Hello Family!
As most of you know it's been my opinion that Twitter is a waste of valuable online real estate. I do not need to know you're taking a crap. You do not need to know I'm chronically masturbating in a corner with the shades pulled down, the lights turned off and "SpongeBob SquarePants" on my tv. Muted, of course, so I can just jack off while watching that sponge soak up water. Over and over again. And that laugh! Oh that laugh that sends electricity through my body and makes my balls churn like two little cannons waiting for a sponge to laugh maniacally so they can fire baby batter into the air. And wonder aloud as I'm wipe the cum off my chest and chin with my very own square yellow sponge, "I wonder just how much jizz can one little yellow sponge take? But you know, don't you SpongeBob. Cause you're a dirty little sponge, arentcha? You're a dirty little spooge sopping up sponge from the bottom of the sea, arentcha? You know exactly how much you can take, huh? Yeah. You know."
The point is family, you don't need to know that.
I don't need to "tweet" you with every little thing that's happening in my life (music. masturbation. that's pretty much it.) And I certainly don't want to hear about the mundane minutiae that is your life. I'm sure you have a million and one things to do that have absolutely nothing to do with updating me and the rest of the universe about what's going on with you.
But like a lone cowboy riding into a one-horse town with a glimmer in his eye and a sherriff's badge on his chest and two guns at his side ready to prove anybody who crosses him otherwise, Gary Busey has changed my mind.
Yes family, you read it right: Much like a cracked cranium will change your point of view forever, Gary Busey - America's FAVORITE cracked cranium - has changed my mind about Twitter.
Check out the article here:
http://www.okgazette.com/p/13031/a/4309/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=LwBEAGUAZgBhAHUAbAB0AC4AYQBzAHAAeAAslashAHAAPQAxADIAOAAxADQA
Now it's probably not really Gary Busey in all these accounts tweeting random shit, but I for one am not going to take that chance. The chance that Gary Busey - crazed drum player from back in the day on Howard Stern, Promise Keeper to this day (I think) - has tapped into a level of genius not seen since his Oscar overlooked performance in "Homo Erectus".
Yes family, Gary Busey has tapped into the genius of posting random crazy shit on what may or may not be several accounts in his name on Twitter. And I'm following his lead.
So family for your daily dose of random crazy (hopefully funny) shit posted online and to your BlackBerry anytime you want it, go here:
https://twitter.com/randomcrazyshit
Here's what you won't find in any of my tweets:
1. Updates about my life.
2. Updates about my so-called music career
3. Updates on new SpongeBob SquarePants episodes (okay maybe I'll update that)
Here's what you will find in all of my tweets:
1. Random Crazy Shit.
So I'm on Twitter now. Follow Me!
Peace.
-Stephen
http://stephendc.com
hello@stephendc.com
http://www.myspace.com/stephendillardcarroll
http://www.facebook.com/stephendillardcarroll
http://www.tagged.com/stephendillardcarroll
https://twitter.com/randomcrazyshit
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stephendillardcarrol
7.19.2009
7.12.2009
What's New With Stephen Dillard-Carroll?
So what's new with Stephen Dillard-Carroll?
Check it out:
1) Stephen Dillard-Carroll will be a featured artist at this year's Enid GLBTQA Pride Picnic & Festival in Enid, Oklahoma on Saturday, July 18th, 2009. The pride picnic and festival will be held at Meadowlake Park, Pavillion #1. Appropriately titled, "Let Your Colors Show" Stephen will be doing just that as he takes the main stage in his first performance of the summer. He will also have a booth where he will be meeting fans and selling his CD all day long. So make plans now to see him live and in person at the Enid GLBTQA Pride Picnic & Festival on Saturday, July 18th, 2009. For detailed directions and performance schedule, go here:
http://enidglbt.org/PrideSchedule.html
2) I'm looking for fans to document my live shows. I'm looking for photographers and videographers to record me doing my "thang" on stage. Whether you consider yourself an amateur, a hobbyist, or do it for a living it doesn't matter. I wanna see the show from your eyes. The good stuff may very well be posted to stephendc.com. So grab your cameras, your camera phones, and your video equipment and come out to see me live. Then send what you caught on tape here:
caughtintheact@stephendc.com
3) "I Feel Like Dancin'", the second single from "Introducing... ME" is on deck to be released by the end of July to internet radio stations all around the world. Once I've compiled a definitive list of the internet radio stations that have it in hand, I'll be sending out another e-mail (complete with direct links to Request Lines) for you to do your part to hear "I Feel Like Dancin'" in heavy rotation at your favorite internet radio station. As always, stay tuned to stephendc.com and this blog for all the latest updates.
