Vol 3, Issue 7: Drugs = Bad for Business, but Good for the Soul?

Despite the fatal health risks associated with substance abuse (including, but not limited to death!), not to mention the high probability of finding out that you fathered a child years after a forbidden drug-induced affair and that said child has been told that someone else was her daddy since birth because, let’s face it, addicts don’t make good parents (happened to Steven Tyler, could happen to you), as we learned last week, the “marriage” between drugs and rock’n’roll, although obviously a rocky one, has been longstanding. And as for the sex part of the equation? Well, just as alcohol has the wondrous effect of lowering one’s inhibitions (translation: makes you act like a slut), drugs do even more to get your mojo a-kicking. Hence, all of the stories of weird (and often disturbing) hookups that you hear about, like that of David Bowie and Mick Jagger!

Partly because of the fragile nature of most musicians, but mostly on account of how the industry itself is structured, this unfortunate image of the “true rockstar” continues to be perpetuated from generation to generation creating serious consequences (and pressures) for the up and coming musician. It’s quite a rep to live up to, and of course, the media’s glamourization of this lifestyle as being the epitome of “rock’n’roll” doesn’t help either. However, I would be a hypocrite to assert that all of the excesses of our past rock’n’rollers have left us with nothing of value. In fact, some of my favourite artists including Jimi Hendrix, I know with absolute certainty, have been inspired from drug-induced states and/or written in response to having one too many close calls with The Reaper, himself.

As pointed out by fellow musician, and my close personal friend, Jesse Tomes, there is a difference between drug use and drug abuse, and in Tomes’ opinion, the artists who’ve been successful in mastering intake moderation are those who have been able to utilize the effects of narcotics in a positive way through their art. No one can argue that Pink Floyd or the later records of The Beatles (which some purport as their greatest work) would have ever come into fruition without the assistance of certain illegal substances. The Beatles, for that matter, even came right out to say that they “got by with a little help from their friends,” - the same friends with whom, as the song states a stanza later, they got high.

But on the other side of things, despite Tomes’ arguments, I would still suggest that there are far more examples of drugs gone wrong as illustrated by the ever-growing population cited on what’s been called, Music’s Most Infamous Death Club, a list of entertainers who’ve lost their lives at the tender age of only 27 years. Further, even for the recovering addicts who managed to miss the bullet earlier on, it’s not as though they are shining examples of health today. Let’s be honest, Keith Richards looks like a walking zombie ready to keel over at any minute, and as for Ozzy, no one on earth can understand what the hell he is saying except for his devoted wife, Sharon (bless her for putting up with him). Despite the fact that both of these icons of rock used to flaunt their bad boy images (and everything that these personas entailed), during interviews, I’ve heard both of them denounce their past behaviour(s) because of the crippled states that it has left them in today. Unfortunately, irrespective of both Richards’ and Osbourne’s acts of penance, the image of the drugged up rocker still remains “the image of cool, and this has devastating consequences for up and coming artists; just look at what recently happened to The Pink Spiders, a Nashville-based band who many labels saw as “promising” just a few years back; in fact, there was a bidding war to sign them.

Like so many previous surefire bands, they fell victim to excessive drug use, and royally fucked themselves out of ever having a shot at fame. The all too familiar story went as follows: record exec saw young talented act, and decided to make them an offer of upfront cash that they could not refuse. Being young, idealistic, and unaware of the fact that upfront monies are required by contract to be paid back if their record sales failed to impress their label (information they could’ve read in their contract if they weren’t messed up on drugs), the band then went and blew all of their cash on yet more drugs and other equally noxious vices. The record label pressured the act to put out hit after hit (in shorter and shorter timeframes) and the touring schedule was continually added to until it seemed endless. Shows started to get sloppy, and consequently, ticket sales diminished. Soon, the upfront monies started to run out, and incoming profits reached an all-time low. Inter-band turmoil mounted, members need to be replaced, and finally it all came to a screeching halt when the label decided that they no longer wanted to invest in the act, and that all of the previously conferred monies were to be re-imburst immediately or litigation would be pursued. The remaining members tried to regroup and make amends with their previous business contacts, but the label had already moved on. The band members, are now struggling to find any job to pay the bills (usually, most musicians who fall victim to this circumstance have also unfortunately failed to achieve higher than a highschool education), and will likely remain indebt to their label well into their elder years. All songwriting credits are now owned by the label, and any residuals that could’ve been made from licensing are lost.

If that’s not convincing that drugs are bad for business, I don’t know what else would be! Suffice it to say, drug use makes you vulnerable to manipulation, and clearly record labels aren’t too low to take advantage of this weakness (whatever makes for more money right?)

Irrespective of cases such as the one just described, the problem, in Tomes’ view, is not drug use in itself, rather, it is the fact that we rarely hear about the cases of constructive narcotic use; something he blames on the media’s love for sensationalization and scandal. According to Tomes, because the slant is biased in favour of depicting “rockers of rehab”, drug abuse is normalized, and addiction as a lifestyle comes to be seen as a required component to making music for a living.

Tomes believes that the vast majority of the population (clearly, myself excluded) actually participates in drug culture, in one way or another, including our lawyers, our teachers, and the members of society whom we deem as “functional”, but this remains a little known fact because most people, as a result of moderate drug consumption, don’t do anything wrong while “high” on life. Further, Tomes argues that proper drug use, regardless of whether you are a musician or not, can aid in meditation, spiritual growth and enlightenment - practises that I too agree are positive and important in regards to maintaining a balanced psyche.

Regardless, the choice is clearly YOURS. As demonstrated, there are benefits (if done properly), and consequences (if not) to the practise of narcotic consumption in the music industry. Though, as I stated at the beginning, many of my own favourite artists have been serious doers of drugs, I do wonder whether drug-induced art may limit one’s audience. As someone who prides herself on trying to maintain high esteem for all of the artists of the past who’ve revolutionized what we know today as the music industry, I still myself struggling to really “get” psychedelic artists like Pink Floyd, or their musical offspring, Tool. Maybe I should take a trip down to Kansas with Dorothy while grooving to the soothing tunes of the “Dark Side of the Moon” and consuming a little LSD. On second thought, maybe not. After all, I firmly believe, musical genres exist to appeal to everyone, and clearly, not all genres are meant to be “gotten” by everyone equally.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 3, Issue 6: The Origins of Sex, Drugs, & Rock’n’Roll

When we conceptualize the lifestyle of the prototypical rockstar, it is one that is associated with excesses in their many forms: namely exorbitant promiscuity, and copious narcotic consumption. While the pop culture expression, “sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll” didn’t begin to permeate the public consciousness until the 1960s and was further popularized by a ‘77’s single by Ian Dury, this image of the celebrity musician is nothing new.

According to music history buffs, this portrait of the rockstar actually originated in ancient times and is a modern figure of speech derived from the Greek hendiatris (a literary technique in which three words are used to express one idea), “women, wine, and song.” As apparent from its original expression, (which connotes a gender bias in favour of males as the adored performers, and women as the fanatical groupies) sexism within the music industry is nothing new either, but this is a topic we will look more into at a later date.

