I turned down another client today. I have really no problem bending to what the client wants. Even if it doesn't make sense to me, it's about what the client wants. I will suggest ideas, but never bite the hand that feeds. I just learned to pick and choose which designs I put my name on. With that being said, there is a particular group of people that I shutter whenever they contact me for work.
Musicians.
Don't get me wrong. I like music. I appreciate musical talent. It's the musicians I'm not fond of. Moreover their ego's. It's a little childish I suppose to succumb to bitterly ranting about it, but honestly, I have worked with some producers, and because I did a couple of things for them they refer to me every local hero and shitty tavern band they bleed money from with illusions of fame and fortune.
I get it. Everyone wants their moment in the spotlight. Being a web designer I don't exactly have a fan club, and I am certainly not beating the ladies off with a stick. It just simply amazes me how some people feel like everyone owes them something because they can sing or play an instrument.
To pretty much sum up a majority of my initial interactions with musicians it's a little ditty like this:
(actual email)
Hey webdude! XXXXX sayz i need to email you abot a website. r band name is XXXXXXXXXXXXXX and we saw sum sites of urs we like. r music is like chevelle but darker and creepyer. we have pics and sum music to put on the site. we also want a media section where r fans can listen to our music and a store for merch a place to show r upcoming shows. we have a facebook page and have like 600 friends. r info is on the facebook page at facebook.com/XXXXXXXXX. also XXXXX said u will give us the XXXXX price. r busdget is like 100.
thanks bro!
Yeah. I'm pretty sure he just "bro'd" me and flaunted 10,000 pennies. $100? You should take that $100 to Fascinations Sex Shop and buy yourself a huge dildo. Why a dildo? So you can go fuck yourself.
Now, not all the musicians I have dealt with butcher the English language, some actually have good grammar and sound halfway intelligent. This however is not one of those cases. I digress, the decoder ring I bought when I was twelve helps me decipher these emails and it really doesn't bother me at all that much except for one simple thing. Content. I'm certainly not going to write your content for you, and I'm pretty sure that on your budget you aren't going to hire a copywriter. Usually after I decline something like this, they offer free tickets to their $10 bar shows and other garbage, get upset because so-and-so referred me and said I would give them a great price. Now, granted I actually have no qualms with doing websites for little or no money. I have build some for friends and strangers alike. I have one simple requirement; Business. Have a small Etsy store and want your own site? no problem. Painter and sell your artwork? Won't ask for a dime.
I'm sure your thinking music is a job and a business. I'll agree. It's not easy and it's a little time consuming and I'm sure very difficult to juggle a job and a band and whatever else local band members do with their time. I'm tainted because of the musicians I have dealt with and their attitude. They want an extravagant amount of work for nothing, and feel that because they have 3 groupies and play a show once a month that I should be awe struck.
Nope.
Websites will not make your band famous, and I am certainly not going to teach you anything about marketing. However, I might not be a good person but I'm not a total asshole. If you really want to focus on your music and don't have money, I will help. But, not in the way you think. I will help you build a website to make some money. Then you can work less and play more. Perhaps even one day get to the point where your band will actually benefit from a glorious website and be able to pay for it. All you have to do is ask the right questions.
Well that was long and pointless, if you managed to read this far you must be very bored. Shine on you crazy diamond. Shine on.
Musicians.
Don't get me wrong. I like music. I appreciate musical talent. It's the musicians I'm not fond of. Moreover their ego's. It's a little childish I suppose to succumb to bitterly ranting about it, but honestly, I have worked with some producers, and because I did a couple of things for them they refer to me every local hero and shitty tavern band they bleed money from with illusions of fame and fortune.
I get it. Everyone wants their moment in the spotlight. Being a web designer I don't exactly have a fan club, and I am certainly not beating the ladies off with a stick. It just simply amazes me how some people feel like everyone owes them something because they can sing or play an instrument.
To pretty much sum up a majority of my initial interactions with musicians it's a little ditty like this:
(actual email)
Hey webdude! XXXXX sayz i need to email you abot a website. r band name is XXXXXXXXXXXXXX and we saw sum sites of urs we like. r music is like chevelle but darker and creepyer. we have pics and sum music to put on the site. we also want a media section where r fans can listen to our music and a store for merch a place to show r upcoming shows. we have a facebook page and have like 600 friends. r info is on the facebook page at facebook.com/XXXXXXXXX. also XXXXX said u will give us the XXXXX price. r busdget is like 100.
thanks bro!
Yeah. I'm pretty sure he just "bro'd" me and flaunted 10,000 pennies. $100? You should take that $100 to Fascinations Sex Shop and buy yourself a huge dildo. Why a dildo? So you can go fuck yourself.
Now, not all the musicians I have dealt with butcher the English language, some actually have good grammar and sound halfway intelligent. This however is not one of those cases. I digress, the decoder ring I bought when I was twelve helps me decipher these emails and it really doesn't bother me at all that much except for one simple thing. Content. I'm certainly not going to write your content for you, and I'm pretty sure that on your budget you aren't going to hire a copywriter. Usually after I decline something like this, they offer free tickets to their $10 bar shows and other garbage, get upset because so-and-so referred me and said I would give them a great price. Now, granted I actually have no qualms with doing websites for little or no money. I have build some for friends and strangers alike. I have one simple requirement; Business. Have a small Etsy store and want your own site? no problem. Painter and sell your artwork? Won't ask for a dime.
I'm sure your thinking music is a job and a business. I'll agree. It's not easy and it's a little time consuming and I'm sure very difficult to juggle a job and a band and whatever else local band members do with their time. I'm tainted because of the musicians I have dealt with and their attitude. They want an extravagant amount of work for nothing, and feel that because they have 3 groupies and play a show once a month that I should be awe struck.
Nope.
Websites will not make your band famous, and I am certainly not going to teach you anything about marketing. However, I might not be a good person but I'm not a total asshole. If you really want to focus on your music and don't have money, I will help. But, not in the way you think. I will help you build a website to make some money. Then you can work less and play more. Perhaps even one day get to the point where your band will actually benefit from a glorious website and be able to pay for it. All you have to do is ask the right questions.
Well that was long and pointless, if you managed to read this far you must be very bored. Shine on you crazy diamond. Shine on.