Working Through Grief

I have worked through grief. I've gone right through the middle of it and come out the other side battered and bruised, but still a relatively whole person albeit a bit more jaded. Last week was like going back in a time machine seven years when grieving was my full-time job. Two close friends of mine experienced a similar loss as me shortly before Thanksgiving and it was like Death showed up at my door again very unexpectedly and without an invitation.

It's only Monday, but I feel behind. Not only do you have to work through the actual grieving process, but the majority of us actually have to work, as in a J-O-B. It is hard to be motivated and find personal satisfaction when your mind is elsewhere.

Since I don't make music, listening is a great vehicle for me to get my head on straight. The lyrics speak to me about something totally in-line with what I'm feeling or totally different if I need that distraction.

The holidays can be particularly hard for anyone grieving the death of a loved one. With all this superficial happiness strewn about, please take a moment and touch base with someone who is working hard at grieving.

Whet your appetite with some TTFR news

In business and personal relationships, I have learned that the best things happen when people or companies come to you. They saw something in what you offered, whether it be friendship or marketability, that intrigued and enticed them to pick up the phone or friend you on Facebook. Partnerships that have come to TTFR via an online search or word-of-mouth have been really successful. Everyone has ideas to share, but when you can find an organization that complements yours perfectly, you better pay attention and get on board before the opportunity passes you by. TTFR is working on such a partnership now and the scope of how far-reaching it can be, is truly awesome. Stay tuned in the next few weeks to hear what we've got planned for America's military.

Repugnant Marketability

While driving back and forth to WRAMC in preparation for my son's surgery, I happened upon a business named, Quickie Beckie's. Quickie Beckie's takes care of kids. That is one of the worst names I have ever heard! I was intrigued as to how anyone could think "Quickie" could be an appropriate moniker for anything other than a fast food joint or somewhere you get a happy-ending and I don't mean the dessert at Friendly's.

Quickie Beckie's might be a decent name for a band, but a childcare program?

We have gotten music submissions from some crazy-named bands. The one that takes the cake for me, which could have had the BEST sound in the whole world, but I could not get past their awful name, was "Drunken Fetus." I couldn't find the humor in the choice nor did their image match who I thought they were as musicians. I found it to be repugnant and therefore not marketable. Choose your band's name wisely. Whether you like it or not, you will be judged on that choice often before anyone even hears your sound.

Say It Ain't So Fort Hood

About the only place I feel relatively safe nowadays is on post. It is the one place where uniform wearing service-members hold the door as you drag your kids through AAFES, your Power Zone purchases are tax-free and you get your own friendly grocery bagger to walk you to your car. It's like a safe haven in this cold cruel world we live in for those who call themselves military.

I'm sad for everyone right now. I hope it was an "outsider" who came into our collective house and wrought this calamity. It is easier on the spirit to think so.

~Sidney

The Other Half of TTFR

Fool me once

I was recently involved in planning an event that had multiple coordinators who, prior to this particular project, had never met. One person immediately took charge and the rest of us took the path of least resistance and let them run with it. I figured they must have done this before, so I will sit back and manage my little corner of the event while they tackle the over-arching goals. The gathering didn't go so well. It wasn't a total disaster, but clearly it didn't flow as smoothly as I would have envisioned or hoped. At the event, this person shared they had NEVER done this before. What?!?

It was apparent that I didn't do my due diligence. I failed to dig deeper and play more of an active role in helping this person get it together. Shouldn't I know better? In fact, yes I should. TTFR has hired firms that on initial interview are enthusiastic go-getters that have a clear vision in response to whatever it is we are asking of them. Early on, we didn't dig deeper. We took these professionals at face value and hired them, sometimes at a significant cost to our bank account, as well as our reputation. It didn't matter that TTFR paid them a lot. We got burned more than once at different price points. At least we shared the love.

So the event happened. That was a plus. Was it as great as it could have been? No, but I know better for the next time.

