The truly expressive artists are so in love with the craft of making the piece, that where and what might result from its creation is not what is on the artist’s mind. Sure there is a goal in mind for the finished piece that they are working on but what is on their mind at the time the pen is on the paper so to speak, is solely the expression of creating the work itself, not what may stem as a result of the work being created. At least if it’s going to be good art with a true sentiment behind it.

The work is an authentic expression that is not driven by agenda, it is only driven by the soulful yearning of creation alone. When you’re lost in the flow of creation the only thing on your mind is where you are now. The goal is not attention, the goal is bringing the expression to life and then watching it live out in the world. Who reacts to it? How they react to it? These are not things that an artist can never control anyway, so trying to force an agenda upon the work before it’s even finished is truly a waste of energy anyway.

So next time before you sit down to practice your guitar, write your next lyric, or record your next track, take a minute, exhale and let go of any expectations you may have for why you are practicing, writing etc;  and just express how you feel. Enjoy where you are at that moment and let go of any thoughts that dwell on what you are working towards. Enjoy practicing. Enjoy writing. Enjoy living. Tomorrow will come but today is meant for relishing and loving the very thing that you are doing now, not what may come from it later.

Happy Expressing!

I guess what I’m digging into here is not just commerce or survival of the fittest; there are hard societal based morals at stake here that are bigger than most care to notice. Give someone an opportunity to pay less for a product or service and they do so with a smile on their face. They are getting a good deal. Even when they know the service or product is probably worth a great deal more. They don’t see any consequence to them so they have no problem taking the deal.

Where does society and commerce breakdown when our morals have reached the point that we don’t even flinch when we get something for free or for little to no money spent. We deserve it? Even when it’s clear common sense that someone had to spend money to make the product. Someone literally had to put their livelihood on the line to produce the product that is in front of you. If you could look at products in that way would it change their worth to you then? Some of us maybe?

When we devalue that which we want to the point that we are willing to take it for a fraction of what it is truly worth, haven’t we in the very process lessened it’s value? At what point does greed and selfish desire merge with worth so that a fair market price retains value within our conscience?

What if by paying less for a product we ultimately compromise our security? Does deciding to pay less for a product that is clearly worth more, have the potential to compromise the very  economy that our society is based on? Ask anyone in the music business today and I bet you can guess their answer. Ask a politician that is trying to dismantle our dependence on foreign oil and you can probably guess their answer as well.

Is all that is important to you, the money you possess? Or do you realize the decisions we each make ripples and affects everything around us. As a global society we each choose what has value and we each choose how much worth all things have. Do you value what others do for you? Or do you just want a good deal? How many more wars must be fought and how many more youths must die in combat protecting our greed and wants?

Would you lay down your life, or your sons or daughters lives to keep your good deal?
We can continue to wage wars so that we don’t have to spend our money and watch our children die in combat, or we can value their lives and agree to come off our cash at the pump. I bet if you asked anyone that has lost a loved one in their life, to wars for oil, if they would pay $10.00 per gallon of gas, for the rest of their life in exchange to have that loved one back. You know they would do so in a heartbeat. How much money do we spend fighting these wars? How about we cut out half of that expense and instead pay for educating our children and keeping them alive?

The value of worth?

Sorry, I don’t normally use this blog to go off on political rants but sometimes you’ve got to vent.
Peace. Back to the music.

The true spirit of Christmas and the holidays is the gift of unconditional love.

We don’t give gifts and be expectant of others to give in return; we give because we are blessed with the ability to give. We give because we love.

Only those seeking to control and manipulate for personal gain will place conditions on gifts. There will never be guilt or fear involved when receiving unconditional love.

We love and therefore we give. In turn, we love.

Unconditional love is truly circular in nature. There is no end or reward. It is boundless and it is priceless. Do what you do for the sake of love. Never “expect” anything from anyone. No guilt, no fear, no envy and no greed; only love.

Merry Christmas to all!

