carolborgesnyc-blog

[carolborgesnyc-blog]

YOUR TOP SONGS FROM 2014

1. Taylor Swift - Blank Space*

2. Hozier - Take Me To Church

3. Sam Smith - Stay With Me

4. Nicki Minaj - Anaconda

5. Sia - Chandelier

6. Beyonce - Seven eleven

7. Taylor Swift - Shake it off*

8. Charli XCX - Boom Clap

9. Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better

10. Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX - Fancy

11. Taylor Swift - Style*

12. Ariana Grande - Break Free [ft. Zedd]

13. Drake - 0 To 100

14. St Vincent - Digital Witness

15. Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You)

16. Weezer - Back to the Shack

17. Bobby Shmurda - Hot N*gga

18. Grimes - Go

19. Flying Lotus - Never Catch Me (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)

20. Tinashe - 2 On

21. Kiesza - Hideaway

22. Against me! - True trans soul rebel

23. Jack White - High Ball Stepper

24. ILOVEMAKONNEN feat. Drake - Tuesday

25. Modern Baseball - Your Graduation

26. Beck - Blue Moon

27. Troye Sivan - Happy Little Pill

28. Milky Chance - Flashed Junk Mind

29. The War on Drugs - Red Eyes

30. Caribou - Can’t Do Without You

31. Fall Out Boy - Centuries

32. ODESZA - Say My Name

33. Bleachers - Rollercoaster

34. Aphex Twin - minipops 67 [120.2][source Field Mix]

35. Sylvan esso - Coffee

36. Spoon - Do You

37. Vic Mensa - Down on My Luck*

38. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Thuggin

39. Jamie xx - Sleep Sound

40. Alvvays - Archie, Marry Me

41. St. Vincent - Rattlesnake/Huey Newton

42. New Found Glory - Selfless

43. swans - oxygen

44. Beartooth - Body Bag

45. Spoon - Inside Out

46. Jungle - Busy Earnin

47. Saint Pepsi - Fiona Coyne

48. Panda Bear - Mr Noah

49. Iceage - Forever

50. Real Estate - Beneath The Dunes

51. Perfume Genius - Queen

52. rich gang - life style

53. Common - Kingdom (Feat. Vince Staples)

54. Wild Beasts - Wanderlust

55. Future - Move that Dope

56. The Antlers - Palace

57. Vince Staples - Blue Suede

58. Jessie Ware - Tough Love

59. Tycho - Spectre (Bibio Remix)

60. ††† - Bitches Brew

61. Ariel Pink - Put Your Number In My Phone

62. Sohn - Artifice

63. The New Pornographers - Dancehall Domine

64. EMA - Neuromancer

65. SBTRKT - The Light

66. Wye Oak - Glory

67. How To Dress Well - Face Again

68. Marmozets - Why Do You Hate Me?

69. Parquet Courts - Black And White

70. Yumi Zouma - The Brae

71. A.G. Cook - Beautiful

72. Giraffage - Tell Me

73. Benjamin Booker - Violent Shiver

74. Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat

75. Shakey Graves - Dearly Departed

*Song not available on Spotify. 

[carolborgesnyc-blog]

The 3 Best Bedside Books About Music

We musicians need to educate ourselves in all the sides involved in the making and the business of music. Our art is complex and there's much to be learned from various sources available to us. It's true that Google, Youtube and Music blogs can provide us with quickly easy information. However, my go-to major source are still the great books containing reliable information based in extensive proper research. And who doesn't love the smell of a new book? 

There are thousands of Music books available on the market today. For every genre, taste, specialty and tone of voice. I personally have listened to audiobooks and read dozens of hand-picked physical books that have served me very well and continue to. Most of those choices were obviously based on my needs at the moment as an artist. Others I consider to be crucially necessary for any kind of musical artist in this century. I've selected 3 essential books below that I extremely recommend and have stretched my knowledge to a higher degree.

#1 The Poetry of Pop by Adam Bradley Click to buy

Studying poetry is the primary basis to start good lyrics. The analysis Adam Bradley made on "Diamonds" written by Sia completely enchanted me to think that words matter. Everything about them matters; what they mean, how they sound, how they work in context with one-another and how we can manipulate them to say what we want to say and make listeners feel and think a certain way.

Whether you're a Pop composer or not I believe this book is a very interesting read. Like it or not, Pop is a very... "popular ", and that genre of music says a lot about who we are as a society. More precisely the rhythmic and expressions are the way we talk, walk, feel, live! I've always loved Pop music and when I actually took the action of learning how it works I've gained an immense respect for those who compose the famous catchy lyrics we have stuck in our heads (whether we like it or not).

#2 How Music Works by David Byrne Click to buy

In order to craft music, one needs to understand how it works. David Byrne is an historian and anthropologist, raconteur, social scientist and a hell of an author. This book is easy to understand and its really on how our brains and society works and how it transcend into beautiful music. It will take you on a journey better than any Netflix series you've been watching. It will transport you though the ancient African tribes and their early musical makings. For Byrne music is a beautiful result of a cultural circumstance.

