THE OARSMAN Management Plan Fall 2013 by MOMSMGMT

THE OARSMAN MANAGEMENT PLAN FALL 201 3 Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 Mission Statement ..................................................................................................................... 4 Vision Statement ........................................................................................................................ 4 Music Industry Overview ............................................................................................................ 5 Band Bio, History, and Functions ............................................................................................... 6 Key Player ................................................................................................................................. 8 The Oarsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Audience ........................................................................................................... 9 Graphics and Branding .............................................................................................................10 Recording Project .....................................................................................................................11 One-sheet / EPK .......................................................................................................................12 Merchandise .............................................................................................................................13 Pre-release Promotions ............................................................................................................15 CD Release Party .....................................................................................................................16 Booking and Touring Plans .......................................................................................................17 Media Strategy ..........................................................................................................................19 Fan Base ..................................................................................................................................20 Website/Technology .................................................................................................................21 Distribution/Retail Strategy ........................................................................................................22 Special Events ..........................................................................................................................23 Partnerships with Other Artists ..................................................................................................24 Video Production.......................................................................................................................25 Songwriting ...............................................................................................................................26 Sponsors/Investors ...................................................................................................................27 SWOT Analysis .........................................................................................................................28 Goals ........................................................................................................................................29 Financial ...................................................................................................................................30 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................31 Appendix ...................................................................................................................................32 Bibliography ..............................................................................................................................46

Executive Summary The Oarsman are a genuine, relatable group of talented musicians from Chicago, IL. Fronted and directed by Marcus Christopher Maloney, these individuals stand for all that it is to experience life, the struggle, and the successes. These hardworking individuals are determined to deliver their music to as many people as will listen, and make honest connections along the way. The Oarsman are about being given only a boat and an oar, and paddling one’s way through the choppy seas of life anyway. This admirably idealistic outlook is exactly what drew manager, Alexandra Dziura to the group in the first place. She also values honesty and genuineness, and was inspired by the band’s drive for success. Together they make a sort of power team that at times can seem unstoppable. Throughout the accumulation of this management plan, Alexandra has executed the following:                

Professional materials such as EPK & one-sheet Coordinated East Coast Tour & Midwest Tour Scheduled second Daytrotter session Secured radio appearances throughout fall tour Implemented radio campaign for Writing House Formulated mission and vision statement Wrote official bio Coordinated communication and upheld Strings By Mail sponsorship Conducted market research on audience & SWOT analysis Promoted Writing House via personal social media Made friendship bracelets for merchandise Maintained e-mail list Instigated deal with Homesick Clothing Co. and coordinated communication Wrote goals Compiled expenses and tracked finances via ledger and kept inventory Instigated dealing with AEMMP Records’ licensing division

With the key of this plan in hand, The Oarsman and Alexandra are fit to open any door presented to them, as well as seek out new ones to gain exposure and profit. By utilizing press, radio, and live performance, the band is leaving a memorable mark on both Chicago and cities around the nation.

Introduction The Oarsman are an indie-folk band from Chicago, IL. Since their formation just over a year ago, The Oarsman have performed on NPR’s “The Morning Shift”, been featured in publications such as Brooklyn Vegan and the Chicagoist, toured internationally, and published a Daytrotter session. They united because of their belief in God, true love, and the merits of suffering. They remain together to bring their messages on the human experience to as many people as possible. Manager, Alexandra Dziura first met The Oarsman in February of 2013, when her high school friend and the drummer of the band introduced her. She could immediately tell that as front man, Marcus Christopher Maloney, was the figurehead, songwriter, and leader of this group, he had a clear vision of what he wanted and where he wanted to go with it. She was eager to develop her skills in talent management and knew that with Marcus’s lofty goals and minimal knowledge of the music business, they would help each other greatly. She has been working with them ever since, and was excited at the opportunity to create this Management Plan around their career. Through this plan she hopes to bring the band to the next level in their career by gaining exposure for them, and develop her own handle on the music industry by learning about avenues she hasn’t yet travelled. (See Appendix A: Artist Interview Questions)

Mission Statement The Oarsman is a band who believes in God, true love, and the merits of suffering. They express the human experience through these values in a way that is accessible and relatable to all fans.

Vision Statement They aim to deliver their music to the ears of as many individuals as possible, and sustain a comfortable living off of what they do.

Music Industry Overview The Oarsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market is very vaguely described as indie and folk music fans of all ages. However, better markets for that genre exist in places like Tennessee and North Carolina. For that reason, it is pertinent to currently look at general music consumption in order to capture the general music lovers in any market, especially our hometown of Chicago, and make it as easy as possible for them to obtain and enjoy the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music. According to the most recent RIAA data, digital music sales are blowing everything else out of the water. Downloads of singles and albums have shown some of the greatest improvement in sales between 2010 and 2011, with album downloads increasing 25%, and digital sales overall increased 17.3% while physical sales overall decreased by 7.7%. This should come as no surprise as the advent of the MP3 player stimulated a necessary and major compensation by music distributors and retailers to accommodate those who use MP3 players and their computers for music consumption. Meanwhile, a potentially surprising trend has also arisen. That being, as of 2008, vinyl singles and albums stand with the highest percent increase at 99.6% and 34.2% respectively. It would seem as though a nostalgic or novelty resurgence of dated technology is trending. It is for these reasons that The Oarsman choose to focus on novelty products such as cassette tapes and special edition packing that might not even comprise physical media which include digital download cards inside to move more product on both the physical and digital side of operations.

Band Bio, History, and Functions The Oarsman is the Chicago-based project of Marcus Christopher Maloney, formerly of Honest Engines and Many Places. With comparisons to artists like Tallest Man on Earth and Jake Bugg, the group maintains a traditional folk sound blended with smooth and colorful electric elements. After learning how to sing, and beginning to write his own songs only two summers ago, Maloney has molded The Oarsman into a momentous and dynamic group that has been featured on NPR's "The Morning Shift", Daytrotter, Hardwick Sessions, Brooklyn Vegan, and has toured internationally. Having sustained all this publicity on an EP of his first demos and a live-to-track second EP of himself and his guitar, Maloney released his debut full-length, full-band album Writing House on September 24, 2013. Maloney has been playing music his whole life. Officially beginning guitar lessons at eight-years-old, he was playing around Chicago with professional blues groups by thirteen. At fifteen, he began his high school career at Interlochen Center for the Arts studying classical guitar. Maloney continued onto the University of Miami and then Roosevelt University in Chicago to study jazz guitar. It was during this time in Chicago that he began playing with Honest Engines and Many Places. In the summer of 2012, after the break-up of his band as well as his engagement, Maloney took to the road with his guitar and an iPhone. He recorded a few demos to try out his singing voice, and it went so well that these demos became the Easel EP. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when Maloney picked up a band to play along with his acoustic guitar and vocals. While the performing talent of each band member is critical to The Oarsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sound, Maloney is the sole songwriter and arranger. He is also in charge of day-to-day operations such as merchandising, web presence, organizing and leading band rehearsals.