Exclusive = Constricting
In today’s internet age I believe an artist should never sign an exclusive “record label deal”. Instead they should seek out individuals and multiple institutions that function as a collective to accomplish the tasks that are needed for a successful career in art or music. In the end, wouldn’t the entire efforts of everyone ultimately benefit the whole? Isn’t overlaying the premise of yesterday’s dinosauric record deal over today’s tools of the internet age; actually defeating the overall potential of the community at large and limiting the tools that the artist now has available to them? While there is something to be said for loyalty, I pose the question, to what are we loyal to, are we loyal to a business entity that can take responsibility or in the end does the loyalty reside with the music and art? Is the benefit of a particular business the goal or is the real goal proliferating the music and sharing it with the world. When we are talking single dollar sales of today compared to $20 bills of yesterday; it seems it is in the best interest of everyone that gets involved to work together so that there are more sales. Loyalty need not be a one way street. Everyone involved deserves the same level of respect and deserves to be compensated for their efforts.

Only When There is $ Up Front
Without a financial commitment on the front end from the entity that is “the record label” by providing assistance in the funding of products, which in turn gives the record label a valid stake in the success of the product, an exclusive agreement should not be the way forth without their being a financial stake on the front end from everyone involved. This is becoming a rarer and rarer thing. The record business is bankrupt and there is no money up front for an unknown artist. There is too much risk at not enough capital.

If the Compact Disc goes away, the potential need for capital upfront, also goes away. So even this concept down the road may actually become obsolete making the concept of an exclusive agreement even more of a bad idea for an artist.

It is in the best interest of the artist to work online via social media and offline in the real world, making connections and enlisting an army of individuals, promoters and retailers to fulfill all of the functions of yesterday’s classic record label model. Even when it takes classic fundraising from services such as Kick Starter, it is still ultimately the artist that is in charge of orchestrating all of this and the one with everything to lose. Again, why would an exclusive agreement be any benefit to an artist today under this model?

Wal-Mart does not consider itself a record label (while they may have an exclusive deal, that is because they pay for duplication and distribution), iTunes does not consider itself a record label nor does any other mp3 online retailer. Google music being the latest, does not consider itself a record label needing an exclusive deal. They are all only facilitators for having the music heard. The artist needs them all.

The difference in many cases today is when a retailer makes the extra effort to promote the music as well as sell it for multiple artists and this does indeed deserve compensation for the time and work that is involved. A percentage of music sold via their outlet should be enough to compensate the individual without having to sign an exclusive deal. Again I say, it’s in the best interest of this retailer if there are more than one retailers promoting the artist, everyone stands to gain. Of course each retailer is only promoting their storefront but getting the name of the band or artist out into the world will only help the consorted effort over all.

If an exclusive agreement is mandated between a record label retailer and an artist and an artist pursues other retailers to also sell the music, I feel it becomes a conflict of interest and stirs up ill will between the artist and label even though it’s all done hopefully to enable the success of all parties involved.

All for One and One for All
I’m obviously writing this from an artist’s perspective and this would, on the surface, all seem to potentially benefit an artist the most. The reality is though that in today’s internet age an artist is on their own to decide what to do with their art and who to work with. Limiting this to an exclusive agreement seems like an archetype of the past and way to put all your eggs into one basket and watch them slowly cook over a decade or so until your music gets heard or not. How can it possibly be a better situation for the music to only be emanating from one source? Today, only a global community that truly emanates the music via multiple circles at once can ensure the success of music and the arts.

An End to Piracy For Real!
There is true strength in numbers and in community. This is fact. People deserve compensation for their efforts, this is also fact. I simply believe that the days of the exclusive record label agreement is an antiquated dinosaur from an era where the artist had no connection to the world other than through the record label. This is obviously not the case anymore. Loyalty should be to the music and to the art, not to whoever signed it to an agreement first. If you’ve been given a chance by the artist to earn a percentage, then if the work is of quality and your network is vast you should have no problem being compensated for your promotional efforts. When this is the case, any individual with a website and some knowledge and desire, could potentially become a promoter and retailer that ultimately benefits from the music and arts. Music should be available for sale from every website that wants to share it and the owner of that site should get a percentage of the sale. Talk about a way to stop piracy!!! Give everyone the chance to benefit and profit from the traffic on their own site! A shopping cart widget could easily setup the architecture for this scenario.