More sordid tales from TTFR

When starting TTFR, Sean and I visited a SCORE counselor in Newport, Rhode Island. Our counselor had an office in the basement of an old Victorian home. It was December, pitch dark, and we had to walk around the back of the house to knock on the pseudo-office door. As we approached the door, I looked down and saw a work-room to the left where an older man was peeing in the sink facing me. That's right, I said peeing. He, as we later found out, was the owner of the house and he obviously didn't want to go upstairs to use the toilet. Fair enough, it was his house after-all.

Anyway, a few awkward moments later he comes to answer the door and all I can think is, "Was he really peeing in the sink?" Honestly, I remember nothing of what our counselor said that night. I only remember feeling caught off-guard and a little bit like a Peeping Tom.

TTFR does not have media come to our pseudo-office. This is the only way to ensure that no one at the label is caught with their proverbial pants down. We want TTFR to be remembered as a powerhouse of military music as opposed to an outhouse.

Just Do It

Whatever it is.

The Marine Corps Marathon was in DC today. I caught the tail end of the race in Crystal City as the last of the runners were approaching the 23 mile mark. There were all kinds of people that were getting it done.

I couldn't help but think that running a marathon is a lot like starting a business. When you first have the idea people are skeptical. They don't know if it is something you are truly committed to or just a fly by night idea that you will shelve sooner rather than later. You start out with gusto training for a marathon and getting a business off the ground. In the process, your body takes a beating both physically and mentally. Your knees hurt pounding the pavement as you chalk up the miles week after week. Your head hurts crunching numbers in an effort to improve your business' bottom line. You question what the hell made you want to do this in the first place. After an invigorating run or closing a deal you remember why you did it. Your focus is renewed and you get out there day after day. You just do it.

Like the people I saw at today's marathon, some were slow-going, some were visibly injured, some were cruising along, and some were really struggling. What I saw was a snapshot in time as they were 23 miles deep. All I know is they kept putting one foot in front of the other and somewhere down the road is their finish line.

What does it mean to profit-share?

There must be profits in order to share them.

No profits mean that your debt is greater than any money you actually made.

Simple concept, yet a concept not easily grasped by those who have never had to actually start a business, run a business or keep one going.

If you are a lucky business owner fortunate enough to work 9-till whenever-shit-gets-done because there is only YOU to gitter done as opposed to a 9-5er......you get it.

Stick with your niche

If you know what it is. Our niche, or specialized market, is the military. To The Fallen Records only accepts submissions from those who are serving or have served in the military. At least once a week, someone who doesn't fit that criteria emails us to say we should accept music from spouses, children, parents or significant others.

Thousands of labels exist that will accept submissions from anyone. If we were to compromise on that one seemingly innocuous issue, we may as well call it a day for TTFR. Nothing would separate us or call attention to what makes military-made music authentic. Listening to it, you know our artists have been there, done that.

A recent FB comment sums it up perfectly, "Since I got home, this music is about the only thing that makes sense to me."

We think our fans appreciate that TTFR is the world's only military record label. So, do you?

Better Late than Never

Some of you might recognize the original artwork from Hip Hop Volume 1. At the time, we wanted something simple, yet powerful when we envisioned the cover. Mind you, we had never had a CD in a brick and mortar store. On both counts, we didn't have enough experience or information to have developed a better cover design.

While we were sweating at my brother's hotter than hot BCT graduation at Benning, Sean and I were excited to visit the PX to check out how the CDs were displayed. We were stumped as to why we didn't see any CDs...anywhere. On closer inspection we went into every checkout lane and started pulling CDs out of the racks much to the dismay of the AAFES employees. We found 1 CD in 1 aisle. It was hidden behind Jay-Z and all you could see was the cover's expanse of BLACKNESS. The dog-tags weren't visible, the CD name wasn't visible, therefore it may as well have been invisible. If Sean and I had to go on a Where's Waldo hunt for the CD, a customer would NEVER see it. The design, although it was what we wanted and asked for, didn't work in the retail environment where it had to be noticed in order to sell. Back to the drawing board. This time with a real graphic designer.

Some lessons are better learned late rather than never.

What came first? TTFR or the tattoo?