4) As of this writing, "Introducing... ME" is being reviewed by several regional and national publications. As soon as I'm made aware of release dates for reviews (which early word on the street is "FABULOUS", by the way) I will pass the information on to you so you can grab a copy at your favorite newsstand. Stay tuned to stephendc.com and this blog for all the details.
Here's the rest of the good stuff you need to know:
1) I need to send out a BIG THANK YOU to all the people out there that have purchased "Introducing... ME" through CDBaby.com. Since going live a little over a month ago, "Introducing... ME" has sold out once and continues to sell to this day. So to all of you all there that have purchased one, two, even three copies at a time of "Introducing... ME" (you know who you are!), thank you. My music family's support support in this endeavor means the world to me. To those of you who have yet to purchase a copy, don't sleep on it family. And to those of you who have put down the $12.99 for you own copy, "Thank You" isn't nearly enough but I hope at least for now it will suffice. To get your hands on a copy all your own, go here:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stephendillardcarrol (And no, that's NOT a typo at the end of the web address. They did in fact leave the last "l" off my last name.)
2) If you'd rather download it to your computer or mp3 player, you can get it from i-tunes.com, amazonmp3.com, napster.com, and shockhound.com. And should you have a subscription with rhapsody.com, no worries, "Introducing... ME" will be coming on board there as well very shortly. To find me, just go to any of the above websites and type in my last name "Dillard-Carroll" or type in the name of the CD, "Introducing... ME" and you will have the CD to purchase at your fingertips.
And that's it for now, family. Stay tuned to stephendc.com and this blog for all the latest details. I want to send out one final THANK YOU before I close this blog out. I've said it before and I'll say it again: "I cannot do this without you!" All your love and support and cheerleading from the sidelines has kept me going in my darkest nights and my brightest days. So thank you to everyone who's in my corner. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.
Peace.
-Stephen
http://stephendc.com
hello@stephendc.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stephendillardcarrol
http://www.myspace.com/stephendillardcarroll
http://www.facebook.com/stephendillardcarroll
http://www.tagged.com/stephendillardcarroll
Check it out:
1) Stephen Dillard-Carroll will be a featured artist at this year's Enid GLBTQA Pride Picnic & Festival in Enid, Oklahoma on Saturday, July 18th, 2009. The pride picnic and festival will be held at Meadowlake Park, Pavillion #1. Appropriately titled, "Let Your Colors Show" Stephen will be doing just that as he takes the main stage in his first performance of the summer. He will also have a booth where he will be meeting fans and selling his CD all day long. So make plans now to see him live and in person at the Enid GLBTQA Pride Picnic & Festival on Saturday, July 18th, 2009. For detailed directions and performance schedule, go here:
http://enidglbt.org/PrideSchedule.html
2) I'm looking for fans to document my live shows. I'm looking for photographers and videographers to record me doing my "thang" on stage. Whether you consider yourself an amateur, a hobbyist, or do it for a living it doesn't matter. I wanna see the show from your eyes. The good stuff may very well be posted to stephendc.com. So grab your cameras, your camera phones, and your video equipment and come out to see me live. Then send what you caught on tape here:
caughtintheact@stephendc.com
3) "I Feel Like Dancin'", the second single from "Introducing... ME" is on deck to be released by the end of July to internet radio stations all around the world. Once I've compiled a definitive list of the internet radio stations that have it in hand, I'll be sending out another e-mail (complete with direct links to Request Lines) for you to do your part to hear "I Feel Like Dancin'" in heavy rotation at your favorite internet radio station. As always, stay tuned to stephendc.com and this blog for all the latest updates.
4) As of this writing, "Introducing... ME" is being reviewed by several regional and national publications. As soon as I'm made aware of release dates for reviews (which early word on the street is "FABULOUS", by the way) I will pass the information on to you so you can grab a copy at your favorite newsstand. Stay tuned to stephendc.com and this blog for all the details.