I await the record labels complete and utter balking of this notion but to me it seems a smart way forward as a global cooperative where everyone works together without a feeling of servitude and without a feeling of being denied or unappreciated for their efforts. We all want to be appreciated for what we do. In the end it’s more of a change of perspective than a fundamental change in the way of conducting business. We’re actually already doing this via Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and the like, the only difference is that there are still corporate entities trying to control the source (the artist) and be the single bank on the back side where the money ultimately ends up. When demand increases and the artist is no longer capable of managing things themselves, then there will be more money to compensate people for handling the control of the situation.

Time to Fly
If the music is the important thing, then set it free and let it flourish, propagate and fly. Trapping the artist in the cage of an exclusive agreement only limits their potential and the potential profits of any and all retailers that the artist has given permission to sell their work. Promotions should not emanate from only one source. They may start with one but ultimately to be successful today they must proliferate and spread like a virus online through many circles.

I say if you’re an artist starting out, stop pursuing the record deal entirely and build a team that can discover, market, retail, counsel and support you instead. All you need to do is define clearly the expectations of everyone involved before you begin working with them. More than likely no one will get rich from this scenario but the world will be a richer place for it and everyone can have a stake in the success of an artist or band.

It’s a simple fact in this world. You get out of it what you put into it. Why should art and music bear the brunt of indentured servitude any longer when one person can ultimately connect with every living soul that has connected to them via the internet?

All that is necessary is the new perspective of how the global community can function together. Hopefully this will not be seen as disrespectful to anyone and to the ways of the past. Ideally, I hope it gives more people ideas about how they too can set their love free and take part in something they care deeply about. Both the lovers of the art and the creators.

Fly! – John

The statement could mean many things. It could relate to the progress towards a goal or it could also possibly be a symbolic meaning for a place. For me the name simply means “striving”.
Reaching Ground

It’s a statement that seems to be resonating deep in my soul every time I meditate on it or think about it. It’s a concept that I almost always write about in my songs. What it takes to try and what it means to believe in yourself.
Reaching Ground

The concept for the name came to me one evening this week after a stressful day, quieting my mind and thinking about where I am in life, what I’ve accomplished and where I’m going. I was a bit confused overall to say the least. The encompassing feeling that I had at the time, was that of not being able to tell if I was arriving at something, or if I was walking away. Everything in my life right now has that kind of crossroads feel to it and while I’ve certainly chosen a direction and have started plowing down the path; I’m not entirely sure if I’m arriving at what is new or walking away from what is old.
In all reality, the answer is obviously both.
Reaching Ground

Awhile back I wrote a blog entitled “What’s in a Name” where I declared the search for a real name for the band was underway. So after almost a solid year of searching and trying to discover a name that described what I feel my music is about and the overall vibe of what the music sounds like; the quest is over! I give you the name of the new band!!
Reaching Ground

Reaching Ground defines a hope and possibly even defines the taking of a stand, in realizing who I am, what I stand for and where I want to go. I hope people are able to relate to it and put themselves behind this rallying cry and feel a true kinship with the concept. It certainly has much more depth than calling the band “John Orr Franklin Band”.
Reaching Ground

There is already an online push to test market and brand the name online and there is even some NEW MUSIC to coincide with the launch. We hope you enjoy the new direction and we’d love it if each and every one of you that have kept up with the music of John Orr Franklin over the years will visit the new pages and connect with us there as well. Thank you for the continued love and support! See you on the new pages!
Reaching Ground

http://www.reachingground.com

a new start, a new way, a new day, a new focus, turning the page
Reaching Ground

Rg is the 111th element of the periodic table of elements, officially approved and added November 4, 2011.
Read more on this here!

Be True to Yourself.

Don’t be distracted by what others wish for you to be. Others will always have reason to turn you in their direction. All we can do is “focus” on our own personal truth and path. Time is fleeting and you will always have to make a choice.

Be true to yourself and to the ones you love.

Be True to Your Art.
Be Yourself.
BE

How can you tell when your online activities have begun to overshadow your life in the real world?
I’ve discovered the answer to this is pretty simple to determine.

Step one –  turn off your computer.
Step two –  look around and inventory what you have left.

If you find that your relationships are neglected, that your business only exists when the computer is on, or that you have no idea where to even begin in getting anything else done while the computer is off; you may very well be having some balance issues.