The tattoo came first.

It was months of pondering what tat was worthy to go on that billboard-sized swath of virgin skin known as Sean's back.

To The Fallen Records was born out of that initial homage to friends whose lives were cut too short in Iraq.

When you die, your dreams are not only lost with you, they are lost to everyone who dreams for you. What better way to honor the dead than to live your own dreams?

Arrogance is counter-productive

If you think you are that great of a musician, send the label an mp3. TTFR will decide if your talent is right for our next project or the one after that or the one after that. It may be or it may not be. Don't tell us how great you are. We don't expect you to beg us to listen to your track or even be somewhat appreciative. TTFR loves getting new music. It's like Christmas on a daily basis...visions of new compilations dance in our heads. We're happy you want us to listen to your music and more often that not, we really like it. Don't ruin it by being a jackass.

When you reveal the real you...

You being the actual you or your band.

With TTFR I have preferred to stay in the background quietly working on the very un-cool stuff that helps the label run more efficiently. It isn't because I prefer the un-cool stuff, it's that I prefer the anonymity that it affords me. I could blame it on my personality, which is to not to attract all that much attention to myself or I could blame it on fear. I fear sounding stupid doing an interview or looking stupid in a magazine photo or on the television. Honestly, it is more of the latter rather than the former. I care too much of what people think of me and have since I was a child.

Blogging is a way to reveal the real you. It is the perfect medium to reveal what makes you the person or you the band who you really are. In an effort to be honest with whoever reads this blog, I want to be clear that it isn't Sean, CEO of TTFR. It is Sidney, President of TTFR and this blog is a mostly true account of what makes "The World's Only Military Record Label" tick on a day to day basis. Read on.

TTFRs Public Service Announcement for Friday October 16, 2009

In our quest to please all the people all the time TTFR manufactured an edited version of our compilation CD, "Hip Hop Volume 1." I am here to tell you that only our recording engineer and manufacturer made anything on that CD. The recording engineer was paid to painstakingly de-foul the CD of curse words and the manufacturer brought this watered down version to life, both of which were a mistake. People like curse words, even if they say they don't. Normally, I find the phrase "curse words" kind of hokey, but in this instance it adds an element of disdain for these worthless pieces of @$%# that spill out of every nook and cranny at TTFR.

In homage to greening up our world I was thinking of ways in which we could divert these CDs from the landfill to something potentially useful, besides the obvious use as coasters and shiny wallpaper. If you make music, you have CDs, possibly a ridiculous amount of them that you will someday be emotionally ready to part with. In the meantime you can share your ingenious ideas for their demise with me. If not, the CD Recycling Center can help you responsibly dispose of your edited or curse-laden tracks with a click of the mouse.

Please remember to curse responsibly.

The Anti-Rainmaker

A rainmaker IMO is a person who brings money, customers or fans, and clout to whatever it is that you are doing. The anti-rainmaker is that person who costs you money, repels customers or fans and leaves you clout-less. They are the guilty party that pisses people off, shows up late or not at all, leaves you hanging at the most inconvenient times and overall brings nothing to the metaphorical table of your personal and/or business life.

I have to admit that I'm a pain in the ass when it comes to customer service. I don't want good service, I want great service. I want the person answering my questions to be the rainmaker in your company, whether they wait tables, take my blood pressure, manufacture CDs, or answer the phone. I want satisfaction, because I'm paying you for it. When I happen upon an anti-rainmaker I feel twinges of anxiety for the person, company or band they represent. I want to look-up the owner of the business or the band or the manager of the band and alert them to this force gone wrong. I wonder how many fans the band has lost or customers your business will never see again because of this one person.

Identify whose who in your business and personal life and let the anti-rainmakers reign somewhere else quickly.

The Dirty and Boring Work of Being Somebody

As I sit and think about all of the mundane-ish things artists need to do in order to cultivate an actual fan base I stumbled on Muckwork, the new musician focused project of Derek Sivers, founder of CDBaby. Muckwork hasn't been released yet, but the idea is to provide a service that does all the things that artists A.) don't have time to do, B.) don't want to do, C.) don't have the know-how to do and/or D.) all of the above.

