NHT Blog

Today I’m on a plane from the west coast heading back home after having been a speaker at the 18th San Francisco Writers Conference & Writing for Hollywood Summit.  At one point I was encouraging the attendees to write what they know, meaning, something that they’re passionate about.  The comparison I made was to something that guests have mentioned on my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast, which is, to not “write for the radio.”  Meaning, don’t just do what you think radio wants.

Last week I was on my Peer Call for this month. I had written a blog here on this site last November about my having created those and what they are. And one of the discussions this time around was someone asking what they should charge for a potential opportunity they were in talks with a potential client for.

These days I’m spending time on the FedEx and USPS websites, using their tracking features.  As you would assume, it’s because I’m trying to keep up with incoming packages, especially those that might require a signature, not to mention just a general awareness of the timing of each of what I’m getting.

Here in the U.S. the banks are closed today as is the post office.  Employees at lots of businesses, in fact, get the day off as Americans celebrate the Independence Day holiday.  And since it falls on a Monday this year it means that many folks – as evidenced by all the “prepare yourselves, travelers” stories last week – got a head start when the workday ended last Thursday.

Any music artist will tell you that placing your music on Spotify Playlists can do wonders for your musical career and music exposure. Submitting your songs onto Spotify playlists is imperative for every music artist who wants to get their music exposed.

Even though a lot of the larger playlists on Spotify are controlled and managed by Spotify, there are still plenty of opportunities for indie artists to be featured on curators' playlists, which host thousands of followers.

Two nights ago, I sat and barely watched, hanging my head as my beloved Tampa Bay Lightning got crushed by the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  If it was that painful for me as a fan, I can imagine what it was like being on the bench and in the locker room.

While there’s still quite an uphill battle ahead, the good news is, the two teams play again tonight and so – unlike football where you have a week in between games to have your most recent defeat hanging over you – the loss from Saturday night can be put in the past.

If you’re seeing that headline and already being turned off, let me reference a Billy Crystal/Meg Ryan exchange from the movie “When Harry Met Sally.”  After telling her “Somewhere between thirty seconds and all night, that’s your problem,” he hears her shoot back, “I don’t have a problem.”  And he confidently replies, “Yeah you do.”

I’m still out in Anaheim, California, having wrapped up yesterday what were four busy days at the annual NAMM Show out here.  There will end up being eight new episodes of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast from all the interviews that I did this past weekend.  In addition, there will also be a video made from the time spent at the massive event.

Sometimes on my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast I’m heard talking to a guest who just released new music, yet I somewhat apologetically ask, “So, what’s next?”

It’s a combination of the “what have you done for me lately” mentality as well as where expectations have risen to in these content crazy times we’re in where people just assume that creators are working in their craft nonstop.

I realize that people could argue they don’t have the time to find out the name of an email recipient and thus are just going to blast out to some list instead, but let me tell you firsthand what a difference it makes when someone starts a message off by writing my name instead of just Dear Now Hear This (or “Hey team,” which is annoying).