The Oarsman’s current line-up is: August Ogren  

Profession: drummer, audio engineer Bio: graduated from Main Street School of the Performing Arts for drums, received Associate’s Degree in audio engineering from Tribeca Flash Point Academy, drumming for 15 years with sporadic lessons

Jerry Jaskowiak  

Profession: electric guitarist Bio: playing for 12 years, has been playing churches around Chicagoland including Willow Creek’s main stage which seats over 7,000

 

Profession: bass guitarist Bio: playing for 10 years, has had classical, jazz and theory lessons for the last six years, also plays Willow Creek’s main stage

Justin Casas

Key Player

Alexandra Dziura is an artist manager and booking coordinator for musical artists The Oarsman (from Chicago) and William Within (from Minneapolis). Her work for these artists has involved coordinating the booking of international tours, strategic press and radio opportunities, and general career and image guidance. Throughout these endeavors she has worked and volunteered for radio stations including Radio K (KUOM, Minneapolis) and CHIRP Radio (Chicago), as well as interned for radio promotion company, Jeff McClusky & Associates. Alexandra has been working with musical artists for many years beginning when she helped with promotion and sales for Minneapolis artist, Love Out Loud. Currently located in Chicago, IL, she is completing her Bachelor's degree in Arts Management - Music Business. Hailing from the Twin Cities metro in Minnesota, she also spent two years at the University of Minnesota studying mathematics before transferring to Columbia College Chicago. Alexandra is an accomplished, goal-driven, and problem-solving professional who is passionate about her work and continuously strives to improve. She may be contacted about management opportunities at momsmgmt@gmail.com and any other inquiries should be directed to aldziura@gmail.com. (See Appendix B: Business Cards)

The Oarsman’s Audience Especially with the increasingly saturated music market, it is crucial that artists understand what their individual market is, along with various segments therein, in order to predict who is most likely to be a consumer of their product(s) and to target those people. The Oarsman’s market is consistent primarily of 18-24 year olds – 52% to be exact – of middle to upper-middle class socioeconomic status. These are typically students and almost equally male and female. They reside predominantly in The Oarsman’s hometown of Chicago (26%) followed by Minneapolis (11%), and spread thereafter between the east coast cities which we have toured in the last six months. These numbers are provided by Facebook, and supported by first-hand encounters with those who have purchased The Oarsman’s music throughout the last two tours. After conducting a brief survey of our fans sent via e-mail list, the above statistics are again supported, and new information is also discovered. Most of the fans who participated have completed at least some level of college, so they are relatively educated. The majority use social media constantly, and at the very least they use it a few times a month. These are relatively cultured people, responding that they most prefer to go to coffee shops, see movies, and go to the theater. H&M and Goodwill are the most commonly responded “favorite retailers” in a free answer question, which leads to ideas of potential future sponsorships. Answers varied on the favorite musical artist question but most were indie artists like Sufjan Stevens, Local Natives, and Grizzly Bear. But also included were bigger names like Mumford and Sons and classic artists like Cher and Crosby, Still, Nash, and Young. In regards to music consumption, these people purchase music anywhere from once a week to a few times a year, and when they do they prefer to purchase it digitally. Not surprising, they also prefer to purchase a regular digital download, a CD secondly, closely followed by a specially packaged gift item with a digital download inside. (See appendix C: Survey questions)

Graphics and Branding Creating a strong brand is critical to the success of an artist in today’s market. There is such an oversaturation of music with the ability to hear it virtually anywhere, that a band’s image and brand can be the only thing that sets them apart from the millions of other bands out there which are equally as accessible. Fortunately, The Oarsman have a very distinct taste and have intuitively developed a fairly clear brand and image by latching onto just a few themes and allowing them to recur in their album art, social media, posters and flyers, and most importantly their music. A wonderful artist named Dorey Kronick from right here in Chicago designed the band’s whale logo shown below and this has been consistently used for The Oarsman’s album cover, logo, and other merchandise items. Originally from the Bay Area of California, Dorey currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating with a BA in Graphic Design and a minor in Studio Arts in 2009, Dorey has been developing an ever-expanding list of dynamic creative projects for a wide range of unique clients. She designed the whale independent of The Oarsman, but after hearing the band play and hearing Marcus comment on how much he liked the image, she added the band name to the graphic and willingly sent it to him. Secondly, The Oarsman use a lot of nature scenery for their online background images, supplementary album art, and social media posts. Further, they have begun to call their genre “lake folk” to agree with this branding as their music is inspired by nature while discussing the natural occurrences in life.

(See appendix D: logos/imagery)

Recording Project On September 24, 2013, The Oarsman released their debut full-length, full-band album, Writing House on Tandem Shop Records. Marcus spent about seven months writing, arranging, recording, re-arranging, rerecording, and producing this album, and everyone in The Oarsman camp believes the time was well-spent, and they are very happy with the final product. For Writing House, as well as the Easel EP and the Choice Cuts Cassette EP, Marcus has acted as engineer and producer, recording both Writing House and Choice Cuts in his home studio. As previously mentioned, the Easel EP was recorded on his iPhone during a road trip through the eastern Midwest. Marcus has been engineering for only three years, but has worked at Carterco Recording, as well as Strobe Recording â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both in Chicago. He opened his own studio, Ethnomusikology in the spring of 2012 and has worked on a variety of projects including voice-over and radio, film scoring, artist records of various genres, and audio restoration, totaling to over 60 clients. In contrast to Easel and Choice Cuts, which both consisted simply of Marcus, his guitar, and one microphone, Writing House is expanded by a full drum kit performed by August Ogren, bass guitar performed by their previous bassist Joel Heinrich, electric guitar, vocal harmonies, bells, and auxiliary percussion all overdubbed by Marcus. The sound is fuller, brighter, and has more of an indie rock vibe to it than the previous traditional folk sounds.