Life does not exist solely on the cold plastic slab of a computer keyboard. As much as you can interact with the world via the internet; there is no real exchange of human energy taking place inside the binary world of the World Wide Web. In order for us to still function as interactive creatures in this world, we still need real world exchanges. We still need interactions with other people that allow us to read others body language, to determine someones sarcasm based on their facial expressions and to feel the tension and or happiness that comes about when in the same room as someone else. These are real world social skills that when not used over time, begin to dull and tarnish from a lack of practice. None of these social skills can be practiced via a status update, an emoticon in a chat room or over skype. None of these online social interactions are as revealing as a smile and a handshake from someone standing in front of us.

How can you tell when your online activities have overshadowed your reality?
Turn off your computer and determine how much you truly engage in the community that is immediately around you. Balance is key but you might need to start with a pendulum swing to the opposite direction of where you’ve been for a while. So for now, I’ll post my latest blog and then turn off the computer again for a bit. Peace!

The “Japan Limited Edition” compilation album entitled “Perception” is currently in process of being distributed digitally in Japan! The album is being distributed in the Chaku-Uta™ Full format to cell based music outlets in Japan only.

Chaku-Uta is a special music file format compatible with traditional mobile phones (known as keitai in Japanese). They are typically purchased and downloaded via the mobile carrier network. A Chaku-Uta can only be used (technically and legally speaking) on the mobile phone to which it was downloaded. Chaku-Uta is a registered trademark of Sony Music Entertainment. The sales, technology and distribution of Chaku-Uta is highly regulated in Japan by the major phone carriers, record labels and rights administrators.

Smart phones, especially the iPhone, are becoming popular in Japan. However, smart phones only represent about 6% of all mobile phone contracts in Japan. The majority of mobile contracts are for traditional keitai mobile phones, about 100 million, whereas mobile contracts for smart phones are about 6 million, but growing in share. You can see why 90% of all digital music sales are sales of the Chaku-Uta format which is used with traditional keitai mobile phones, not smart phones.

The compilation album “Perception” contains material from all three of John Orr Franklin’s USA releases and also features three songs from the forthcoming “Soldier On” concept album, two of which that have yet to be released here in the states. Also included are two remixes from the “Pathways” album that have never been available on an official release.

A version of “Perception” will be released at some time in the future (potentially late 2012) in the USA but will feature different artwork and a slightly different track list. To view a detailed track list of the release, check out this special webpage further detailing the Japan Limited Edition version of “Perception”.

The current single being pitched to Japanese radio and other promotional outlets is the song “Alpha and Omega”, from the forthcoming “Soldier On” concept album. Also the song “Love Light Alive” has been made available as a free download from the johnorrfranklinband.jp website, a mobile enhanced website specifically designed for mobile devices that can also be viewed by scanning the QRcode above with your smart phone. A webstore has been created on the TopMusic.jp website in Japan where all of John’s CD’s and DVD’s can be purchased directly from Blue Room Digital Productions in Austin, Texas.

I’m truly excited about this new venture into the musical markets of Japan and Ihope that the music is well received and finds a welcoming home on the island of Japan.

Domo Arigato everyone!

A New Adventure in Internet Radio
A couple of months ago I was approached by Nick Katona of Melodic Revolution Records (owner of my indie label) about co-hosting an internet radio show with him. Even though radio is something that I’ve often thought about doing, at the time, I really didn’t think that I’d have the time to dedicate to a show and give it the attention it deserved. This blog is all about how this new venture came about and about how I discovered that in the process of doing the show, it could potentially help to further our long-term goals while also  possibly helping others at the same time.

Development
When I first signed with Melodic Revolution Records, Nick and I began spending many hours online talking shop via Skype. Literally, we would talk for hours on end about the state of the music industry and how we could work to make the label and the overall family of artists more successful. What we both agreed on almost immediately, was that the issues were industry wide problems and not just problems facing the label. The music industry in a massive state of flux and no one really knows yet where things might ultimately be going.

We both found it extremely comfortable talking to each other and found that our conversations were, if nothing else, hard to stop. We’re both very passionate about accomplishing the same goals and we are constantly trying to develop ideas about how to get the music heard and develop the fan bases for everyone on the label. It was these conversations and this team spirit, that would later inspire the concept for the show.

