2010 is already unfolding at a breakneck pace, and Icky’s Ego is feeling the pull to get our act together and get some resolutions in motion.

Our lovely Cela decided to enter Icky’s Ego in a blogging contest put on by Ariel Hyatt of Ariel’s Publicity, a PR firm for bands. The contest will follow several musician bloggers who are implementing the strategies from her book “Music Success in 9 Weeks”, which focuses on using social media and online tactics to build a fan base and to earn money as a musician.

The winner gets a free 3 month Cyber PR Campaign, and blogging about the book sounds like a good opportunity to share the tips we get with many of you guys who are also navigating this rather daunting business we call “show”.

So…stay tuned for the info, as we dive in and follow the course.
Now, by way of introduction, here’s a moment of pop-culture wisdom to set our scene:

There’s a sequence in James Cameron’s Avatar that depicts a young warrior-in-training trying to earn his status as a member of the tribe. His biggest challenge is to tame and pair up with an aggressive flying creature called a “Banshee”, that will be his bonded friend and personal mode of transportation for life.

He must use his intuition and strength to choose his beast. But the catch is, the beast must also choose him.
As he approaches a group of Banshees, he asks his mentor how he will know when his destined creature has chosen him.
“It will try to kill you”, she explains.

Well friends, we now feel certain that a life in music has chosen us. Because it’s definitely trying to kill us.

Icky’s member David pointed out how the metaphor from the movie relates to one’s chosen field. You can choose a profession of passion, a life doing something that you love—but if it’s really meant for you, you can’t expect it to yield itself up to your desires without a fight. You have to expect to be frustrated, burnt out, uninspired, to think you suck, to feel like giving up, to see your weaknesses as insurmountable. Until they’re not. And you have a success. Then, rinse and repeat.

Our band is realizing that to keep from going nuts, you have to learn to love this growth process, instead of focusing on the negative. But damn, it’s really tough right now.
We’re seeing that to really have any kind of shot at making a living as a musician in today’s oversaturated market and crumbling music business paradigm, you have to be really savvy and creative with marketing, promotion, and all kinds of non-music making things that right-brained artsy people know nothing about. You have to put in a lot of hours and energy, without letting your writing, recording and performing suffer. Right now we need about 12 more hours in a day.

Ariel talks a lot in the first chapter of the book about the mental preparation that it takes to be a musician. She advises you not to beat yourself up, to make a written list of the successes you had in your day (however small), and to celebrate your wins.

Well, we have the celebrating part down. Traditionally, Icky’s Ego celebrates our hard work with hard liquor. And while we like this very much, we will be spending less time at the corner pub and more at band work in 2010.
According to reality TV, most bands find success and then go through rehab…we just figure we’re doing it backwards, but it’ll all even out in the end.

Setting goals with due dates and a plan of attack is the key point in the first chapter of the “9 Weeks” book. Icky’s spent some quality time over New Year’s Eve brainstorming our intentions for this year…they go a little something like this:

• Have our first CD finished and pressed by April (that means recording about 8 new songs)
• Play out once a week
• Get our EPK together
• Post at least a 1-min video online weekly
• Get out 3 CD’s to radio and reviewers daily
• Practice at least 3 hours a day, and 2 rehearsals a week
• Create 4 music videos this year
• Put on our “big show” at the end of February (to be explained)
• Be touring in Europe in spring of 2011

That’s right…we made the massive, wild, inspired decision to move to Europe in spring of 2011, to tour with the band, for about a year. It’s big and unknown territory…50% of our band has never even been there. But we’ve really been feeling a pull in that direction. So it’s happening.
So let’s savor our quality time together this year you guys!

More on that to come. The idea of music success in 9 weeks, as proposed by the book, sounds really tasty, ‘cause we’re gonna have to get some serious work done before we jump over the pond.

Thanks as always for listening. And, please enjoy our second Icky webisode.

Love You Long Time.

Vreny & Icky’s Ego

It never seizes to amaze me how incredibly small this world is.  