One-sheet / EPK One of the more important things Alexandra has done for The Oarsman as manager is compile a one-sheet for radio promotion and press, as well as an EPK for booking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both of which they did not have before. Below is a screen shot of the EPK and on the back of this page is a screen shot of the radio promotion one-sheet. Between the two she has included everything from upcoming tour dates, to their bio, to their key accomplishments, photos, music, and press quotes.

(See appendix E: EPK screen shot) 12

Merchandise For The Oarsman’s level and the amount of time they’ve been around, they have a pretty comprehensive line of merchandise. They sell two versions of the album: the standard jewel case copy with album art and liner notes; and a special edition cardboard sleeve, twine-tied limited run. They also sell cassette tapes of the album that come with digital downloads of that material as well as the first two EPs, and a special edition baseball card. Further, they sell hand-made, one-of-a-kind friendship bracelets, as well as tour posters. They are also currently in the process of obtaining some t-shirts to sell. They have received several requests from fans throughout tour for a tshirt, and at this point they are in dealings with a local clothing designer for some free shirts in exchange for national promotion and other terms which are to be decided.

     

Cost: $0.96 per unit Price: $10 per unit Profit Margin: $9.04 per unit Units Sold on fall tour: 55 Profit: $497.20 Contents: Writing House LP, liner notes, WHALE logo vinyl sticker

    

Cost: $0.64 Price: $10 Profit Margin: $9.46 Units Sold on fall tour: 44 Contents: Special edition artwork Writing House LP, WHALE logo vinyl sticker, special edition cardboard sleeve/twine packaging

     



Cost: $1.18 per unit Price: $10 per unit Profit Margin: $8.82 per unit Units Sold on fall tour: 28 Profit: $246.96 Contents: Writing House LP cassette, digital downloads of Writing House, Choice Cuts, and Easel, collectible baseball card Buy one get free poster

     

Cost: $0.33 Price: $5 Profit Margin: $4.67 Units Sold on fall tour: 12 (all) Profit: $56.04 Contents: Bracelet

    

Cost: $0.77 Price: $2 Profit Margin: $1.23 Units Sold on fall tour: 10 Contents: Poster

Pre-release Promotions The Oarsman released the Writing House LP on September 24, 2013 on Tandem Shop Records. Tandem Shop is owned and operated by Megan Frestedt and Sam McAllister. Sam handles all press inquiries while Megan handles booking and together they split the rest of the general duties. Thanks to them the release was supported by a marketing plan full of pre-release promotions. The goals of the marketing plan were to introduce The Oarsman to Chicago and Midwest markets, to begin to build a live audience in Chicago and Midwest markets, to obtain college and public radio play, to license the music for television, film, and commercial. From these promotions The Oarsman obtained write-ups in Brooklyn Vegan (who premiered the first single, “First Flight”), the Chicagoist, other publications, and the band has a second Daytrotter session scheduled. Although they have been touring since before the album was released, they have put a little effort toward building a live audience in Chicago by playing Tandem Shop’s 5-year anniversary party at Lincoln Hall, throwing a release party at Lilly’s, and nearly selling out Tonic Room upon their return from tour November 23rd. They kick off their Midwest tour to promote the album on December 1st and will be further building live audiences in other Midwest markets. Alexandra and Megan mailed out white labels to 50 radio stations, obtaining an add to CHIRP Radio’s rotation here in Chicago, as well as getting airplay on a few of the radio stations in towns the band toured through. Alexandra and Megan are currently completing some paperwork for licensing with NoWare Media in Minneapolis, as well as discussing with the licensing department of Columbia’s own AEMMP Records. By the time the album was release The Oarsman had garnered three pre-orders via tandemshoprecords.com. There were also 14 pre-orders via The Oarsman’s Indiegogo campaign of March/April 2013, which will be mentioned under Sponsorships and Investors. Most of the buzz was created via social media (see Website/Technology), Indiegogo (see Sponsors/Investors), and the June tour (see Booking/Touring plans) – by the end of which they had sold nine CDs and 40 tapes as a special pre-release of the record. Next time around, Alexandra would ideally follow a similar objective structure with some variations on execution. Under her jurisdiction, she would create a more market-focused list of print and online publications, blogs, etc. to cater more closely to The Oarsman’s market. She would spend more time doing the same for radio, and begin preparations further in advance. Finally, she would personally take the time to conduct follow ups and with these more marketfocused media outlets, she would be able to better explain why she believes The Oarsman are a good fit for the specific media. Alexandra would also like to create more incentive to increase initial album sales with contests and interactivities such as scavenger hunts or other challenges. Fans could get a discount on the album or a free ticket to a show if they complete these tasks, and more buzz would be created among the existing fan base.

CD Release Party A release party can be the most critical component to any album release for a beginner band or artist. It can generate a high volume of sales in a short period of time, the likes of which a baby band may not see for the rest of the album life cycle if they are not touring on it. The Oarsman effectively had two album release parties. The first was a sort of pre-release party on August 23rd, 2013 before they left for tour in the beginning of September. It was held at Lilly’s in Lincoln Park, put on by a friend and former Bears of Blue River member, Gavin Wilkinson. Local artist Chris Coleslaw performed an opening set, and although it was only thrown together in about a week, it was a warm sendoff for fall tour. The second and more official release party was on the street date, September 24th, 2013, when The Oarsman were in Massachusetts playing a barn in Plymouth with amazing artist and friend from the June tour, Hayley Sabella. The location fell into place rather than having been chosen. It coincided with the fall tour routing and it was convenient that Hayley was able to put on an awesome show for the band, and combine it with her own Kickstarter campaign kick-off. Alexandra also secured radio station appearances at BIRN, WMFO, and WTBU during the two days spent in Boston prior to the release party to promote the new album and the party. The barn was full with people spilling outside onto the grass – over 60 people in an approximately 50-person capacity barn. Fortunately Hayley’s musical style is also charmingly folksy and her audience intersects fairly significantly with The Oarsman’s, so the crowd was very receptive to the music.

Booking and Touring Plans The Oarsman have been touring for virtually their whole career. After establishing a small presence in Chicago with a good handful of dates in February, March, April, and May including Schuba’s, Township, Uncommon Ground (both locations), and saki record store, they set off for the east coast and played thirteen shows from Boston to Jacksonville and Kansas City before the van broke down on the way the New Orleans. After overcoming the learning curve of how to book a tour they planned for a much more extensive fall tour, which began September 4 th, 2013 in Jackson, MI, and was successfully completed on November 23rd, 2013 at Tonic Room here in Chicago – a nearly sold-out homecoming show. Initially, Tandem Shop was booking for the band until about April when Alexandra started helping to prepare for summer tour. From that point she started to slowly take over the coordination duties until mid-June when she took over full control of booking coordination. Below are the 50+ dates the band completed during the first tour coordinated entirely by Alexandra.