Here's the rest of the good stuff you need to know:
1) I need to send out a BIG THANK YOU to all the people out there that have purchased "Introducing... ME" through CDBaby.com. Since going live a little over a month ago, "Introducing... ME" has sold out once and continues to sell to this day. So to all of you all there that have purchased one, two, even three copies at a time of "Introducing... ME" (you know who you are!), thank you. My music family's support support in this endeavor means the world to me. To those of you who have yet to purchase a copy, don't sleep on it family. And to those of you who have put down the $12.99 for you own copy, "Thank You" isn't nearly enough but I hope at least for now it will suffice. To get your hands on a copy all your own, go here:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stephendillardcarrol (And no, that's NOT a typo at the end of the web address. They did in fact leave the last "l" off my last name.)
2) If you'd rather download it to your computer or mp3 player, you can get it from i-tunes.com, amazonmp3.com, napster.com, and shockhound.com. And should you have a subscription with rhapsody.com, no worries, "Introducing... ME" will be coming on board there as well very shortly. To find me, just go to any of the above websites and type in my last name "Dillard-Carroll" or type in the name of the CD, "Introducing... ME" and you will have the CD to purchase at your fingertips.
And that's it for now, family. Stay tuned to stephendc.com and this blog for all the latest details. I want to send out one final THANK YOU before I close this blog out. I've said it before and I'll say it again: "I cannot do this without you!" All your love and support and cheerleading from the sidelines has kept me going in my darkest nights and my brightest days. So thank you to everyone who's in my corner. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.
Peace.
-Stephen
http://stephendc.com
hello@stephendc.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stephendillardcarrol
http://www.myspace.com/stephendillardcarroll
http://www.facebook.com/stephendillardcarroll
http://www.tagged.com/stephendillardcarroll
4.17.2009
I'm Not Madonna
Hello Family!
We're gonna kinda take a little detour for the blog this time. Instead of telling you what I've been up to as of this moment I'm going to tell you how I got to this point so far. While I'm not going to tell you my life story, I am going to tell you (in a very condensed blog-like manner) how I got here.
So let's all pile into the "way back machine" (20 points if you get that reference) and go a little further back in my history to give you some sort of context.
At the beginning of this journey we find me in New York City. Fresh off the (figurative) bus with a suitcase by my side and a dream in my heart I stepped into the heart of Times Square. But not only did I have a dream in my heart I had a plan. I was 25. I was giving myself 5 years to go from an unknown to the heights of superstardom. Why 5 years?
Because that's how long it took Madonna.
"Yeah, but you're no Madonna!" I can hear some of you say. And you're right. But tell that to a 25 year old who was bound and determined to BE the next Madonna instead of charting his own course and you'd get a look of confusion. Or anger. More than likely a combination of both. "Whaddya MEAN I'm no Madonna?!?! Are you saying I have no talent? Are you saying I have no drive? Are you saying I have no determination? Are you saying I won't work my ass off so that EVERYBODY knows my name? Because if that's what you're saying , then I have two words you should get used to hearing:
FUCK YOU!!!"
See the thing is although I had - and still have - talent, drive, determination, and the willingness to work my ass off, I hadn't come into my own yet. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. All I I knew was I had a plan. And I'd even worked it out to the detail:
Year One: Move into hostel, get a temp job working in an office. Go from temp position to full time position. Save as much money as possible. End of year one, move out of hostel and into my own cute apartment ala "Friends" and "Sex and the City".
Year Two: Now settled into the day job and bills getting paid on time, start singing at open mic nights and auditioning everywhere. At the end of year two, land a regular gig singing at a cabaret somewhere in Chelsea or the West Village.
Year Three: Quit day job and create a following for myself in the cabaret circuit in NYC and around the East Coast. At the end of Year Three find a really good Broadway agent.
Year Four: Land a supporting role on Broadway. I didn't have to be the star of the show because a) that's not how Barbra did it and b) I had bigger fish to fry. At the end of year four finish my successful run on Broadway, stellar reviews and all, and head to the studio.
Year Five: Industry buzz around town is that I would be releasing a CD that year. But what no one knows and what I kept under serious legal wraps is that instead of it being what everyone expected - yet another album of Broadway standards - I'd release a CD of pure dance pop music. In the summer of year five I'd release my CD and because it was good music and it was excellently produced and because I had worked my ass off I would sell MILLIONS of copies and be shot into the stratosphere of superstardom.
Now to the outsider looking into my head they'd think, "Well that's a REAL round about way of getting from point A to point B." But there was a method to my madness. Bear with me and it'll make sense, I promise.
