Articles by Michael Lake
What Is The Purpose Of Your Website? Part 3
by Michael Lake
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 This series of articles on websites assumes that one reason you have a website is to grow your audience of fans. As I've written before, there are lots of good reasons to own a website. The purpose of the site might be to draw more people to your performances; sell more online music, books, or merchandise; or simply to promote yourself to other musicians, record labels, or the press.
read moreWhat Is The Purpose Of Your Website? Part 2
by Michael Lake
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 In my previous article--part one of a series on websites--I mentioned three different types of websites for specific purposes. In this part, we'll look at how best to satisfy your online goals as a jazz musician. Earlier, we looked at three basic types of websites: 1. The Business Card which is a static site dedicated to giving you a presence on the web, 2. The Lounge, which attracts ...
read moreWhat Is The Purpose Of Your Website? Part 1
by Michael Lake
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 What is the purpose of your website? Your website might have been created years ago when its purpose was simply to have one because 'everybody has to be online.' But here you are in 2023 and simply being online is no longer its own purpose. In fact, if your website reflects that original purpose from years ago, it's now probably working against you. Think about the purpose of ...
read moreYour Marketing Mindset and Hustle
by Michael Lake
Being a good jazz musician is not enough. Your thousands of hours put into developing your craft, honing a unique musical voice, and discovering how to make meaningful music over keys and chords are now table stakes. Growing your audience and income requires more. The infrastructure you once relied on for career success is disappearing. Taking its place is a world demanding communication skills, technical prowess, and self-promotion chops for which you neither expected nor prepared. I hear, ...
read moreHow To Think About Your Personal Brand As A Jazz Musician, And Why It Matters
by Michael Lake
In the mid-1970s, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio became the spokesman for the coffee maker Mr. Coffee. On the day of one of their commercial shoots, the producers of the Mr. Coffee commercial asked DiMaggio to wear a shirt displaying their logo. The baseball legend refused, insisting on wearing his own clothes instead. He then took a pair of scissors to the shirt to remove the logo. The producers were furious and threatened to sue DiMaggio for breach of contract. But ...
read moreMusicians: How To Give Yourself A Well-Deserved Raise
by Michael Lake
How much money should you charge? This is a difficult question for musicians selling their playing, sheet music, CDs, tickets, instruments, books, merchandise, or teaching. If you want more people to buy from you, what is that perfect price that will attract more buyers and give you a greater return for your efforts? Price is complicated, and my experience is that most people charge too little. They lack confidence in the real value they offer or ...
read moreAre You A Reluctant Marketer?
by Michael Lake
I don't think I've ever met a musician who was not a reluctant marketer. A reluctant marketer is my term for someone who recognizes the need for self-promotion, but regrets and often resents that need. “Why do I need to convince people to buy from me? I just want to put my albums, performance dates, courses, books, and merchandise out there and let people decide to buy them. I hate the thought of having to convince people. It ...
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