Hirst

In the early and mid-90s, I did quite a bit of promotion work with local musicians. At that time, I was helping musicians who primarily played in coffeehouses get their first CDs played on college/public/community radio stations. We thought that with all the radio DJs out there in that market, we might find some who might be willing to listen to and take a chance on giving some unknown but talented person some airplay.

The scene has changed a lot since then. You now have the explosion of the Internet and streaming MP3 sites in which anyone can upload their music and be heard anywhere at any moment. Yet, some independent artists still do pursue radio airplay as part of their career strategy. In fact, I get unsolicited inquiries fairly often to this day. I thought I would take a look back and share some details on how some artists had some success...a few a bit beyond their expectations.

Most of the artists I assisted were folk/acoustic musicians. The first thing we did was try to identify stations that would be willing to hear them. Through the help of a folk dj e-mail list which posted digests of radio show playlists, we had an idea of what was being played and who was playing it. We then contacted the show hosts or music directors first by e-mail, providing a musical description of the artist and the CD (without flowery hyperbole about how fabulous the CD is), and asking if there would be interest in airplay. If they responded positively, we sent a CD and short bio. We did not just blindly send out CDs to an address just because it was on a list of folk radio stations. We wanted to be sure that money and time (both ours and the DJs) was being spent wisely by going to the people and places that would give the best possibilities for airplay.

After a few weeks, we would check posted airplay lists or send follow up e-mails to see if the CD was being played. On the average, about half of the stations we would send a CD to would report airplay. We had some heartening success stories. Some local artists were getting international interest as well as national airplay. A couple even got reviews in folk magazines such as Sing Out! or Dirty Linen. One musician's CD ended up on a radio station's top 40 year end "best of" list. I also offered additional help to a regional artist who already had a respectable following in her marketing efforts. Eventually we lost count of all the stations that played her CD and she ended up being signed to a folk label.

Lessons here: 1) Do your homework first--it's worth it. (Unfortunately, people who still send me unsolicited and inappropriate material haven't learned this one. ) 2) Never say never...unless you at least try, you just never know who might hear you, and where.

Wendy Vickers is a writer, encourager, life coach, and speaker. Wendy offers resources, encouragement and support for musicians at her websites http://wendyv.com and http://embraceencouragement.com

Remember when it was safe to make ice cream from snow, drink from creeks in the wilderness, eat worms (you DID, didnt you?!), and breathe the air? I suspect folks under 30 are wondering what fantasy world Im talking about. That is profoundly sad to me because it means (1) that we have spoiled what was once a pristine planet, and (2) that some people have never experienced a world without poisoned land, water, and air.

Cancer and Planet Earth

Cancer is now the leading cause of death for individuals under age 85. Almost half of men, and more than one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in his or her lifetime. Some of the cancers that have increased rapidly in the last 20-30 years include melanoma, lymphomas, testicular, brain, and bone marrow cancers.1 These are terrible odds! Fortunately many cancers are survivable if diagnosed and treated early enough.

It is well-established that cancer evolves from a complicated combination of multiple exposures. 2 Which is why the origin of a cancer is not always easy to identify, and one reason that minimizing exposure to toxins is imperative. Another reason to minimize your toxic exposures where you can, is that many come to us insidiously, like thieves in the night, stealing our health and well-being stealthily and silently.

Involuntary vs. Voluntary Exposures: Involuntary exposures to carcinogens and other toxins are determined by where we live, play, work, and visit, and are essentially imposed upon us. For example: radon, arsenic, and other naturally occurring toxins in the soil and water; toxins in the materials of buildings where we live, work, study, or play; pollution from industry located in our air- and water-shedsthese are all imposed upon us and so out of our control.

By contrast, voluntary exposures could include dietary choices, smoking, hobbies, and household chemicals. [Voluntary is not as clear-cut as it first appears: for example, in the instance of children, poverty, and disability.] If we arent limiting at least the voluntary exposures, good health starts looking more like a crapshoot every day!

A philosophical and ethical question emerges here:

Are occupational exposures voluntary or involuntary? --And What is our responsibility? I have a very strong opinion about the responsibility of the individual, but I would love to know what you think about this issue. After youve pondered it, or even while you ponder it, please write and tell me your opinions and thoughts. cverret@prodaware.com Thanks! 1 Environmental & Occupational Causes of Cancer. Lowell Center for Sustainable Production 2 ibid

Cathy Verrt, Product Awareness Consulting, LLC 541-345-7084 (Eugene, Oregon) or e-mail: mailto:cverret@prodaware.com Visit our website: http://www.prodaware.com Were happy to answer your questions about chemical health and safety, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and Hazard Communication

It is a fact that many men nowadays are not happy with their current penis size. In the past ten years, men have looked to science to provide them with a solution, which usually lead to costly and painful surgery. Nevertheless, this kind of surgery is now a thing of the past with the invention of some natural penis enlargement products such as traction device or exercises program.

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Author - Kenneath