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Just Plain Folks 2001 Demographics Survey

 

What you will read below are the results of our annual Member Demographics Survey.  We asked app. 70 Questions on a wide variety of issues that affect our members and the music community at large.  After each question we’ve added some commentary on our thoughts or the meaning behind the question, or the new questions the results have raised in our minds.  We believe this is the most comprehensive survey of its kind in history and are very proud that our membership supported the process so vigorously. If you would like to read some of our member’s comments about Just Plain Folks in their own words, please click here for over 400 member quotes from this year’s survey. 

 

2001 Member Quotes: http://jpfolks.com/AboutUs/2001QuotesWeb.htm

 

If you have questions or comments about this survey, would like more information on any part of it, or would like to use or reprint any of it, please contact Brian Austin Whitney directly at jpfolkspro@aol.com. 

 

What is your gender, age and number of years of music career experience?

 

Gender:                      Age:                Experience:               

 

Male:                53%     (681)                37.9                 22.0

Female:            47%     (602)                34.7                 18.3

Total:              100%    (1,283)             36.3                 20.2

 

This is consistent with our previous demographic surveys.  It seems our male membership has increased a little more rapidly than our female membership. (Or perhaps our male members are more likely to answer our long demographic survey.) We still have the largest group of Female musicians, songwriters and industry members of any organization in the world! At the time of this survey, our total membership was about 10,000 showing a 1-year growth rate 60% from January 2000.

 

Where are our members from?

 

Please list State/Country.  (We also included the number of CD’s we received from each State/Country for the Music Awards.)

The total numbers figure is based on roughly 10,000 total members and will obviously increase throughout 2001.  

 

 

Location:                      Male                Female             Total                Population        CDs

                                    %                     %                     Members          Rank ( )            Sent In

 

Alabama:                      .93                   .28                   70                    (31)                  16

Alaska:                         .31                   .28                   30                    (37)                  05

Arizona:                        1.56                 .85                   131                  (18)                  27

Arkansas:                     .15                   .28                   20                    (41)                  05

California:                     14.19               16.19               1,490               (1)                    455

Colorado:                     1.71                 1.70                 171                  (17)                  18

Connecticut:                 .78                   1.42                 100                  (23)                  28

Delaware:                     .00                   .28                   10                    (47)                  09

Florida:                         4.83                 5.11                 493                  (5)                    75

Georgia:                       1.56                 4.54                 261                  (12)                  75

Hawaii:                         .31                   .00                   20                    (41)                  15

Idaho:                           .47                   .00                   30                    (37)                  04

Illinois:                          3.59                 2.84                 332                  (10)                  52

Indiana:                        3.27                 2.84                 312                  (11)                  54

Iowa:                            .15                   .28                   20                    (41)                  05

Kansas:                        .31                   .85                   50                    (33)                  03

Kentucky:                     1.09                 1.13                 110                  (22)                  25

Louisiana:                     .93                   1.70                 120                  (19)                  16

Maine:                          .15                   .00                   10                    (47)                  11

Maryland:                     .93                   .85                   80                    (28)                  32       

Massachusetts:             3.27                 3.97                 352                  (9)                    100

Michigan:                      2.34                 1.13                 191                  (16)                  25

Minnesota:                    2.18                 1.70                 201                  (14)                  37

Mississippi:                   .31                   .28                   30                    (37)                  06

Missouri:                      1.71                 .28                   120                  (19)                  06

Montana:                      .00                   .28                   10                    (47)                  06

Nebraska:                    .93                   .56                   80                    (28)                  06

Nevada:                       .47                   .00                   30                    (37)                  06

New Hampshire:           .93                   .28                   70                    (31)                  26

New Jersey:                 2.49                 5.39                 362                  (8)                    93

New Mexico:               .15                   .28                   20                    (41)                  10

New York:                   5.92                 9.37                 715                  (2)                    297

North Carolina:             1.40                 .85                   120                  (19)                  31

North Dakota:              .00                   .28                   10                    (47)                  01

Ohio:                            4.68                 4.26                 453                  (7)                    55

Oklahoma:                    1.24                 .56                   100                  (23)                  12

Oregon:                        .78                   1.42                 100                  (23)                  16

Pennsylvania:                5.30                 5.39                 533                  (3)                    123

Rhode Island:               .62                   1.13                 80                    (28)                  12

South Carolina:             .62                   .00                   40                    (34)                  04

South Dakota:              .31                   .00                   20                    (41)                  01

Tennessee:                    4.99                 5.68                 523                  (4)                    105

Texas:                          5.14                 4.54                 493                  (5)                    74

Utah:                            1.24                 .56                   100                  (23)                  08

Vermont:                      .31                   .00                   20                    (41)                  06

Virginia:                        2.34                 1.98                 221                  (13)                  41

Washington:                  2.02                 1.98                 201                  (14)                  48

Washington DC:           .46                   .28                   40                    (34)                  09

West Virginia:               .46                   .28                   40                    (34)                  05

Wisconsin:                    .93                   .85                   90                    (27)                  29

Wyoming:                     .15                   .00                   10                    (47)                  02

 

Australia:                      1.24                 1.13                 121                  (NA)                18

New Zealand:               .15                   .56                   30                    (NA)                03

Canada:                        2.80                 .85                   211                  (NA)                68

UK:                              2.80                 1.42                 231                  (NA)                47

International:                 2.34                 1.13                 191                  (NA)                40

 

There aren’t a huge number of surprises in the geographic locations of our members. Most follow population statistics, except for states like TN that are much higher because of the music industry population.  We are using this information to help us plan Roadtrips and Chapter locations.  I am interested in increasing our International numbers, which currently represent a little less than 10% of our total group.  Hopefully over the next year we can get that up to 15% or more.

 

What do our members do?

 

Please List All Your Occupations in the Music Industry:

 

                                                            Male:                Female:            Total:

Songwriter:                                           93%                 86%                 90%

Live Artist/Performer:                           76%                 75%                 76%

Studio Musician:                                   40%                 53%                 46%

Producer:                                             37%                 23%                 30%

Publisher:                                              24%                 20%                 22%

Record Label:                                       19%                 17%                 18%

Engineer:                                              26%                 05%                 16%

Recording Studio:                                 21%                 08%                 15%

Educator:                                              13%                 16%                 15%

Web/Graphic Designer:                         14%                 10%                 12%

Management:                                        07%                 15%                 11%

Publicist:                                               06%                 14%                 10%

Promoter:                                             06%                 14%                 10%

Media (TV, Radio, Print):                     08%                 07%                 08%

Journalist:                                             06%                 08%                 07%

Internet Music Resource:                      07%                 02%                 05%

Music Services/Consultant:                   03%                 03%                 03%

Music Retailer:                                      05%                 02%                 03%

A&R Representative:                            02%                 02%                 02%

Music Distribution:                                02%                 01%                 01%

Trade Organization:                              02%                 <1%                 01%

Booking Agent:                                     <1%                 01%                 01%

Entertainment Attorney:                         01%                 <1%                 01%

Music Equipment Mftr:                         <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Roadie:                                                 <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Music Ministry:                                     <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Fan Club Staff:                                     <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Engineer/Instr. Designer:                       <1%                 00%                 <1%

 

With over 9,000 Songwriters in our group (out of our 10,000+ to date), we clearly have the largest Songwriters group in the world of any organization.  I think the reason for the large number of publishers in the group is the ASCAP policy of most of their members being both writer and publisher. An interesting observation is that so many more Males are Producers, Engineers and Recording Studio operators and so many more Females are in Artist Management, Publicist and Promotions positions. There is no real surprise here, but it is always interesting to see that stereotypes are sometimes based in reality.  Males have always been nurtured towards using equipment and technology skills and Females have always been nurtured towards Public Relations and people skills. Overall, it seems we have great diversity among our numbers.