9/4 – Bird Alley – Jackson, MI 9/5 – Louie’s Trophy House Grille – Kalamazoo, MI 9/8 – Woodruff’s – Ypsilanti, MI 9/10 – Phog Lounge – Windsor, ON 9/11 – Magpie Taproom – Toronto, ON 9/12 – Clinton’s – Toronto, ON 9/13 – The Central – Toronto, ON 9/14 – Yellow Door – Montreal, QC 9/16 – Quai des Brumes – Montreal, QC 9/17 – Piranha Bar – Montreal, QC 9/19 – Monkey House – Winooski, VT 9/20 – The Jam Factory – Manchester, NH 9/21 – The Disco – Keene, NH 9/22 – Precinct – Boston, MA 9/23 – Middle East – Boston, MA 9/24 – Hayley Sabella’s House – Plymouth, MA 9/25 – J Dubs Coffee – Manchester, NH 9/26 – The Space – Hamden, CT 9/27 – AS220 – Providence, RI 9/28 – House Show – Mansfield, CT 9/29 – Stella Blues – New Haven, CT 10/2 – The Bowery Electric – NYC, NY 10/3 – Rockwood Music Hall – NYC, NY 10/5 – PIANOS – NYC, NY 10/6 – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA

10/11 – The Dunes – Washington, D.C. 10/13 – Velvet Lounge – Washington, D.C. 10/15 – Blue Moon Diner – Charlottesville, VA 10/17 – Globehopper Coffeehouse – Richmond, VA 10/18 – The River Room – VA Beach, VA 10/19 – Bean There Coffeehouse – VA Beach, VA 10/21 – Borjo Coffeehouse – Norfolk, VA 10/22 – Southern Rail Station – Carrboro, NC 10/23 – Deep South – Raleigh, NC 10/25 – Caffe Driade – Chapel Hill, NC 10/28 – Crown Station – Charlotte, NC 11/1 – Sessions – Greensboro, NC 11/2 – Coastal Coffee Roasters – Charleston, SC 11/2 – King Dusko – Charleston, SC 11/3 – The Royal American – Charleston, SC 11/4 – The Sparrow – Charleston, SC 11/5 – Burro Bar – Jacksonville, FL 11/6 – Underbelly – Jacksonville, FL 11/7 – The Sentient Bean – Savannah, GA 11/9 – Wonderroot – Atlanta, GA 11/10 – Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA 11/12 – Caledonia Lounge – Athens, GA 11/13 – Green Room – Athens, GA 11/20 – Springwater – Nashville, TN 11/23 – Tonic Room – Chicago, IL

All of these dates were paid in some form – guarantee, bar split, door split, or tip jar and merchandise sales. Alexandra has also coordinated a second leg of this tour which will go around the Midwest from the first of December to the 23rd, 2013, and is currently reconvening with the band to figure out the next region they want to tour to continue to promote Writing House for the remainder of its life cycle. Below are the 20 dates booked for The Oarsman’s Midwest tour: 12/1 – Grant St. Co-op – Bloomington, IN 12/2 – Irving Theater – Indianapolis, IN 12/3 – Rupert’s Brew House – Kalamazoo, MI 12/6 – Mac’s Bar – Lansing, MI 12/7 – Hambone’s Pub – Pittsburgh, PA 12/8 – Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH 12/11 – MOTR Pub – Cincinnati, OH 12/12 – Treebar – Columbus, OH 12/13 – The Rudyard Kipling – Louisville, KY 12/14 – The Lemp – St. Louis, MO

12/15 – Daytrotter Session – Rock Island, IL 12/15 – Rozz-Tox – Rock Island, IL 12/16 – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA 12/17 – Acadia – Minneapolis, MN 12/18 – Nomad World Pub – Minneapolis, MN 12/20 – Amazing Grace Café – Duluth, MN 12/21 – Mickey’s Tavern – Madison, WI 12/22 – Milwaukee Opry – Milwaukee, WI 12/23 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL

When booking all of these dates, they aim for 50-200 capacity venues and local bands with an active Facebook following of 300-2,000. As one might guess, the higher the capacity, the higher standards for locals become. They began closest to The Oarsman’s hometown, worked eastward shooting north into Canada and coming back down the east coast, because they’ve found that region to be particularly easy to book in terms of finding venues for a band of The Oarsman’s size, bands that play well with them, and high volumes of people interested in attending concerts. Alexandra and the band had also built a rapport with a handful of venues on that route having toured it in June, so that was useful in re-visiting those cities. (See appendix F: Booking log) (See appendix G: Talent buyer letter) (See appendix H: Booking proof)

Media Strategy Considering the fact that radio is the most profitable sector in the music industry, they have been primarily concerning themselves with climbing that ladder. College and non-commercial radio host some of the most diverse and open-minded formats, and a majority of them play indie-style music, so it makes sense to start there. Alexandra hopes to eventually get The Oarsman on AC and triple A radio in the Midwest and then around the nation. The Oarsman made their first radio appearance back in February playing and interviewing on NPR’s “The Morning Shift” at WBEZ. A few months later, they began planning for the Writing House release. Alexandra and Megan of Tandem Shop pitched the album to 50 radio stations around the United States and Canada in Toronto and Montreal, all drawn from a database of college and non-commercial radio stations. They personally delivered copies of the album to the appropriate stations in Chicago, and were added to CHIRP Radio’s rotation the week of the release. Further, studio appearance pitches were made for the fall tour, and The Oarsman made a total of ten visits to college and non-commercial radio stations during their fall tour at: WIDR, AM1 700, Fusion Radio, WGDR, BIRN, WMFO, WTBU, WGMU, WTJU, WUAG As per Tandem Shop’s marketing plan, Writing House was serviced through an e-mail blast to hundreds of editors and writers at various outlets, as well as many freelancers who aren't attached to a specific outlet. After the digital mailing, Megan and Sam followed up individually with hundreds of writers and freelancers two or three times. The responses received were very hot on the record, and landed track postings, write-ups, nominations and show reviews in fourteen media outlets mostly in Chicago, but some nationally. As previously mentioned, The Oarsman’s first single off Writing House, “First Flight” was released on Brooklyn Vegan from whom the band has had previous support. During the band’s fall tour, Charleston City Paper did a write up about The Oarsman in anticipation of their four shows in town. The band also got a write up in Chicagoist and Music. Defined.