To this day I worship Madonna. I look up to her in so many ways. She inspires me to, if nothing else, work my ass off for my dreams. She certainly did and despite the odds has achieved a level of stardom few have before or ever will again. But the one thing it took her close to 20 years in the business to get was a little respect from the music community. She could sell millions upon millions of CDs, sell out shows from here to Timbuktu on a consistent basis, and become an icon for the ages, but until her "Ray Of Light" CD dropped the music snobs weren't giving her any kind of respect.
Well I wasn't going out like that.
I've been singing in some way my entire life. I've been dancing for as long as I can remember. I've been front row center grabbing the mic in every choir, band, music group you could think of, basking in the glory of the limelight for as long as I can remember. Hell, I love music so music I got a bachelor's degree in it. Say what you will about me but, much like Cartman, you will "respect my musical authority". And in my head the only way to garner that "respect" was to earn my stripes in "legitimate" music. Then when they (who is "they", anyway?) collectively finally said, "Hey, that kid's got talent!" that's when I would make that left turn and do what I wanted to do musically. And I'd do it so well that they would have NO CHOICE but to respect me in any area I chose to go musically.
Good plan, right? Oh wait. It didn't quite work out that way.
There are more than a few problems with that plan. The first glaring problem is, to borrow an idea from AA, no matter what you do life works on life's terms not yours. You can plan your life out to the smallest detail. But after you put that plan into action you step off the curb and you'll get hit by a bus. Or you get pregnant and decide to keep the baby. Or you fall in love. Or other priorities take control and you have no choice but to play the game the way life wants it played.
The second is I'm not Madonna. Yes it is true that from the time she was dropped off in Times Square until she released her first single "Everybody" was around five years. Still, as much as I worship her, that wouldn't be my experience. Her life will never be mine, her experiences will never be mine, and how she got from point A to point B will never be how I traverse those same points. Why? Because much like her song from her "Hard Candy" CD, "She's Not Me". She is uniquely her. And I am uniquely me. Our circumstances may mirror each other from time to time, (if I'm insanely lucky and blessed and constantly work my ass off) but step away from that mirror and suddenly we're different people again.
But at 25 you couldn't tell me anything. I was gonna be the next Madonna, dammit! And there was NOTHING anybody could tell me that would ever get me to think any different. If it took Madonna five years to make it, then goddammit it would take me five years.
So fresh off the (figurative) bus I set about my plan. And was immediately dealt life lessons that would take me close to five years in NYC to figure out. Life works on life's terms, not mine. And I'm not Madonna. I have to be Stephen. But first I had to figure out just who the hell Stephen was and is. Then once I figured out who Stephen was (I'm still on that journey, by the way) then I could start to make a CD that will eventually shoot me into the stratosphere of superstardom.
I tell you this story because it ties into the name of my CD: "Introducing... ME". But more than that, it's a cautionary tale to anyone who will listen. The people that stick around in this business we call music are the people that are unique. They have a voice all their own. They're the folk who know who they are and are comfortable in their own skin. People who aren't afraid of what "they" may or may not think. Those that know that no matter how many accolades you may rack up or how much "respect" you get for your musical prowess, when it comes to you there will ALWAYS be those with a look on their faces like they just smelled the nastiest fart ever. In order to survive this business for longer than 15 minutes you absolutely HAVE to know who you are, stand your ground and be proud. Come what may.
No, I'm not Madonna. I'm Stephen. And I'm JUICY!
Take it for what it is and do your own thing.
Peace.
-Stephen
We're gonna kinda take a little detour for the blog this time. Instead of telling you what I've been up to as of this moment I'm going to tell you how I got to this point so far. While I'm not going to tell you my life story, I am going to tell you (in a very condensed blog-like manner) how I got here.
So let's all pile into the "way back machine" (20 points if you get that reference) and go a little further back in my history to give you some sort of context.
At the beginning of this journey we find me in New York City. Fresh off the (figurative) bus with a suitcase by my side and a dream in my heart I stepped into the heart of Times Square. But not only did I have a dream in my heart I had a plan. I was 25. I was giving myself 5 years to go from an unknown to the heights of superstardom. Why 5 years?
Because that's how long it took Madonna.
