On February 2, immediately following the 2010 Grammy Awards, Tom Jackson and other major industry players will be teaching at the New Music Seminar (NMS) in Los Angeles at The Henry Fonda Theater.

Leaders from across the front edges of music, technology and beyond will speak and share ideas during this one day music, networking and educational extravaganza. NMS is the must attend 1-day for the industry (artists, managers, labels, and more) who are seeking to learn and understand how to help artists “rise above the noise floor” in a shifting musical landscape.

Following a keynote speech by Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek, four vital seminars will teach artists Read more…

I have to admit, I am a “take it, or leave it” type of guy when it comes to American Idol. There are some seasons I am into it, and there are some seasons I don’t watch it until the finals! I guess you could say I have mixed emotions about the whole phenomenon. Read more…

So, what does 2010 hold for the Music Business?

Well, if you are like me, you are probably baffled about what has happened to the Music Biz over the past few years. If we had a crystal ball to look into, it sure would make it a lot easier on all of us. However, since we don’t have one, we just to have to take our best guess.

Here’s a link to a blogger that I enjoy reading. (I don’t always agree with everything they say, but they usually have some really good information and insight.) Take a look at their Predictions…read more…

Read it over, and let me know your thoughts! If you are up for it, share with me YOUR predictions for the coming year in the music biz.

Scott McReynolds, Artist Development Team

**Scott is offering a FREE 15-minute Artist Assessment consultation when you register for Tom Jackson’s Bootcamp 2-Day Live Event. If you can’t make it to the Bootcamp, get a complete Artist Assessment for a limited time, HALF PRICE! read more…

For the next two weeks, you have the opportunity to purchase 2 for 1 registrations for the New Music Seminar. This low-cost one day event will give you the knowledge and the tools to step into tomorrow’s music business today.

The seminar will be held in Los Angeles less than 36 hours after the Grammys on February 2nd, with an opening night party the evening of Monday, February 1st. Read more…

Tom Jackson Productions hosted a 2-day live event at 2602 Sound Stage in Nashville on October 23-24, 2009. This Bootcamp aimed to give participants a clear understanding of the basics of Tom Jackson’s Live Music Methods and how to use those methods to embark on a successful music career.

Tom gave classes on creating moments for audiences, arranging a set list, rearranging songs to create moments, the fundamentals of stage movement, and talking to your audience. To demonstrate his Live Music Methods with a hands-on approach, Tom chose a solo artist, Jimmy Dooley, and a band, KURTIS, to work with in front of the entire group.

In addition to showing attendees what a rehearsal looks like, these hands-on sessions were a great experience for artists to see how their own live show could be transformed.

As one artist put it, “the most helpful part of Bootcamp was seeing the change in a performer going from mediocre to something special!”

On both evenings during the event, artists interested in showcasing one of their songs were able to perform in front of Tom, world-renowned vocal coach and Bootcamp special presenter Brett Manning, and entertainment executive Bernard Porter.

The Bootcamp was hosted in response to popular demand for specific instruction in Tom Jackson’s Live Music Methods. Participants gained useful, practical, and creative knowledge for their live show:

Cathy DeCheine, indie artist – “From Thursday to Sunday I had driven 2000 miles (31 hours in my car), spent 24 hours in Bootcamp, and slept only 12 hours. Whew! But I WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT!! It was an absolutely amazing experience. I learned so-o-o much about live performance…networked with other artists…and loved being at a workshop that was filled with creativity! It has recharged me and made me more excited about my music. I can’t get wait to get to work in applying what I learned. I will recommend Tom’s workshops to anyone and everyone I know that is an artist.”

Brian, lead singer for KURTIS – “The best description for your Bootcamp is ‘eye opening.’ You have shown us tools and given us a fresh perspective to allow us to make a leap to the next level as showmen, rather than just good bar band performers.”