“…it left Chicagoist with chills.” – Chicagoist “…that’s the kind of music that you always keep near.” – Music. Defined. 19

Fan Base Today, the internet has become an overwhelming part of any person’s daily routine. Most prominently it has taken over the lives of 12-35 year olds, smack in the middle of which lies The Oarsman’s market. Consequently, this is where Tandem Shop, management, and the band do most of the news-spreading. Marcus, who is in charge of social media presence, likes to maintain a balance of text posts, videos, and photos in order to keep the attention of fans and avoid getting lost in the sea of information that is social media. So, for example, when a new album is released, it will get an image post with information, then the next day a text post re-iterating the information, and so-on. This keeps fans engaged and catches those who may have missed the first announcement. The Oarsman’s website is hosted by Flavors.me and is essentially an amalgam of their social media, in order to streamline all of the news being posted into one place. This site also includes a link to tour dates on Songkick, the tour blog on Tumblr, their sponsor, Strings By Mail, and a contact form. The Oarsman’s e-mail list is controlled by Alexandra, and managed through MailChimp. E-mails are collected during live performances, and contacted post-tour to thank fans for coming out. MailChimp allows categorization by region, so fans in a certain city or state are also contacted prior to the band’s return to their region. New members are incentivized with a free download or other exclusive content. This e-mail list was also used to conduct the audience survey as mentioned in the Audience section. Finally, The Oarsman have an artist page on the label’s website, TandemShopRecords.com. There, Megan and Sam post news of the band’s releases and touring updates. Currently, the site is hosting a splash page (website entry page) announcing the release of Writing House and linking to a purchase page. (See appendix I: MailChimp)

Website/Technology As previously mentioned, the accessibility of the internet is something of which The Oarsman take maximum advantage. Because most of the band’s news and updates are shared via social media, their fans are constantly directed there to keep them updated on all the happenings. Facebook:  Purpose: News, interaction, bio, basic info, contact, tour dates  Fan base: 876 and constantly growing  Average posting: Daily  Interacting fans (liking, sharing, commenting): 110  Growth since beginning of project: 175%  Growth since obtaining management in February: 750%+  Feeds to website Bandcamp:  Purpose: Listening/downloading, merchandise store, tour dates  Total o Visits: ~6,000 o Plays: ~9,500 o Downloads: 184  Since beginning of project o Visits: ~2,000 o Plays: ~3,600 o Downloads: 74  Since obtaining management o Visits: ~5,200 o Plays: ~7,700 o Downloads: 178 Instagram:  Purpose: Visual news, intimate insight, tour date posters  Fan base: 253  Average posting: Bi-daily  Feeds to website, Twitter, and Facebook Twitter:    

Purpose: Real-time news Fan base: 71 Average posting: Bi-daily Feeds to website

YouTube:  Purpose: Video news, music videos, audio listening  Subscribers: 15  Total plays: 5,504  Average plays: 324  Highest single amount: 739

(See appendix J: Social Media) 21

Distribution/Retail Strategy Distribution is arguably the most research-intensive aspect of an artist’s career. If an artist is incorrectly distributing their CDs or merchandise by a channel that is not leading to their ideal consumer, the time, energy, and money spent on that channel is entirely wasted. Currently, The Oarsman are using the following direct distribution methods: 



Bandcamp o Physical merchandise store o Digital downloads Tandem Shop’s website o Physical merchandise store



Merchandise booth at each concert o Physical merchandise o Digital download cards



iTunes o Downloads only



CDBaby o Downloads only

The band’s fan base is small enough that to distribute into retail stores would prove a liability. In the future, when we have built a steady following in Chicago, we would like to consign our records to some of the popular record shops around the city such as Reckless, Permanent, Dave’s, and Logan Hardware. (See appendix K: Tandem Shop bios)

Special Events In The Oarsman’s short lifespan, they have not played any charitable events as the band they are now. However, in the past, Marcus has played in Alzheimer’s wards for dementia patients, as well as in hospitals. This, at the very least, allows for him to make connections with people who are appreciative of what he’s doing for them, and potentially retain their returned support of him in the future when he endeavors into projects like The Oarsman. The Oarsman, as a genuine and charming group of individuals, would work at any charitable event, realistically. However, based on their market and image, college-sponsored benefit shows, coffee shop openings, and nature or wildlife benefits could work well. A “Save the Whales” event could be especially fun with their logo being what it is.

Partnerships with Other Artists Partnering with other artists can be one of the most helpful ways for a band to gain brand equity and fans in a relatively short amount of time. Be it a short tour run, a combined merchandise gimmick, or one-time contests or giveaways, cross-promoting two artists who share the same market can be highly mutually beneficial. As briefly mentioned, when The Oarsman were in Boston in June, they made friends with an artist named Hayley Sabella. Because they stayed in touch, they were able to put together a special CD release party for Writing House that was cross-promoted with Hayley’s Kickstarter campaign kick-off. This was beneficial as each of their fan bases got excited about the event and came to support both artists. Further, Alexandra also manages a band called William Within from Minneapolis. In December, when The Oarsman tour the Midwest, they are scheduled to pick up William Within as they pass through Minneapolis on December 17th and bring them along as support for the subsequent six dates. This way, The Oarsman will gain exposure to William Within’s fan base in Minneapolis and Milwaukee (from where William Within’s front man hails), and William Within will gain exposure to The Oarsman’s fan base in Chicago on the last date of the tour. Looking to the future, The Oarsman continue to make good friends with the bands with whom they play on tour. Consequently, there is a lot of promising opportunity for partnerships with these artists around the country. (See appendix L: Partner artist bios)