"Yeah, but you're no Madonna!" I can hear some of you say. And you're right. But tell that to a 25 year old who was bound and determined to BE the next Madonna instead of charting his own course and you'd get a look of confusion. Or anger. More than likely a combination of both. "Whaddya MEAN I'm no Madonna?!?! Are you saying I have no talent? Are you saying I have no drive? Are you saying I have no determination? Are you saying I won't work my ass off so that EVERYBODY knows my name? Because if that's what you're saying , then I have two words you should get used to hearing:
FUCK YOU!!!"
See the thing is although I had - and still have - talent, drive, determination, and the willingness to work my ass off, I hadn't come into my own yet. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. All I I knew was I had a plan. And I'd even worked it out to the detail:
Year One: Move into hostel, get a temp job working in an office. Go from temp position to full time position. Save as much money as possible. End of year one, move out of hostel and into my own cute apartment ala "Friends" and "Sex and the City".
Year Two: Now settled into the day job and bills getting paid on time, start singing at open mic nights and auditioning everywhere. At the end of year two, land a regular gig singing at a cabaret somewhere in Chelsea or the West Village.
Year Three: Quit day job and create a following for myself in the cabaret circuit in NYC and around the East Coast. At the end of Year Three find a really good Broadway agent.
Year Four: Land a supporting role on Broadway. I didn't have to be the star of the show because a) that's not how Barbra did it and b) I had bigger fish to fry. At the end of year four finish my successful run on Broadway, stellar reviews and all, and head to the studio.
Year Five: Industry buzz around town is that I would be releasing a CD that year. But what no one knows and what I kept under serious legal wraps is that instead of it being what everyone expected - yet another album of Broadway standards - I'd release a CD of pure dance pop music. In the summer of year five I'd release my CD and because it was good music and it was excellently produced and because I had worked my ass off I would sell MILLIONS of copies and be shot into the stratosphere of superstardom.
Now to the outsider looking into my head they'd think, "Well that's a REAL round about way of getting from point A to point B." But there was a method to my madness. Bear with me and it'll make sense, I promise.
To this day I worship Madonna. I look up to her in so many ways. She inspires me to, if nothing else, work my ass off for my dreams. She certainly did and despite the odds has achieved a level of stardom few have before or ever will again. But the one thing it took her close to 20 years in the business to get was a little respect from the music community. She could sell millions upon millions of CDs, sell out shows from here to Timbuktu on a consistent basis, and become an icon for the ages, but until her "Ray Of Light" CD dropped the music snobs weren't giving her any kind of respect.
Well I wasn't going out like that.
I've been singing in some way my entire life. I've been dancing for as long as I can remember. I've been front row center grabbing the mic in every choir, band, music group you could think of, basking in the glory of the limelight for as long as I can remember. Hell, I love music so music I got a bachelor's degree in it. Say what you will about me but, much like Cartman, you will "respect my musical authority". And in my head the only way to garner that "respect" was to earn my stripes in "legitimate" music. Then when they (who is "they", anyway?) collectively finally said, "Hey, that kid's got talent!" that's when I would make that left turn and do what I wanted to do musically. And I'd do it so well that they would have NO CHOICE but to respect me in any area I chose to go musically.
Good plan, right? Oh wait. It didn't quite work out that way.
There are more than a few problems with that plan. The first glaring problem is, to borrow an idea from AA, no matter what you do life works on life's terms not yours. You can plan your life out to the smallest detail. But after you put that plan into action you step off the curb and you'll get hit by a bus. Or you get pregnant and decide to keep the baby. Or you fall in love. Or other priorities take control and you have no choice but to play the game the way life wants it played.
The second is I'm not Madonna. Yes it is true that from the time she was dropped off in Times Square until she released her first single "Everybody" was around five years. Still, as much as I worship her, that wouldn't be my experience. Her life will never be mine, her experiences will never be mine, and how she got from point A to point B will never be how I traverse those same points. Why? Because much like her song from her "Hard Candy" CD, "She's Not Me". She is uniquely her. And I am uniquely me. Our circumstances may mirror each other from time to time, (if I'm insanely lucky and blessed and constantly work my ass off) but step away from that mirror and suddenly we're different people again.
But at 25 you couldn't tell me anything. I was gonna be the next Madonna, dammit! And there was NOTHING anybody could tell me that would ever get me to think any different. If it took Madonna five years to make it, then goddammit it would take me five years.