For the time being, I thought it would be interesting if we attacked the issue of drug culture and musicianship from both sides of the debate. Joined by my good friend, talented lead guitarist, industrial music lover, and extreme sports junkie, Jesse Tomes, in this issue and the next, we will examine the use and abuse of drugs in the music industry and both the benefits and the consequences of this from the artist’s perspective. As an avid anti-drug activist, I will naturally be taking the oppositional stance. But, before we get into the effects of this kind of lifestyle, let’s take a look at why artists and substance abuse have, for so long, gone hand in hand.

As I’ve stated in previous articles, many musicians (not all, but a great majority) first get involved in music as a means to soothe their pain. Whether the sons or daughters of abusive parents, those who’ve struggled with poverty, discrimination, and/or never felt as though they fit in, musicians often come to the table with a great deal of emotional distress, baggage, deep-seated resentment, and bitterness towards the world and anyone who stands in their way, to say the least. While their tortured souls prove beneficial for writing truly inspiring songs, their fragile states leave them in a position in which they are all too easy to take advantage of. In addition to partaking in songwriting as an outlet for their turmoil, before they even get their earliest tastes of fame, musicians are often already participating in semi-regular drug use as an additional form of emotional support and escapism. While smoking the occasional joint will likely not hurt themselves or any of their friends in a major way, their vulnerability as well as the structure of the music industry itself, makes the transition towards harder drugs frighteningly simple to slip into.

For starters, clubowners, irrespective of one’s career juncture, frequently propose alcohol and/or drugs to musicians as the form of payment for a performance, and if they (the clubowners) don’t blatantly try to screw over musicians with this tactic, they will at the least encourage a good snort after a job well done in the pleasure of their company. Not to sound too much like your VIP teacher from grade six, but this is a form of peer pressure that is difficult (but not impossible) to challenge, especially when you are outnumbered by fellow musicians and promoters alike, who embrace this lifestyle. Seeing as networking constitutes an essential part of any successful artist’s life, avoiding these after-show meet and greets could prove detrimental to one’s embarking career. So what’s an artist to do? An old trick that Gene Simmons likes to pull is to drink gingerale at such meetings as its resemblance to beer is rather uncanny, but how he would fake hitting a line of coke, well I don’t think anyone’s figured out a solution to that, as of yet.

Next, because of the incessant touring that is required for any band to establish a decent following, sleep deprivation and poor nutrition become additional battles with which musicians must contend. An easy solution embraced by so many artists of the past comes in the form of amphetamines (aka speed or uppers). Of course, the musicians who begin popping these pills almost always state that it’ll be a temporary thing, just until they are off the road, forgetting that in fact, drugs of this nature do have the potential to become highly addictive, and are known for producing serious withdrawal symptoms. To cope with the same issue in a slightly different manner, other popular drugs of choice are hallucinogens, which allow artists to temporarily escape reality. By no means would I ever support this kind of thing, but in this situation, when you are driving endlessly across the countryside to play a few 45 minute sets which may or may not be worth your while, one’s stress and frustration levels are ridiculously high, and I can appreciate why so many artists feel they have no other choice, but to numb the experience by going on a temporarily vacation (at least, psychologically).

What few people realize is just how unglamourous touring actually is. It is not until you are in the big leagues (and I mean in a seriously major act that’s been around for at least a decade) that you will be provided with the luxury of a tour bus equipped with bunkbeds, a fridge, shower, and a personal driver. For the rest of us lowly indies, it is you and your fellow bandmates splitting up the driving and taking turns spooning each other in the back of your van which will invariably breakdown, and get broken into, at least once on each of your roadtrips.

Finally, and in my opinion the biggest contributor to perpetuating, “sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll” as the norm and the expected behaviour of rockstars, is the media and its convention of glamourizing musicians who participate in this type of lifestyle, and by doing so, making it seem cool to aspire to be just like them some day. While most music rags don’t outwardly promote this kind of conduct as something desirable, the fact that they are more willing to devote page space to stories about drugged up rockers speaks for itself. As the audience of said magazines is largely composed of young, highly impressionable, and idealistic youth, what kind of message does this send?

It makes drugs seem cool, and makes people such as Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue), who was officially pronounced dead for two minutes on Dec 23th, 1987, and then revived by two adrenaline shots to the heart by a Crue-loving paramedic only to return to his house that very same night to ingest more heroin, seem even cooler. In my opinion, considering all of the trials and tribulations that our youth have to deal with today, this is hardly the kind of message that we should be sending them. It shows that the repercussions for substance abuse are trivial, at best, and that playing music and getting high is what will gain them fame, fortune, and of course, in the words of the boys of Crue themselves, “girls, girls, girls.”

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 3, Issue 5: Talking Shop with Alan Cross: An Exploration of Music, Making it, & Canadian Mass Consumption

When inquiring among music consumers as to why they enjoy particular “popular” tracks, I all too often hear the heart-sinking reply that it’s because they find said tracks “catchy and easy to dance to.” We’ve gotten to a point in music listening in which lyrical content has sunk to such minimal importance that artists such as Katy Perry (aka Katy Hudson) who began as bible-totting “holier than thou” gospel singers, can take on new last names, and start singing about lesbian affairs. Worst yet, despite these blatant hypocrisies, and obvious marketing ploys, no one seems the wiser.

Back in the hippie days however, musicians, such as Bob Dylan, were not merely considered the producers of a consumable art form, but rather the people looked up to them to be their voice, and to address issues, in their lyrics (among other places), that needed addressing.

This apparent debasement of the musical craft has left me contemplating how it is possible that we have come so far technologically, and globally, yet lost so much of the dignity that the music industry once had, in the process? The only person I felt capable of taking on the challenge of responding to this query of mine was music history guru and host of the infamously popular radio show, The Ongoing History of New Music: the one, the only Mr. Alan Cross.

Though our discussion with each other regarding the music industry’s current state of affairs did enjoy a fair amount of bantering and debate (including a dissection of the character, that is, Madonna) as he took the position of the industry and business expert, and I, the one of the lowly indie rocker, out of our, at times, heated discourse, we came to the conclusion that we have at least three convictions in common:

1) there is no easy or quick solution to the current illegal downloading situation

2) the ease of access with which people can obtain music as well as the over-saturation of the music marketplace has led to a devaluing of the art form coupled with superficial music listening, and finally,

3) the Canadian music industry really needs to bone up and acknowledge all of the talent that it has given birth to, otherwise we are going to continue to lose our best acts to the US of A.

On that final point, Cross went so far as to say that Canada has an inferiority complex when it comes to its artistic offerings; hence the reason why so many Canuck acts have to break in foreign markets, before they get recognized in the True North Strong and Free. He feels our national preference for “egalitarian mediocrity” (as opposed to elite excellence) is also the driving force behind industry standardization regimes such as Cancon which force radio djs to spin a certain percentage of Canadian content on a weekly basis in order to honour quota mandates. Such programs, in Alan’s view, prevent Canadian artists from ever being taken seriously on the world stage.

