Ruthless Promotion: Marketing to the Masses
August 29th, 2005
Tambaleo, 203 Bowie Street

Summary

Panelists from Los Angeles and Austin covered 'Do It Yourself' strategies to help artists evaluate promotional strengths and weakness, how to overcome obstacles, and help them to build a 'work smarter, not harder' plan. A workbook template was provided for easy create your personalized marketing plans. Attendees were also given the chance to talk one-on-one with panelsits during the round table workshop. 

As always, Austin Music Foundation offers Music Industry Boot Camp free to attendees as a part of our public service to Austin�s music community.

Panel Members

Mike Regan - Owner, Hired Gun Management (Los Angeles, California) - www.hiredgunmanagement.com
Jack Ingram - Nationally Renowned Artist (Dallas, Texas) -  www.jackingram.net
George Couri - Head of Music Management, Capital Sports & Entertainment (Austin, Texas) - www.planetcse.com

Panelist Bios:

Jack Ingram- Ingram's rise to national prominence is almost the stuff of legend. While earning his psychology degree at SMU, he picked up the guitar and started teaching himself the songs he loved by heroes like Nelson as well as writing songs of his own. He soon landed a weekly gig at Adair's, a local honky-tonk, where he developed his first Beat Up Ford Band and built an avid following. His growing local popularity became a burgeoning phenomenon as his three self-released albums began selling thousands of copies in the Dallas area and then throughout Texas, eventually racking up sales of about 50,000 CDs on his own label. 

His first major label album, Livin' Or Dyin' (Rising Tide), landed Ingram in the proud Texas lineage of Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle (who produced the album) and Robert Earl Keen as an artist and songwriter of unique vision and lasting impact.   His debut Lucky Dog release, 1999's Hey You, even further impressed listeners with its extension of Ingram's creative leap from his honky-tonk roots to an expansive and eloquent modern country style. Billboard dubbed him "the ultimate anti-hat act" and the West Columbia, South Carolina Free Times declared Ingram as "the kind of artist that country radio needs." Being what the Dallas Morning News described as "a fearless performer," Jack rarely takes a break, playing some 200 dates a year in a multitude of venues - from rock clubs to country bars to fairs to movies (he appeared in the movies Hope Floats and Abilene).  On the aptly and evocatively titled Electric, his second album for Sony's Lucky Dog Records, Ingram firmly nails down the final elements of his cutting-edge slacker-country style. The album features guest vocalists like Patty Griffin and Lee Ann Womack, and unites Ingram's roots music grounding with a potent contemporary sound.  As an artist, Ingram ultimately prefers to look to the future rather than rest on the laurels of his numerous accomplishments and Electric is the album where Ingram's artistic vision truly comes into its own.  Because with every record Ingram makes, he strives to outdo what he's done before and continue to fine-tune the sound that's all his own.

Ingram currently hosts a show three times per week on XMSatellite�s channel 12, and is slated for the national release of a live album later this fall.  The Texas native will also perform on a CMT special titled �Outlaws� with Toby Keith, Merle Haggard, and Shelby Lynn premiering November 5th. 

Mike Regan- Mike Regan currently owns Hired Gun Management and Marketing in Beverly Hills California, which specializes in artist management (Wideawake, Jacqui Naylor, and Guy Forsyth) and consulting labels and artists (Bayside Distribution, Van Morrison, Union Records, Beiler Brothers Records) on the marketing of music.  Most recently he served as Vice President of Sales for MCA Records, which he joined in 1996.  He was responsible for all sales and field marketing functions for MCA as well as distributed labels (Drive Thru, Magic Johnson Music, Rawkus and Experience Hendrix).  He oversaw the development and implementation of strategies for cooperative advertising and field marketing for all artists including Shaggy, New Found Glory, Mary J. Blige, The Roots, K-Ci and Jojo, Live, Lyle Lovett and Blink 182. 
 
Prior to joining MCA, he worked at A&M Records where he held various positions over the course of almost nine years.  He joined A&M in New York in 1988 where he served as Regional Marketing Director for the East Coast until 1990.  He was promoted and moved to Los Angeles with A&M in 1990 as West Coast Regional Marketing Director. In 1993, he was promoted to Senior Director of Marketing and New Media.  In this position, he was responsible for the conception and execution of marketing plans for several bands and soundtrack projects including Bryan Adams, Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and the Empire Records Soundtrack.  He also oversaw marketing for several Polydor acts as well as for Victory Records and Horizon Records.  He created marketing campaigns in support of the annual H.O.R.D.E. tour to maximize sales and exposure for Blues Traveler as well as developing artists. He oversaw the development and release of the first A&M Enhanced CD's (Soundgarden Alive in the Superunknown and Monster Magnet's Dopes to Infinity).  In addition, he was part of the management team that oversaw the development and creation of the A&M Records website in conjunction with BoxTop Interactive.

George Couri- Currently the Director of the Management Division for Capital Sports and Entertainment, Couri works with some of the most talented in the industry. Grammy-winners Blues Traveler recently signed under Couri and CSE.  To date the band has sold more than 7 million albums and maintains a fan base of 2,000- 6,000 per market, per show.

 Couri also manages panelist and Sony/Lucky Dog recording artist Jack Ingram, as well as Universal Recording artist and actress Schuyler Fisk.  Past clients include Grammy nominee Abra Moore, and MTV regular Dynamite Hack.  The latter scored a #1 song on Modern Rock radio as well as being the recipients of one of the best record deals ever landed by an unknown artist. Couri is also responsible for securing a label deal with Universal Records called Primer Records.