 

Do You Have A Website:

                                                            Yes                  No             In Progress

Male:                                                    52%                 32%                 16%

Female:                                                50%                 29%                 21%

Total:                                                    51%                 30%                 19%

 

These numbers are up from last year as predicted, but I still have to wonder how any musician who is already on line can find success without having their own website/page. We are considering offering some simple free webpages for our members in the next year. It looks like a third of our folks could use the service!

 

What Instruments Do You Play during Writing/Recording/Performing?

 

                                                            Male                Female             Total

Vocals:                                                 88%                 83%                 86%

Acoustic Guitar:                                    79%                 55%                 62%

Midi/Electronic Keyboard:                    50%                 39%                 45%

Electric Guitar:                                      64%                 20%                 42%

Acoustic Piano:                                     32%                 40%                 36%

Electric Bass Guitar:                              44%                 07%                 26%

Computer Program:                              32%                 12%                 22%

Drums:                                                 24%                 07%                 15%

Harmonica:                                           17%                 07%                 12%

Specialty/Hand Percussion:                   07%                 07%                 07%

DJ/Mix/Sampler:                                   09%                 04%                 06%

Mandolin:                                             09%                 04%                 06%

Acoustic Bass:                                      07%                 03%                 05%

Recorder:                                             03%                 07%                 05%

Banjo:                                                  08%                 <1%                 04%

Flute:                                                    03%                 05%                 04%

Violin/Fiddle:                                        05%                 03%                 04%

Accordion:                                           04%                 04%                 04%

Dulcimer:                                              03%                 04%                 03%

Tin Whistle:                                          04%                 03%                 03%

Xylophone:                                           02%                 04%                 03%

Custom/Experimental:                           05%                 01%                 03%

Trumpet:                                               03%                 03%                 03%

Other Strings:                                       04%                 01%                 02%

Other Woodwinds:                               02%                 02%                 02%

Clarinet:                                                <1%                 03%                 02%

Sax:                                                      02%                 02%                 02%

Harp:                                                    <1%                 01%                 01%

Cello:                                                   01%                 01%                 01%

Trombone:                                            01%                 01%                 01%

Other Brass:                                         01%                 01%                 01%

Theremin:                                             <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Ukulele:                                                <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Sitar:                                                    <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Didgeridoo:                                          <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Bagpipes:                                             <1%                 <1%                 <1%

 

The biggest gainers here are Midi/Electronic Keyboards and Computer Programs.  It seems nearly everyone who plays an instrument sings and plays more than one other instrument. It is a little surprising to see that although 55% of the females in our group play acoustic guitar, only 20% play electric and only 7% play bass.  I am sure that reflects the industry at large, but I’ve always been told it is just as easy (or easier) to play the electric guitar well as an acoustic guitar. (You can tell I am Keyboard player.)  Is play electric guitar really that much of a “macho” thing?  In general terms, with the amount of money our members spend and the vast array of instruments our members play, it is clear we are a Music Retailers dream.  Speaking of which….

 

How Much Money Will You Spend in 2001 on Musical Instruments and other equipment and supplies for your music performances, writing and recording?

 

Females:                       $4,545

Males:                          $5,931

Total:                            $5,238

 

This represents over $50,000,000 in Music Equipment Purchasing Power among our current members and could reach over $70,000,000 by the end of 2001. To get an idea of how much this really is, if a Music Retailer averaged 18% Gross Profit (they vary widely), that is more than 1 Million dollars a month in potential profit to some lucky sponsor.  10% of our members business is worth 100K in profit per month.  A measly 1% of our members business is worth 10K a month in profit.  Any marketing folks see a trend here? If not, pretty soon we are going to be tempted to sell the stuff ourselves! (Ack! My old retail music marketing blood is boiling!)

 

Favorite Music Publications:

 

                                                Female             Male                Total

Billboard                                  28%                 20%                 24%

Rolling Stone                            28%                 19%                 23%

Performing Songwriter           27%                 16%                 21%

Guitar Player                          10%                 25%                 18%

Acoustic Guitar                      14%                 18%                 16%

Recording                               06%                 20%                 13%

Muses News                          15%                 09%                 12%

Electronic Musician               07%                 15%                 11%

Keyboard Magazine              08%                 11%                 09%

American Songwriter             11%                 07%                 09%

Mix Magazine                           05%                 13%                 09%

Spin Magazine                          09%                 08%                 08%

Guitar World                            03%                 11%                 07%

Dirty Linen                               07%                 06%                 07%

Musicians Atlas                     08%                 05%                 07%

Home Recording                      02%                 11%                 07%

Music Connection                  06%                 06%                 06%                

Country Weekly                       10%                 02%                 06%

Gig                                          06%                 06%                 06%

Blue Chip Radio Report        09%                 03%                 06%

EQ                                           03%                 08%                 06%

Sing Out                                   07%                 03%                 05%

Guitar                                       02%                 07%                 05%

Music Dish                             05%                 04%                 05%

Songwriter                                05%                 03%                 04%

Music Row                               05%                 02%                 04%

Bass Player                            01%                 05%                 03%

CCM                                       02%                 02%                 02%

Modern Drummer                     01%                 02%                 02%

ProSound News                       02%                 01%                 02%

Southeast Performer              01%                 02%                 02%

Songwriters Monthly                 02%                 00%                 01%

BAM                                       01%                 01%                 01%

Audio Media                          01%                 01%                 01%

Film Music Magazine                01%                 01%                 01%

None (Other than JPNotes)      15%                 15%                 15%

 

It is interesting to note that 7 of the top 10 publications here have written an article about Just Plain Folks.  A correlation?  We are pleased to see our friends at Performing Songwriter (all longtime Just Plain Folks members), doing so well and nearly catching up to the massively large Billboard and Rolling Stone publications.  At their current rate, they may be #1 next year.  Kudos also go to Jodi Krangle’s Muses News Newsletter for finishing so well.  In fact, there are 3 Internet only publications on the list this year for the first time, including the Blue Chip Radio Report and Music Dish (all three are Just Plain Folks members as well.)  Our friends at the Musicians Atlas, the best Printed Music Resource in the world, finished 15th even though they only publish one issue a year.  All of the BOLD listings are publications that have either run an article about Just Plain Folks OR are active members of Just Plain Folks or both. If we missed an article in any of these, please let us know. 