#3 - All You Need To Know About The Music Business Click to buy

The author Donald S. Passman successfully condensed an extreme amount of valuable information in ONE book. This one was recommended to me by a friend who's Entertainment Lawyer and worked at Sony Music for over 10 years. I can say that inside this "Music Bible" there's extremely valuable information every musician should know. I'd suggest to always keep this book at home for a quick research as needed. It will make you aware of many legal and bureaucratic sides of the Music Business so you know how to avoid somebody take advantage of you and your art. It doesn't have ALL that you need to know but it's pretty close.

Hopefully you will grab one of those soon and start your journey through the pages. I'd love to know which other music books do you love/recommend?

[carolborgesnyc-blog]

MOOD

[carolborgesnyc-blog]

Happy Sunday! Here's a quick playlist of who I've been listening to these days. Get Inspired

[carolborgesnyc-blog]

5 Business School Lessons that Apply to Your Music Career

When I switched majors from Business Administration to a Jazz Vocalist, I sincerely believed that I was never going to have to learn about business again.

Today I know that for one to be a successful musician, good songs and a great performance aren’t enough. That is... unless you have 3 million dollars hanging out in your bank account. Otherwise, honey, you will have to hustle.

I was fortunate to be raised by a business-savvy family who instilled in me an appreciation for entrepreneurship. As bright as they are in regards to business, like many of us, they don’t know much about how the music business works.

As eager as I was to finally start playing gigs, I was equally as terrified to jump into a new career path of music. In order for me to prepare for the long road ahead, as well as demystify all of the unknowns surrounding the music industry, I actively sought out to read books written by professionals in the field. The insights these books provided were foundational in helping avoid the bad choices that can leave musicians badly burned. But equally as important was the knowledge I had gained during my time in business school.

I had taken classes in finance, microeconomics, and marketing before concluding that being a professional musician isn’t very different from founding a modern startup. When a decision is made to forge a new path, we usually don’t have much more than our passion, a few abilities, and a creative vision. So to reach the next step, it’s essential that you attract like-minded people who believe your philosophy. You also must learn a bit about business law in regards to entertainment because it is crucial to protect yourself and whoever you’re collaborating with. Which leads me to my first point:

1- Discover YOU Aside from your friends and family, no one cares about you or your music. That will be the case until people are being truly entertained. If you’re hoping to be “discovered” on Youtube like Justin Bieber, I would argue that it is easier to win the lottery, except the prize is not as great. No one believes in you more than yourself, that’s why you’ll have to make a few investments to build an image and get that music project going. The best part is that you can collaborate with so many other people who are in the same boat. In that form, you will empower and learn with one another.

2- Do the homework It can be a bit overwhelming to deal with the many aspects of a music career. You’re a musician and it isn’t realistic to expect you to do everything involved with your project. At times like these we run to a professional in that area of business we need and more often than not, they aren’t cheap. You can’t afford to pay 10K to anyone when you’re trying to get by eating ramen noodles. I’m not saying that you should be a part-time graphic designer or lawyer. But lots of people are charging lots of money for a service that’s totally DIY doable. A copyright application, for instance, may seem scary at first, but it’s actually a piece of cake. However, there are things we should be careful with and it’s really worth to pay someone else to do. Informing yourself is important either way since you will be able to tell if someone is doing the job well and charging an honest fee, or not.

For more details, I recommend an amazing book called: “The Artist's Guide to Success in the Music Business” by Loren Wiseman

3- It’s not always about you As billionaire Sir Richard Branson said: “Business is about people”. At the end of the day, you’re offering a service and hoping that someone is going to buy it. Not just your music, but your merchandise, the image you display, your show, etc. That being said, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re serving people. They expect something from you as they are putting their time and money on your hands. So be responsible.

4- Connect with other artists Art inspires art. Many of us musicians are also interested in other forms of expression such as painting or photography. When I hit a creative block, I always visit my favorite spots around the city like the Whitney and The Metropolitan museums. It’s interesting to see how different artists approach their vision and try to apply it to your own musical ideas. I learn a lot from studying the works of photographers, painters, fashion designers, hair and make-up artists, and even tattoo artists. A couple of years ago I met photographer Stefano Bosso for a collaboration in NYC. His vision was something that had a tremendous impact on my brand and my music. He managed to capture the essence of my music in a visual way like I’ve never seen before. I still spend quite some time admiring his work every week. Stefano not only gave me permission to use his pictures in my campaign for the EP: “The Crescent Calling” but also turned out to be a great friend. We always meet up whenever he’s in town. 5- Trust your gut This is possibly the most important lesson of all. You will learn by doing it. Don’t wait around too much to start your music career. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because everyone is learning every day; just do the best you can. Start and the next step become clear as you progress through the first and so on. Be humble enough to reach out to people who are trying to do the same as you will learn with them. Take the time each morning to ask yourself: “What’s the ONE thing I can do today to get closer to my dream?”.

