  After offering a brief history of the concept, he delves into aimless speculation and questions regarding artists who are trying to go it alone.  I do not mind that he is asking questions about the economic viability of the do-it-yourself model, nor do I take specific issue with his reluctance to make predictions on what the evolution from the major-label machine to DIY will have on the music industry and music marketplace in general.  Questions should be asked about the real viability of any economic model–especially by those who are putting it into practice–and his unwillingness to make specific predictions and declarations is annoying (especially as it is an editorial!), but not criminal.

What irritates me most about his commentary is his obliviousness to the existence today of so many successful independent musicians who were never signed at one time or another to a major label. From his article:

Quitting the day job is one thing, though slaving away for a modest music wage is another…So far, being middle class with a guitar means working tirelessly, and juggling fan-building, touring, and creativity while trying to get enough sleep…Sure, artists have the ‘tools’ to connect, to host, to create easily…But does that mean that a huge DIY population will exist? Or, more importantly, will enough targeted fanbases exist to support a substantial group?

The truth is that “a huge DIY population” does already exist, and not only does this population of DIY musicians exist, but it is thriving.

The truth is that “a huge DIY population” does already exist, and not only does this population of DIY musicians exist, but its members are thriving.  Each day, I discover new artists (or they discover me) who have never had contact with a major label who are earning a living by doing things on their own.  Yes, they are working non-stop to make it happen, and no, they are not living in Beverly Hills mansions or performing for 15,000 people at Coachella (though some are!), but they are also not working for some clueless executive in a soul-crushing cubicle for 60 hours per week while dreaming of being a professional musician.

Ask any independent musician who is earning money from their music and they will readily tell you that it is not easy to be one’s own publicist, producer, marketing department, sales rep and financial analyst, as well as the performer and song writer, but to assume that a heavy work-load is the same thing as unsuccessful is naive at best, as is the speculation that we will not know if the DIY model is viable for many years to come, as so many independent musicians already do earn their living from their music.

I am not saying that every musician who wants to will make a living from their music, and I am not saying that every musician who is able to earn a living from their music will do it in by following the same business model (as each situation and fan base is somewhat unique).  However, there are already many, many independent musicians who are living comfortably whose only “job” is to create and promote their music. The model has already shown itself to be viable, and hopefully Resnikoff will take some time to discover some of these many artists and learn this for himself.

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Additional Reading:

• Music Think Tank on how to go from day job to full-time musician
• TuneCore on the Record Label of Tomorrow
• USA Today & KSDK on musicians who are backed financially by their fans
• Amanda Palmer pleading for freedom from her major-label contract

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(Note: I began to list links to all of the independent musicians who I know who are earning a living as professional musicians, but the list became longer than my commentary, so we will post that some time in the near future. In the mean time, feel free to be blatantly promotional in the comments below as you talk about your successes as an independent musician)

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Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions? Share in the comments below or via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for more articles and useful goodness for independent musicians.

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Over the last month or so, we started noticing many updates on Twitter and Facebook that were being posted from something called Whrrl.  Curious, we did some investigating and discovered a relatively-new application that allows people to collaborate in the telling of a story and then share that same story with friends on Facebook and Twitter.  Impressed with the many possibilities this application presents for independent musicians, we reached out directly to Whrrl’s music community guru himself Marcus Sacco who took some time out his day to tell us more about how Whrrl can help independent musicians connect with their fans.

Q: Can you tell us what you do at Whrrl?

A: My job at Whrrl is to grow our music community through promoting and supporting musicians, the fans that support them, and their stories.

For instance, imagine you are on Twitter and see a post that says, “@thethermals is at The Crocodile Café getting ready to play, see their story (8 photos, 9 updates) at http://whrrl.com/56842“. You can then click through and get an incredibly rich and cohesive account of the event from the perspective of that musician, as well as anyone else who is collaborating on that story.

What really sets Whrrl apart, though, is the story unit in which we display content and the collaborative nature of the product. Fans can view a very rich, comprehensive account of a musician’s activities, and comment directly at any point. This kind of immersive, direct interaction is much more powerful than message boards and short text blurbs alone. It also enables fans to participate in the everyday activities of musicians, making them feel part of the moment.

“Whrrl enables fans to participate in the everyday activities of musicians, making them feel part of the moment.”

From a non-musician perspective, there have been a number of entertaining, well-viewed stories based around music. Many people have shared their concert experiences, one user took a trip to Graceland, another shared his story from a record listening night. A big part of music is sharing what you like, and Whrrl is a great way to do so.

Some examples:

• Pop Noir recording: http://whrrl.com/experience/story/17576904
• Parachute before and after a gig: http://whrrl.com/experience/story/17055545
• Chad Coronato, founder of Unuka Records at a Hip Like [blank] show (a band on the label): http://whrrl.com/experience/story/17643550
• Skip Hunt at a My Bloody Valentine show: http://whrrl.com/experience/story/17741795
• Justin Bacque at Graceland: http://whrrl.com/experience/story/17702087

Q: Top 5 shows?

