A life time in the making, today my debut album “Night Flight to London” hits over 200 global music distribution sites around the world. Thanks to Ditto Music, my digital music distributor, my music is reaching far and wide.
I have mixed emotions today. I am very excited to finally get my debut album out onto the marketplace, after many years of twists and turns behind the scenes. I have not talked publicly about everything that was going on, but it’s fair to say it was a huge disappointment to realize my UK record deal was a non-starter and that I would have to put this out all on my own. I had always been in control of my music career and had every intention of putting it out on my own, so when the label came calling, I was a bit shocked, but then I thought..hey, this could be a good thing. Huge promises were made; Conference Calls took place; Contracts were reviewed and signed; Control was given away and then with all the promise in the world, the relationship with the UK label got on its natural course. In the end, nothing was happening, delay after delay on the album release, standards in representation of me and my music were not up to par, design elements below my own standards and eventually a lot of promises on which absolutely nothing had been delivered. And, when I say nothing, I really mean less than ZERO.
I felt something was off right away with my label deal. And, I kept praying I was wrong. But I am very intuitive and I just did not want to believe what all the signs were telling me. After all, I had gone public with the UK label deal, made it a big to do, and actually thought they could bring something to the table I could not. This would not be the case. I would be that artist I swore I would never be, the one who would be too excited by the thought of a label deal to walk away. Having now experience this first hand, I can see just how hard that decision actually is. I saw it as a validation of my music. Something I desperately needed after a life time pursuit. Besides, some members of my own family felt I was crying wolf each time I told them about something I felt was significant, like this label deal. But, realists are bottom line people. Show me the money. Show me the results of your decades of efforts. Show me everything you gave up in your life was worth it..what do you have to show for it? But what they were really saying was this..”We hope you make it in this impossible field where everything thing is against you. We really truly do hope we are wrong. But since it’s been a lifetime, maybe you should just cut your losses and get a real job.”
While the British Airways contest was taking place, I was stupefied when my label did nothing to help promote it. Not even a tweet! This was a very bad sign. I realized I was on my own with this contest early on and made the decision I was going to win regardless of what the label was going to do. When I won the contest and was ready to plan my February 2011 trip to London and set an album release party, as was the plan and was the winning pitch in the contest, I could not get my calls or emails returned in a timely fashion from the label. As I was running out of time on the clock to book my ticket and also the second ticket anywhere in the world British Airways flies to promote my music, I could not get a call back to help me decided where I should go. There was no interaction to take this win and make something of it…promote it as a way to differentiate me. This was the moment we had been waiting for. Industry experts at Universal Music Group (through which my album was to be distributed in the UK), I had been told, did not think I had enough traciton to make it. Representatives told my label I was not well known enough, my fan base was not big enough. My label decided to present to them a list of every piece of news that had ever been written about me, any awards, any exposure on radio or TV. In the end, it was not enough, I was told. Universal had considered and not taken artists who had been exposed on national TV through major talent competitions, most more well known than me. And, there was a “problem” with my music I heard time and time again. One radio promoter said they did not feel they could get it played on the right stations or at all. Now, I have to tell you, this did not sound “right” to me. I mean, you are paying a promoter to get it on the Radio, their job is not to decline the work. Their job it to try to fulfill that work. But, what did I know? I was not speaking to any of these people directly and hearing it all second hand through my label. So I took it at face value.
In the end, the label had no money to spend on me. And, quite frankly that is one of the attracive things about signing with a label – financial resoucces – in theory, they have money to spend on promotion that you don’t have. What I have come to realize is that all the aspects of running a label can be outsourced. You can do it all on you own, you just need the budet or a majot work aorund to get what you need.
There was a point during the British Airways contest I was wishing I was all on my own. Wishing that I had my control back. I could not believe this UK label was doing so little and that I had signed away my control. I was embarrassed. So, toward the end, during a conference call with my label where I was told, once again, there were “problems” with my music, I jumped at the chance to get out. And they did not argue with me. They admitted they did not have the budget to spend on me. They felt bad. They apologized. But, I was happy to be finally shutting the door on an 18 month waste of time and energy. I had essentially made the decision to leave, long before I actually did.
So, now, here I am, Monday, October 3, 2011 and this day is so full of promise. I have my album out on the marketplace through my own label, Jennie Girl™ Music, and I am back in control and in the middle of major work arounds to get what I need with a tiny budget. It feels good. It feels right, It feels so much better. It feels like the way it is supposed to be.
The moral of the story? My mother use to say “Never let anyone do for you what you can do for yourself.” And, in the internet age for DIY artists, it’s never been more true than it is today.
So, come join me as I make my own personal history with my music. Buy the album for $9.99 or a single for $0.99 – it all helps!
Just like the lyrics in my song say It’s Our Time.
IT’S OUR TIME
I’ve been through, more than you know
And I’ve held tight to my dreams all along
And this time, it’s my night
And I’m glowing from the victory with you by my side
I’ve walked tall, as others made light
I was still serious, with what I knew was right
It’s our life, it’s our time
For our dreams to rule and our spirits to fly
Come with me and we’ll make history
Claim your spot it’s our victory
Now I’ve found my own voice, and I speak from the heart
It’s our time. It’s our time. It’s our time.
Now it’s time, to take flight
To put to good use all those lessons of life
Over time, you will see
Changes when you put your faith in me
Come with me and we’ll make history
Claim your spot it’s our victory
Now I’ve found my own voice, and I speak from the heart
It’s our time. It’s our time. It’s our time.
Let it show that dreams can come true
Nothing can stop us, a change is due
This is worth fighting for
Give it every thing and more
Come with me and we’ll make history
Claim your spot it’s our victory
Now I’ve found my own voice, and I speak from the heart
It’s our time. It’s our time. It’s our time.
Come with me and we’ll make history
Claim your spot it’s our victory
Now I’ve found my own voice, and I speak from the heart
It’s our time. It’s our time. It’s our time.
Now I’ve found my own voice, and I speak from the heart
It’s our time. It’s our time. It’s our time.
ALSO:
This month, the third of 6 months of inflight audio placement on British Airways, my album in in the Easy Listening Section with very good company such as Paul Simon, Michael Feinstein, Eva Cassidy,
Michael Ball, Johnny Mathis, and others:
LINK TO HIGH LIFE MAG HERE