Unfortunately, my only personal assistant is my virtual assistant, aka BlackBerry and it doesn't do a very good job of writing blogs, tweets or sending out CDs. Luckily, I rather revel in my position as Head Muckworker of To The Fallen Records. Besides, would some other muckworker do as muckier of a job as me when they weren't in this up to their muckneck? I think not.

What do artists want to outsource related to their music? Give me some ideas, so that maybe some day TTFR can hire a Junior McMuckmurkerworker. Say that three times fast.

The Skeptic and The Dreamer

On this journey of entrepreneurship, I am convinced that TTFR is still around because Sean is the Dreamer and I am the Skeptic. In his opinion I am 'the biggest skeptic...ever.' In my opinion, he needs to get his 'head out of the clouds.' On this we can agree. We are both totally different when it comes to business and our outlook on life in general. At my kitchen table in November 2007 the two of us could not envision another day of working for someone else nor could we let the military artists who submitted their original music to us go unheard and unrecognized. At that time, TTFR was born. We had no clue about the music business. Our enthusiasm and focus kept us moving forward when roadblocks were many and dollars were few. If we were two dreamers, we would have crashed and burned the first six months. If we were two skeptics, we would have happened upon one too many roadblocks and pursued a different path. Instead, I think we are the mostly perfect combination of dreamer and skeptic that has allowed this little military- focused label to survive and get our music out to the world.

Add 3 more to our small, but awesome catalogue

Country, Rock and Hip Hop Volume 2s released TODAY

Seven may not seem like a lot of compilation CDs to release, but let me tell you it is when you are listening to thousands of submissions and coordinating with 100+ artists on those CDs and thousands in the TTFR database. For a song to get from submission to it's place on the compilation CDs it goes from here at TTFR, to our recording engineer, John, at Bongo Beach in New England, and back and forth to the artists with feedback and revisions till it is CD ready. In the meantime, Rodrigo in New York is working with us on making our ideas come to life with their amazing artwork. They take care of everything and never fail to grasp what it is that we are trying to achieve with a design. Designs have to be patriotic without being lame or our favorite word "hokey," and most importantly portray an image of military artists as bad-ass and talented.

I won't bore you with the rest of the details, but it's like we have 7 kids in our little family now and we are so damn proud.

MC Mafia and DoD Featured on To The Fallen Hip Hop Vol. 2

Brands in Public

Given the number of tools out there to engage your fans in conversation, how do you prioritize which ones you give the most attention to? Between blogging, tweeting, MySpace, Facebook and the other random means we use to communicate on the web, TTFR decided to give Brands in Public a shot in order to organize the conversation going on about TTFR. The fact of the matter is that keeping our fans and artists up-to-date in a meaningful way could take up all of the day's time. I'm afraid we haven't done this very well in the past merely because we have music to hear, graphics to design and edit, emails to send and orders to get out. We do it all here. If we had all the staff we really needed, we would be out of business. As the music industry changes TTFR is figuring out how to evolve and grow our loyal fan base. We value your feedback, so join the conversation.

Getting it together...

TTFR is finally getting our social media sites up to speed with what goes on day to day here at the label. Time is definitely an issue. It takes a dedicated block of time to make your sites interesting enough for people to actually read. We are in the very beginning stages of growing and in the past few months, we have worn so many hats we didn't have any time to cultivate our online presence. This should have been more of a priority, but releasing three Volume 2 CDs took the bulk of our attention. We would have nothing to blog or tweet about it if we didn't have any artists partnering with TTFR on our compilations. Do us a favor and bookmark us, follow us, and participate in our online communities at Squidoo, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Brands in Public.

MC Mafia's Back At It Again Available Now!

Thats right, the long awaited debut album from Nonstop Heat recording artist MC Mafia is available now. You can buy it here or find it soon on iTunes. Thanks to all of our supporters who made this possible. We hope you enjoy listening to this album as much as we enjoyed making it.