Log In
Members
Home
Add Reply
Add Topic
Topic RSS
11:49 am
June 23, 2015
Offline
QuoteHi everyone, I'm pretty new here. My name is Patrick, an Italian musician based in London, UK. Thank you John for this amazing resource!
In the last two-three years I've made a living as a session player and music teacher (you can find my story so far here => http://www.patrickpezzutto.co.uk) and although it's been a pretty exciting journey, I've always had that voice in my head saying "why don't you do your own stuff?". And I think the time has come!
I'm trying to catch up with all the monthly training, yesterday I went through the "Developing your brand" episode, which was very eye-opening!
I totally agree with what John and Scott say: to better connect with your audience (and sell) your brand should be consistent.
My main ISSUE with that is: as listener I've always loved artists that weren't afraid of crossing different genres and constantly reinvent themselves. Like Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, Led Zeppelin. They strived to let the music flourish and unfold in a way that it would have never been possible if they clamped it down early in the creative process.
Probably due to my broad musical taste (which I've always considered a good thing), when I write I tend to come up with very different kind of songs. I tried to define my main creative "veins" and they are:
1) FUNK/JAZZ/SOUL: Think Snarky Puppy with Lalah Hathaway, a bit of Zappa. Funky grooves, big brass section, soulful vocals, improvisational moments. These are two songs I wrote last year in this "style":
Call Me A Fool https://www.youtube.com/watch?.....KiAgrVkAwU ; Funky Thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?.....LghN6IYGxI
2) ROCK/ACOUSTIC ROCK/PSYCHEDELIC: Think Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. Acoustic moments alternating with rockier riffs, a touch of psychedelic guitar/organ. Songs are mainly about social issues, things that i find wrong.
3) ACOUSTIC POP: Think pop/country acoustic music, simpler songs. Lyrics are mainly about feelings or everyday stories (usually involving girls
)
4) BASS: Think Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Avishai Cohen. Being my first instrument I sometimes write melodies and grooves on the bass. Which is the most prominent instrument in these compositions. Songs are usually instrumentals but I would like to try to add vocals.
To wrap it up, my MAIN QUESTION is: What now? Shall I cultivate these veins separately, maybe work on two or three different albums (or most likely EP's). Can i make them fit under the same name? If so how can I develop a consistent brand? Should I consider working on entirely different projects?
I should mention, my main vision is for me to be the artist/composer (under a different name) and feature different singers and musicians on each song, a bit like Zappa. Or a more contemporary example, Mark Ronson.
Sorry for the long parchment, but I really feel that if I define my vision better at the beginning, it will be easier to do everything else.
Looking forward to everyone's thoughts!! 🙂
Patrick Pezzutto
Musician and Online Marketer - http://www.patrickpezzutto.co.uk -
Want to make a great living as an affiliate online? Let me introduce you to my mentors Stuart and Jay, sign up for a FREE 7 Day Video Bootcamp here!
6:10 am
February 16, 2014
Offline
Hey Patrick,
Man I can totally relate. I too have other people and bands I support with my drumming and bass playing, and consider at least a couple of those as close to home (almost) as my original stuff. AND I did hired gun stuff for groups I wasn't passionate about. Learned and grew from all of it.
My genre is Eccentric Bass Rock (like Primus, Flea, even Larry Graham ect.).
But I also am passionate about Backyard "fire-pit" acoustic like stuff (like Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson ect.), and even some hip-hop (nerdy like Childish Gambino, conscious like Lauryn Hill, percussive and articulate like Eminem).
That branding lesson was my favorite too- I defined my brand when I realized the thing that set me apart from everyone else was my bass playing and singing: "Like Jimi Hendrix with a bass. A bass troubadour." Also- this happened to be the thing I desired to do most.
I called it "Eccentric Bass Rock" and found an advertising niche. It has a VERY unique, distinct, instantly recognizable sound. I look forward to producing the hip-hop stuff with the same sound ~so there's a sonic brand. It's fun to look forward to starting different sales funnels for different brands down the line: almost like a music label.
I'm having so much fun in the present doing the one style I have the most DESIRE for: Eccentric Bass Rock. And believe me man, I can TOTALLY relate to your question because I also gravitate towards artists that have diverse sounds: Dave Matthews Band, Prince, David Byrne... It's kinda fun to think of the consistent branding that even THOSE artists have.
I found it easy to settle on one thing, as far as developing a consistent brand, when I realized I had the strongest desire to do one of those things: and that thing is Eccentric Bass Rock. That style also sets me apart as unique and different in a positive way. Cheers man, you guys sound really good!
-Brian
11:57 am
June 23, 2015
OfflineHey Brian, thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts! And thanks for the love! 😉
I can see where you're coming from, you definitely have a unique style, also there aren't as many bass/singers as guitarist/singers around which definitely helps you stand out. (Btw I tried to download your tracks from your site, but i haven't received a confirmation mail yet, not even in the spam folder!)
I reckon the first thing I should do is to write as much as i can and once I have a good bunch of songs I'll hopefully start to see which style is the one I enjoy the most, and I can be the most productive with.