So fresh off the (figurative) bus I set about my plan. And was immediately dealt life lessons that would take me close to five years in NYC to figure out. Life works on life's terms, not mine. And I'm not Madonna. I have to be Stephen. But first I had to figure out just who the hell Stephen was and is. Then once I figured out who Stephen was (I'm still on that journey, by the way) then I could start to make a CD that will eventually shoot me into the stratosphere of superstardom.
I tell you this story because it ties into the name of my CD: "Introducing... ME". But more than that, it's a cautionary tale to anyone who will listen. The people that stick around in this business we call music are the people that are unique. They have a voice all their own. They're the folk who know who they are and are comfortable in their own skin. People who aren't afraid of what "they" may or may not think. Those that know that no matter how many accolades you may rack up or how much "respect" you get for your musical prowess, when it comes to you there will ALWAYS be those with a look on their faces like they just smelled the nastiest fart ever. In order to survive this business for longer than 15 minutes you absolutely HAVE to know who you are, stand your ground and be proud. Come what may.
No, I'm not Madonna. I'm Stephen. And I'm JUICY!
Take it for what it is and do your own thing.
Peace.
-Stephen
3.27.2009
New Stuff & Friendly Reminders
Hello Family!
I apologize for being remiss about blogging this month. So to make up for it, I'm posting two - count them, TWO - blogs this week regarding everything good there is to know about Stephen Dillard-Carroll. (I'll keep the skeleton bones in the closet, thank you very much. HA!)
Here's the new stuff:
1) What's Going On With stephendc.com? I'm very pleased to announce that you can gain links to all my music online at one place: http://stephendc.com. So instead of going from website to website searching for my music, you can find the direct links to all my music at my very own website. While you're at http://stephendc.com, take a look around and tell me what you think. My website designer worked hard to give you the best and I couldn't be more happy with the results. Once you're there, I think you'll agree. If you'd like to skip to the page that will give you the direct links to get my music online, you can go here: http://stephendc.com/purchase.html. That will take you directly to the PURCHASE MUSIC page. Once there you will find links to i-tunes, amazonmp3.com, shockhound, rhapsody and napster. Just click on the links and they will take you where you need to go.
2) Wanna be my friend? Of course you do! And I wanna be yours too! The headline for this blog contains a direct link to my MySpace page. Also, on the front page of http://stephendc.com you'll find links to my MySpace page and my facebook page. Just click on those links and they will take you where you need to go. Request to be a friend and I will gladly accept you into the fold.
3) Calling All DJ's!!! Calling All DJ's!!! If you are a DJ or know a DJ or have a cousin three times removed who was once married to a DJ, this one's for you. I'm very pleased to announce that a high quality, 320kbps version of "ANIMAL" is now available online to download FOR FREE and use in your sets. The link to get it is right here: http://www.badongo.com/audio/14012203. For those of you who aren't DJ's and would like to hear how a song spun at 320kbps actually sounds, the song is there for you as well to download FOR FREE and listen to your heart's content. And if you aren't a DJ but know someone who knows someone who might know a DJ, by all means direct them to the above link. And to all my DJ friends out there, feel FREE to use "ANIMAL" in your sets and let me know how it plays.
Here's the upcoming stuff you need to know:
1) CDBABY.com, BABY! A lot of you have told me that you don't have i-pods or your home computer is slow and that what you'd REALLY LOVE to own is a physical copy of "Introducing... ME". Don't worry, family. I've heard you. Loud and clear. And I am here to please. I have recently partnered up with CDBaby.com and I'm very excited to announce I will have actual physical copies of "Introducing... ME" available to purchase through CDBaby.com by the end of April. Please stay tuned to http://stephendc.com, and my MySpace blog for all the latest info.
2) Purchasing Music Through stephendc.com I am hoping that in the very near future you'll be able to purchase "Introducing... ME" directly through my website (via PayPal). It's something I'm percolating in my head and I have to work out all the kinks and details. But suffice it to say, that day is coming and I am excited about the possibilities! Again, please stay tuned to http://stephendc.com, and my MySpace blog for that upcoming event.
3) So When Can I See You In Person, Stephen? At this time, I am shooting for a tour in the early fall. These things take time - especially when you're your own booking agent - but believe me when I tell you I am working towards getting out there to meet all of you in person this fall. In the meantime, I am doing spot appearances here there and everywhere. For booking considerations, please contact me at http://www.sonicbids.com (just search for Stephen Dillard-Carroll and it will take you where you need to go), hello@stephendc.com or (405) 227-1237. I'd be happy to speak with you and work out something beneficial to all.