Video Production Video is a critical part to spreading a band’s music to the public. In the state of the market today, music fans lend their attention much more readily to a song if they are watching a video to go along with it. When a major artist’s new single comes out, it is expected that the public will be able to find a video on YouTube immediately for it. Consequently, The Oarsman have tried to put a decent emphasis on producing video content as well as music and images. Lauren Miller is a talented photographer and videographer from Cary, Illinois who owns and operates Liller Photo. She grew up loving art, and started experimenting with photography when she was in middle school. From that point on she knew that this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She continued to obtain a degree in Digital Photography from Harrington College of Design in Chicago, Illinois. Lauren met Marcus through her brother, Brandt, who played music with Marcus in their church’s band. Because of the friendly nature of their relationship, Lauren shot and edited our photos and videos free of charge, in exchange only for professional credit. The first video she produced for us was a set of two in one day of shooting. Ravenswood books allowed the band and crew to set up inside the store before it opened one morning and shoot a video of The Oarsman’s song, “Greatest Living Author.” In transit, they also shot a takeaway video on the CTA Brown Line of the song, “Waltz for Harry.” Beyond shooting the band itself, Lauren also felt inspired by the track, “Gravity’s Rainbow.” And shot a music video for it with herself as the star and surprised The Oarsman with this content. Outside of working with Lauren, the band made an effort to shoot footage on tour for use in a future music video. Also during the tour, several videos were shot of the band playing in various scenic areas to release as takeaway videos doubling as tour updates. This way The Oarsman’s fans were able to gain an intimate insight into the band’s time spent traveling and rest assured the music was still current. In terms of video release, the band and manager used the first few videos as an event of their own, released them on Facebook and continued to share the post every few days for a few weeks after the release. The tour videos were released as they were completed, well-spaced along the course of the tour to keep updates consistent. All of these videos were posted on YouTube initially, and social media was used to spread them, to encourage fans to share the music, and garner more support. Particularly the first few shot at the beginning of the band’s career proved to be useful tools for gaining support from family and friends of the band as well as of those who “Liked” and shared the videos. (See appendix M: Video screen shots)

Songwriting Marcus is the sole songwriter of The Oarsman. When it comes to songwriting, he denies having any particular process. Rather, he allows the songs to write themselves inside of his head, and it then becomes his job to be the vessel by which the songs escape his head. Most of his creative spaces occur in the evening, and he has been known to get an idea late in the day and spend the remainder of the night until the small hours of the morning completing the song that has come to him. The Oarsman are registered with ASCAP, and Marcus has his name on both the songwriting as well as the publishing. Thus far, Marcus has only ventured into writing songs for himself. But considering his ability to write catchy pop songs, professional songwriting for other artists could be a lucrative avenue to travel in the future.

Sponsors/Investors One of the most tedious and money-sucking problems when a band is on the road can be the need to replace guitar strings – especially if the guitar players are the kind who frequently break or wear-out their strings. The Oarsman find the need to replace their strings about once a week, and this cost can certainly cut into tour profits when a band is on the road for twelve weeks. Strings By Mail is a low-key guitar accessories retailer whose mission statement is as follows: “Established in 1999, SBM is owned and operated by experienced musicians & true aficionados. We take pride in helping each customer reach their fullest potential, through our complete product line, our excellent delivery, and our professional guidance. We specialize in music, strings, accessories, CD/DVDs and special orders.” They also happen to sponsor some of the most talented guitarists in the United States. Marcus has known the owner, John, for almost ten years. When John purchased Strings by Mail, Marcus visited the offices and talked with him about a potential sponsorship. John had always been impressed with Marcus’s guitar-playing and agreed to discuss terms. John is currently developing a budget by which The Oarsman can be supplied as needed. In exchange, the band will announce the sponsorship on our website and link to SBM’s home page, and generally represent them. In March, The Oarsman kicked off an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for a van in which to tour. Lauren Miller helped the band to create a campaign video, in which Marcus explained how much money was needed and exactly where it would go. Perks to giving included anything from stickers and buttons, to a copy of the new album, to a guest list spot at a concert of the donor’s choosing. The band and management promoted it for a month with daily posts of the video, and e-mail campaign to friends and family, and a kick-off house show at Marcus’s home in Chicago. By the end of the month The Oarsman raised $1,776 to put towards the vehicle that has gotten them through two tours. Currently, the band is also in negotiations with Chicago clothing designer, Homesick Clothing Co. for a trade of band shirts and promotion. Terms are currently being decided, but free t-shirts will greatly help the band with tour profits, and national promotion will be invaluable for this new Chicago designer. 27

SWOT Analysis

Goals 3 months  Obtain five college/non-commercial radio appearances in cities throughout tour  Coordinate three-week tour of Midwest  Explore licensing options for Writing House  Create more tools to bolster professionalism (EPK, one-sheet etc)  Develop goals and path for next year of career 6 months  Secure a booking agent  Sell 100 of HYMNS EP  Play SXSW off-shoot show, within city of Austin  Re-visit east coast  $500 into savings  Increase Facebook fan base coverage to 2,000, Twitter to 500, Instagram to 800 1 year  Have toured entire US OR majority of Canada  Direct support on tour with intermediate artist (5-10k fan spectrum) like Swear and Shake  Obtain post (interview, single release, video release) on reputable blog such as Pitchfork, Stereogum, or Gorilla vs. Bear  Start marketing plan for next album -> determine objectives and prep for licensing  Distribute into regional record shops such as Reckless, Permanent etc. in Chicago and Electric Fetus in Minneapolis, etc. 3 years  International touring -> Europe  Sell 1,000 of second full-length album  Commercial radio add to AAA or AC  Put $5,000 into savings for bus  Licensing to Viacom, and ad agency such as Leo Burnett/Draft FCB, the like 5 years  Signed by imprint of major label or Sub Pop  Have sold 10,000 units between all albums  Nationwide commercial radio adds to AAA, AC and/or Country  Negotiations for major distribution to record shops nationally  Headlining 600 cap venues in all major cities in America

Financial As The Oarsman are frequently on the road, it is difficult to save money. For that reason, costs are cut wherever possible and in-kind deals are aimed for. This has led to free promotional photos, music videos, guitar string sponsorship, possible merchandise in-kind deal, lodging, and meals on occasion. Finally, studio time was spent in Marcus’s home studio, so that was also free. The Oarsman Expenses Continuing Education Auto Travel (In miles) Coaching & Lessons Expense Audition Travel Music - Arrangements Continuing Education Downloads, CDs, & Job seeking Recordings Training Out-Of-Town Business Trips $11,300 Rents - Rehearsal Hall Purchasing Job Supplies Voice Training Parking Fees & Tolls ($) Other: _________ Other: ______________________ Promotional Expenses Travel - Out of Town Audition Tapes, Videos, CDs $326 Airfare Business Cards Car Rental Film & Processing Bridge & Highway Tolls $83 Mailing Supplies - Envelopes, etc. $35 Parking $52 Resume’ and Portfolio Expenses Lodging $294 Website Development & Hosting $10 Meals $686 Supplies & Expenses Laundry and Porter Uniforms & Formal Wear Apartment Rent Cleaning (uniforms/formal) Other: _________Healthcare_____ $488 Communication Costs Commissions - Agent/Manager Instrument & Musical Supplies $91 Skype & Internet Phone Service Meals - Business Other: _____________ Equipment Purchases Photocopy - Music, etc. $13 Postage & Office Supplies $69 Answering Machine Publications - Trade Audio Systems & Amplifiers Recording Studio Costs Computer & Printer Rents - Office, Storage, etc. Musical Instruments Rents - Equipment, etc. Pager and Recorder Repairs – Instruments/Equip Smart Phone & Tablets Sheet Music Speaker Systems Strings, picks, cords, reeds, etc. Tools & other Music Supplies $35 Courtesy of Riley & Associates, PC - www.artstaxinfo.com - 978-463-9350 30

