Dear Readers: There is a *cash-cow* factor in indy music communities. In particular, when an indy musician fails to give up a day job, a certain lusterous patina lures cash-cows. You know, like 'all things that glitter', yes, like that. Let's see how that pans out in future posts. Until then: Best wishes, Marla Davis
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I'm the kind of girl who crochets 2 stitches in each stitch and gets 18 when the instructions say there will be 20 stitches at the end of the round. Two short, always. In my defense, (always), there is no way there were only 18 when I know I put 20 stitches in the round. Maybe rounds are not my bag. Regardless, I'll do my job really well in spite of coming up short. What's not in the shortage will be the best anyone can do—under the circumstances. Seeing that I've been at this since 1992, there is little to no chance that will change or improve. Circumstances, you know, circumstances. --Best wishes, Marla Davis
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I thought we were gone because I made it so, and here we are—again. I just had to go hacking. Poof!!! We're still here. You'd think we would have been booted a long time ago for lack of enthusiasm. Shhhh, they don't know yet. To be gone and re-gone is one thing, but to find oneself again is creepy. Let's see what comes of it, shall we? Best wishes, Marla Davis
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Our passion for music died in the year 2011. I think we murdered it to make it stop. If we did not slay it something surely did. It manifested itself in a prolonged spectacular display of shoving and shouting of creative profanities. Good. It is time to put the body of work to bed. The hearts and souls in the songs will wake up a hundred years from now. Good. With that said, we bid a fond farewell to our beloved followers and all the magnificent talent provided by many of the best in the industry. Goodnight, wherever you are, and god speed. Sincerely, Marla Davis.
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Eerie visiting Nashville before noon. It's all glass and closed doors. We had a mini-Nashville going on at our Arizona home in—oh…1995 or thereabouts. A fellow musician and her partner were having domestic troubles due to "…can they come stay with you–it's getting kinda crowded ya know?" When that rattletrap van pulled up into Keith's parking space and disgorged two very high-strung musician types and one laissez faire flautist, I figured it was up to me to suggest moving their van before Keith came home from his DaYYY Job. It seemed like a good idea at the time. What I wasn't ready for was the woebegone astonishment of the van's occupants at not having been greeted red-carpet-style. Nevermind, let's get on with it. The first two things to go were: (drumroll...) the paper towels and toilet paper. Then the sheets and towels. Then the food. But nothing happened before noon. Our dogs were put down that next morning, and I was cleaning up the outside area. I heard the arcadia door scrape open, then, "Zat cawfee t'dayz er yestedayz." Wot! OMG. I got kicked out of my office, George was dispatched elsewhere, and the gang then numbered four. Sometime in the next few days I had to get into my office before noon. I knocked, announced myself and opened the door to two slurping rather naked Chicago persons tangled in covers on the floor. I was careful where I stepped.
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When we got around to naming our business, we knew it was going to be looong and circuitous. I wish--I wish-- I wish I'da named it something else, like ZipZap, or Clickety Ding!--anything but a name like 'Ambage.'
I coulda, I coulda named it something zippy, but the route would still be looong and circuitous, wouldn't it?
Or, maybe you started out with the benefit of knowledge; and, at a time when promo and all was a piece of virtual cake instead of 'here-there-everywhere marketing, posting, commenting, selling.
I hope you did. I hope you have lots and lots of help with your music. Otherwise, I guaran--goddam-tee ya, something will break, and when it does, it takes down everything and everybody with it.
Then you begin again.
Or not. But I suggest that you do begin again as many times as it takes.
Good luck all!!!!
Best wishes,
Marla Davis
Reply
Hi there fans and friends! Long time, no see. My bad.
My artist, Keith Curtis, stopped working. No, wait, that's a good thing, for me anyway. You see, he created a huge backlog of songs and novels. I am glad he is not working right now. It gives me a chance. Before, I had little or no chance of catching up on all things managerial!
And what do you know?! Along came a new person to take some of the pressure off. He lives at the exact opposite of the globe from where I am chained to this desk. The gods and goddesses no doubt had a hand in bringing Nikhil S Khandekar of Webwrit into the heat of editing Keith's work!
I wished for an editor. I got one, and he rocks at editing, content writing, translation, and as an art director! Am I lucky or what?! Within a couple of weeks, "An Accidental Plan," a David Arrington novel, will be available at online stores everywhere.
Thank you, each and every one of our fans and friends from around the world!
Best wishes,
Marla Davis
Reply
You! Yes, you the recording artists. Find yourself a crazy woman to take care of the details of your releases. If she starts out that way, she won't know it ends that way. A one-woman corporation takes a lot of heat throughout the production of one project. By the time six more projects roll by, she will be outside in the night staring at the moon, wondering what happened. A manager has to get out of the kitchen to take the heat. Frankly, there has been little or no home cooking since the first project. Projects take up the whole house. Then when that one's full, you have to move. Do that enough times, and you learn to live with a toothbrush and a change of undies. That's all I can say for now. Be careful and follow your dreams. Just be careful, okay?
Reply
Where'd the last few decades go. Music does that, you know. It steals your everything. Best I can do now is appreciate the new music, share it, and wish the bands all my best for a spectacular future!
Reply
I thank each and every one of you who urged us to continue, who stood by us when the going got rough. Babies were born, relatives and plants died, and we made a few enemies who are still out there looking for their own pot of gold.