For those of you unfamiliar with the colossal CV that Mr. Cross has managed to amass for himself, before we get too deep into our interview, I feel it’s necessary to provide a brief (and hopefully entertaining) overview of some of the highlights of his life, thus far:

Alan grew up in a small rural Prairie community in which FM radio ceased to exist and one of the few venues that actually sold music, in a consumable form, was a clothing store named Robinson’s, of all places. It was 1974 and The Ramones hadn’t yet formed. The Beatles had fallen out of favour, and Led Zep and The Rolling Stones were far too exotic for someone who was secluded from urban life, and reared in the sticks. Contrary to the alterna-head image with which Cross is now notoriously linked, the first album that Alan ever set his sights on was the work of, perhaps, the industry’s most ultimate diva.

It wasn’t Madonna (she didn’t launch until ‘83), Cher was still doing her thing with Sonny, Celine Dion was, likewise, still ”in the making”, and though Tina Turner would have been a viable option for the prelude to Alan’s remarkable career, the credit goes to a Sir Elton John and a certain dance variety involving crocodiles who like to rock.

From that point onwards (well perhaps, after puberty set in), Cross bounced from radio joe-job to radio joe-job acquiring as much technical, and media know-how as possible, as well as endeavouring to expand his musical horizons to include everything from highly experimental jazz to bands he describes as psychedelic versions of Jesus & The Mary Chain to straight up unapologetic fuzzy alt- grunge rock like that of, whose origins have been credited to, Nirvana. In fact, Nirvana’s very existence marks a rather important juncture in Cross’ career.

As one of the radio djs burdened with the task of delivering the news of Cobain’s tragic end back in 1994, it is clear that this is a band to which Cross will forever remain emotionally attached. Though he is the first to acknowledge that Nirvana were, in actuality, a fluke, and that their success can largely be attributed to the fact that the world was ready for a bunch of “hard rocking cynical anti-stars”, he is also the first to defend the brilliance of Nevermind, and the important lasting effects of Nirvana’s influence.

According to The Edge 102.1's official website, Alan’s flagship show, The Ongoing History of New Music, debuted in February 1993, and since then, has aired more than 600 episodes, all researched, written and produced solely by Alan, himself. The Ongoing History is currently syndicated through almost a dozen stations across Canada, has spun off four books and more than a dozen CD compilations, and currently holds the title as the longest-running music documentary in Canada. Alan has additionally appeared as a guest on various TV and radio shows, written official biographies for a variety of rock bands including The Making of NIN’s Pretty Hate Machine & Downward Spiral, narrated TV shows, documentaries and info-mercials, and written articles for both newspapers and magazines, alike.

In other words, if radio djs were allotted the same degree of celebrity as rockstars, Alan Cross would undeniably be the media world’s James Brown sharing the joint title of the “hardest working man in showbiz”. It’s this astonishing work ethic, and sea of accomplishment, together with his personal ascend from humble roots, that formulates the basis for his perspectives regarding today’s indie musician.

When asked what advice he had to offer to the current independent artist, Alan, unfalteringly, began with “the world doesn’t owe you anything”. Admiring bands such as Oasis, who triumphed despite arising from hidden backdrops of familial abuse, poverty, and alcoholism, Alan believes that being a musician, “is supposed to be hard, and if your stuff isn't good enough, or if the public chooses not to like it, there's nothing you can do about it.” However, in saying that, Cross still maintains an optimistic, if somewhat idealistic, view.

Although for any musician (and media personality like Cross), one’s relationship with the internet is ambivalent at best, Cross acknowledges that the net has provided today’s musicians with a power that none of their predecessors could’ve ever dreamed of experiencing. Without leaving the comfort of one’s home, musicians are now able to record, disseminate, and exploit their art to global proportions. But, there is another side to this coin: because production technology, that is capable of making even the most tone-deaf drowning cat-esque vocalists sound melodic, is so widely available, and because the vast majority of the social networking sites that bands use to campaign themselves are free, the competition is beyond steep. And so, in Alan’s eyes, if you truly want to get the attention of a larger label (which he feels is necessary for success), you need to provide them with a turnkey solution: that being, a product that is pre-packaged and ready to export to the grand stage. The only way to do this (and I can contend) is to work your ass off playing lots of gigs, developing your fan base, and making sure that all of the people who come out to support you are always taken care of so that their loyalty sustains.

Though I think Cross makes a valid point regarding how so many musicians underestimate the work involved in “making it”, I personally believe that he’s missed a central feature to his provided equation for success: as talented and as marketable as your act may be, whether you like it or not, there is still an element of luck involved, and often (more often than they should), connections trump everything.

With his expansive musical knowledge, I’m sure that Cross could list tons of bands that haven’t made it that should have, and equally on the other side of things, tons of bands who did make it who shouldn’t have. But, in his defence, Cross would argue my rebuttal by stating that we require the bubble-gum mainstream artists to appeal to the masses in order to generate new capital that can be invested in underground acts that are really doing something interesting. The problem with this formula however, is exactly the fact that it has become too formulaic, and almost invariably, once a unique indie gets picked up by a label, they are transformed into the hit making machine that began the whole process, therefore never allowing mass consumption of, in my opinion, “good” music. But obviously, this is clearly a matter of tastes, and neither one of us can be more right than the other.

Putting our differences aside for the time being however, I think its important for me to express my high degree of respect for Mr. Cross and to acknowledge, that myself, as well as all of you, my fellow musicians, could learn a great deal from what this man has to offer, and so we ought to respond to his benefactions in the only way that is appropriate in the realm of wireless telegraphy: that being, all ears.

Mimicking the aims of the great musicians of the past who made this industry what it is today, Cross himself is an artist in his own right as it is clear that his mission is both to educate and inspire.

Taking this into consideration, his loyalty to the radio waves makes perfect sense because when people need to know if things are safe, and/or want to keep in touch with the rest of the planet without having to be tied to the computer, it is the FM dial to which they naturally turn.

Though he’s been almost 30 years “in the making”, I think its fair to assert that Alan Cross has most certainly made it. Long gone are his days of broadcasting out of what he terms an “elevator-music” radio station situated between a wheat field and a mental hospital. Cross has worked diligently throughout his career to open up our minds to music that would have otherwise gone unnoticed, he has resurrected lost artists from the past, and embraced new artists of the future, he has sparked debate regarding the music industry, and Canada’s place within it, all while managing to stay true to his homeland roots giving hope to the rest of us that are proud to call this great nation our home.

And with that said, I, on behalf of Alan, have but, one final note that deserves to be said: Alan Cross believes that, “headphones, in public, are a blight on the development of society” further contributing to the modern-day phenomenon of “ego-casting”. According to Cross, “technology now allows us to shut out any material, concept, sound, or sight that we find disagreeable so much to the point that we can cocoon ourselves in a warm bath of just the things that we like, unencumbered by the stuff we don’t.” With this kind of control and impenetrable mindset, he begs the question, how will people ever grow as music fans? This is a question, I will leave all of you to contemplate.