I should back track a bit here and elaborate on our original introduction to AiiRadio.net. It was around the time that we released the digital single for “Alpha and Omega” that Nick was introduced to Tony Romero (aka DJ Tony) and discovered AiiRadio.net. When DJTony picked up the track and started playing it, Nick and I started logging in and joining the chat room during his show. What eventually evolved was a monthly Melodic Revolution Records special hosted by DJ Brian Dade, featuring all of the artists of the label, that brought us even more into the fold of involvement with AiiRadio. It was shortly after this time that Nick was asked if he would like to do a show of his own. Since he had never done anything like this and didn’t much like the concept of doing it solo he started to wonder if there was anyone that would be interested in doing the show with him. ultimately, he posed this question to me and I, at first, was fairly hesitant about it.

Concept
It wasn’t until Nick and I had a Skype conference call with Tony Romero and Fred Inman (aka DJ Mountainman) of AiiRadio.net (Artist Independent International Radio) to discuss the possibilities of doing a show, that I truly began to see the potential of what we could do with this show. It was on that conference call that the concept for “Inside the Music” truly came into focus.

The concept we decided on would focus on topics surrounding the music business, something that Nick and I are obviously quite passionate about and had already been discussing together in great lengths. Our plan is to talk about using New Media to promote and distribute music and all of the pros and cons that come with the territory. We will also be talking about many other aspects of the industry such as music production, do it yourself techniques, getting gigs, making videos and virtually anything else that may come up during the course of the show. We’ll be having special guests on from time to time that are involved in all facets of the industry, giving their own unique perspectives and sharing their personal experiences.

You might think it’s just a talk show but we actually do all of this while still promoting and playing independent music from independent artists. Not just Melodic Revolution Records artists but artists that we come across that are unsigned and have talent and passion for what they are doing. Our goal is to keep the shows organic by letting the conversations unfold naturally, hopefully passing along some useful information that others can benefit from and in turn sharing what we believe to be some truly great music. Bands interested in having their music played on AiiRadio should complete the following form and then submit their music to the station. All genre’s are played by different shows on the station. Our show focuses mostly on rock, pop and prog.

So the reality of what Nick and I do on our show, is truly just an extension of the Skype conversations we have been having on our own but by integrating them into AiiRadio.net, we bring into the conversation a global audience that can respond and interact with the conversation.

Equal Voices
AiiRadio.net truly shines by also incorporating a chat room into the show which allows anyone that wants to, the ability to actually become part of the show! Anyone in the chat room can talk to each other as well as to the DJ’s that are on the aiir during the course of the show.

Let me just say that the people who I’ve met and interacted with in this chat room are beyond welcoming. The overall vibe is like walking into a party full of friends that you’ve known for years. It was like that for me the very first time I logged on. Everyone that hangs out on this station is there for the love of the music and it’s always a respectful environment. If you’re leery of chat rooms or you’ve never experienced what a cool one is like, I encourage you to give this room a go! Come on by and join us and our friends from all over the world! It truly is an awesome time!

In the event you’re on the go, possibly out and about having lunch, you can also tune in via your mobile smart phone at http://mobile.livestream.com/aiiradionet

So that’s about it on how this whole thing came about. I do hope you can all join us from time to time. The show truly shines when we have participation. The more the merrier!

We are currently on every Wednesday at 12 pm to 2 pm (EST) 11am (CST) 5 pm (UK) 6 pm (CET) 9am (PST)

We also have a Facebook group where the conversation goes on 24/7! Join Us!

A big thanks to everyone at AiiRadio for your help and support in this new endeavour! Kat, Tony, Fred, Yorkie, the Aiir Street Teamers and everyone in the chat over the past few months!! Much love and respect music lovers!

Inside The Music Radio Show

A Time for Reflection
I’m thrilled to announce the release of our first ever LIVE DVD! How cool is that?! I am SO PROUD of this product and the work that it represents! It really feels as if, with the release of this video, I’m closing out the first chapter on this adventure in music. What’s coming next is always a mystery but one thing is for sure, the times they are a changing and a new era and a new way of doing things is imminent. It’s time to turn the page and to quote one of my songs from an album that’s still in the works, Soldier On.

This DVD truly represents many years of hard work, determination and perseverance. It hasn’t been an easy journey to get here and I have certainly learned allot about myself, about my music and a great deal about the business that is the ever-changing music industry along the way. One thing is for sure, I would not still be doing this if I did not love what I was doing. So calling it a labor of love, well yeah, that would be the perfect description.