1. Murder City Devils, Botch, The Catheters – The Graceland, 1998, Seattle, WA
2. Guitar Wolf, December 2003, Yamagata, Japan
3. Neko Case – Paramount Theater, 2006, Seattle, WA
4. Sonic Youth – Bumbershoot, 2002, Seattle, WA
5. Exploding Hearts – Blackbird, 2002, Portland, OR

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BONUS: After we finished our interview, Marcus attended My Bloody Valentine’s show at the WaMu Theater in Seattle. Check out his story about the show here.

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Additional Reading:

• Whrrl review from Mashable: http://mashable.com/2009/03/13/whrrl-iphone/
• How to use Whrrl: http://whrrl.com/story/show/243
• MusicIsMyDayJob on Whrrl: http://whrrl.com/person/17608794/Jared_Covington
  (admittedly a work in progress–add us as a friend and let’s tell a story together!)

The first time that I saw the movie Once (affiliate link), it was via a less-than-perfect DVD copy in a conference room with two dozen music industry executives, assistants and interns. It was sometime in 2006 when I was still employed by a major record company, and we were watching the film to determine if both the movie and soundtrack justified a release in the U.S., and, if so, through which of our distribution channels.

As the film ended and several of us wiped tears from our eyes, one of the top executives (actually, the top executive) claimed that it would not sell more than a few thousand copies at most and said that, if we were to release it, it should go through our indie distributor, assuming the film even did anything at the box office.  Needless to say, I had some choice comments for this executive, though I can’t remember anything more specific from that conversation other than the word “heartless” and the phrase, “Did we just watch the same move?”

Of course, the film went on to earn more than $10 Million in the US alone, garnering an Oscar and various other awards along the way, not to mention the many soundtrack album sales, as well as Swell Season tour dates, increased sales from albums by The Frames and more.

*****

I watched this movie again over the weekend, and found myself just as impressed as I had been way-back-when in that sterile conference room (and my wife was similarly moved, especially as she was actually seeing it for the first time).  The delicate song arrangements, the honest performances and the subdued conclusion get me every time.

My point?

This is just one of many examples of how some of the most impressive and most successful music has been rejected by the music industry’s gate-keepers time and time again.  If you believe in what you do–if you believe in the music that you create–then trust that others will as well.

You’re audience is out there–don’t let a clueless gatekeeper tell you otherwise.

Comments? Thoughts? More suggestions? Share in the comments below or via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for more articles and useful goodness for independent musicians.

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(full disclosure: all Amazon links in this post are affiliate links)

Most artists find completing one album a daunting task, so when we heard that the independent musician Mark Marshall was not only going to release four albums over the course of the next year, but also a documentary film, as well as launch a subscription-based social media experience around the creation of said albums, we had to discover if there was a method to his apparent madness.  Mark graciously accepted our email interview request and has given MusicIsMyDayJob a behind-the-scenes look at how and why he is doing this, as well as the challenges it presents to him as an independent artist.

This is the final entry in our three-part interview series with Mark, examining the ways that he is using social media to both promote and shape the final outcome. You can visit yesterday’s post on how he is funding and creating the back-end to do all of this, and you can learn more about the genesis of the project by clicking here.

Q: What have you found are the most effective ways to spread the word about the Four for 4 project? Are you using any traditional advertising, or is the focus on past fans and social media?
A: A little of all. The beauty of a project like this is the grace of time… I’m already watching the project evolve as new members come on board, new podcasts pick up on it, websites and blogs (not unlike this one)… in some ways, it’s a very organic process, knowing that it isn’t all about a single release date… more like a release year! And with every mention, new folks find the project and come on board. But I have done a bunch of Facebook work, MySpace, Reverbnation, various webvertising in some markets, and now that the project has some meat to it, working on local media as well. To date, past fans, including and especially podcasters, have been just phenomenal. Big shout out here to Dave Lee from the Bugcast, Skys and everyone from Indie Showcase and Awesomeradio.net, Wahya from Pheonixradio.net and Steve from the Dalecast…all diehard supporters, and I am incredibly thankful for them. There are more on the way…thanks to them in advance.

Q: This takes you from being a solitary musician to an active tribe leader (in social media terms)–how comfortable are you with that new role?
A: Very – and in ways you wouldn’t necessarily think of. The very nature of what I do is solitary to a point, in terms of the fact that I write, record and perform all the stuff myself… even though on this project, I am, for the first time, involving other musicians to a small degree. Having this “tribe” along adds an impetus that was previously just a hope in traditional music distribution – you write and record an album, and then hope someone wants to listen to it. In this case, there are already people listening – which is a wonderful gift. Bear in mind what I said about being a listener… I still cherish that experience, and hope to hell that what I create will provide someone else with that in the end. But I signed up for that role in creating the project to begin with, so yeah – I’m very comfortable with it.