*For more information on Alan Cross, check out the Edge’s official website located at and be sure to catch the debut of his latest buzz-generating endeavour about which he remains tightlipped: ExploreMusic (launching Oct 6th). *

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 3, Issue 4: Writing to Vent, but also Inspire: The Duality of Songwriting for the Public Arena

Continuing on from last week’s discussion regarding making a difference with your music and associated celebrity, this week, I thought it appropriate to touch on the art of writing songs that hit social/political chords. Though everyone, myself included, has a handful of cheesy love songs that they secretly indulge in, these days, I find myself cringing at the very thought of listening to the radio because it’s so heavily laden, to steal a line from Aerosmith, with, “the same old song and dance.” In other words, the love thing (and the hate thing too) have been done to death, and unless you’ve got the poetic skills that could take on Steven Tyler himself, I suggest that writing about other issues of concern is in your best interest.

After all, as we learned last week, music does have healing power, so instead of being cliche, why not write about something that could sincerely make a difference in a listener’s life? Moreover, if we analyze your potentiality for success strictly from a commercial standpoint, as much as the industry may seem to be about homogeneity, artists who really speak out for issues that they believe in do get recognized, even if sometimes it takes the music industry a while to catch up with their already established cult followings.

From my own personal experiences, I can tell you, with the upmost sincerity, that there is nothing more fulfilling in life than knowing your words, your art, have helped someone get through a tough time. Though in the grand scheme of things, Unpretty, my band’s debut album, may never go platinum, land a spot on the Billboard charts, or likely get listed as one of Rolling Stone’s “must haves”, it fulfilled its purpose when it inspired its first listener, and acted as a healthy outlet for their emotional expression. And so, in my eyes, it was every bit as successful as an album that profits millions.

However, it’s important to recognize that there is no way that I, nor could any other artist, ever write an album composed of socially inspiring and/or politically charged songs without having gone through turmoil themselves and learning from those experiences. As my history of rock’n’roll professor, Mr. Evans, always said, “the best artists are, undoubtedly, the hurting units”.

This anecdote brings me to the point that I want to make about the act of songwriting and its duality: although an artist’s initial inspiration to immortalize their feelings into music comes from a personal place, and is primarily motivated by the act of catharsis, when an artist decides that a piece they have written is going to be distributed to the public domain, no longer can that piece retain that same degree of private intimacy if a) said artist wants his/her music to be relatable (and therefore successful) and b) if said artist wants to be able to take any form of criticism (whether constructive or not).

Now, this is not to say that the songs that one intends to release to the public should be composed of fluff or that massive rewrites of all of your works are in order- quite the contrary really. What I’m merely trying to express is this: yes, you should write about things that have and continue to personally affect you, but, if you want your music to make sense to the rest of the world, you need to do this in such a way so that your lyrics can be related to a bigger picture (not just your own existence), and remain open enough for personal interpretation on behalf of your listeners. Most importantly, I think it is absolutely essential to leave your listeners with something to hope for and strive towards. Bitching about how the world has done you wrong because its various institutions are discriminatory is merely the first step, inspiring people to take their anger, frustration, fear, or sadness and turn it into a positive emotion, one from which they can learn, grow, and take action is what art is supposed to be about.

On the other side of this argument however, I do understand that, as a fellow artist, having someone potentially misinterpret your work, especially if a piece is particularly significant to you, can be very frustrating, if not infuriating, and so I suggest the following: if you write a piece that is sacred to the core of your essential being, do NOT release it - keep it for yourself because once you put it out there, if it becomes a victim of criticism, it won’t simply be your work that they are insulting, but rather a piece of your soul, and that is a harshness from which no one can easily recover.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit

http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 3, Issue 3: Do Entertainers Have an Obligation to the Public to Address Social & Political Concerns?

When it comes to issues of personal responsibility and one’s greater impact on their fellow human beings, I’m truly an existentialist at heart. Not to get too philosophical on all of you, but music and philosophy really do have a lot in common when you think about it.

The very first “rockstars”, if you will, were truly the rhapsodes of the ancient times that traversed from polis to polis spouting tales of mythical heroes and their conquests set to the gentle tune of the plucking strings of their lutes. While this depiction is far from that of, say, Axel Rose, at its very root, there is a striking similarity. Just as the rhapsodes were storytellers who were compelled to captivate audiences with their words in hopes of both inspiring them and providing for them a form of escapism, our modern day musician very much has the same power within his grasp. Unfortunately, to a greater extent within today’s industry, the initial aim of the rhapsodes, that of, stimulating contemplation amongst their crowds, has been all too forgotten consequently leaving us subjected to music that rarely has meaning.

To return to my initial statement regarding my personal beliefs about existentialism: for those of you unfamiliar with this philosophy, please allow me to briefly (and yes I mean briefly), summarize: An existentialist is one who believes in the acceptance of personal responsibility for all of his/her actions. He/she contests that one must be thoughtful in all of their choices and behaviours because of the inter-connectivity of all of human nature. The existentialist holds that if one is to partake in a particular action, just by simply committing the act themselves, they are in essence telling the rest of the world that it is okay for everyone else to act in the same manner. Therefore, if one allows themselves to behave towards others in a rude and obscene way, they should not be surprised if others act similarly towards them as their own behaviour has dictated to everyone else that acting in such a way is perfectly acceptable. So, I’m sure you’re wondering now how this relates to music?

Well, it is of my humble opinion that, if one has been granted the amazing opportunity to live in the public limelight and obtain at their convenience all of the luxuries which such a lifestyle affords, then it is absolutely their responsibility to society to embrace this sort of existential perspective for a number of reasons.

For starters, our society is one that values wealth, fame and beauty, and as such, those who possess these qualities also possess a great deal of influence and therefore the power to make a difference. It is not only their direct participation that can contribute to change, but as well by participating in worthy causes or campaigns, they will influence others to do the same.

While I am the first to support any musician (and/or anyone else who is famous) for lending their celebrity towards some social cause, it seems rather contradictory to me if that very same celebrity doesn’t take advantage of the difference they could make simply with their art in itself. When one both produces art that is degrading or promotes violence, and/or discrimination towards any other group, and then the next day donates a whole bunch of their cash to charity, to me, they are sending a very conflicted message. While it is good that they are willing to donate their funds to a worthy cause, if the previous day, they were promoting negative messages through their art, then rather than appearing to be a social benefactor as intended, to me, they appear to be performing a pay off - an attempt to try and cover up the fact that their artistic contributions are questionable, at best. This brings me, of course, to my next point: why do people desire to be rockstars in the first place?

If you’re in it for the sex, money and drugs, please just stop - the world doesn’t need any more Amy Winehouses. If, on the other hand, you are an artist such as myself, who believes in the healing power of music, and who in fact, has been healed by the impact of fellow artists yourself, then please, step forward, we need more of you in this world. It was a sad day indeed when people forgot about the power that music has, and it was an even sadder day when every song on the radio became about sex, drugs, love, hate or all of the above in some sort of sick twisted self-obsessed conjecture.

