Today it's no longer good enough to create great songs. Musicians have to be master promoters first and foremost and a jack-of–all-trades, second. A P.T. Barnum carni surrounded by mysteries and illusions of their own making.

Derek Sivers interviewed Seth Godin on his new book, Linchpin.I agree with Seth's first bit. And I'd like to summarize it, "Good is the enemy of great."This is true in everything. Especially music. I think what he's saying is that the herd mentality is still following the record company example - trying to be successful by being commercial, rather than having the balls to be passionately original and possibly great.But this is where I begin to disagree with him:"So, if the radio is already th...

The ubiquity of all genres of music and the convenience of accessing it has influenced today’s song writers, musicians and the audience. It’s much easier to rip-off something old, than it is to create something new. Inspiration and creativity have been replaced by convenience and laziness.

There are just a handful of reasons Susan Boyle has become an overnight success and broken historical records in the process. She has an amazing story, a fabulous voice, and she maintains simple traditional values. And, it doesn’t hurt that she appeared repeatedly on what remains our most powerful marketing tool – the television.

It’s not surprising that the adoption of music by brands is becoming a hot topic. There’s nothing more sticky or spreadable on the internet than music. And that’s what brands desperately need. On the other hand, music desperately needs new revenue models that brands can certainly help with.

It was a fun night at the Highland Theatre.

Lip-syncing taken to its most brutal level.

I was a jazz snob. And jazz snobs aren’t just limited to jazz musicians. There’s the aging audience too. Often, and quite understandably accused of being the jazz police. They’re the ones who are always ready with an acid stare or, if that doesn’t work, a bellicose hush, if you dare to even pass wind during a performance.