Years, Months, Weeks, Days, Hours, Minutes & Seconds
When I sat down in my living room to screen this DVD outside of my studio for the first time, it truly began to dawn on me just how much work went into this thing. They say baby steps will get you to your larger goals, well I can certainly attest to the fact that there were indeed thousands of necessary “baby steps” along the way to make this DVD a reality. For the past two years, I had only seen this footage in terms of individual song clips on Youtube and seeing it in its entirety, as one concert production, had quite a different effect on me.

It’s truly amazing to think about how many hundreds of hours were spent, writing the songs, engineering the recordings, designing the album artwork, making the music videos, assembling the band, learning how to technically pull off a live show like this, rehearsing the songs, planning and promoting the live show, preparing the video projections for the show, staging the event, producing and editing all of the footage recorded at the concert, prepping all of the material for DVD, printing and shipping it to market….. I could go on but that is just scratching the surface on the amount of work that had to be done for this one event and this one product to materialize.

When you finish a studio album you get the same sense of accomplishment but there is something quite different about seeing a concert performance on the screen in front of you. It testifies to the amount of work that was involved in the project both visually and sonically. It’s almost as if a concert video removes a bit of the “Wizard of Oz” kind of mystique that can surround studio albums and replaces it with a greater sense of “reality”. Of course, maybe that’s just my point of view as the artist?

Like a fine wine, life unfolds and evolves in ways that you can never totally plan or prepare for. While you may have an educated guess of how to get there, you can steer things along the way but usually the end result is not always exactly what you had in mind. Sometimes it’s better, sometimes it’s not but all in all, it brings you to where you are today. Where am I today? Well, today I am truly thankful.

Thankful
I’m thankful for everyone that has helped and supported me over the years to nurture this dream of making music. I know that sounds like some rehearsed speech from an award ceremony but it is the truth. At first glance, looking at many of the physical products we now have in the catalog, you might think that I’m taking most of the credit myself. The reality of this is actually quite different. As with all of the works that I have taken on, without the people around me supporting and inspiring me; I could have never accomplished all of the things that I have done.

The unsung heroes are the people in my life that keep me motivated, keep me humble and help me by ensuring that the work has merit and is not all an ego trip. Let’s face it, the work is tedious, self absorbing and time-consuming. It hardly makes you the type of person most would want to hang out with on a day-to-day basis. Much of the time it hardly seems worth all of the fuss and sacrifices that are involved. Yet with a support system of family, friends and colleagues, as well as a sincere belief in what you are doing; things can happen, dreams do come true and the work is worth it in the end. It’s the love for the work and the love for those around you that keep the wheels of progress turning.

The Future
I really feel like the future has great things in store.  With the continued help and support of everyone around me; I know I’ll be able to enter into the next chapter with new determination and new resolve to keep working on the dream. At the same time, hopefully without sounding pretentious, I truly hope that along the way, I can help others’ with realizing their dreams as well.

Thanks for taking the time to read the blog and for supporting the music we are making. Without all of you that buy and support the music, none of this would be possible. – JOF

Press Release
Now available for PRE-ORDER the FIRST LIVE DVD from the John Orr Franklin Band! Recorded in October of 2009 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas, this DVD contains a 75 minute long concert performance as well as music videos and many more bonus features.

The LIVE DVD serves as a testament bookending a trilogy of albums released by John over the last four years. Containing live performances of material from all three of the releases (Pathways, Transformation & Lighthouse), the LIVE IN AUSTIN DVD reflects the overall body of work that John and the band have accomplished and is the ultimate souvenir for fans of John’s music.

The DVD was produced by Blue Room Digital Productions in association with Austin Media Productions.

 The John Orr Franklin Band is:
John Orr Franklin – Vocals & Guitar
Ryan Redfern – Bass Guitar
Roberto Palladino – Drums
Chris Cribb – Keyboards

All DVD orders via bandcamp.com include the immediate download of the digital single “Out of the Zone”(LIVE).

For more information visit johnorrfranklinband.com or melodicrevolutionrecords.com

The direct link to pre-order the DVD is http://johnorrfranklin.bandcamp.com/album/transformation-live-in-austin-dvd