Though I’m the first to acknowledge that celebrities, whether musicians, actors, or models, are real people just like you and me, and therefore, it’s not surprising when their marriages fall apart, or they get into mischief, I do feel that if you’ve been lucky enough to reach an elevated place within society, then it is absolutely your duty to try and educate the public, and to use your reputation for some good.
So if you’re not in it to make a difference, don’t get into music at all - this world already has enough issues to contend with, we need some better rolemodels, and we need them now.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 3, Issue 2: Musicians with Brains: I Never Knew the Two Could Co-Exist!

While conducting research for this piece, I stumbled upon a posting in which a blogger adamantly declared that musicians have NO right to speak out for causes they support, and that they should solely stick to music on account of the fact that they have no post-secondary academic training, and therefore are inadequately equipped to contend with such global issues.

While by all means I encourage the expression of individual opinion, I do not condone speaking on subjects about which you have little to no knowledge such as the above described individual has, because in fact, he couldn’t be more off-base.

Not only does this blogger fail to acknowledge that it is more often media personnel cornering musicians into situations in which they are forced to speak out on these types of issues, rather than the musicians making these efforts on their own (perhaps with the exception of someone like Bono), but on top of that, this blogger is clearly unaware of just how many of our talented songwriters are, in fact, schooled in far more than just how to play a 12-string.

From Dexter Holland’s (Offspring’s frontman) Masters in Molecular Biology to Mick Jagger’s degree in business and economics to Huey Lewis’ Ivy League record at Cornell to David Draiman’s (Disturbed’s frontman) triple university major in business admin, poli sci, and philosophy, clearly our rockstars are more intelligent that the average person gives them credit for.

Now, I completely understand musical preferences and one’s right to their own tastes. In fact, these days, there are few bands that are able to generate universal appeal. But, the next time that you even contemplate having an opinion on an artist that goes beyond your sheer sonic partiality for or against their genre, I suggest that you do some background research on that artist so that you do not end up looking like an ass, just as our “friend” above has. All of this buildup, of course, brings me to the issue at hand - that of rockstars with academic credentials.

Though this is not a subject that is often touched upon by most music media, I think it is important to demonstrate that even people who have achieved rockstardom at its pinnacle assessed the extremely low likelihood of their careers being successful, and thus planned accordingly just in case. I know many of you do not want to hear about the importance of having a “plan b”, because I too, was once in your shoes arguing with my parents that no matter what, music was my life, and I was born to rock. However, after actually going through the industry, and experiencing first hand all of the crookedness and the false promises, I gotta tell you - I’m forever indebted to my folks for making me stay in school.

Had I not entered the industry with my strong background in PR, negotiations, and entertainment-related business know-how, there is no way that I would have been able to accomplish the well-respected reputation for being a “professional” that I have. Further, without this training, I indefinitely would have found myself the victim of a lot more entertainment industry scams.

Most importantly though, if being a professional musician is truly the path that you desire to pursue, you need to recognize that fame is transient, and that musical fads come and go. If you want to be able to maintain career longevity, similar to the artists that I have mentioned, you need to know a thing or two about how to stay as a leader in the pack, and procuring a good education is definitely a good start.

Lastly, there’s always the fact to consider that after you’ve had your stint of fame, perhaps you’d like to move onto other ventures - it wouldn’t be the first time. Did you know that, for instance, Craig Ferguson, host of NBC’s Late Late Show was originally the drummer in a Scottish punk band known as “The Bastards from Hell” or that Mike Rowe, now the MC for Discovery’s Dirty Jobs, started out as an opera singer or that there was a time in history in which Henry Rollins actually played music? The point I’m trying to make here is as follows: it is possible, even though I know you likely won’t believe me, that once you’ve worked in the industry, you’ll come to the conclusion that it wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and so a career change will be in order.

Though school will always be there, I’m sure most of you don’t want to end up in your late 40s still living at home with only a highschool diploma in hand waiting for your rockstar dreams to come true. Trust me, I’ve met people like this, and it ain’t a pretty picture!

To summarize, think of it this way: knowledge is a weapon, and the more you have about your craft, and the industry itself, the better able you are to protect yourself. Plus which, from a sheer songwriting perspective, the more worldly and cultured one is, the better his/her songs will be and the greater good he/she can do with his/her influence.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 3, Issue 1: Let's Begin with the Facts

In the modern world, “the musician” is undoubtedly one of, if not the most, disrespected occupation in society. Consumers and clubowners feel no need to pay us well (or at all really), record labels make it their personal mission to exploit and commodify us in every which way they can, technology allows even the most talentless people imaginable (ah hem Paris Hilton) to pawn themselves off as “artists”, there are innumerable scams lurking around every corner just waiting to steal what little resources we have, often the only way we can attain mainstream success is by abandoning our principles and deeply held values, but most brutally, if we are to survive all of these hardships and merit for ourselves just the slightest bit of celebrity, the fans who once respected us as being “underground” and “indie” will degrade our newly found popularity by claiming that we are “sellouts” - that we’ve gone mainstream - failing to appreciate that just like every other professional, we deserve to be paid for our work. But that’s just it about musicians - for some reason, far beyond my comprehension, we’re supposed to be satisfied with offering the world our art - a piece of our very souls (at mighty hefty production costs I might add) -expecting nothing in return, not even the slightest seal of approval.

As if the transience of fame wasn’t enough to contend with, the criticisms with which musicians have to bear are well beyond the realm of “constructive” or “insightful”. Instead, they are laden with downright personal attacks, dehumanizing irreverence, and unfortunately, more often than not are poorly researched and written from a place of sheer ignorance (yet that doesn’t impede their impact on consumer purchases). All of this, of course, brings to mind the question: then why the hell do we do what we do? Simply put, musicians are a breed of their own, one that wider society rarely understands, yet is so quick to judge.

Being a musician is NOT simply a decision - something that can be switched on/off on a whim - it is a calling, a central piece to our identity, something we live with every day, and something we take with us to the grave. And though it may not make sense to the rest of the world, we refuse to go down without a good fight - if only the sides weren’t stacked so unfairly against us, maybe we’d have a chance. But my friends, I hope you’ve been paying attention, because if you have, you’ll have noticed that change is on the horizon as the industry has proven that its current infrastructure is in need of a radical overhaul, if it is to survive. And you know what? This overhaul may prove to be the very remedy that musicians have been seeking for years - a means to take back what rightfully belongs to us: our industry, our music, our art. So then, why the grim introduction?

Well, as you’ll learn over our year together, I’ve never been one for sugarcoating the truth, and in my humble opinion, there are enough music rags out there that gloss over these pertinent details, and instead continue to perpetuate the long-standing myth that artists can be overnight successes. To break it down more simply, I don’t believe in bullshitting, and feel that you, my fellow rockers, and greater society deserves more, and I intend on fulfilling that void in the best way that I know how. But enough with the prelude already, I’m sure you’re wondering who exactly am I and what makes me so credible?

