We are on the dawn of a new horizon, the opening of what we hope to be a new chapter in New Jersey music history - and we want all of you to be a part of it!
MUSIC Incorporated is the culmination of what started as a "hey, what if..." idea from Crystal that has come to fruition through a lot of hard work (no doubt, in part, because someone said she couldn't do it).
Just as we all can't live the lives of the Bradys, Huxtables, or Kardasians - not all artists can receive the love and adulation of Fox Network viewers and get that almighty record deal. What we present to you is no game show or popularity contest – it’s real. Really having to sell tickets, really having to write songs, really struggling to balance a job with achieving what they hope to be a career in music.
We have pride in NJ (just as you have pride in your local scene) but this is for everybody who is part of a local music scene - as an artist or a fan. The musical landscape has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. Business is done differently and business comes first; now more than ever. Every business needs to keep an eye on the "bottom line,” but in the music business a hefty price is being paid at the expense of our artists.
Our hope is that American Idol viewers watch our show too. To see what actually goes .. the glitz and glamour. If you really sat down and looked at it, MUSIC Incorporated may be more suitably compared to Dirty Jobs – showing jobs that most of us would never want to do.
All of us are going to be checking in and writing blogs to keep you involved and up-to-date during the course of the show. Things are coming along and we're all excited for the premier. We are looking forward to meeting a lot of people from our area and around the NJ music scene.
This show is really about and for all of us.
We are in a situation where some of our independent clubs are gone (Birch Hill, JJ Rockers, Playpen, Mother’s) and some of that is our own fault. Music fans haven't been as supportive as they were back in the day. At the same time, the bands have to take some responsibility too.
In a perfect world, the mere mention that your band is playing would bring out 500 people with no effort on your part. Since the world isn't perfect (or at least what it used to be), you have to work at it. The clubs can't survive without the bands, the bands can't survive without the fans - it's all part of the "circle of life".
We still have some great independent venues (The Saint, The Cup, Seven Days, Dingbatz to name a few) but the challenge remains the same. We need to come together and support one another in order to revive the best scene in the country. We can also bring it to a point where the larger corporate venues can see it being strong enough to regularly have local nights.
When you have people coming to see you, ask them to come out early and stay for the night. You sold the ticket so that takes care of your band, if they stay and support all the bands on the bill (meaning staying in the club and drinking at the bar) that supports the entire scene.
So here is our chance to bring some more people into the NJ scene – through MUSIC Incorporated. Of course we want the show to be a success, but we see our success translating into success for local scenes across the country. So spread the word! Support the bands - see what they're doing right and what they're doing wrong but most important, give a listen and see if you like what you hear.
Welcome to MUSIC Incorporated!
. . . it’s all about the music
(check back often for news and updates)
