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Compassion International

Sunday Edition


01
Oct
2007
I’ve Got Questions!


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I left this year’s NQC with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of lifelong friends, but I also left with sadness in my heart and a great many unanswered questions. I know the Lord will help me deal with the sadness, and maybe some of you can provide the answers to my questions. So this month, rather than providing answers…I’m going to ask the questions and count on you for the answers. Here goes.

1.Why don’t we just open a SGM checking account and make every group set up their checking accounts so all their money is deposited directly into the SGM account? Wouldn’t this save a great deal of time instead of going through the sham that many in our industry are foisting on our “newbies”?

2. Why don’t we just admit that the mindset of many in our industry is “What else can we think of to suck every drop of money out of our artists?”

3. Why do we have “talent” shows where artists pay for the opportunity to sing a song? Why call it a “talent” show if the only criterion is writing a check?

4. Can it be true that 30 “newbies” each paid $350.00 to sing for the Promoters Association?

5.What is the purpose of a showcase which has a room full of artists who paid to sing to each other? Is it too late to have a piano players showcase where all the piano players pay to sit and listen to each other play? Where do I send my check?

6. Is it possible that we now have 2 radio promoters for every group in SGM? How long do you think it will take for our artists to stop giving the Lord’s money to promoters who are promising to get them in the “Top 80”?

7. Is there some way we can send a heartfelt “thank you” to those periodicals that are continuing to give us worthless “Top 80” charts?

8. Can we gather together and send another heartfelt “thank you” to the custom record companies that make ridiculous promises to get groups to sign with them and never…never deliver on the promise?

9. Was someone lying to me when they told me there were booths at NQC selling pirated CDs?

10.Why should our precious “newbies” have to run this gauntlet of hucksters just to be in SGM?

11. Can we please educate our “leaders” and let them know that our marketplace should be the consumer and not our “newbies”?

12. Isn’t the Gaither Homecoming Tour proof that there is a vast audience out there for SGM? Don’t you feel that we could be reaching these people if we weren’t busy feeding on our young?

Am I the only one asking these questions?

That’s all I have to say this month. I’m sick of the whole mess!

As always, I welcome your comments.

God Bless You,

Nick Bruno
http://www.nickbruno.com

Reader Comments

Amen all this and more is why i have not attended nqc in 4 years. i'm not saying i will never go again but some of the junk that goes on makes me puke Carl


Commented by carl ford On 10/04/2007
Hey Nick, don't hold anything back! Some excellent points. I've tried to get off of the mailing lists of some of the custom record companies to no avail.

I guess they enjoy telling people that they ship their CD's to x number of radio stations even though 6 of them get tossed in the trash as soon as they hit my desk (I get one for each stations in our network and sometimes more if they are addressed to people that haven't worked here for 10 years...)

As for the top 80 chart...I do find the top 30 useful, but the rest is mostly useless. One or two stations can get you in the top 80.

Two promotors - I'm almost to the point where if a group has two promotors on a song out of the box, it reflects poorly on the group and song. I have better things to do than listen to 2, 3 or 4 promotors push a dog. If a song is good it, it doesn't need that many people to promote it until it gets into the top 5. Spend your $$ on ads in trade mags or billboards where people that buy CD's might see you and I can ignore you if I want.

You are so right about Gaither. He shows that there is an audience that is hungry for SGM. Perhaps that's why he's doing his own thing instead of attending the NQC.

Nick here is a heart felt "thank you" for your articles - they are appreciated.


Commented by Tim-He's Alive On 10/05/2007
Chris D. Unthank's avatar I think #11 deserves its own article.


Commented by On 10/05/2007
Nick,
This is the best article you have ever written. You have my vote ocmpletely. My questio is this, What would JD Sumner think of todays quartet convention and gospel music in general? He would be very shocked, I think. Times are changing but are they for the detriment of gospel music. I enjoy your articles.
Thanks,
Dwight