I was once just like you - young, naive, idealistic, living and breathing the rockstar dream to a rather successful plateau I might add. After years of being signed to a major label, touring incessantly, selling out concerts, and being graced with multiple prestigious awards in the indie music community, yet still struggling to make ends meet, it occurred to me, after a fan of my band’s snarkily remarked at us that we should be buying him and all of his friends Jaguars, that the average person, moreover, the average musician doesn’t have a clue as to how the music industry actually works! After my own experiences, I can honestly say that I’m not surprised in the least why so many artists end up embittered and strung out on drugs, because let’s face the facts straight-up: it’s set up for you to fail, and if you are successful, you often lose your soul in the process.

But I’m not here to bitch and moan about all that I think is f--ked up about the industry, rather as an advice and insight columnist, I’m here to not only try to help you avoid making the same mistakes that I did, but as well, I hope to try and inspire change - not just within the music community, but overall, I hope to bring to light the truth about the lives of musicians to anyone who is willing to listen. So if you’ve got a story to share, please do, I’d be honoured to act as your voice - to share the blood, sweat, and tears that you, just as I have, exuded for your craft.

Many philosophers have said, over the years, that the first step to progress is education, and I really think that they are onto something. What I’m about to share with you, over the next few months, will not be found in any textbook, lecture, or popular music magazine. Though I value all that the educational system has to offer, there are some things that only real life experience can teach you. So, consider this your first step towards a real musical educational - if you really wanna be in a rock band, I hope you’re paying attention. And just as I’ve said every year previous, if you have any ideas for topics you’d like me to cover over our year together, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.

For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 2, Conclusion: Counting Down the Top 20 Sins Committed Against Musicians By the Music Biz

First off, I’d like to thank all of you for sticking with me for another year. I hope that reading my column proved to be an educational and insightful experience. Although I bitch a great deal about the music industry, there are a lot of amazing people out there working on all aspects of the business to make it more artist-friendly. I urge you to follow your dreams if it’s music that is truly in your heart, I simply hope that my column has been able to provide you with a more realistic perspective in terms of what you will encounter. As you follow your path, and begin to gain success, you’ll learn soon that it’s really a love/hate relationship, and it’s definitely not as glamourous as the media would like you to believe. Irrespective of this, there’s something about rocking out on stage to a sea of thousands of people that is untouchable in terms of the euphoria it produces.

To help you along your journey, I’m happy to announce that I’ll be returning “back in black” to charm you all a third time come September, and “So You Wanna be a Rockstar?” is promised to be bigger, and better than ever.

Last week, courtesy of Henry Rollins, you caught a sneak peak of what is to come with my new monthly featurette interview series, “Hear it From the Pros”. To further help me cater my topic selection to areas about which you’d like to learn and/or if you have suggestions for potential interviewees from whom you’d like to hear, please visit my myspace page (www.myspace.com/soyouwannabeinarockband) and fill out the readership survey. I would love to hear from you!

Without further adieu, to end off the year in an must-read obligatory countdown, I’ve compiled a list of the top 20 sins that the music industry has committed against artists over the years. My intention in doing so is to not only inform you of these atrocities, but as well, hopefully compel you to speak out against them.

In the current climate of the music industry, indie musicians have the ability to take back the power, but this can only be achieved if we unite together, and fight for what we deserve: that is, to be treated as professionals. I once read that the first step to change is through enlightenment. I’ve given you the power, so now let’s see you use it.

In order, based on YOUR ratings, starting with the #1 voted most “sinful of the sins”, here goes:

1) The media’s commitment to focusing more on the personal mishaps of celebrities, rather than remembering them for their artistic contributions

2) Allowing lipsynching and advances in technology to make up for a lack of talent

3) The creation of reality TV karoake contests to discover the next popstars

4) The music biz’s emphasis on marketability over talent

5) The government and music industry’s creation of misleading grant programs that fail to fulfill mandates to provide indie artists with necessary funding

6) The lack of governance over bogus battle of the bands contests and "pay to play" scouting events

7) The music industry’s ongoing attempts to maintain a closed network based on who you know, NOT how talented you are

8) The allowance of our standards to drop so low that cliche love songs, and raps full of profanities which fail to inspire and rather encourage degradation, violence, and discrimination receive airplay

9) The lack of implementation of pay equity scales for touring bands

10) The “successful” separation of music from the people

11) The employment of musically uneducated and ill-researched staff to conduct concert and album reviews

12) The creation of double standards for acceptable sexual expression among male and female artists

13) Radio payola scams

14) The commodification of music

15) The perpetuation of the "overnight success" myth

16) CTRC's refusal to implement legislation regarding illegal downloading

17) Allowing "artists" to illegally sample music

18) New artist campaigns that overmarket their artists so excessively that we end up hearing the same song(s) on the radio upwards of five times per hour

19) The music industry’s belief that they (the labels) can dictate to the public what music is worth listening to by throwing money at it

and finally...

20) The ridiculous amount of legal battles that exist between bands trying to earn a decent buck for their talents, and record labels trying to rape them for everything they’re worth

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 2, Issue 17: "Hear it From the Pros" Pt 1: Teeing Off, A One on One Discussion with Post Modern Philosopher Henry Rollins

Though a man of infinite words (and calculated profanities) in the public limelight, in private, as my one-on-one discussion disclosed, Mr. Henry Rollins is unassumingly nonchalant; something I can only attribute to the fact that he clearly prefers to be the one holding the microphone. As an industry veteran notorious for his wild stage antics in both Black Flag & The Rollins Band, his hard hitting and unabashedly honest spoken word performances, his countless written works including several volumes of poetry, fiction, and prose, and most recently, his incredibly entertaining weekly talk show, The Rollins Show, hosted on IFC, it only seemed fitting to begin my new featurette interview series, “Here it from the Pros”, with the man himself. In conjunction with his latest worldwide spoken word tour, “Provoked”, I had the amazing opportunity to interview Mr. Rollins. Here’s what he had to say:

Growing up as a teenager in Washington, DC., Rollins’ musical awakening transpired when a friend of his first lent him a copy of a rare Ramones’ album. Finally finding an outlet for his pent up animosity, and aggression, Henry discovered punk, D.I.Y. ethics, and never looked back. Fast forward several decades later to present day, and I’m sure it’ll come to no one’s surprise that, “Do it Yourself” remains his mantra. As depicted by the numerous accessories including iron-on patches, and stickers worn by his kind: punk is for life, and it will never die.

When asked about his current outlook on the music industry and whether he felt the damage that ensued (and continues to unfold) from all of the illegal downloading could be repaired, Rollins indicated clearly his disconnection from that world. Though a seasoned performer and top selling artist himself, he’s never been one for the big business side of things, and to that he noted, “that even if it [the music industry] fell over tomorrow, most of the bands he checks out would be still be doing their thing. DIY keeps you from some of the dangers of the bigger parts of that mechanism”.

Undisputedly, a supporter of indie rockers, Henry feels that the biggest sin committed against musicians by the industry, was the disconnection between music and the people. In the heydays of the hippie era, prior to the commodification and commercialization of music as nothing more than a product for sale, music used to mean something to the people - it wasn’t merely a form of entertainment, but rather a voice for the generation. Like myself, Henry wonders when art will be restored to this dying form of expression?