 

List Your 3 Favorite Music Equipment Manufactures

 

                                                Female             Male                Total

Fender                                     18%                 29%                 23.5%

Yamaha                                    19%                 19%                 19%

Roland                                     17%                 20%                 18.5%

Gibson                                     15%                 19%                 17%

Martin                                      15.5%              16%                 16%

Shure                                       12%                 11%                 11.5%

Taylor                                      13%                 10%                 11.5%

Mackie                                     07%                 13%                 10%

Korg                                        07.5%              09.5%              08.5%

Alesis                                       05%                 11%                 08%

Tascam                                    06%                 08%                 07%

Peavey                                     05%                 09%                 07%

Steinway                                  08.5%              04%                 06%

Takamine                                 06.5%              04%                 05%

Ovation                                    04.5%              05%                 05%

Marshall                                   03%                 05%                 04%

Sony                                        06%                 02%                 04%

Guild                                        05%                 02.5%              03.5%

EMU/Ensoniq                           02%                 04.5%              03.5%

Kurzweil                                   03.5%              03%                 03%

JBL                                          02%                 03%                 02.5%

Washburn                                 02%                 03%                 02.5%

Casio                                       03%                 02%                 02.5%

AKG                                        02%                 02.5%              02.5%

Digidesign                                 02%                 02%                 02%

Fostex                                      01%                 03%                 02%

Rickenbacker                           00.5%              03.5%              02%

Line 6                                       01%                 03%                 02%

Mark of the Unicorn                 01%                 03%                 02%

Baldwin                                    03.5%              00.5%              02%

Digitech/DOD                          01%                 02%                 02%

Larivee                                     01%                 02%                 01.5%

Panasonic/Technics                   01.5%              01.5%              01.5%

Sonic Foundry                          01.5%              01.5%              01.5%

Carvin                                      01%                 02%                 01.5%

Mesa/Boogie                            01%                 01.5%              01%

Lexicon                                    01.5%              01%                 01%

Steinberg                                  01.5%              01%                 01%

Behringer                                  01%                 01%                 01%

Gemini                                      01%                 01%                 01%

tc electronic                              01%                 01%                 01%

Sennheiser                                01%                 01%                 01%

Paul Reed Smith                       01%                 01%                 01%

Tacoma                                    01%                 01%                 01%

Akai                                         01%                 01%                 01%

Ibanez                                      01%                 01%                 01%

Neumann                                  01%                 01%                 01%

EV                                           01%                 01%                 01%

Emagic                                     01%                 01%                 01%

Tech 21                                    01%                 01%                 01%

Event Electronics                      01%                 01%                 01%

Oberheim                                 01%                 01%                 01%

Samson                                    01%                 01%                 01%

Apogee                                    01%                 01%                 01%

dbx                                          01%                 01%                 01%

Veilette Guitars                         01%                 01%                 01%

Jensen                                      01%                 01%                 01%

Jackson                                    01%                 01%                 01%

 

Fender pulls ahead of the pack this year as favorite overall Music Equipment Manufacturer.  Yamaha finished first among our female members.  We are talking with some of these companies about working together on various projects and opportunities and hope to be able to make at least one major announcement very soon! We included all companies that had at least 1% of the vote this year.

 

What 3 retailers would you most likely make a purchase from this year?

 

                                                Female             Male                Total

Mom/Pop/Local Only               30%                 36%                 33%

Musicians Friend                      27%                 38%                 32.5%

Guitar Center                            25%                 32%                 28.5%

Mars Music                              22%                 22%                 22%

Sam Ash                                  16%                 21%                 17.5%

American Music Supply            07%                 09%                 08%

Sweetwater Sound                   06%                 08%                 07%

Daddy’s Junky Music               03%                 05%                 04%

Manny's                                   04%                 02%                 03%

West LA Music                        03%                 03%                 03%

Music Center                            03%                 02%                 02.5%

Full Compass                           01%                 03%                 02%

B&H Music                              01%                 02%                 01.5%

Music Go Round                      01%                 01%                 01%

Hermes                                    01%                 01%                 01%

L&M Music                             01%                 01%                 01%

Music 123                                01%                 01%                 01%

Leigh’s Computers                   01%                 01%                 01%

Elderly Music                           01%                 01%                 01%

Medley Music                          <1%                 01%                 <1%

Thoroughbred                           01%                 <1%                 <1%

 

Clearly many of these companies improved over last year.  The biggest gainer by far was Mars Music who increased from 9% up to 22%.  This is probably based in part on their expansion.  Musicians Friend had an impressive growth spurt as well. We plan to partner up with both the national chains and local Mom and Pop retailers to offer support through our Chapter programs we are launching in 2001.  We welcome the involvement of any of these companies who want to give back to and support our community and who could clearly benefit themselves from our 50-70 Million a year in equipment purchasing. 

 

Do You Plan To Record and Release at least 1 Album in 2001?

           

                                                Yes                  No

Males:                                      75%                 25%

Females:                                   60%                 40%

Total:                                        68%                 32%

 

This means our members will record and release over 6,000 Independent CD’s in 2001.  We received over 2400 for our music awards already and it looks like we’ll have plenty next year as well! With all the activity in the studio by our members, we plan to partner with Recording Studios, Producers, Engineers, Studio Musicians and CD Manufactures in local communities in conjunction with our Chapter programs. If you are one of these professionals and want to help launch a local chapter in your area, please contact us!

 

How Many Copies of your CD(s) Do You Plan to Manufacture for Sale in 2001?

 

                                                Male                Female             Total

0-10                                         01%                 04%                 03%

10-100                                     06%                 03%                 05%

101-500                                   12%                 07%                 10%

500-1000                                 21%                 18%                 19%

1001-2000                               17%                 13%                 15%

2001-3000                               05%                 03%                 04%

3001-4000                               02%                 02%                 02%

4001-5000                               03%                 01%                 02%

5001-6000                               01%                 01%                 01%

6001-7500                               01%                 01%                 01%

7501-10,000                            01%                 02%                 01%

10,001-20,000                         01%                 01%                 01%

20,001-50,000                         01%                 01%                 01%

More Than 50,000                   03%                 03%                 03%

Not Releasing 2001 CD           25%                 40%                 32%

 

Overall Average:                                                                       3280

 

I think a bit of reality has sunk in among our members.  Last year, the number was 25% higher (4550), in part because of the promise of the Internet and selling massive quantities.  But after NAPSTER and tepid success at some of the defunct Internet music sites, those inflated numbers have touched back down to earth.  Nevertheless, our members are going to produce a huge number of CD’s this year (over 20 Million according to these numbers!)

 

Who do you plan to manufacture your CD’s for you if you have someone in mind?