I realize that there's still so much I myself need to learn. Everyone has a different journey, but I do hope these 5 Business lessons will both help and inspire you today.

Let me know if you agree or disagree with them. What’s your experience been like? What would you add to this list?

[carolborgesnyc-blog]

Stronger Together: Women in Music

It is true that many women working in the music field today still find many challenges in their professional lives related to their gender. We’ve been taking many measures to guarantee better conditions for decades in so many different male-dominated areas. However, it is clear that the best and most efficient way to deal with our circumstances is to drop the victim card and start driving results. As an Independent Musician I believe we need to work together not only as women but also as feminists of all kinds to promote and empower one another.  Recently two very famous musicians, Kesha and Taylor Swift have gone through very upsetting situations related to sexual assault by men who worked with them. Just a few weeks ago Taylor Swift won the law suit against her violator after many years through the courts. On the side of Kesha things are not yet resolved since her violator and her have a contract and are pretty much forced to work together.

These things are extreme cases that happened with big stars. But the fact is that the problem is everywhere. I’ve been studying Jazz Music at the City University of New York with mostly women classmates who also find the same issues in their careers related to their gender. I fortunately have very respectful and sweet band mates but this is not always the case with others. Some women I know were being disrespected by their male band mates and some women are even attacked by other women. This obviously makes me really upset. I thought of many ways of bonding with them, listen to their frustrations, and find ways we could motivate each other towards success. It was only in January 2017 that I discovered a life changing network called WIM: Women in Music. It was founded in 1985 with the mission of “advancing the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition”. This organization supports women by promoting events such as seminars and master-classes in order to achieve this multi-beneficial alliance. Meaning you could get your next job with the help of our fellow members, make great connections, collaborate together, and most importantly, have a lot of fun doing it. WIM is composed of men and women regardless of their stage in their career or role in the music industry. Let’s say you’re a Publicist or Producer and want to look for someone to work with. That would hopefully be a good place to start your search for the right people. I have enrolled myself as member of WIM for a very small fee in their website and I’m already enjoying a lot of it's benefits. Suddenly I started receiving emails from other musicians. I witnessed them having interactions among themselves and after watching them, I got extremely excited to be part of it. I can’t wait to collaborate with other artists and also support this community. 

To read more about Women in Music please visit: http://www.womeninmusic.org/about  Here is a link to a great video of a roundtable including your favorite female musicians discussing the topic at the Women in Music event > I’m inviting you to be a member too, independently of your location. I believe we can collaborate in order to achieve great things together in music. Also, I would like you to be part of the fun!  If you have any questions, feel free to ask them to me. I love networking other artists!

[carolborgesnyc-blog]

How I found my WHY?

The earth is precisely 4.543 billion years of age, which seems like an eternity compared to the data that presents that our early ancestors have been around for only 6 million years. And while the life expectancy of a human living in this planet is barely 80 years of age I keep on thinking on how our time here can be so short. The two most important days of one’s life are the day we're are born, and the day we find our purpose. After finishing high-school in Brazil, I had the chance to move to the USA in order to study Business Administration. Even though I was fully aware of how amazing this opportunity was, I still felt like I didn't have a lot of direction. Sort of winging it and dealing with situations as they presented themselves. Not really knowing how to navigate my own life. Surprisingly it was at business school that I started to understand the meaning adulthood and success. The world seemed to be less black and white and I started the journey to better define my reason for existing. During that process, I came to the realization that if I wanted to be successful, I had to follow my heart. So after getting my Associates in Business Administration I transferred schools and joined the Music program at the City University of New York in order to follow my passion. I aspired to be a musician who adds value to our community and helps others.

The music industry is very complex and there are a million ways to approach it. So to help me find my way through it I read many books. I also did a lot of inner-searching in order to find my purpose and put it in writing. During my research I came across a very special book called "Start with Why". Simon Sinek, the author describes our WHY as the reason which we get up in the morning. Your WHY is the purpose, cause or belief that inspires you. In the quest to discover my WHY I thought of my abilities, goals, passions, hobbies, etc… Nothing seemed to make sense though. As the days passed I wrote enough possible options for my WHY to fill up my entire notebook. During a moment of frustration I had the epiphany: My purpose doesn't need to be perfect; It should come to me naturally. Through a lot of introspection I came to the conclusion 3 major things about myself that I knew for sure. First, I adore to write, compose and perform as well as being around those who also appreciate music. Second, I always enjoyed to challenge and to be challenged, especially when it comes to our society values. Third, I was never the kind of person to settles for the unfortunate circumstances. I see immense power in working and collaborating with others in order to make incredible things. Those gave me a glance on how I wished to spend the remainder of my time here on Earth. Knowing all of my strengths and weaknesses I wrote my following WHY: “To entertain, challenge and inspire others so that we can empower one another” Finally, I could take my steps to a more precise direction with my actions and my art. I believe that finding my WHY allowed me to take more control of my life and what I want to represent. I encourage you to find yours as well. We might not live long or even be remembered after we pass. But the true success is the one we find within.