Email newsletters of musicians

Subject: Email newsletters of musicians
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 09:46 AM

Hello Fellow Travellers,

As a performer one of the ways I keep in touch with people is to get their email addresses at gigs and send out a monthly email newsletter called "Squeezebox from Hell". Admittedly it's a self-promotional thing noting my upcoming performances, etc. I also try to fill most of it with news about folk music, accordion news, alternative politics, humour, news of recordings from musical compadres, links to interesting sites. Currently it's sent out to about 300 people.

I know that other songwriters, musicians, performers have been doing the same - performers such as Eileen McGann, James Gordon, Anne Feeney, plus business groups such as Boaz Accordions out of California.

Anyone out there who has contacts for such newsletters that are worth sharing?

So far my newsletter has been a success. Only two responses which said they never wanted to see it again. One from a person who didn't like a comment I made about events in the Mid-East and one from a Texas Accordion group which denounced my newsletter as godless and satanic.

For the cause and the music that never dies,

Len Wallace

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: Willie-O
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 09:58 AM

Hi Len. Good idea, many of us have such occasional publications. It's always interesting to compare approaches.

I checked and Len is a Mudcat member, using the clever alias "Len Wallace". (And he is a wicked good accordion player, I happen to know). So we can PM him and each other directly with e-mail addresses to add to lists.

A "Texas accordion group" calling a Canadian "godless and satanic". There's one for the books. We'll have a good laugh about it after the ritual tonight...

W-O

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: DebC
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 10:20 AM

I also use an email newsletter to send out news and performance schedules. I have gotten some great feedback from it and it is nice to know that folks out there ARE interested in what I am doing musically. However, due to the spam issues of email, I am very very careful about making sure that only folks who WANT to be on the list are on it. I always send an introductory email when I put folks on the list, letting them know how they got on it, and that they always have the option of NOT being on it. You'd be amazed at the number of folks who sign up on the mailing list at the show, then a few days later get the introductory email and reply with "REMOVE" in the subject line. Short memeories or they get caught up in the moment, I guess.

I do begin each newsletter with:
"IMPORTANT: You are receiving this email because you signed up at a show or our paths have crossed at one time or another. If you would like to be removed from this list, please reply with REMOVE in the subject line."

I am also very careful to NEVER send to my list anything that is unrelated to me or my music. I have a musician friend who is constantly sending the stupid email jokes and links that have nothing to do with him or his gigs. Because there are more of those than there are news of his music, I had to ask him to take me off his list.

An email newsletter is a great promotional tool, but I think there are some guidelines that need to be adhered to.

Thanks for starting this up, Len.

Best,
Debra Cowan

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 10:24 AM

Willie-o, that's providing he can get his cookie back!
Another way to avoid posting e-mail addresses and advertise for spammers is to web pages where one can get on a mailing list. A good way to FIND mailing lists is to look for artists' web pages. I'm on one list: The Seacoast Guitar Society's. I get information on upcoming member's gigs, recording releases, and concerts/workshops put on by the SGS.


I don't know how deeply his fingerpicks are into it, but I think Harvey Reid is primarily responsible.

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 10:39 AM

A minor rant:
For a while, I got loads of virus-infected e-mails from one particular ISP. I looked back and found I'd received a newsletter type e-mail from one particular person in which the "To:" addresses weren't hidden, and a few of the folks I received the virus from were on his message. I figure somebody on his mailing list was infected. The virus harvested addresses from the header of his message and sent them on. Then somebody else got infected, and yada, yada, yada.

Anyhow, anyone who sends out mass mailings of ANY sort ought to hide the "To:" addresses. They might not be infected, but it's possible someone they're sending the e-mail to IS. (Not only with viruses but spammer spyware!)

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: Willie-O
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 12:46 PM

Deb and Jeri both make essential points. My list is used very sparingly, and only for material that is somehow related to the musical reasons people signed up for it. Always use the BCC: option, always give an explanation of why they are getting the letter and how to unsubscribe.

And always send a copy to yourself, so you can see your letter as others see it.

Since Len's identity as a performer is quite politicized, (I hope it's polite to say that!) it makes sense that he puts political material into his newsletters.

W-O

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 12:51 PM

Hey Len...

I don't remmber the last time my inbox saw a copy of "Squeezebox From Hell"...

wazzup with that eh?

:-)

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: GUEST,Len Wallace
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 12:52 PM

Hi Willie,

Okay, I'm game. Show me yours and I'll show you mine!

My email is: [e-mail]

Len Wallace (alias, Len Wallace)

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: GUEST,Sharon G
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 01:29 AM

Our band has a similar approach to Deborah Cowan's. When we perform, we circulate a list for people to get onto our email list. We also send an introductory email to be sure they want to receive the messages.

We have almost 400 on our list, and mainly send announcements about our upcoming performances, but occasionally mention upcoming events in the same genre (Irish & contra dance music) or related (old-time or other traditional music).

Subject: RE: Email newsletters of musicians
From: GUEST,Len Wallace
Date: 11 Aug 03 - 07:37 PM

Hi again Mudgang,

Good suggestions from all.

Guess my newsletter is a bit different because I do a lot of "political folk" or "labour music" plus being an activist myself. My list contains about 300 names with people interested in folk, politics, the politics of folk, just accordions, or just bad jokes and puns that I'm fond of sharing. People end up writing back to me with things to add. Plus by giving reviews and mentioning other musician's recording releases I help the community along, they remember it and then plug me - the old one hand washes the other.

One of the problems of keeping an email list is that people are constantly changing email addresses. And I send out the newsletter in batches (15 names on a list - one addressed to me then I bcc everyone else who follows). I also occasionally give different "Subject" titles. That way if an email is returned to me I can easily determine from which batch it came, eliminate the old email and write a new one in.

By the way, if anyone wants to get my newsletter just email me at:
[e-mail]

Once again, I'm open to receiving news from other people and getting their newsletters.

For music that never dies,

Len Wallace