And that's it for now, family! Big things are happening and I couldn't be more thrilled! Please stay tuned to http://stephendc.com and my MySpace blog to get all the latest.
Peace.
-Stephen
http://stephendc.com
hello@stephendc.com
I apologize for being remiss about blogging this month. So to make up for it, I'm posting two - count them, TWO - blogs this week regarding everything good there is to know about Stephen Dillard-Carroll. (I'll keep the skeleton bones in the closet, thank you very much. HA!)
Here's the new stuff:
1) What's Going On With stephendc.com? I'm very pleased to announce that you can gain links to all my music online at one place: http://stephendc.com. So instead of going from website to website searching for my music, you can find the direct links to all my music at my very own website. While you're at http://stephendc.com, take a look around and tell me what you think. My website designer worked hard to give you the best and I couldn't be more happy with the results. Once you're there, I think you'll agree. If you'd like to skip to the page that will give you the direct links to get my music online, you can go here: http://stephendc.com/purchase.html. That will take you directly to the PURCHASE MUSIC page. Once there you will find links to i-tunes, amazonmp3.com, shockhound, rhapsody and napster. Just click on the links and they will take you where you need to go.
2) Wanna be my friend? Of course you do! And I wanna be yours too! The headline for this blog contains a direct link to my MySpace page. Also, on the front page of http://stephendc.com you'll find links to my MySpace page and my facebook page. Just click on those links and they will take you where you need to go. Request to be a friend and I will gladly accept you into the fold.
3) Calling All DJ's!!! Calling All DJ's!!! If you are a DJ or know a DJ or have a cousin three times removed who was once married to a DJ, this one's for you. I'm very pleased to announce that a high quality, 320kbps version of "ANIMAL" is now available online to download FOR FREE and use in your sets. The link to get it is right here: http://www.badongo.com/audio/14012203. For those of you who aren't DJ's and would like to hear how a song spun at 320kbps actually sounds, the song is there for you as well to download FOR FREE and listen to your heart's content. And if you aren't a DJ but know someone who knows someone who might know a DJ, by all means direct them to the above link. And to all my DJ friends out there, feel FREE to use "ANIMAL" in your sets and let me know how it plays.
Here's the upcoming stuff you need to know:
1) CDBABY.com, BABY! A lot of you have told me that you don't have i-pods or your home computer is slow and that what you'd REALLY LOVE to own is a physical copy of "Introducing... ME". Don't worry, family. I've heard you. Loud and clear. And I am here to please. I have recently partnered up with CDBaby.com and I'm very excited to announce I will have actual physical copies of "Introducing... ME" available to purchase through CDBaby.com by the end of April. Please stay tuned to http://stephendc.com, and my MySpace blog for all the latest info.
2) Purchasing Music Through stephendc.com I am hoping that in the very near future you'll be able to purchase "Introducing... ME" directly through my website (via PayPal). It's something I'm percolating in my head and I have to work out all the kinks and details. But suffice it to say, that day is coming and I am excited about the possibilities! Again, please stay tuned to http://stephendc.com, and my MySpace blog for that upcoming event.
3) So When Can I See You In Person, Stephen? At this time, I am shooting for a tour in the early fall. These things take time - especially when you're your own booking agent - but believe me when I tell you I am working towards getting out there to meet all of you in person this fall. In the meantime, I am doing spot appearances here there and everywhere. For booking considerations, please contact me at http://www.sonicbids.com (just search for Stephen Dillard-Carroll and it will take you where you need to go), hello@stephendc.com or (405) 227-1237. I'd be happy to speak with you and work out something beneficial to all.
And that's it for now, family! Big things are happening and I couldn't be more thrilled! Please stay tuned to http://stephendc.com and my MySpace blog to get all the latest.
Peace.
-Stephen
http://stephendc.com
hello@stephendc.com
3.22.2009
CALLING ALL DJ'S!!! CALLING ALL DJ'S!!!
"ANIMAL" NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AT 320KBPS!!!! FOR FREE!!!
Hello Family!
This is a quickie post to let you know "ANIMAL" is now available in high quality 320kbps for download and use in your DJ sets!!! FOR FREE!!!!
If you are reading this post on my blog at http://stephendc.com, just click on the headline of this post and it will take you to where you need to go to download "ANIMAL" at 320kbps.