Sticking true to his unconventional nature, Henry Rollins is a man who is very difficult to characterize. Perhaps he intentionally safeguards himself from others as a means of self-preservation, or more likely, he enjoys keeping people guessing. Not one to personally advocate the use of labels to describe himself or his friends, though Rollins, himself, purports a rocker identity, he is a striking example of why it is bad to assume.

Contradictory to the sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll lifestyle promoted by all too many rockstars, commendably, Henry Rollins is against substance abuse - just another reason as to why he’s such a great role model. In fact, amidst all of his ongoing endeavours, the only part that he finds truly fulfilling is interacting with his fans. His chronic workaholic nature is something that he chalks up to the fact that he doesn’t ever want to find himself submitting to “the man” and forgetting all that he has to be grateful for.

Though this may come as a surprise to some, as a music listener, Henry doesn’t pigeonhole himself simply to punk. A devoted admirer of the late greats James Brown and Miles Davis, Henry supports any artist so long as he/she is hard-working and his/her music has meaning (I hope you guys are taking notes here). In fact, an artist he advised me to check out was Dax Riggs (http://www.myspace.com/daxriggs ), a dreary blues-rock musician from Louisiana, who seems to combine a more sophisticated version of Kurt Cobain’s emotional angst with Jimi Hendrix & the Experience’s solid blues backbeats infused with a modern take on the British garage band sound. Very strange, but cool - cool enough to reaffirm my belief that there is still good music out there somewhere (Thanks for that Henry! I especially liked the acoustic tracks).

Understandably, someone in his position is indefinitely bombarded with opportunities for exposure, and though this is the kind of lifestyle most of you crave, Henry applies one fast and simple rule to dealing with these offers that I think all of us ought to embrace: not to consider something an opportunity, if it requires you to sacrifice who you are or what you believe in. Rollins proudly admits that IFC has never instructed him to “tone it down”, and if they did, I can state with absolutely certainty that he’d have something to say about it (or better yet, someone’s ass to kick).

Though I know it can be difficult to reject a offer because it may just be “the one to make or break you”, I’ve got to side with Henry’s view on this, because I truly don’t believe in “selling out” just to become the next flavour of the week. As both his and my hard work demonstrate, earning your accolades of success through your own dedication and merit is not only more rewarding, but as well, you will earn respect for “sticking to your guns” in the long haul, from both fans and industry professionals, alike. In his own words, if an opportunity requires you to change who you are, “then it’s not really an opportunity, now is it?” To this he adds that, regrets are not something he feels he can afford.

In the space of the three hours of his performance, Henry compelled a packed house of a widely varying demographic to intense laughter, tears, and serious contemplation. His performance came to its finale with the only possible conclusion: an obligatory standing ovation. If one man has this much of an impact, just think of what we all could actually do. A man of humble roots, but great ambition - someone I admire that I think all of you could learn from.

The most intriguing moments of his lengthy soliloquy revolved around re-tellings of his own “starstruck” moments in which his defiant powerhouse persona crumbled when in the presence of the likes of Iggy Pop, and numerous other childhood idols of his. Though his exterior is lined with layers of thick skin, I appreciated his willingness to expose his vulnerable side; something you rarely see from men, let alone rockstars. Additionally, appealing to my personal sentiments, Rollins offered a seal of approval “shout-out” to feminists and equal rights activists further affirming how much he truly is a man for all people.

To hopefully leave you on a comic note, taking a page from the man himself, if you asked me why I love Henry Rollins, my response would be quite simple: because he’s exactly the kind of asshole that this world needs. Oh yeah, and if he were elected president, aside from kicking Bush’s ass, he says that he’d basically undo everything that has occurred over the past eight years - something for which, he thinks he’d get shot.

To learn more about Henry and his never ending list of accomplishments and the causes that he advocates, check out his official website http://www.henryrollins.com/

From the bottom of my heart, thank you Henry - I needed that.



About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 2, Issue 16: Alternative Sources of Revenue Conclusion: Music Journalism

As a professional touring musician, as one may expect, I have encountered my share of “bad press”. Obviously, I’m so egotistical to believe that I’m immune to criticism. Just like any other musician, I realize that not everyone will believe that I shit gold (so to speak), BUT that’s fine with me, as I understand that these days, very rarely, can bands break generational, and cultural barriers managing to appeal to a highly diverse population. Instead, today’s music industry relies more on “niche” marketing. My bone of contention, however, lies in criticism that has no sense of validation. So when I say “bad press”, I am not merely referring to instances in which reviewers have disliked my material. Rather, I am making reference to journalistic pieces that are ill-researched, ignorant, and downright belittling to artists and/or media exposes that purport the never ending lie of “overnight success” stories; a symptom that seems to be widely affecting the world of music journalism.

My biggest concern relating to these pieces is, of course, their readership. Seeing as musical preference is highly subjective, and journalists are seen as being “experts” in their field, I, as not only a musician, but also as a music consumer, feel I am entitled to more. Between finding out that apparently I’m the drummer in my band (who knew?!) to being told that indie musicians should be grateful for illegal downloading to having the very SAME reviewer on two different occasions give my band completely contradictory critiques regarding our songwriting abilities, I’m beginning to think that, like much of the music industry, music journalism has lost any sense of self-respect and professionalism.

To me, it seems rather obvious that a big part of the problem comes from the fact that music journalists are NOT musicians, have NEVER been musicians, nor is having any musical background a prerequisite to getting hired. It’s one thing to be appointed a position of music journalism for being a decent writer, but knowing your field of so-called expertise, in my opinion, is a must. Additionally, in many cases, the writing isn’t even all that superb. Filled with grammatical mistakes, and a limited vocabulary, the average cd review that a band presently receives rarely even utilizes necessary terms from a musical lexicon. Now, I’m sure you’re wondering, well how did it even get to this point?

A major contributing factor, that will surely come as no surprise, is the internet. A vast majority of online music zines expect their writers to work pro-bono, and as one can imagine, if you’re doing something for free, likely you won’t put as much effort into it. Unfortunately the result for the reader is misinformation.

Traditional print magazines like Rolling Stone, Chart, and Alternative Press do manage to maintain higher standards, but only at the expense of being highly selective in terms of what goes to print. Because the music industry is so oversaturated, and all musicians are vying for attention, traditional high standing magazines generally can only provide exposure to well-established bands leaving a void for indie artists. This void, unfortunately for us, is being filled by anyone who has amateur website designing skills, and “thinks” that they know something about music. In fact, credence to what I’m saying is illustrated best in the example of Metal Sanaz.