Commented by On 10/05/2007
Nick I use to get mad when I first started reading some of the articles you wrote and took them personally. But you always tell the truth. Like every other artist out there trying to get into this world of SGM, I have spent a lot of money spinning my wheels. Reality has set in on me this past year. I am just giving my money away and getting nothing in return that has really helped me. I have only been to one NQC and sang on one showcase. Like you said. I sang to mainly other artist. It still cost me around $300.00 for one night at the hotel and for all the gas I spent to get up there to sing one song. I really enjoy meeting other artist and fellowshiping with them , but that does not help me get bookings. I can just imagine what I would have spent if paid for a booth and stayed the week with all of the 100's of Newbies trying to sell product. If I go back to NQC I would only be going to see Artist friends that I have not seen in a while because I know that would be the only enjoyment I would get out of it. I know it would not help me get bookings. As far as the talent shows go. I have spent plenty of the Lords money on that to. I am so tired of people trying to take advantage of me and others. I guess I will always be a nobody as far as SGM is concern.
I also know what you mean about Artist using more than one promoter for releasing to radio. When I am reviewing music for play for GSG radio, I get the same song on two or three compilations. Folks if I do not pick for play from one compilation, it deffinately will not make me change my mind to pick it if is on another compilation. If I like the song, it only needs to be on one compilation. It is a waste of money to think that it is going to make your chances better on more than one compilation. I guess I am just so tire of all the companies that are so money hungry!! I'm just plain wore out with it.


Commented by Betty On 10/05/2007
Aaron Unthank's avatar Good article! I don't understand why these companies don't teach their artists to make money instead of always taking their money. Doesn't that make them stronger artists...? Over the long haul, won't that make the companies more $$$? When a group is constantly spending $$$ needlessly they debilitate themselves and their ministry. All of these "newbies" as you call them should listen to guys like Tom Jackson who teaches about multiple streams of revenue for the indie artist. So they can actually start MAKING money at this thing they've sunk soooo much into.
All of this just seems backwards to me...Radio, et al is not the end all...Getting out to play and sing your music and spread your message is. If you constantly spend money to do the former (radio) what have you left for the latter (getting out there). I haven't attended NQC in years and don't really have an interest to go back for any reason than to see friends and students of mine.


Commented by On 10/08/2007
Well, since you asked......
#4. Not exactly.... I am pretty sure that they don't make the fellow that is running the sound pay lol
#5. Send you check TO ME!
No, you are NOT the only one asking.... but thanks for keeping our focus straight.


Commented by bludline On 10/09/2007
God Bless You Nick Bruno!!!!
You are the epitome of truth and honesty.
Thank you for telling it like it is.

Eddy Smith Music Ministries
Kaufman, TX


Commented by On 10/11/2007
Nick, You preached a major message just by asking questions. I truly believe it is now the time to have an altar call. The problem with the whole things comes back to "Ministry vs. Business". There is also another factor that needs to be asked as well. Is it true that some Christian people conduct their business just as ruthless as the world does ? I will not mention names here but, several years ago at the NQC I was sitting in the food court talking with some members of a group who their manager is on the NQC Board. I made the comment about the "polilics" in SGM. One of those group members said and I quote " Well, the world in general is political". My response to him was, "you just drove home my point because the Bible says we are supposed to be in the world and not of the world."
As far as the paying to be on a showcase, AMEN. Now my group has been on a certain companies' showcase for the last 2 years and believe it or not, they do not charge us anything to be on it. Their reason is that their artists spend so much money during the year, they feel it is a way of giving back to the artist. To my knowledge, I don't know of any other company doing that. I personally do not set up a booth anymore at NQC because of what you are talking about. The fact is that I found another organization that helped me more in 10 minutes than NQC did in 10 years and that is NOT understated. I go to NQC about 2 nights and can get everything done that I used to spend the whole week doing. Will I ever set a booth again? If the NQC would clean things up and quit making a living of "cornering the market" I might. Not only are the "newbies" being taken advantage of, so are the concert goers. Showcases by major companies used to be free in Nashville, but when NQC moved to KY the Board took control of them. Now the people who have already paid enough money for the evening concerts plus their travel expenses are having to pay even more. If my inside sources are accurate, someone is making HUGE bucks because booth-space is inflated by about 3 times what it costs NQC to purchase them from KY Fair & Expo. YES!! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE !!!! If the "Newbies" would realize what is happening, and boycott the establishments that are taking advantage of them, then some of this GARBAGE would get cleaned up. How many people are dying and going to a Devil's hell every day while business goes on as usuall ?


Commented by On 10/11/2007
Chris D. Unthank's avatar Keith - I agree with you completely. There are other showcases that don't charge - I know this for a fact.


Commented by On 10/11/2007
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