NETWORKS
The advent of social media has created a very different
?$%&'(#@*2&'# A$-#@="&%&')" B-&"+*)#C'/)*-
!"#"$%&'(#)*+,$-.&)/#+$$("#0*%$1*# 1$-*#')2#1$-*#3-*4'(*)+5#&+6"#*'"7# +$#,$)2*-#&8 #/$$2#$(298'":&$)*2# 8'%*9+$98'%*#)*+,$-.&)/#:'"#8'((*)#07# +:*#,'7"&2*;#<=+#8$-#=)"&/)*2#0')2"# +-7&)/#+$#/'&)#'#8$(($,&)/#&)#'#('-/*# %*)+-*#(&.*#>21$)+$)5#0*%$1&)/# )*+,$-.9"'447#&)#0$+:#-*'(#')2# 4&-+='(#(&8*#&"#'#2*8&)&+*#'""*+;
Nathan Brown is the creator of the Edmonton Music Scene Facebook group, which now boasts almost 2000 members. He says a Facebook and Twitter presence is crucial to establishing a fan base. “It’s very vital for fan interaction. If people have questions about shows you can have it set up so you can respond right away,” he says. “It’s very vital for the future of bands and the indie scene.” Jenesse Graling, singer for the local indie band Sister Gray, agrees. “Social media is one of the number one things you can do as a band these days to promote yourself and connect with your fans.” She says her band uses social media to maintain a relationship with their fans. “I take it really seriously,” Graling says. “I’m always the one backstage at our shows, taking pictures and putting them up on Twitter,
world for self-marketing musicians. “With something like Facebook or Twitter, you can instantly check out a band, see what they’re about, watch videos of them, listen to music, check out their blog, things like that,” says Brown.
Brown sees podcasts as the up-and-coming resource for
“Facebook shows the diversity that’s out there in the
networking-savvy musicians. “They seem to be becoming
Edmonton scene, from hip hop to alternative to rock.”
more and more common,” he says. “JamUnion Podcast is
some people that have so many people ‘like’ them on
Brown says he started the Facebook group a couple
really focused on the Edmonton music scene.”
Facebook, but you’ll go to a show and it won’t be the
of years ago to help a friend’s band find resources like
same kind of turnout,” she says. “But what we try to do,
However, the increased exposure that social media can
venues and promoters. Although the group remains an
is when we see someone write on our wall or something
bring to a band sometimes comes at a cost. “I was
important resource for many musicians and fans involved
like that, we try to interact with them as well. We try to
watching a bunch of Garbage and Cranberries videos
in the Edmonton scene, Brown says he doesn’t need to
actually connect with that person.”
on YouTube, and I was thinking, no one got that inside
put as much work into the group as he once did.
look of them on the road,” Graling reflects. “That was a
And that’s where the crucial link between social and
“I used to send out mass messages every Thursday, of
bit of the appeal, the mystery. You never really got a big
traditional networking comes in. Despite the fact that he
show and event listings, but I’ve cut that back,” Brown
is not a musician himself, Brown realizes the importance
says. “I was doing that at a time before people fully started
So sometimes you lose some of the mystique.”
of live interaction to selling a band. “As important as
to embrace Facebook for promoting themselves. Now,
Facebook and Twitter are, to try and build your audience
“Even in the last year or two [social media] has really
every band can have their own fan page, and they create
you still need to talk to people face-to-face,” he says.
changed the way artists are seen. It’s a lot more
their own events, making the message that I was sending
“If you’re putting yourself out there, talking to people,
personal now.”
out a bit redundant. I do still send out mass messages
I think that still is more effective than mass spamming
if there’s someone putting on an event and they need
people with events. Not to downplay the importance of
bands, or if someone is looking for a musician.”
Graling emphasizes the importance of using social networking as a point of connection with fans, and not just a way to disseminate information. “You’ll see
[social media], but it’s still important to do both, social networking and networking in person.”
be a part of it.”
Graling says she has started incorporating video blogs. “I
primary means of getting your message out.“The nice
think they’re such a great way to communicate, and such
thing about Facebook now is you don’t have to hand out
a great way to connect. Sometimes written words can
handbills face-to-face for your show as much,” she says.
be taken in different ways, but if you’re physically saying
“You can actually promote your show on Facebook,
something to someone it can only be really taken one way.”
then at your show you can talk to people and you can
you’re interested in. But it can also be overwhelming—it makes clear exactly how much music is out there, as opposed to the days when word of mouth, websites and traditional media were the only ways of finding independent musicians.
F$&)#+:*#>21$)+$)#@="&%#?%*)*# Designed to celebrate the music scene that is in Edmonton,
network.They’re both still important. You still have to go
Social media can make it easier to keep track of bands
musicians to share their art with the world. “It’s the way things are going,” Graling says. “And I definitely want to
a complement to traditional networking, and not as the
your friend on Facebook.”
evolves it introduces new tools and opportunities for
making other avenues of social media essential for catching and holding the attention of music fans. For example,
it’s almost a little bit easier to keep up with them if they’re
Nonetheless, social media is here to stay, and as it
The ubiquity of Facebook puts it at risk of becoming stale,
Graling adds that it’s important to use social media as
out there and you have to network and meet people, but
glimpse into Shirley Manson, and she was kinda sexy for it.
this is a place dedicated to local music and the promotion
D?$%&'(#1*2&'#&"#$)*# $8 #+:*#)=10*-#$)*# +:&)/"#7$=#%')#2$#'"# '#0')2#+:*"*#2'7"# +$#3-$1$+*#7$=-"*(8 # ')2#%$))*%+#,&+:# 7$=-#8')";E#
of bands in the Edmonton area. If you know a band, are in a band, or just love music feel free to post upcoming shows and introduce bands around Edmonton.
,,,;*21$)+$)1="&%;%'G1="&%&')"
and keeping people updated.”
14
15