Metal Sanaz is an Iranian-born “music journalist”, specializing in the genre of metal, who largely owes her recent success and notoriety to the advent of Myspace. With absolutely NO journalistic training, and her only experience relating to the industry being the fact that she is a “huge fan” (it also helps that she’s hot), she has managed to secure interviews with some of the industry’s biggest names in metal including: Gwar, Dave Navarro, Arch Enemy & Atreyu. I personally have nothing against this woman, nor do I want my comments to be interpreted as jealously or cattiness, but from a music journalism perspective, people like her are contributing to the problem; to say it bluntly, her interview skills are pathetic. For the vast majority of the video clips she has listed on her website, the conversations are dominated by the artists, and her questions lack any sense of thought-provocation or direction. Irrespective of this, her popularity continues to rage on, and in fact, she was recently selected to be a special guest co-host along with Carlos Mencia as part of an Operation Myspace Exclusive concert in Kuwait. I guess one could interpret her success as being due to her ability to bring music back to the people which is commendable, but that, I’ll leave up to you to decide. However, this is not to say that everyone’s getting it wrong. In fact, there are some music journalists out there doing more than their share, but consider this: a great deal of them were musicians themselves in another life, prior to their journalistic endeavours. Among those giving lifeblood back to the music journalism industry are Canada’s own Kevin Young and George Stroumboulopoulos, as well as former frontman of Black Flag, Henry Rollins, with whom I will be speaking in my next issue for an exclusive interview.

So what do I propose as a solution? Like those mentioned as well as myself, I think it’s not only necessary, but I feel its our duty to tell it how it actually is. Continuing with our theme of alternative sources of revenue for musicians, I think music journalism is by far the most rewarding among the other avenues we’ve been discussing. Not only can journalism jobs pay generously, but as well, it is personally fulfilling to know that you are contributing to your industry in such a meaningful way. There are tons of musicians, but few who actually stand to serve as role models and positive examples for others. Just as I have tried to offer you all that I can, both good and bad, based on my experiences and thorough research, in an effort to help you avoid making the same mistakes, I harken you to use your musical knowledge, training, and personal experiences for the better.

The biggest problem in today’s industry is NOT the prevalence of industry-related scams, NOR is it even illegal downloading, the artistic part of music and the business side of the industry have forever been natural nemeses. Rather, the issue that needs the most immediate attention is that of music education. Musicians, just as I once did, enter this industry bright-eyed, naive, and optimistic only to become dishearted and jaded individuals upon failure of commercial success. Being sensitive artists, they take it personally, not realizing that today’s industry is set up for you to fail. The rockstar is dead my dears, I’m sorry to report and the industry will never be as it once was. Success is still possible, but in very different ways, and if we, as experienced players do not pass on our knowledge to the next generations, it will only lead to the further perpetuation of this cycle.

Had I been told from the start the honest truth about what I was getting myself into, who knows, I may have decided long ago that a career change was in order. I’m not saying any of this to depress your dreams, I fully believe that each of you is capable of achieving anything to which you set your minds. I just hope that if music is really what you want, that you know exactly how the biz works. It’s been a long time since talent was the determining factor in the success of bands.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 2, Issue 15: Alternative Sources of Revenue Pt VI: Session Musicians

As we learned last week, jingle writing can be a major source of employment for session and freelance musicians, but that barely scratches the surface in terms of what these talented individuals are capable of. Scoring work as guest players on major albums, television and movie soundtrack writing to touring support for popstars and even orchestras, session and freelance musicians are defined as artists for hire that are not committed solely to a steady project. While session musicians, as one may deduce from their title, primarily lend their talents to studio work, freelance players typically perform live with touring acts.

Being a session or freelance musician requires a great deal of performance diversity, and quick learning ability; skills that can only be mastered with age and experience. As a result, you’ll notice that most players in this field are in their elder years, or as they prefer to be called, “seasoned”.

Typical of any aspect of the music biz, connections and networking play a vital role in terms of finding gigs. According to both Kelvin Gumbs and Dale Anne Brendon, becoming session/freelance players was something that they just “fell into”. While Gumbs initially had to pick up the instrumental slack on some tracks he was producing for clients, Brendon found herself bombarded with drumming opportunities after graduating from The University of Western Ontario’s music program, but neither of them had envisioned this as their master plan. However, that doesn’t mean that having the sole ambition to become a freelancer is unfeasible. On the contrary, it would seem that opportunities for these players are plentiful, you just need to know where to look.

Though as mentioned, word of mouth and networking play crucial roles in finding employment, there are also several job boards with musician classified sections that regularly list gig possibilities such as http://www.craigslist.com/, www.kijiji.com , www.overhear.com and www.indbamusic.com . Brendon recommends trying to make a personal connection with each potential employer when you come across a gig that interests you, as from her experience, she has found that simply cold-calling and sending out promotional packages rarely works.

In terms of payment, prices generally vary from player to player depending on their contributions and the type of project. When it comes to recording, on average there is a base fee of approximately $100 - $200 per hour with a minimum of three hours guaranteed employment. On the other hand, touring pay scales begin approximately at a $300 minimum per hour, again with no less than three hours of contracted work. Of course, depending on the length and travelling associated with a tour, this rate may be negotiated. However, regardless of whether a scheduled live performance is a success or failure, freelance musicians maintain their same set rate of pay.

Brendon feels it’s essential for anyone interested in pursuing this avenue to familiarize themselves with the American Federation of Musicians’ (AFM) fee policies. The AFM standardizes pay scales for different player positions within each musical project, and through membership to their organization, one is provided with contracts for each opportunity undertaken, that they will enforce, if necessary. As you’ll recall from previous editions, I’ve referenced the AFM several times in regards to national touring pay scales and policies. For more information on their organization, please visit http://www.afm.org/

In exchange for these set rates of pay, session musicians are not eligible to collect royalties in the future, if a project on which they were featured, takes off. Additionally, it is understood that they do not own their musical contributions from a legal perspective. These principles are agreed upon amongst both parties (employers and musicians) and the tradeoff is considered fair.

A major benefit to this arrangement for session and freelance musicians is that there is no waiting period for payment, nor is their income contingent on the success of the project. According to Gumbs, usually directly after a project is completed, session and freelance musicians are compensated with upfront cash. Though these terms are well understood within the industry, Brendon still urges musicians to establish written contracts for each engagement to ensure that their rights and best interests are always protected, as verbal agreements can be more difficult to prove.

If you’re interested in pursuing this route, Gumbs recommends being aggressive and persistent in terms of self-promotion, and building up one’s network and reputation. Adding to this piece of advice, Brendon suggests that the best way to learn about this avenue is to pry at the brains of experienced fellow musicians who have, as she puts it, “been around the block.”

Though initially scrounging up work may be challenging, once you’ve established a reputation for being reliable, respectful, and professional, employment opportunities will begin to come your way. Above all, one should have fun with this alternative venture as it will allow for the expansion of one’s ability and repertoire.

The biggest tip for freelancers that Brendon emphasized was the importance of knowing one’s employer. Just as you wouldn’t achieve success by applying for an office job in full out gothic attire, you likely wouldn’t be chosen as a freelancer for an orchestra gig if you showed up to the audition covered in piercings. Gauging the needs of one’s employer is as easy as looking at their audience; if you see mohawks in the crowd, tattoos and torn jeans are encouraged, but if the arena is filled by men and women in suits, one may want to rethink the bright pink hair.

For more information on Dale Anne Brendon, please visit her official website located at http://www.daleannebrendon.com/

For more information on Kelvin Gumbs, check out his official page at http://www.kelvingumbs.com/

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/