 

                                                Male                Female             Total

No Choice/Preference:             84%                 88%                 86%

 

Of those with a preference, the top choices are:

 

01. Oasis                                              3%

02. Discmakers                                    3%

03. Cinram                                           <1%

04. ADA                                              <1%

05. Music Masters                                <1%

06. Laser Press                                    <1%

07. Crystal Clear Sound                       <1%

08. Haven Records                               <1%

09. TGS                                               <1%

10. Groovehouse Records                    <1%

 

These are the only companies that got at least 2 votes.  With the massive dollars at stake I am puzzled by the complete lack of knowledge of any of the companies that produce CD’s among our membership, especially since so many of our members have a history of producing and manufacturing CD’s.  Some of these companies spend a lot of money advertising their services, but even the top two barely register among our members. We actually listed the top two companies, Discmakers and Oasis, in the question itself, which further indicates a big problem for CD Manufactures who have tried to get their message out. In general the numbers are way way way down over last year.  I am sure a little bit of it has to do with the ease of self recording CD’s and the increase in people using MP3 files instead of CD’s altogether, but it still shouldn’t impact this much on these mass manufactures.  We cross paths with the Oasis and Discmakers folks and they both do great work and have happy customers among our group. 

 

What Music Organizations/Associations Besides Just Plain Folks Do You Belong To? (Top 25 List Combined)

 

                                                            Male                Female             Total   

01. TAXI                                             15%                 12%                 14%                

02. NSAI                                             08%                 16%                 12%

03. Indiegrrl                                          <1%                 14%                 07%

04. AFM                                              05%                 09%                 07%

05. NARAS                                         03%                 11%                 07%

06. Folk Alliance                                  03%                 07%                 05%

07. SGA                                              02%                 06%                 04%                            

08. WAMA                                         <1%                 05%                 03%

09. SAW                                             01%                 01%                 01%

10. GMA                                             01%                 01%                 01%

11. LAWIM                                         00%                 02%                 01%

12. AFTRA                                          00%                 02%                 01%

13. ISA                                                02%                 00%                 01%

14. PSA                                               01%                 01%                 01%

15. Songscope                                     01%                 <1%                 <1%

16. NAPM                                           <1%                 01%                 <1%

17. CMA                                             <1%                 01%                 <1%

18. Songwriters Hall of Fame                <1%                 01%                 <1%

19. Go Girls Music                               <1%                 01%                 <1%

20. TONOS                                         <1%                 01%                 <1%

21. The Write Stuff                               <1%                 01%                 <1%

22. MENC                                           00%                 01%                 <1%

23. WIM                                              00%                 01%                 <1%

24. NCSA                                           <1%                 <1%                 <1%

25. TSAI                                              <1%                 <1%                 <1%

None:                                                   40%                 41%                 40%

 

We are thrilled to see our friends at TAXI topping the list for the second year in a row. NSAI finished second (first among our female members) and moving way up the list is our friends at Indiegrrl.  We will work hard to cooperate with all these fine organizations and associations in the coming year (assuming they are willing and interested themselves.)  Anyone associated with these or any other International, National, Regional or Local Music Organizations are encouraged to contact us to do some showcases and events with us in 2001.

 

Which Performing Rights Organization Do You Belong To?

 

                                    Male                Female             Total   

ASCAP                       21%                 25%                 23%

BMI                             19%                 23%                 21%

SOCAN                      03%                 01%                 02%

APRA                          <1%                 03%                 02%

PRS                             <1%                 <1%                 <1%

SESAC                        <1%                 <1%                 <1%

IMRO                          <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Bump Sterma               <1%                 <1%                 <1%

SAMRO                      <1%                 <1%                 <1%

NCB/Teosto                <1%                 <1%                 <1%

CASH                          <1%                 <1%                 <1%

SOZA                          <1%                 <1%                 <1%

SAG                            <1%                 <1%                 <1%

None                            51%                 45%                 48%    

 

These numbers are pretty similar to last years, though SESAC has practically fallen off the map.  It would seem to support the general feeling that they are not that interested in the Independent artist community and have chosen to be dramatically more restrictive in who they will represent.  The rest of the organizations have small numbers simply due to the smaller International communities we have in the group. We welcome more first hand involvement from any of these fine organizations and extend our hands warmly in their direction if they would like to get involved with us.

 

Please List Your Favorite Songwriting/Music Industry Books

 

Male Top Ten:

 

01. The Craft and Business of Songwriting                                John Braheny

02. Six Steps To Songwriting Success                                       Jason Blume

03. The 2001 Songwriters Market                                            Writers Digest Books

04. The Craft of Lyric Writing                                                   Sheila Davis

05. 88 Songwriter Wrongs and How To Write Them                Pat and Pete Luboff

06. This Business of Music                                M. William Krasilovsky & Sidney Shemel

07. Tunesmith                                                                           Jimmy Webb

08. Managing Lyric Structure                                                    Pat Pattison

09. Writing Music for Hit Songs                                                Jai Josefs

10. All You Need To Know About The Music Business            Donald Passman

 

Female Top Ten:

 

01. All You Need To Know About The Music Business            Donald Passman

02. The Craft of Lyric Writing                                                   Sheila Davis

03. Six Steps to Songwriting Success                                        Jason Blume

04. The Craft and Business of Songwriting                                John Braheny

05. This Business of Music                                M. William Krasilovsky & Sidney Shemel

06. The 2001 Songwriters Market                                            Writers Digest Books

07. The 2001 Musicians Atlas                                                   Music Resource Group

08. The Artists Way                                                                 Julia Cameron

09. How To Be Your Own Booking Agent                               Jeri Goldstein

10. Songwriters on Songwriting                                                 Paul Zollo

 

Overall Top Twenty-Five Favorite Songwriting/ Music Resource Books

 

01. The Craft and Business of Songwriting                                John Braheny

02. 6 Steps to Songwriting Success                                           Jason Blume

03. The Craft of Lyric Writing                                                   Sheila Davis

04. All You Need To Know About The Music Industry            Donald Passman

05. The 2001 Songwriters Market                                            Ian C. Bessler

06. This Business of Music                                M. William Krasilovsky & Sidney Shemel

07. 88 Songwriter Wrongs and How To Write Them                Pat and Pete Luboff

08. Tunesmith                                                                           Jimmy Webb

09.Writing Better Lyrics                                                            Pat Pattison

10. The Artists Way                                                                 Julia Cameron

11. Songwriters on Songwriting                                                 Paul Zollo

12. The 2001 Musicians Atlas                                                   Music Resource Group

13. Writing Music For Hit Songs                                               Jai Josefs

14. How To Be Your Own Booking Agent                               Jeri Goldstein

15. Songwriting : Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure   Pat Pattison

16. Songwriting Essential Guide To Rhyming                             Pat Pattison

17. Billboard Guide To Music Publicity                                     Jim Pettigrew

18. Becoming Remarkable                                                        Harriet Schock 

19. The Musicians Business and Legal Guide                             Mark Halloran

20. Songwriting : And the Creative Process                               Steve Gillette

21. Hit Men                                                                              Fredric Dannen

22. How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording          Diane Rapaport, Loreena McKennitt

23. Music Publishing: A Songwriters Guide                               Randy Poe

24. Music, Money and Success                                                Jeff & Todd Brabec

25. Stage Performance                                                             Livingston Taylor

 

Our Just Plain Folks Mentors are well represented on this list, which I am sure was positively affected by their involvement in helping our members through that program. We hope to form relationships with each of these authors in the coming year (we’ve already corresponded with a few of these folks), and add some of them to our Just Plain Folks Mentor program.  We are also considering selling these books through our website directly or via an Amazon affiliation.  Just Plain Folks Mentors and Members wrote all of the BOLD listings above.  (And soon we hope to invite the rest to join us!)