Conclusion The Oarsman’s quality songwriting, charm, accessibility, and dedicated management have put them in a position to sweep the nation in a matter of years. With early advantages such as NPR exposure, Daytrotter association, national touring, and a manager to organize it all, the band is driving full speed ahead to spread its music to as many individuals as possible nationally, and soon globally. Press such as the Chicagoist, Brooklyn Vegan, the Deli, Music. Defined., and more are already writing about the group and venues like Schuba’s and Beat Kitchen are taking notice. With the right steps and timing, The Oarsman have the potential to accomplish their vision of delivering their musical expression of the human experience to people worldwide. This management plan, thoughtfully crafted by Alexandra, has illuminated the path and some of the steps necessary to accomplish that vision. Throughout the last three months, Alexandra has made moves to solidify the professionalism by the band with an EPK and a one-sheet. She has increased their exposure by coordinating an international tour of Canada and the eastern US, as well as planning and scheduling one of the Midwest. She has helped increase their market reach in those cities as well by scheduling radio appearances along the way. And she has also obtained several radio adds for the new album. Alexandra has worked on fan retention by maintaining the band’s e-mail list and sending newsletters to their followers. She has aided in album promotion by consulting and personally instigating the social media reach of the Writing House release. And she has consistently been a daily consultant for Marcus in his image, general matters, and ensuring the band’s time management by remaining in constant communication making all plans run smoothly. Currently, The Oarsman’s needs are minimal, and it is clear by each team member’s hard work and dedication that investing in the brand now will certainly pay dividends in the future. This management plan has inspired Alexandra to think realistically and long-term about the career of The Oarsman, and how she can take her ability to organize and create synergy in momentary situations, and apply it to a far-reaching path of success for this band. The plan also allowed her to aggregate data and analyze the current situation of the band on a level she had never before thought of, specifying the market and industry trends in order to project the direction The Oarsman’s development should take.

Appendix

A. Preliminary Interview Questions 1.

Are they (artist) at the beginner, intermediate or advanced level of their trade (singer, songwriter, producer, etc)? What work will be required to get them ready to market? Beginner level, already marketing

What market demographic are they trying to reach? 8-12 year olds? 18-32? An ethnic market? What do you perceive their marketing angle to be (i.e. how will you market them to that demographic? 18-32, middle-upper middle class, semi-educated, mostly females Appropriate aesthetic: soft colors, “pretty” imagery, generally feminine /romantic image, social media reach, appropriate colloquial communication

What are their goals? (3 months, 1 year and 5 year) Will you be able to achieve those 3 month goals with them or are you in over your head? Are you on the same page and heading in the same direction regarding their goals? 3 months – moderate press exposure for new album 1 year – booking agent for national touring 5 years – reputed label, international touring, 2 more albums

Do they absolutely love what they do? Are they doing what they do for the love of it or do they want to make a million dollars and live in a mansion on the hill? Either way, can you handle it? 1000% for the love. (yes, one thousand). Yes I can handle it.

Do they have any existing deals (management, productions, spec, recording, recordings)? Will any of these deals conflict with or complicate your involvement? Can they legally move forward with you or do you have to buy somebody out, co-manage with somebody else, help get the artist out of an existing contract, etc? Management (me), recording (Tandem Shop). No conflict.

Do they operate as a company or do they own any other companies (production, publishing, design, etc.)? In process of becoming LLC

Where do they live? City. How often have you agreed to contact each other regarding this project? And how? (in-person, internet, phone) Chicago. In constant communication. Text, e-mail, phone, Facetime.

Do they belong to any unions, organizations, associations or guilds? Do they have any contracts that affect your involvement with them? No

What assets do they have (copyrights, trademarks, ect)? They do not have to give you personal details like account numbers, serial numbers, etc. You just want to get a general sense of their assets. What debts (business/band) have they incurred? They do not have to give you personal details, just general debt facts.

Assets: Copyrighted/registered music, van, gear, cash. Debts: Naught but parental loans, Indiegogo supporter perks 10.

What do they believe are their strengths and their weaknesses as an artist? Strengths: musicianship, songwriting, performing (charm, banter, stage presence, engagement), air professionalism (unified social media/web presence/merchandise) Weaknesses: irresponsibility/unreliable, lack of resources, possibly OVER ambitious

11.

Do they have lots of friends or enemies in business? It is better to know soon than later since you may bump into some of these people (good or bad) along the way. You do not want out hear things about your client’ through the grapevine’. What other artist have they worked with? Many friends. Few enemies if any. I’ve been doing my best at damage control.

12.

Have they had a manager previously? If so, what is the status of that relationship? Me. Since February.

13.

Have they put out any records or been on tour before? Find out their past booking schedule within the last 1-3 months. Where would they like to see you book them? Writing House LP released TODAY! (Sept 24). EASEL EP released last September. Toured eastern US in June, currently out from Sept through Nov touring eastern Canada & US more extensively. Will be doing Midwest in Dec, Southern US in Jan-Apr, and Western US Apr-June

14.

Do they currently have: bio, photos, website, social media sites, logo, and merchandise? What are(s) do they feel would be a great advancement to furthering their career. All of the above. Website needs improvement, Twitter needs promotion, imagery could use further unification. More merchandise (t-shirts, buttons)

15.

From the artist point of view, what do they believe is their mission statement? (What does the artist offer to their audience? what is the essence of why the band/singer exist? What makes them different from any other actor or dancer out there?) “The Oarsman is a band from the Mid Western United States of America. We believe in God, true love, and the merits of suffering. Thank you for listening.” The Oarsman is honest and genuine. The Oarsman is about heartbreak and hope. The Oarsman is just like you and me - rowing through the tumultuous sea of life with the oar and boat we were given.

