PREVIEW: The Sound and the Fury

The temps are starting to drop just in time for the heat to turn up in the studio! Watch this behind-the-scenes preview for a sample of what Rich Thomsen & SquareSpiral have in store for you in 2016!

Posted by Rich Thomsen on Thursday, November 12, 2015

Happy Birthday William Ernest Henley - Invictus

Mr. Henley was born today (8/23) in Gloucester, United Kingdom, in 1849 and wrote the Invictus poem in 1875.  Listen to Rich Thomsen & SquareSpiral's electro-pop 'Invictus' today for a modern mix of sound and poetry:


Invictus is an international collaboration between Rich Thomsen (Vadnais Heights, MN) and Chris Upfield of SquareSpiral (United Kingdom). Colin Upfield also contributed to Invictus with background vocals. Buy Invictus today on iTunes: http://bit.ly/Invictus-iTunes

Get notified of upcoming performances with Bandsintown!

Have you tried the "Bandsintown" app yet?  Click the link to add me to your artist list and find out about upcoming performances.  If you get the Bandsintown iOS or Android app it will notify you of concerts for other artists in your music library as well!

http://bandsintown.com/track/richthomsen

http://bandsintown.com/track/richthomsen

August 13th, 8:30pm Concert Window Show

Only 2 more days until my Concert Window Performance, August 13th at 8:30pm (CST). 

Go to https://www.concertwindow.com/richthomsen to reserve your 'pay what you want' ticket and setup your account for viewing.  You can just use Facebook to login, it's easy!  I'll be playing for 30-40 minutes and adding some drum accompaniment for Invictus for this show.  This will also be my first scheduled 'dark' show via candles and colored lights.  Come join the fun and say hello!  Please share a link to the show with your friends; I look forward to seeing you there!

Performing Live on Concert Window

Hey friends!  If you've heard about Concert Window and haven't signed up as a Rich Thomsen Fan yet, please go straight to: https://www.concertwindow.com/richthomsen and sign up as a 'Fan'  Then search for richthomsen and 'Follow' in the top right corner to get instant notifications any time I go live!

Back to what this Concert Window thing is...

Over the last few months, I've been working on my setup for performing LIVE online.  It's a service called Concert Window.  I was turned on to Concert Window after hearing about the Twitter / Periscope service.  I watched an Information Society concert through Periscope and my Apple TV.  The video and audio quality was not very good but I really enjoyed getting to see the show that night.

Concert Window takes it up a notch, allowing higher quality audio and video (HD with the right gear and Internet speed).   It's not just a YouTube video because it's LIVE.  As a fan, you can type comments to me during the show to queue up requests or simply say hello!  Since its not prerecorded I can talk to you back, while you sit on the couch via your tablet, or device streaming to your television!  There is also a ticket and tip system to reserve seats at limited shows or get other cool stuff (I can do a concert right from YOUR home with my mobile setup).

With Concert Window I do 'scheduled' shows, weeks in advance, but can also perform spontaneously when I am in the mood.  If you're a Concert Window 'Fan' you'll get notified when I hit that 'Go Live' button.   If you haven't checked it out yet, go to https://www.concertwindow.com/richthomsen right now!

I have a show coming up tomorrow (Sunday, August 2nd) at 7pm CST.  In that show I'll be playing for 30-40 minutes, including a mix of original and cover songs, as piano/vocal arrangements.  Don't forget to say hello!  You can watch Concert Window shows on almost any device: computer, laptop, phone, or tablet. You can also "send" your stream to your television via Apple TV or Google Chromecast.

I'm not just talking about Concert Window for listeners.  If you'd like to be a part of an upcoming show and live in the Twin Cities metro, please contact me with 1 or 2 songs you'd like to do (eg. piano/guitar/vocal solo or with me) and I'll see if there is a way to work it out.   If you're a musician and would like to create an account to host your own concerts, click here:
https://www.concertwindow.com/create-a-show/6p6cy0s3j9y
*There is a referral program so if you learned about Concert Window here, please use my link, thanks!

'See you at the next concert!
Rich

10 things I learned from the 2015 MN Music Coalition Summit

Last weekend I attended the 2015 MN Music Coalition (MMC) Summit in Saint Paul, Minnesota.  The summit is an annual collection of speakers, guest panels, social hours, and concerts (I enjoyed listening to Chastity Brown Friday night).  After a kickoff at Summit Brewery, the daytime events took place at McNally Smith.  As the sun went down, the activities moved to the Amsterdam Bar and Hall.     In no particular order, here's a list of things I learned:

1. Registering a solo artist or band as an LLC in Minnesota is a smart way to protect yourself as a musician.  In Minnesota there is a one-time $135 filing fee, if you do it yourself by mail.
2. The starting, low budget cost for a music video is $2-3k when you're not doing it all yourself.  I've been curious about this but never really heard what the typical first video costs.  Nor had I heard about more complex videos shot in Iceland with digital special effects that cost $80,000.
3. MMC events are a great way to meet other musicians and people who support the local music industry.  In addition, the summit is a great way to get one on one time with artists like Dar Williams, who opened up the event Friday afternoon.
4. Dar made a point to tell us several times that Minnesota is rare and lucky to have MMC as a multi-genre music organization that helps artists connect with the resources they need to be successful.    I'm glad I joined MMC last week!
5. Speaking of which, if you're already a member of the Minnesota Association of Songwriters you can join MMC  at a discount.  I ran into MAS members Wayne Hamilton and Nigel Egg at the Summit kick-off.
6. Making a formal band agreement sounds a lot like a pre-nuptial agreement. In the beginning nobody really wants to talk about it, but it can save some unnecessary stress later if situations change.  Attorneys like Walt Lehmann can help you figure out the details.
7. If you've looked into services like TAXI, you may have wondered if there are local firms providing a similar service.  Chased by Flying Monkeys is a music licensing company that places regional musicians in TV and film.
8. Meeting a music professional as part of 'speed mentoring' is easy and fun.  I had an opportunity to chat with Barb Abney, who recently joined Go 96.3 as a DJ.
9. While listening to composer Michael Croswell talk about the importance of making an artist statement, I realized that I need to update my music business plan, untouched since I wrapped up the  Reinvention album.
10. Springboard for the Arts is another Minnesota arts (not just music) organization worth looking into.   They are an economic and community development organization for artists and by artists.

I hope to see you at the MN Music Coalition Summit next year!