 

What Computer System Do You Use?

 

                                                                                    Male                Female             Total

486 or Older Windows Machine                                   02%                 <1%                 01%

Windows 95/98 Pentium 1                                            15%                 11%                 13%

Windows 95/98 Pentium 2                                            22%                 21%                 21%

Windows 95/98 Pentium 3                                            25%                 23%                 24%

Windows 95/98 Pentium 4                                            03%                 09%                 06%

Windows NT/2000 Machine                                        04%                 07%                 05%    

AMD/Cyrix/Celeron or other Processor                        05%                 02%                 03%

Macintosh G4                                                               05%                 05%                 05%

Macintosh G3                                                               10%                 11%                 11%

Older Macintosh                                                           06%                 09%                 08%

WebTV or Similar                                                        01%                 <1%                 01%

Any System Using Linux                                               01%                 <1%                 01%

Other Non Macintosh/Non Windows                            01%                 <1%                 01%    

 

Not only do we have the largest group of on-line musicians and songwriters, but we are also staying on the cutting edge of technology.  Less than 10% of our members use computers more than a few years old and most are a year or less. We have to be the most prime market imaginable for Music Software Manufacturers and their products, some of which are listed below.

 

Favorite Member Music Software Programs

 

Males Top 15:

 

Cakewalk

Easy CD Creator

Pro Tools

Musicmatch Jukebox

Acid

Cubase

Cool Edit Pro

Sound Forge

Real Player/Producer

Band In A Box

Logic Audio

Finale

Digital Performer

Performer

Encore

Studio Vision

Waves

 

Females Top 15:

 

Cakewalk

Pro Tools

Easy CD Creator

Musicmatch Jukebox

Real Player/Producer

Finale

Cubase

Acid

Toast

Studio Vision

Digital Performer

Band In A Box

Sound Forge

Logic Audio

Encore

Waves

 

Overall Top 15:

 

Cakewalk

Pro Tools

Easy CD Creator

Musicmatch Jukebox

Acid

Cubase

Finale

Real Player/Producer

Sound Forge

Digital Performer

Band In A Box

Studio Vision

Logic Audio

Encore

Waves

 

There really isn’t a huge consensus on these programs.  We had hundreds of different titles listed, but few that were overwhelming favorites.  Some of these titles are old standards and I am wondering when some newer titles will come on to the scene.  For a group that is 100% computer ready, we should really have some active partners/sponsors in the Software and Computer Sectors.  If anyone out there in the software company sector is interested in getting involved with our community, we’d love to hear from you.

 

How Many CD’s Do You Buy Per Month?

 

                                    Males               Females            Total

0                                  10%                 04%                 07%

1                                  37%                 36%                 36%

2                                  20%                 26%                 23%

3                                  15%                 14%                 15%

4                                  03%                 07%                 05%

5                                  06%                 06%                 06%

6-10                             06%                 05%                 06%

10-15                           02%                 01%                 01%

More than 15               01%                 01%                 01%

 

Our members, on average, buy 32 CD’s a year.  No big surprises here, as musicians typically buy more music than others.  (Anyone know what the average is for everyone?)  I really think this bodes well for us having a series of Compilation CD’s for promotional fundraisers.  We could probably sell 10K units a year or more. 

 

How Many Albums Have You Participated In Recording In Your Career?

 

            Male                Female             Total               

00        28%                 17%                 23%

01        14%                 12%                 13%

02        15%                 15%                 15%

03        10%                 15%                 12%

04        07%                 08%                 08%

05        06%                 09%                 07%                

06        03%                 05%                 04%

07        02%                 02%                 02%

08        01%                 03%                 02%

09        01%                 01%                 01%

10        03%                 05%                 04%

>10:     10% (Ave. 27) 08% (Ave. 33) 09%

 

Our members have, on average, recorded on 5.5 CD’s each during their career to date. That is about 55,000 CD titles out there with our member’s music on them.  Don’t send them all in at once!

 

How Many Songs Have You Written Solo In Your Career?

 

Male:                151

Female:            100

Average:           125

 

How Many Songs Have You Co-Written In Your Career?

 

Male:                35

Female:            19

Average:           27

 

This means our members have written well over a million and half songs collectively!

It is also interesting to see that our members consistently write 5 solo songs to each co-written song in their career.  It might also be interesting to know the success rate of those who co-write often versus those who only write solo.  From a very non-scientific scan through the surveys, it seems in general that those who co-write more often also have had more success on average than those who only write solo.  Next year we will specifically tie the two together in the survey.

 

Can You Write:

                                                            Male                Female             Total

Both Music and Lyrics:                         91%                 72%                 82%    

Music Only:                                          05%                 03%                 04%

Lyrics Only:                                          01%                 15%                 08%

Perform on instrument only:                   02%                 03%                 02%

Do Not Write or Play Music:                01%                 07%                 04%

 

There is a little discrepancy between this question and those who describe themselves as songwriters earlier in the survey.  My guess is that some people don’t consider themselves serious songwriters (as asked in the earlier question), but feel they CAN do it.

It is interesting to see the huge difference in male/female lyricists.  I feel a big part of it is that women have always been underserved when it comes to performing on an instrument. Retailers, Educators, Peers and others have neglected to help develop the female artists/performers at the same level as males.  We hope to be a positive part of changing that!

 

Are You A Published Songwriter?

                        Yes                  No

Males:              45%                 55%

Females:           43%                 57%

Average:           44%                 56%

 

This is quite surprising to me.  Many writers focus on getting published and I am thrilled to see such a large number of our members are already there.  This speaks well of the sheer talent in our organization, and the amazing resources we have to draw on to help the rest improve their writing skills. Very cool!

 

Have You Ever Had A Recording Contract?

 

                                                                        Male                Female             Total

Yes, Major Label                                             05%                 05%                 05%

Yes, Indie Label                                               12%                 10%                 11%

Yes, My Own Label                                         15%                 11%                 13%

No, But Plan To In 2001                                  12%                 13%                 12%

No, But Am Pursuing One                                26%                 31%                 29%

Not Interested In A Recording Deal                  30%                 30%                 30%

 

70% of our members either have or want a record deal.  30% aren’t interested.  I wonder which group is better adjusted and happier?  This is actually quite an interesting breakdown. You figure roughly 25% of these folks are either full time industry members or songwriters who really won’t ever be in a position to have a record deal because that isn’t what they do. The allure and promise of that record deal is still front and center in most of our member’s minds.  Because the Major Label system can only accommodate 2% or less of the Musician/Writer population, it is clear we need more outlets to support everyone else.  Just Plain Folks plans to be on the forefront of creating Human Scale career paths and success levels for Indie artists around the world. Stay tuned!

