1. What was your favorite music discovery this year? OK, sure, throw in a movie and/or book, too, if you like.
I really dug the Broken Bells album, and started listening to Marco Benevento. And I started playing mandolin in a band, so I've been working on my bluegrass repertoire.
2. What is one new thing about the music industry that you learned in 2010? Has it made you change the way you do things? How?
I've learned there's more money in being a musician than being on the industry side, at least for me. In 2010, I made far more money selling my own music, working as a sideman, and being hired as a producer or session player than I made consulting for labels. Maybe I'm a better musician than consultant, but it seems to me the money is just shifting. As a result, I've spent more time with a guitar in my hands and less time online trying to keep up with changes in the industry.
3. What are you 2011 music industry predictions? What should we all know about 2011 if we hope to make it?
I think we'll continue to see big acts abandon the traditional major label model and take ownership of their content. That's going to change the way music is experienced, distributed, and monetized, again.
One of the reasons legal (I emphasize legal) music technology is so slow to develop is because huge companies like major labels have so much inertia that they can't adapt. Instead, they just try to shut it all down. Remove them from the picture and let the bands decide what happens to their music, and I bet we'll see far more exciting partnerships between content creators and developers coming up with stuff that's cool for the fans (ie, not an ISP tax).
4. What are you working on now?
Earlier this year I released a new album, Tributary and have been trying to spread the word. We're planning a tour for 2011. Meanwhile I'm playing with about 6 bands, everything from jazz to hard rock to bluegrass, recording new albums with two of them, and working on demos for some new material of my own. I've also got a few long term projects going on, like continuing to write for MusicianWages.com
