Sneaky Hooks: A Songwriter's Blog Kimi Lyn Smith's Adventures in Making Music

SAC Social Media Challenge – Week 2: The Pitch

SAC Social Media Challange 5 Responses »

Jan 232012

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
― Thomas A. Edison

Aaaaaaaahhh, the pitch, the pitch…the bitch, the bitch of a week I’ve had with the challenge. This week’s task was essentially to develop a one-liner pitch, and a 15-second elevator pitch, in order to brand and market yourself and your music – allowing people to put you into a concise context.

So, first things first – I throw my hands up and confess that I didn’t succeed in coming up with a one-liner pitch. And though I got close, I haven’t definitively gotten my elevator pitch down either. Now that I’ve started the process, I know where I’m headed – but one week just wasn’t long enough to get there, despite the feedback and help of friends, fellow musicians, and fellow challenge participants.

I collated feedback from 9 fellow musicians who are familiar with my most recent songs (currently in the process of being recorded) for objective feedback with regard to similar artists. The list reads as such: Fiona Apple, The Breeders, Kristen Hirsh, Indigo Girls, The Cardigans, Martha Wainwright, Thea Gilmore, Laura Marling, Throwing Muses, Belly, Alanis Morrisette, Vampire Weekend, The Fray, and Republica.

Derek Sivers, the founder of CD Baby says in a video discussing ‘the pitch’ with Ariel Hyatt (the author of the book we’re working through – “Music Success in Nine Weeks“) – “If you just find a few words to make people curious to hear more, then you’ve done your job…” I took what he had to say and combined it with Ariel’s strong advice to use other artists as references and sincerely tried to write something relevant. However, I found myself coming up with one-liners that might work better in a stand-up comedy routine:

Kimi Lyn Smith:
*Like Aimee Mann shredding a Hole in The Cardigans*
or
*If Laura Marling lost her folk and found an axe*

My 15-second pitch got closer to the definitive result, although I’m not satisfied with all of the artists I’ve used below as influences and references. It was easier to develop the overall structure and content with the help of 15secondpitch.com as recommended by Ariel Hyatt in the book.

My name is Kimi Lyn Smith and I am a songwriter specialising in alternative rock and edgy pop. With influences including Garbage, Radiohead and Snow Patrol, I write delicately crafted songs with resonances of Fiona Apple, Metric and KT Tunstall, for myself and other artists with a commercial approach. Please get in touch if you’re looking for tracks to sync or for material to record.

And so I will continue to develop my pitches. I will further explore the above-listed (and other) artists, and other ideas, and when I get closer to the mark, I’ll use other resources available to me such as the free pitch analysis in Ariel’s Mastermind Forum. It will be easier for me to get more help and feedback from others once I have more of my songs online. I appreciate what I need to do – and why. All in good time!

SAC Social Media Challege – Week 1: Getting Started

SAC Social Media Challange 1 Response »

Jan 162012

Here we go! As mentioned in my previous post, the challenge has kicked off. The conference call was informative and entertaining and was a good way to conjure up some group spirit. I bought Ariel Hyatt’s ‘Music Success in Nine Weeks‘ in December and decided to take part in the challenge as I work through it, so as to be less likely to get sidetracked by life, or other projects. My gung ho attitude will last a lot longer what with the public accountability, and the motivation and support garnered from interacting with the other participants.

This week’s task, after identifying our focus areas, was to set well-defined, achievable goals, to be completed within a specific timeframe. I work well to deadlines and understand the value of defining, and then writing out your goals in longhand. I’ve broken down most of my goals into mini ones and it helps to have the ultimate long-term goals written out as a tangible reminder of what I’m working towards. This will help me to maintain focus – without which, days slip by, turning into months and then years. And very little is achieved.

Time by minutes slips away, First the hour, then the day
Small the daily loss appears, Yet soon it amounts to years
- Ronald Tierney

I’ve found the exercise of keeping a ’5 successes a day’ journal to be very helpful. I’ve been keeping a record since I bought the book and I already have 5 full pages of small successes to pick me up when I feel I’m at a standstill.

My combined list of goals is as long as Santa’s list, so I will share a few of the key ones:

1. Design and add content to my website http://kimilyn.com – Stage 1 [visual design, structural layout, add content] Deadline: Sunday April 1st 2012. Stage 2 [add further content] Deadline: Sunday May 27th 2012.

2. Work through the Apple Pro Training Series book for Logic Pro 9 (music recording software) from cover to cover. Deadline: Sunday April 8th 2012.

3. Make a video for one of my songs and upload it to YouTube. Deadline: Sunday June 24th 2012.

My short-term goal, worded as though it has already been achieved (as outlined by Ariel):

Today is Tuesday January 31st 2012 and I have a fully functioning mini studio set up in my room.

I’m enjoying interacting with the other challenge participants across the various mediums and I look forward to reading more about your journeys.

I also look forward to recording in my mini studio.