 

In Your Musical Project Do You:

                                               

                                                Male                Female             Total

Play with a Band                       34%                 30%                 32%

Play in a Duet                           04%                 08%                 06%

Perform Solo                            40%                 36%                 38%

Writer for Others Only              12%                 14%                 13%

Not Applicable                         10%                 12%                 11%

 

This indicates that our daily direct membership sphere of influence is really closer to 25,000 with the band members we don’t count.  Most bands only subscribe under 1 email address but a lot of bands come out and play at our showcases, enter the music awards and so on. We encourage bands to sign up your mates with us as well so we can get info directly to them and count them among our membership base!

 

What are your 3 Primary Genres of Music?

 

                                                Male                Female             Total

Pop                                          43%                 52%                 47%

Rock                                        48%                 38%                 43%

Folk                                         31%                 37%                 34%

Country                                    26%                 38%                 32%

Alternative                                12%                 15%                 14%

Blues                                        15%                 13%                 14%

CC                                           12%                 10%                 11%

Jazz                                          10%                 12%                 11%

R&B                                        10%                 10%                 10%

Americana                                10%                 08%                 09%

Gospel                                     08%                 06%                 07%

Contemporary                          05%                 06%                 06%

Instrumental                              05%                 05%                 05%

New Age                                 04%                 06%                 05%

Broadway/Theater                    04%                 06%                 05%

Hard Rock                               06%                 02%                 04%

Classical                                   05%                 03%                 04%

Rap/Hip Hop                            04%                 02%                 03%

Celtic                                       03%                 03%                 03%

Orchestral/Soundtrack              03%                 03%                 03%

Jingle/Commercial                     03%                 03%                 03%

Children’s                                 02%                 03%                 03%

Bluegrass                                  03%                 02%                 03%

Techno/Electronica                   03%                 02%                 02%

Comedy                                   03%                 02%                 02%

Dance                                      03%                 01%                 02%

Latin                                         02%                 02%                 02%

Metal                                       03%                 01%                 02%

World                                      02%                 02%                 02%

Experimental                             02%                 02%                 02%

Punk                                        02%                 01%                 01%

Gothic/Hardcore                       01%                 01%                 01%

Ethnic/Cultural                          01%                 01%                 01%

Reggae                                     02%                 <1%                 01%

Funk                                        02%                 <1%                 01%

Opera                                      01%                 <1%                 <1%

Cabaret                                    <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Industrial                                  <1%                 <1%                 <1%

Spoken Word                          <1%                 <1%                 <1%

 

We are an amazingly diverse group of writers and artists.  These results should address any questions as to whether we are primarily a “folk” organization (we aren’t). It is just one of the words in our name. It is interesting to match this with the actual music we received.  Some genres are much more highly represented than these percentages indicate and others that barely show up which finished highly here.  It is possible that some artist genres are less likely to have recorded a CD than others.  We will look further into this phenomenon and report any interesting findings.  

 

Have You Ever Posted Your Music On Line For Sale Via MP3 or Similar Format?

 

                                                Yes                  No

Male:                                        40%                 60%

Female:                                    34%                 66%

Average:                                   37%                 63%

 

So who ARE those 80,000 people on MP3.com? Perhaps it isn’t really that many?

 

Have You Ever Sold Any Digital Copies Of Your Music?

 

                                                Yes                  No

Male:                                        08%                 92%

Female:                                    06%                 94%

Average:                                   07%                 93%

 

If yes, how many units have you sold?

 

Male Average: 36 Digital Files Sold To Date

Female Average: 10 Digital Files Sold To Date

Total Average: 23 Digital Files Sold To Date

 

I think we know why Emusic and similar digital sales business models are failing. Only 7% of over 10K on-line songwriters/artists have sold a single copy of their music on line.  Even when looking solely at the small number who has, they have only sold on average 23 files ever.  Not exactly enough to make you give up your day job eh? I also wonder how many of this small number were purchased by the artists themselves or their immediate friends and families to improve the standings of their rankings on some of these sites?

 

Top 5 Sites Members Post Their Digital Music Files?

 

MP3.com

IUMA.com (Now Defunct)

CDBaby.com

Broadbandtalent.net

Audiohighway.com

 

I am not sure about the last two, but I am pretty sure CDBaby.com isn’t selling digital files.  (Of course, with the results above, neither is anyone else, CDBaby just hasn’t INTENDED to!)

 

Have you ever bought a digital song on line?

 

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            03%                 97%

Female:                        03%                 97%

Average:                       03%                 97%

 

If only I had asked these folks if the song they bought was their own!!! Darn!

 

Is Your Music Currently Available for Sale On Line Via CD or Tape?

                       

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            35%                 65%

Female:                        35%                 65%

Average:                       35%                 65%

 

With the number of members with CD’s out, and the fact that all our members are on line, it seems more would be selling their CD’s online. In light of the next question, it seems like they need to get in gear!  

 

If yes, have you sold any copies of your CD or Tape On Line?

 

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            86%                 14%

Female:                        85%                 15%

Average:                       86%                 14%

 

WOW!!!  The other 65% of our group need to get in gear and get that music posted on line for sale.  I suggest CDBaby.com hands down!  Derek Sivers is a good friend of Just Plain Folks, runs the best site for Indies in the world and in case you are wondering, this is an unsolicited endorsement!

 

If Yes, How Many Units Have You Sold?

 

Male Average CD Units Sold Line                    98 Units          

Female Average CD Units Sold On Line           58 Units

Total Average CD Units Sold On Line              78 Units

 

That means our members have sold nearly a quarter of a million CD’s Online.  Remember, this doesn’t account for offline sales, and next year we will compare the two numbers.  Offline CD sales was one question we neglected to ask this year by mistake.

 

For those who have sold their CD’s on line, what is the average price you sell your CD for?

                                    Male                Female             Average

Free                             05%                 03%                 04%

<$4                              00%                 00%                 00%

$5                                04%                 02%                 03%

$6                                05%                 05%                 05%

$7                                01%                 <1%                 01%

$8                                01%                 03%                 02%

$9                                01%                 <1%                 01%

$10                              34%                 19%                 26%

$11                              00%                 03%                 02%

$12                              24%                 19%                 21%

$13                              06%                 10%                 08%

$14                              01%                 05%                 03%

$15                              17%                 29%                 23%

>$15                            01%                 01%                 01%

 

Overall Ave:                 $10.69             $11.78             $11.02

 

Females in our group are selling their CD’s for too much.  Period.  Males are selling twice as many, and I suspect a lot of it has to do with being over 1 dollar cheaper.  In my opinion, 10 Bucks is the correct amount to sell for.  Next year we will do a break down by price point as to how many units on average each tier is selling. 