Q: What are you doing to actively build the community that is developing as the project progresses? How involved are you with the comments and discussions on the website, and how do you find time to create music with these added responsibilities?
A: Well, obviously I have duties to promote the project, by its very nature. And this naturally builds the community. But I think the most authentic thing I can do to build the community is to be myself and keep creating – in every form I can. This includes video and written commentaries, as well as interacting with those who choose to leave comments on the site. And one of the neat parts is – I’m constantly exploring neat things to add to the site, to make it a better experience for the members – which makes the site better. As for finding the time to make the music – well, it’s my primary responsibility here, and having the project here is a constant tap on the shoulder… “psst… get back in the studio!”

Q: As many of us know, writing one song can be challenging, let alone writing four albums worth of music. Where are you finding inspiration and time to compose so much music?
A: Well, instrumentally speaking – I can write ’til the cows come home. It just flows out of me. Now from a lyrical and melodic perspective, that’s a lot tougher – ’cause it’s difficult for me to write about something I don’t care about. But one more beautiful facet of this project is that it pulls this stuff out of me. It makes me constantly turn my attention to it – so I find myself looking at things through a writer’s eye more than I would otherwise, just because the project is here.

That having been said – talk to me at the end of the project, and I’ll let you know how much of it felt like pulling teeth. :)

Q:How comfortable are you with the idea of giving people such an intimate look into your creative process?
A: That would depend on the song, really. In some cases, the track feels so solid to me that after hearing it a number of times, even in its’ roughest form I’m reasonably sure that people who share my sensibilities about music will get it. So discomfort doesn’t apply there. In other cases, I state it right up front – “Hey – I dredged up this old song, which I kinda like – so I recorded a scratch version… whaddya think? Should I run with it?”

And look… the premise of the project is, for all intents and purposes, that a member is treated to the unvarnished. So I have to be comfortable with providing that. And, if you think about it – there’s a level of kindness folks are showing by supporting the project in the first place – which makes me more comfortable with letting it all hang out.

Q: Do you see the community shaping any of the music? For example, if you post a work-in-progress and people have specific suggestions, would you incorporate those? If they were to respond less-than-favorably to a given track, would you scrap it and move onto another?
A: Two separate aspects – the first I just addressed with asking folks about whether or not to use a particular song. But also – and this goes for life as well – one has to consider the source. I placed some tracks from my “New Eye” album on sites like garageband, where folks get to review your tracks. I can’t tell you the number of times I got comments like “great track, but the guitar has to be louder.” – where there was not one hint of guitar on it at all. Another great example – there’s a track on that album called “Something to Believe”, which has an extended intro of almost 2 minutes before the vocal starts. I can’t begin to tell you the number of people who were highly offended by that opening. Me personally? I love it. And though I did make a “radio edit” version with a shortened intro – I have gotten the most wonderful comments back from people who LOVE that intro. So, in the end – I’ll listen to anyone’s opinion, but in the end, I’ve got to be able to not just live with, but love what I produce. So every instance is different.

But I will say this – I value the opinions of the project’s members. So there isn’t a single opinion there that I won’t take very seriously.

Q: In one sense, the community members are your investors–how do you balance your responsibility to them with your artistic integrity?
A: Well, what they’re investing in to begin with is my process. It’s a healthy form of investment, in that they aren’t taking a dividend from future sales or anything – they are paying for an experience, and the finished product. So in the end, what they’re investing in IS my artistic integrity. The way I balance it is by being true to myself, communicating with them as much as I can, and making the best music I can, too.

Q: When May 1st 2010 arrives and you are looking back at the last year, how will you determine that this has been a success?
A: I’ll have survived! Seriously – I’ll have a bunch of great music done. I’ll have made some wonderful friends – which has already started to happen. I’ll have made a bit more of a name for myself, which will be really important for when I announce the next project – where I complete six albums in six weeks, while simultaneously running for public office. HA! Seriously, though… in the end, what I really love is to make music. If this project puts me closer to that, I’m blessed.

But most importantly? One night, someone will put on a pair of headphones… they’ll put on one of the albums, and they’ll have an experience that will enrich them in some way… the way that so many pieces of music have done for me in my life. If I can achieve that, well… there’s not much more I can ask.

Q: Any final words of wisdom for those who are considering something even remotely similar to this?
A: Well – I suspect that I’d be WAY better equipped to answer this after the project is done. But at this juncture, I’d say… first and foremost – be yourself. Be prepared to share it all. Accept it all. Fall in love with the process all over again. And if you’re not in love with it all, go do something else.

And stick with it. Don’t rush through it. Some of the most magical stuff I’ve ever written took months of writing, re-writing, recording, listening, rewriting and re-recording. Go listen to Elizabeth Gilbert from the TED conference about freeing yourself in the creative process. I’m JUST starting to use that, but it’s a revolutionary way of approaching your art – and incredibly self-humane.

Lastly, and most importantly – there isn’t one aspect of this that you can’t consider art. If you approach it all as art, it will all be that much more beautiful – not just the finished product, but the journey to it – which is art in and of itself.

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Special thanks to Mark Marshall for allowing our readers to learn more about this massive undertaking. You can learn more about his Four for 4 Project here.  You can also find him on Twitter.

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We hope that you’ve found this series useful. Please share any comments, thoughts or suggestions of other people you would like us to interview in the comments below or via Twitter.

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