To some of you about a month ago, I emailed following link, because I was TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY by this performance.  (blowing me away like this dance act did,  is kind a hard to do). Their name is “Flawless”.

I watched this video probably a couple of hundreds of times in a row.

These guys are gonna make it big, they are beyond dance act: this is pure genius. There is something about their energy they hold, the special bond you can tell they have with each other, the amazing blend of timing, choreographic composition, athletic abilities, mental and physical control, the humor they mix in their choreography, the intelligence and the very obvious love for what they are doing…

that makes “Flawless” totally stand out from ANY OTHER dance act.

Sure there’s amazing dance acts, but just like there is only one unique you, and me…. there is also NOBODY like them. They are sensational.

I KNOW that one day I WILL work with these guys.

Hell… I’d reincarnate myself into a musical mix of James Brown, Sly Stone and George Clinton and spend whatever time it takes writing a “Funk/Soul Opus” or “Funk Symphony” to perform with “Flawless”, if that is what it will take to get to work with these cats.

So anyway…. speaking of how small this world is…

turns out that one of my former guitar students, the lovely Aisling Quinn from Ireland, who I miss very much…. personally KNOWS one of the people in Flawless haha.    :)

Apparently Aisling has connections with Irish TV stations and is keeping busy managing artists in Ireland and Britain.

It is through her profession, that she has close connections with Flawless, which I found out about yesterday.

She emailed me yesterday asking to vote for Flawless, after which I responded to her, pretty much saying the same things as above in this email.

I was SUPER HAPPY with the email I got back from Aisling this morning

“yo i forwarded most of your email to Steady, the guy in “Flawless”, who lies on the ground and backflips into a headstand. He’s the guy i work with… he’s also the guy i got on the tv show with the dreads.  :)..

the group were extremely touched by your kind words: they text me this morning..

OK… I already wanted them to win haha… NOW I DEFINITELY want to help them EVEN MORE!!!    :)

AND I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!

Please help Vreny, me (lol),  help “Flawless” win this thing.  hahaha  :)

It is not just that I promised Aisling I was gonna do this haha… I just REALLY want them to win so badly, and I cannot do this without your help .

I know you are very busy, but this only takes half a minute.  

In all fairness, you know: wether you help by voting or not, in the end it is not gonna make a huge difference for Flawless in the bigger picture of their career and artistic future; because either way “Flawless” will become famous and break through no matter what. Talent that well developed and nurtured through training and persistence, ALWAYS stands out, always shines and always gets noticed.

BUT… you CAN make a difference and speed up that process a bit (I am sure) by contributing now with this little gesture.

That would mean the world to me… and to them too I am sure.

I would not be surprised if somehow this email would find its way back too to the people in Flawless (probably through Aisling haha).

If that would be the case:

“Hey guys: I love what you are doing and I hope ALL MY FRIENDS will vote for you through this email”

Buddies… I REALLY HOPE YOU WILL!!

In conclusion: to use my friend Aisling’s typically Irish expression: THANKS A MILL!!!!!

Seriously though…

thank you so much for reading all of this, and for helping me out getting those votes for these talented artists I very strongly believe in.

Your support means a lot to me… whether you are supporting me with your love, time and energy, or people I love, admire and believe in, does not make any difference to me.

Showing some love for people I love… is loving me indirectly as well. (if this does not make sense… don’t worry about it haha, just click on the link above, follow the steps and vote “FLAWLESS”… because god knows they deserve it. )

Cheers,Vreny.

Hello world!

I finally found my way to blogging.

I am super excited about this.

Soon this blog will be accessible from www.vreny.com

This is THE place where I will keep all my friends, fans and musician friends informed on a very regular basis about my plans, goals and music, and where I will share my musings and thoughts about life and interests.

I am very proud also to announce that I launched my forum yesterday. Go visit http://www.vreny.com/phpbb/ and let me know how you are. Share your thoughts and ideas about music, equipment, life or anything else that interests, moves, agitates, excites and stirs you.

Looking forward connecting to you.

Rock on,

Vreny.