 

Please List The Top 3 Websites To Sell Your CD On?

 

                                    Male                Female             Average

CDBaby.com               60%                 73%                 67%

Amazon.com                52%                 53%                 53%

Own Website               18%                 39%                 29%

MP3.com                     26%                 24%                 25%

IUMA.com                  13%                 07%                 10%

Theorchard.com           11%                 07%                 09%

CDStreet.com              05%                 11%                 08%

CDNow.com               13%                 02%                 08%

Folkweb.com               08%                 05%                 06%

Earbuzz.com                 02%                 04%                 03%

Songs.com                   <1%                 04%                 02%    

Broadbandtalent.com    02%                 02%                 02%    

Vitaminic.com               01%                 03%                 02%

Digitalcuts.com             02%                 02%                 02%

Garageband.com          <1%                 02%                 01%

Indiespace.com            <1%                 02%                 01%

 

No surprise here.  CDBaby is the Indie community’s best friend. When I visited their offices in Woodstock last year, they were selling 150 CD’s a day.  I believe that number has risen and they have moved to Portland, Oregon and dramatically increased their warehouse space and staff.  Derek and his crew may be the only, or certainly among the very few on-line CD Sales operations making an actual profit, which is good for everyone, especially those who are selling their CD on his site and want to be able to a year or more from now.  In light of all the failures of other dot com CD Sales sites and the well publicized struggles of Amazon.com, IUMA.com, Theorchard.com and CDNow.com, what Derek and CDBaby have accomplished is amazing.  Even more amazing is how simple it really has been.  It is called REALITY.  You hire enough people to sell the product you are selling.  You live within reasonable means and you don’t burn through 38 Million dollars in one year supporting 400 artists on your site like Songs.com did.  If I were selling my independent CD, I would have my CD for sale on CDBaby.com, Amazon.com, my own website (using my own name or band name as the domain) and I would have an MP3.com page simply as a reference/finders tool.  The reasons are that everyone who doesn’t know any better (i.e. anyone who might see you at a bar performing somewhere) will usually check Amazon.com by default.  Anyone on-line who has heard about you, will typically check MP3.com to learn more about you and perhaps try out a song.  Anyone who knows your (or your band’s) name and enjoys surfing the net will check your domain to see pics and learn more about you.  And anyone looking for great Indie artist CD’s and who wants a great shopping experience from a really cool nearly old fashioned aura record store will go to CDBaby.com.  Anything more is overkill (unless you can get major distribution and end up in something like the Virgin Megastore or Columbia House sites).  Being on anything less than those sites risks people missing your music. 

 

Have You Ever Bought A CD or Tape on Line?

 

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            41%                 59%

Female:                        51%                 49%

Average:                       46%                 54%

 

This seems low to me from a group who buys 32 CD’s each per year. 

 

If Yes, Please List the sites you have bought a CD from:

 

                                                Male                Female             Average

Amazon.com                            48%                 54%                 51%

CDNow.com                           30%                 20%                 25%

CDBaby.com                           09%                 17%                 13%

MP3.com                                 11%                 05%                 08%

Columbiahouse.com                 10%                 06%                 08%

BMG.com                                05%                 07%                 06%

Half.com                                  05%                 01%                 03%

Musicforce.com                        03%                 03%                 03%

Ebay.com                                 01%                 05%                 03%

Barnesandnoble.com                01%                 03%                 02%

Borders.com                            02%                 02%                 02%

HMV.com                                02%                 02%                 02%

Songs.com                               04%                 01%                 02%

TowerRecords.com                  04%                 <1%                 02%

800.com                                   02%                 <1%                 01%

Buy.com                                   01%                 01%                 01%

Yahoo.com                              01%                 01%                 01%

 

No real surprises here.  I bet there have been days when CDBaby has outsold CDNow.  Songs.com is out of business.  Most of the rest are mega-conglomerates.

 

Please List Your Favorite Music Resource Website (in addition to JPFolks.com)

 

                                                            Male                Female             Total

                                                            Rank                Rank                Rank

01. Musemuse.com                            01                    01                    1

02. TAXI.com                                     02                    03                    2

03. MP3.com                                       04                    02                    3

04. Harmony-Central.com                    03                    11                    4

05. CDBaby.org                                 05                    05                    5

06. Indie-music.com                           15                    04                    6

07. Garageband.com                            06                    09                    7

08. Tonos.com                                     16                    06                    8

09. Indiegrrl.com                                31                    07                    9

10. Amazon.com                                  08                    12                    10

11. Billboard.com                                 09                    13                    11

12. Musiciansfriend.com                       07                    25                    12

13. ASCAP.com                                  10                    16                    13       

14. BMI.com                                       11                    17                    13

15. Indiebiz.com                                 17                    14                    15       

16. Getsigned.com                                13                    18                    16

17. Musicdish.com                             32                    10                    17

18. Nashvillesongwriters.com           20                    15                    18

19. Guitar.com                                     18                    19                    19

20. IUMA.com                                    12                    41                    20

21. Jasonblume.com                           21                    26                    21

22. radiofreevirgin.com                      33                    16                    22

23. Lyricist.com                                  14                    32                    23

24. Songpro.com                                  22                    27                    24

25. Taylorguitars.com                           23                    28                    25

26. Craftofsongwriting.com               41                    33                    26

27. Cdnow.com                                   24                    34                    27

28. Lyricalline.com                               42                    20                    27

29. Musicrow.com                               43                    21                    29

30. Musiciansnetwork.com                   44                    22                    30

31. Degyshop.com                              45                    23                    31

32. Gajoob.com                                   34                    29                    32

33. Irenejackson.com                         35                    30                    33

34. clubnashville.com                         25                    35                    34

35. Allmusic.com                                  46                    24                    35

36. Prorec.com                                    19                    42                    36

37. Digitalsoundplanet.com                   26                    43                    37

38. Hitquarters.com                              27                    44                    38

39. Digidesign.com                               28                    45                    39

40. Songshopscoop.com                     47                    31                    40

41. writesongs.com                             36                    36                    41

42. harrietschock.com                        37                    37                    42                   

43. Songscope.com                             38                    38                    43

44. musiciansatlas.com                      39                    39                    44

45. goodnightkissmusic.com              40                    40                    45

46. theorchard.com                              29                    46                    46

47. musicconnection.com                   30                    47                    47

48.(Princeton Songwriters)                48                    48                    48

49. acousticguitar.com                          49                    49                    49

50. samash.com                                    50                    50                    50

 

There are lots of great sites on this list.  Just Plain Folks members run all of the fine BOLDED sites. There are a few sites that didn’t show up that really surprised me. And there are a few sites that did fairly poorly for their size and budgets.  We plan to feature all these sites in our resources section with brief descriptions of each for your browsing pleasure.  Enjoy! Tell them Just Plain Folks sent ya! If you run one of these sites and are a Just Plain Folks member and we aren’t aware of it, please let us know and we will bold your listing as well!