Amy Wolter, Live Music Producer with Tom Jackson Productions helped teach at the Bootcamp event, and offered short 1-on-1 visits with artists who attended. Amy said she was glad to have met so many great artists from all over the U.S., Canada, and even from around the world.

Zaz, an artist from Egypt said about Amy’s help during the weekend: “you have helped me so much, in more ways than I could’ve imagined. Thank you for being the first person to hear me sing, for giving me your OK and the great advice in terms of finding what I want; and when you added your comment when I was showcasing, I’ve got to admit, that totally blew me away.”

Another of the Tom Jackson Live Music Producers, Lang Bliss, was on hand to teach artists and explain how track artists can still have authority over their songs onstage. Lang and Tom demonstrated the basics of rearranging a song to play live, taking an artist through the creation of a moment using track editing.

New to the Artist Development team at Tom Jackson Productions, Scott McReynolds was available for 1-on-1 sessions as well. Because of Scott’s expertise in having launched and developed numerous artists’ careers, he was able to answer questions about relevant strategies for success.

“The overwhelmingly positive response to this Bootcamp has been great,” said Elliott Cunningham, marketing director for Tom Jackson Productions.

Due to the success of this event, Tom Jackson Productions will continue to plan for future Bootcamps in 2010. For more information, check the Tom Jackson Bootcamp 2-Day Live Event page.

I cross a lot of genres, and most artists I work with are in rock, country, pop, and CCM markets. But one market that has always intrigued me is Southern Gospel.

I just spent a couple of days in Louisville, Kentucky connecting with that market at the annual National Quartet Convention (NQC). There were 20,000 people there – close to 500 artists. I’ve never seen more tour buses in one place in my life! There were literally 100’s of them parked out back of the convention center.

It feels a bit foreign to me to go to NQC – I’m a bit of a rocker, you know. People there dress much nicer than me. Suits and ties, very conservative. But I love them just the same!

The trip even started out pretty strange, with the weirdest driving weather ever! It was sunny, then it poured down rain, then sunny again, then drizzly – nothing consistent all the way up there and back.

The artists at NQC are some of the best singers I’ve ever worked with. Jason Crabb, Karen Peck, the Martins. (I was excited to hear that the Martins are re-forming, by the way.) I saw The Pipers, Triple L Band, and many more.

Even more exciting is the likelihood that Tom Jackson Productions will soon be working closely with a lot of these Southern Gospel artists through a Christian artist and good friend of mine, Alison Durham Speer. I’m looking forward to bringing Alison onboard as a Live Music Producer who will teach my Live Music Methods to Southern Gospel artists.

It may seem like a foreign land when I’m with this great group of people at NQC, because I really am a lot different than they are. But they accept me the way I am – and I appreciate that!

As an artist, you have the choice of several websites that will sell your CDs and mp3s online; one of these is CD Baby, which recently made some major changes to their site and to the services they offer musicians.

If you’ve heard me talk about the five streams of revenue for an artist, you know that selling CDs Read more…

I had a lot of fun last weekend teaching at the Honey Jam Bootcamp in Toronto, Ontario! It was great getting to know people from the Harris institute (where the event was held) as well as the people who work with Honey Jam and the artists involved in this year’s Honey Jam Showcase. Read more…

Tom spent some time in Puerto Rico the end of June, where he met with a number of concert promoters and producers. Read more…

It was definitely intense, and “a good time was had by all.” It’s been a week since my Nashville Intensive Workshop, and I still can’t get over how great it was!

Although she’s attended my seminars and had me work one-on-one with her before, World Artist Mary-Kathryn felt this workshop was “a huge value because you’re able to work one-on-one with Tom AND with his Live Music Producers – you’re getting a lot of input into your show!”

We booked a small group for the Workshop, which was good for artists to learn and get new insights for their music; and it was good for me to be able to get to know them and spend time with each one of them.

Leanne Regalla, one of the artists that attended the workshop remarked that the intimate group setting was perfect because Read more…

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