B. Business Card

C. Survey Questions

D. Logos and Imagery

E. EPK / One-Sheet

F: Booking Log Capacit y

Booker

E-mail

Dates requested

N/A

Galen Hudson

catmonster@mcrd.com

11/1-11/4

9/11/2013

Response booked up through 2013, stop by anyway

Brad

el1ev1en@bellsouth.net

11/1-11/4

9/11/2013

booked for 11/2 (afternoon)

Royal American

300

John Kenney

Booking@theroyalamerican. com

11/1-11/4

9/10/2013

booked for 11/3

King Dusko

100

mckenzie.eddy@gmail.com

11/1-11/4

9/11/2013

booked for 11/2 (evening)

The Sparrow

McKenzie Eddy Cami Kind/Taylor Jenkins

kindanastyproductions@gm ail.com

11/1-11/4

9/9/2013

Location Charleston, SC Charleston, SC

Venue Monster Music (store) Coastal Coffee Roasters

Charleston, SC Charleston, SC North Charleston, SC

Inquiry date

booked for 11/4

G: Talent Buyer Letter SUBJECT: Booking 11/1, 11/2, 11/3, 11/4 --Hey John! I represent a touring indie-folk band called The Oarsman and we'll be passing through the greater Charleston area Nov 1-4 and would love to set up a show at your space! We played in Charleston back in June at the Blind Tiger and were very well received. Let me know if the dates I mentioned are available and we can talk about finding locals to complete the bill. Meanwhile, feel free to check out our music at this private soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/alexdziura/sets/the-oarsman/s-hMb8k You can also get to know us and our social media presence a bit better here: www.myband.is/theoarsman Thanks! -Alexandra Dziura Booking & Management The Oarsman (651) 230-8829 www.ilovetheoarsman.com www.facebook.com/ilovetheoarsman

H: Booking Proof

Appendix I: MailChimp

J: Social Media

K. Tandem Shop Bios Megan Frestedt is the Chicago Office Manager for Pitchfork, where she works on dayto-day logistics for the website and accompanying events. By night and weekend, she co-runs the local label Tandem Shop, plays in the band Project Film, and goes to lots of shows. Megan also DJs on CHIRP Radio from noon to 2pm on Sundays and is an occasional volunteer for Rock for Kids and WBEZ. She was the recipient of the University of Chicago's Dean's Fund and a member of the Dean's advisory board while she was in college, and often returns to speak at career events focused on the arts. She has an adorable four-year-old dog named Annie. Sam McAllister is a music publicist at Pitch Perfect PR, co-runs local indie label, Tandem Shop, and rocks timidly to mid-temp jams in local indie band, Project Film. Sam went to Columbia College Chicago and, per Columbia College standard, took Accounting twice and inhabited far too many majors before settling on Arts Management/Music Business. At Columbia, he was the recipient of a Weisman award for the completion of his band's sophomore album, and for Life Experience credit in two courses: New Media Applications and Press, Consumers, and the Entertainment Industry. He is an enthusiast of the following things: coffee, quality beer, Death Cab, and Batman.

L. Partner Artist Bios William Within: Formerly the solo project of Alexander Simpson, William Within is now an electric folk quintet based in Minneapolis. They have opened for national touring acts, Tilly and the Wall and Peter Wolf Crier, performed a live in-studio on the award-winning Minneapolis radio station Radio K, starred in Radio K’s first ever “Tiny Music Fest” and sold out the 400 Bar for their first CD release. William Within’s sound is laden with unique guitar tunings, whispery vocals, and spacious string arrangements, often earning them comparisons to Grizzley Bear, M. Ward, Destroyer, and Nick Drake. The group is currently performing songs from their debut self-titled album and new songs to be released on their forthcoming EP. William Within consists of Alexander Simpson on vocals and acoustic guitar, Tom Steffes on electric guitar, Derek Rohlf on violin, Matt Blake on double bass, and Toby Ramaswamy on drums and percussion. All inquiries can be directed to manager, Alexandra Dziura at williamwithinband@gmail.com. Hayley Sabella: Hayley Sabella is a singer-songwriter / local farmer / earnest truth-seeker / independent woman / dork, who originally did her thing in her hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts and is now doing her thing in other places, too. Her first EP was released in December 2012. It was called Farm Fingers, and it showcased her warm, urgent style and graced a variety of venues over the past half-year. Her music feels like warm rainy days, a cup of tea, hugs, good advice, and admitting your human frailty. Which is all very good. It is important, however, to see Hayley live, if you want to get a sense of what’s really going on here. Her live shows are energetic, thoughtful, sincere, and intimate. On stage, what you see is a well-dressed girl with a nice guitar and a rad haircut, dancing around a bit while singing about friends, family, God, and the problems we all have with all three of those things. What you are actually getting is a night with a full-formed honest-to-god human being, a beautiful soul, a dear friend, and a person you will want to watch over the years. In other words: Hayley Sabella is art with a heartbeat. She is currently preparing for her next album, King Solomon, which will be ready and all over the internet in the near future. Inquires can be directed to Joe Graham at joeg@bigcrushrecords.com.

M. Video Screen Shots

Bibliography Casas, Justin. "Interview with Justin." Telephone interview. 26 Nov. 2013. Dziura, Alexandra C. The Oarsman Audience Survey. N.d. Raw data. United States, n.p. Frestedt, Megan. "Interview with Megan." Telephone interview. 26 Nov. 2013. "Guitar Strings - Which Are Best For My Instrument?" Guitar Strings By Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. Jaskowiak, Jerry. "Interview with Jerry." Telephone interview. 26 Nov. 2013. Kronich, Dorey. "DOREY KRONICK - ABOUT." DOREY KRONICK. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. Maloney, Marcus C. "Interview with Marcus." Telephone interview. 24 Nov. 2013. Maloney, Marcus C. "The Oarsman | Facebook." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. McAllister, Sam. "Interview with Sam." E-mail interview. 02 Dec. 2013. McAllister, Sam. "Tandem Shop | The Oarsman's 'Writing House' out 9/24!" Tandem Shop | The Oarsman's 'Writing House' out 9/24! N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. Miller, Lauren. "About & Contact." LILLER PHOTO. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. "The Oarsman Instagram." Instagram. Instagram, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. "The Oarsman States." Bandcamp. Bandcamp, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. Ogren, August. "Interview with August." Telephone interview. 26 Nov. 2013. "RIAA Stats." Http://www.riaa.com. RIAA, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. Sabella, Hayley. "Hayley Sabella - About | Facebook." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. Simpson, Alexander. "WILLIAM WITHIN - ABOUT." WILLIAM WITHIN. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. Winholt, Ari. "Homesick." Homesick. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.