I think I can try to "merge" 3 of these genres together and write some "bass-centric" funk with shades of jazz and soul, mixed with some rock guitars and riffs and some psychedelic moments 
And perhaps work on the more "poppy" ideas as a separate thing.
Very happy to see you're doing well, the world needs more BASS!! ahah Give us a shout if you happen to be in London!
All the best,
Pat
Patrick Pezzutto
Musician and Online Marketer - http://www.patrickpezzutto.co.uk -
Want to make a great living as an affiliate online? Let me introduce you to my mentors Stuart and Jay, sign up for a FREE 7 Day Video Bootcamp here!
7:48 pm
February 16, 2014
OfflineHey Patrick,
1st of all I'm really happy you signed up, and sorry for the non-delivery of the tracks- Did you get an email at all? Here are your free tracks: http://brianrogersmusic.com/fr.....ds.zip If you got a link that didn't work, please copy and paste it here if you get a second I'd like to take a look. Thanks, and again here are your free tracks:
http://brianrogersmusic.com/fr.....nloads.zip
I think that everyone has a hook, esp. a band with the skill y'all have. I like your idea of merging all the more soulful elements together into a trippy mix. Sounds cool. I feel you though because Pop has it's place. The process of narrowing down exactly what Eccentric Bass Rock means to me and my brand has immensely brought out the musical nuances of my new sounds. In short, it's ALSO helping the creative process!
I think you're on the complete right track with your thinking, what ever musical avenue you choose. None of the practices John teaches can hurt, they can only help sharpen your skills marketing wise AND artistically. Cheers to going for it, and thanks for checking out my music, mean a lot!
-Brian
1:37 am
June 7, 2011
Offline
Hey Patrick,
Great to have you here in the forum.
One thing to remember is that people aren't consuming the album until after they buy it. So what they see on the outside is much more concise than what they experience when they become true fans. Meaning that you can take just one or two songs that best encapsulate the over all vibe of what you do, match an image to that sound, and then still have a lot of eclectic qualities on the album and beyond. But I'd try to tie it all together with a few defining tracks, production, and imaging.
I'd also keep in mind that when we look back at someone like Frank Zappa's career it seems all over the place sonically. But when we listen to individual albums they are much more cohesive. There is nothing wrong with rebranding yourself along the way. Many artists do it all the time. But to successfully make an album appealing, I personally think it needs to be distilled down a bit into something that fans and potential buyers can understand before they pull out their wallets.
That make sense?
Having trouble with your marketing? Wish you could have an experienced direct-to-fan marketing expert look over your actual campaigns, music, or content and offer feedback? Or perhaps you’re just looking for a little one-on-one assistance so you can ask questions that pertain to your specific goals and get a second, more experienced, perspective? Click here to book a session with me now.
10:57 am
June 23, 2015
OfflineHey Brian, I received the emails actually, I really like your ideas and you definitely have found your sound! Pretty dope bass playing and vocals too! Thanks for your support, and I look forward to hearing what you will be releasing next!
Hi John, and thanks for your feedback. I totally agree, my plan is to spend the next few weeks developing the ideas I've got (10-12 songs) and find one or two that could represent what I do best, and hopefully in the process I'll also discover a "thread" that connects all of them, which is something I can't see yet.
Then it should be easier (I hope) to develop my brand's look and find my target audience, do you think that's a good way to proceed?
I also agree that all the artists I mentioned were good at putting out records that sounded as a whole, while constantly reinventing themselves. And that in an album you still have room for a few "odd" songs that stand out from your "main" sound. One example that came to my mind is Nothing Else Matters by Metallica, which definitely stands out in that album, but paradoxically was the most successful!
Thank you both again!
Pat
Patrick Pezzutto
Musician and Online Marketer - http://www.patrickpezzutto.co.uk -
Want to make a great living as an affiliate online? Let me introduce you to my mentors Stuart and Jay, sign up for a FREE 7 Day Video Bootcamp here!
11:31 pm
June 7, 2011
Offline
Hey Pat,
Yes, I think that sounds like a good way to proceed. Keep us posted on your progress.
Cheers.
Having trouble with your marketing? Wish you could have an experienced direct-to-fan marketing expert look over your actual campaigns, music, or content and offer feedback? Or perhaps you’re just looking for a little one-on-one assistance so you can ask questions that pertain to your specific goals and get a second, more experienced, perspective? Click here to book a session with me now.
12:11 pm
June 23, 2015
OfflineThanks John, I will 
Patrick Pezzutto
Musician and Online Marketer - http://www.patrickpezzutto.co.uk -
Want to make a great living as an affiliate online? Let me introduce you to my mentors Stuart and Jay, sign up for a FREE 7 Day Video Bootcamp here!
9:55 pm
February 16, 2014
OfflineHey Pat,
Right on man I'm glad everything got delivered. Thanks a lot man, I'll certainly send you the latest stuff I've been working on soon!
Good to talk with you, seems like you guys have rocked many faces off and you're smartly distilling what you do down to it's purest form.
Cheers,
B
1 Guest(s)