Reply
Marla Davis / Blog
Cash Cow
Dear Readers: There is a *cash-cow* factor in indy music communities. In particular, when an indy musician fails to give up a day job, a certain lusterous patina lures cash-cows. You know, like 'all things that glitter', yes, like that. Let's see how that pans out in future posts. Until then: Best wishes, Marla Davis
Reply
Instructions
I'm the kind of girl who crochets 2 stitches in each stitch and gets 18 when the instructions say there will be 20 stitches at the end of the round. Two short, always. In my defense, (always), there is no way there were only 18 when I know I put 20 stitches in the round. Maybe rounds are not my bag. Regardless, I'll do my job really well in spite of coming up short. What's not in the shortage will be the best anyone can do—under the circumstances. Seeing that I've been at this since 1992, there is little to no chance that will change or improve. Circumstances, you know, circumstances. --Best wishes, Marla Davis
Reply
Holy 'ell
I thought we were gone because I made it so, and here we are—again. I just had to go hacking. Poof!!! We're still here. You'd think we would have been booted a long time ago for lack of enthusiasm. Shhhh, they don't know yet. To be gone and re-gone is one thing, but to find oneself again is creepy. Let's see what comes of it, shall we? Best wishes, Marla Davis
Reply
Tick Tock
Our passion for music died in the year 2011. I think we murdered it to make it stop. If we did not slay it something surely did. It manifested itself in a prolonged spectacular display of shoving and shouting of creative profanities. Good. It is time to put the body of work to bed. The hearts and souls in the songs will wake up a hundred years from now. Good. With that said, we bid a fond farewell to our beloved followers and all the magnificent talent provided by many of the best in the industry. Goodnight, wherever you are, and god speed. Sincerely, Marla Davis.
Reply
Nashville Before Noon
Eerie visiting Nashville before noon. It's all glass and closed doors. We had a mini-Nashville going on at our Arizona home in—oh…1995 or thereabouts. A fellow musician and her partner were having domestic troubles due to "…can they come stay with you–it's getting kinda crowded ya know?" When that rattletrap van pulled up into Keith's parking space and disgorged two very high-strung musician types and one laissez faire flautist, I figured it was up to me to suggest moving their van before Keith came home from his DaYYY Job. It seemed like a good idea at the time. What I wasn't ready for was the woebegone astonishment of the van's occupants at not having been greeted red-carpet-style. Nevermind, let's get on with it. The first two things to go were: (drumroll...) the paper towels and toilet paper. Then the sheets and towels. Then the food. But nothing happened before noon. Our dogs were put down that next morning, and I was cleaning up the outside area. I heard the arcadia door scrape open, then, "Zat cawfee t'dayz er yestedayz." Wot! OMG. I got kicked out of my office, George was dispatched elsewhere, and the gang then numbered four. Sometime in the next few days I had to get into my office before noon. I knocked, announced myself and opened the door to two slurping rather naked Chicago persons tangled in covers on the floor. I was careful where I stepped.
Reply
Ambage Music: Why?
When we got around to naming our business, we knew it was going to be looong and circuitous. I wish--I wish-- I wish I'da named it something else, like ZipZap, or Clickety Ding!--anything but a name like 'Ambage.' I coulda, I coulda named it something zippy, but the route would still be looong and circuitous, wouldn't it?
Or, maybe you started out with the benefit of knowledge; and, at a time when promo and all was a piece of virtual cake instead of 'here-there-everywhere marketing, posting, commenting, selling.
I hope you did. I hope you have lots and lots of help with your music. Otherwise, I guaran--goddam-tee ya, something will break, and when it does, it takes down everything and everybody with it.
Then you begin again.
Or not. But I suggest that you do begin again as many times as it takes.
Good luck all!!!!
Best wishes, Marla Davis
Reply
Oh Wow!
Hi there fans and friends! Long time, no see. My bad. My artist, Keith Curtis, stopped working. No, wait, that's a good thing, for me anyway. You see, he created a huge backlog of songs and novels. I am glad he is not working right now. It gives me a chance. Before, I had little or no chance of catching up on all things managerial! And what do you know?! Along came a new person to take some of the pressure off. He lives at the exact opposite of the globe from where I am chained to this desk. The gods and goddesses no doubt had a hand in bringing Nikhil S Khandekar of Webwrit into the heat of editing Keith's work! I wished for an editor. I got one, and he rocks at editing, content writing, translation, and as an art director! Am I lucky or what?! Within a couple of weeks, "An Accidental Plan," a David Arrington novel, will be available at online stores everywhere. Thank you, each and every one of our fans and friends from around the world! Best wishes, Marla Davis
Reply
Crazy Enough
You! Yes, you the recording artists. Find yourself a crazy woman to take care of the details of your releases. If she starts out that way, she won't know it ends that way. A one-woman corporation takes a lot of heat throughout the production of one project. By the time six more projects roll by, she will be outside in the night staring at the moon, wondering what happened. A manager has to get out of the kitchen to take the heat. Frankly, there has been little or no home cooking since the first project. Projects take up the whole house. Then when that one's full, you have to move. Do that enough times, and you learn to live with a toothbrush and a change of undies. That's all I can say for now. Be careful and follow your dreams. Just be careful, okay?
Reply
Oh, you know
Where'd the last few decades go. Music does that, you know. It steals your everything. Best I can do now is appreciate the new music, share it, and wish the bands all my best for a spectacular future!
Reply
The 18 Songs Are Home
I thank each and every one of you who urged us to continue, who stood by us when the going got rough. Babies were born, relatives and plants died, and we made a few enemies who are still out there looking for their own pot of gold.
Reply