 

Would You Be Interested in Participating In A Local Just Plain Folks Chapter?

 

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            80%                 20%

Female:                        88%                 12%

Average:                       84%                 16%

 

I certainly hope this number holds true.  We want to start chapters in 200+ locations, which will require a very high level of participation from our members worldwide to pull off.  I do have to wonder a little about those who say they WOULDN’T participate.  But as Robert Kennedy said, 20% of the people are against everything.  If that is true, we are in good shape!

 

Would You Be Willing To Participate in a Volunteer Music Program at one of your local schools?

 

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            62%                 38%

Female:                        64%                 36%

Average:                       63%                 37%

 

This is something that is very exciting for us.  We have wanted to get involved with local schools since our beginning and our Los Angeles Chapter members are going to get the ball rolling there.  We look forward to testing the waters there for the rest of the world!

 

If We Offered A Just Plain Folks Health Insurance Plan would you be interested?

 

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            50%                 50%

Female:                        48%                 52%

Average:                       49%                 51%

 

This is another pet project of mine.  There must be some insurance folks who’d like a group policy the size of this.  Since the US Government can’t seem to help out artists with health insurance, perhaps we can find a way on our own.

 

Would You Be Interested In Purchasing A Just Plain Folks Book If It Were Published?

 

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            79%                 21%

Female:                        78%                 22%

Average:                       79%                 21%

 

This personally excites me because even before I wanted to be a songwriter, my dream as a kid was to write a book.  My goal is to recruit our mentors and industry friends to each write a chapter in their specialty and then I would tie it together with My Take type editorials and anecdotes about our Roadtrips and things I have learned while running Just Plain Folks.  In addition, we’d probably have member pics and event pics spread through it.  We might even include a Music Awards CD Compilation and update it each year with the current winners/nominees. Anyone currently in the publishing world (or with experience there as an author) that can offer us some advice/feedback on this project would be greatly appreciated!

 

If We Offered a Seminar/Class in your area on the music industry, would you be interested?

 

                                    Yes                  No

Male:                            94%                 06%

Female:                        90%                 10%

Average:                       92%                 08%

 

We are observing some of our industry friends who do these to see how we might best offer some classes/seminars ourselves.  This would be ideal for active chapters in cities large enough to support industry expert’s appearances. 

 

If Just Plain Folks Offered A Yearly Seminar in a Major City, would you be interested in attending, and how much you would pay if that seminar offered what you wanted?

 

                                    Yes                  No       Amount Willing To Pay

Male:                            81%                 19%                 $111.00

Female:                        72%                 28%                 $  89.00

Average:                       77%                 23%                 $100.00

 

100.00 dollars is on the low end for a weekend conference, but it also seems fairly reasonable for a moderate size/scale conference.  If we do one in the future, we would utilize our Mentor staff and would probably host open showcases for attendees so everyone got a chance to perform if they wanted to. 

 

Please List Your Favorite Major Music Conferences/Seminar/Festivals/Trade Shows

 

                                                            Male                Female             Total

                                                            Rank                Rank                Rank

01. TAXI Road Rally                           01                    01                    1

02. SXSW                                           02                    03                    2

03. Folk Alliance                                  03                    04                    3

04. Kerrville                                         04                    02                    4

05. NAMM                                         05                    05                    5

06. NSAI Spring Symposium                08                    06                    6

07. Tin Pan South                                 06                    09                    7

08. NEMO                                          07                    19                    8

09. Falcon Ridge                                  09                    10                    9

10. NXNE                                           10                    11                    10

11. Atlantis                                           11                    12                    11

12. Merlefest                                        23                    07                    12

13. Northeast Folk Alliance                  24                    08                    13

14. Canadian Music Week                   18                    13                    14

15. NSAI Song Camp                          12                    20                    15

16. NYC Music & Internet Expo          13                    21                    16

17. CMJ                                              14                    22                    17

18. Rockergirl Music Conference          15                    23                    18

19. South Florida Folk Fest                  19                    14                    19

20. Swannanoa                                     20                    15                    20

21. NCSA Conference                         21                    16                    21

22. Eat’m                                             16                    24                    22

23. Philadelphia Music Conference       22                    17                    23

24. NXNW                                          17                    25                    24

25. Newport Folk Festival                    25                    18                    25

 

I haven’t attended all of these conferences but I agree that my favorite so far has always been the TAXI Road Rally.  In fact, if I were going to launch a conference, these guys would be the first I would call for advice.  It runs smoothly, the panels are filled with top-notch people and the moderators are fantastic and ask the exact questions you want them to as if they are reading your mind.  (And they aren’t afraid to tell and ask it like it is!) Some of their other features like the A&R panel/demo derby where all the audience raises their hands when they have heard enough (and almost always the audience is 10 times more brutal to songs than any of the A&R people are) and their random draw open stage showcases each night are just a few of the reasons this is the best conference going.  The fact that it is free to TAXI Members (who can also bring a free guest) is amazing.  The conference alone is worth more than the cost of a TAXI membership.  I have heard great things about Folk Alliance as well, though I have never attended.  NSAI always puts on quality events, of various types and I was never disappointed with any of those I attended.  Our members have slammed some of these conferences, but in reality, you can’t be all things to all people.  I suggest you research each conference and listen to trusted resources before deciding to attend/participate.  I would be especially cautious when the conference involved large fee’s to showcase your band.  Remember above all else, the best opportunities at these conferences are the peers you will meet and network with.  I would put more effort in creating bonds with people from around the world there than simply attending the meetings and taking notes.  Face to face opportunities to make friends and contacts are few and far between in this day and age of Internet anonymity. When you actually get these chances, make the most of them!

 

If We Produce Just Plain Folk’s Compilation CD’s, which would you buy:

 

                                                                        Male                Female             Average          

Music Award Winners/Nominees                      44%                 38%                 42%    

Monthly Best Of CD’s                                      19%                 31%                 25%

Genre Specific Best of CD’s                             52%                 54%                 53%

Audio Interview With Industry Experts              21%                 19%                 20%

Other: Quarterly, Regional, Live Shows             10%                 10%                 10%

Not Interested In Buying Any                            08%                 06%                 07%

 

If these numbers held up consistently, we could do very well with compilation CD’s, and could fund a lot of programs within Just Plain Folks.  This is something we will seriously look at in the coming year. 

 

Well, that does it for another year’s Demographics.  Because of the value of this type of information, we plan to have additional surveys throughout the year on a variety of topics.  Sincere thanks to all those who took the 30-60 Minutes to fill out a survey and special thanks to our Projects Director Linda Berger for all her help in compiling this information, it was a monumental task again this year.  (We compile all this manually one survey at a time!)

 

If there are any press or company inquiries about these results or use of them, please contact Brian Austin Whitney directly at JPFolksPro@aol.com. 

 

Copyright 2001 Just Plain Folks.  All Rights Reserved.  This Survey and these results may not be reprinted or used without expressed written permission from Brian Austin Whitney and Just Plain Folks. 

 

“We’re All In This Together!”

 

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