If you are reading this as a MySpace bulletin or blog, you can go here: http://www.badongo.com/audio/14012203 and it will take you to the same spot.
Finally, for those of you that aren't DJ's and would still like a 320kbps version of "ANIMAL" you can go here: http://www.badongo.com/audio/14012203 and download it FOR FREE to share with all your DJ friends and neighbors.
There are now links to everywhere I am online to download "Introducing... ME" in its entirety at stephendc.com. Just go to the PURCHASE MUSIC page and you'll find all the links that carry my CD. If you want to go directly there, just click here: http://stephendc.com/purchase.html and it will get you where you need to go.
Big things are starting to happen with this CD and I couldn't be more excited. Stay tuned to stephendc.com as well as my MySpace blogs and bulletins for all the latest!
Peace.
-Stephen
hello@stephendc.com
http://www.myspace.com/stephendillardcarroll
Hello Family!
This is a quickie post to let you know "ANIMAL" is now available in high quality 320kbps for download and use in your DJ sets!!! FOR FREE!!!!
If you are reading this post on my blog at http://stephendc.com, just click on the headline of this post and it will take you to where you need to go to download "ANIMAL" at 320kbps.
If you are reading this as a MySpace bulletin or blog, you can go here: http://www.badongo.com/audio/14012203 and it will take you to the same spot.
Finally, for those of you that aren't DJ's and would still like a 320kbps version of "ANIMAL" you can go here: http://www.badongo.com/audio/14012203 and download it FOR FREE to share with all your DJ friends and neighbors.
There are now links to everywhere I am online to download "Introducing... ME" in its entirety at stephendc.com. Just go to the PURCHASE MUSIC page and you'll find all the links that carry my CD. If you want to go directly there, just click here: http://stephendc.com/purchase.html and it will get you where you need to go.
Big things are starting to happen with this CD and I couldn't be more excited. Stay tuned to stephendc.com as well as my MySpace blogs and bulletins for all the latest!
Peace.
-Stephen
hello@stephendc.com
http://www.myspace.com/stephendillardcarroll
2.28.2009
For All Of You With Day Jobs And Night Dreams
Hello Family!
This week's blog is kind of a departure from the norm for me. Usually I talk about the brass tacks of the music business and the "so idiotic and Bizarro World crazy it must be true" shit that happens to me in regards to the music business on a regular basis. (Don't worry. If the current shit I'm dealing with resolves itself in the next week I'm gonna have TONS of Bizarro World shit to lay on you in the next blog.) But today's blog is gonna be a little different. I'm gonna take a minute to salute the musicians out there that have "day jobs".
*shudder*
Family, I have a day job. Sad, but true. As my CD continues to gain steam (thanks for all the positive comments, by the way! Tell everybody you know!!!) it's a situation I hope to one day soon rectify. But for now, my day job is a means to an end to pay for the night dreams I have. I get up every day, get dressed, fight rush hour traffic, get to work, go to my cubicle, put in a good day's work, leave work, fight rush hour traffic again, and then come home.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Die a little inside each day.
In that sense I'm no different than 99% of the other Joe Schmoes out there. I have it no better and no worse than 99% of the rest of the workforce out there. But at times as I'm looking at the drab soul crushing surroundings of my cubicle and office and the machinery that is Corporate America, I can't help but wonder "Is this all there is? I mean really, is this it? Is this all I have to look forward to for the rest of my miserable life?"
And as I cry silent tears into my morning cup of coffee I have to kick myself in the ass and remind myself that my day job is just a means to an end. I have dreams. I have plans. I have goals. There's a reason I get up every morning to make my paltry just this side of slave wages.
It's all about the music, baby.
See, when I get home I take a shower, grab a quick bite to eat and then sit at my computer. And I do the business of OYOS Records. I do the business of making sure as many people are reminded over and over again that "Introducing... ME" is now available EVERYWHERE online. I answer e-mails. I accept friend requests. I do friend requests. I go to dance class. I nurture just budding relationships in the music business. I research. I ask questions. I demand. I beg and plead. I do whatever is necessary to make this CD a success. (I'll have a REALLY specific example in the next blog if the shit storm I'm currently dealing with is resolved.) But regardless, I'm working on my passion. I work my ass off each and every night on this project. I try to get a good night's sleep for the drudgery of the next day, but more and more sleep is going by the wayside as I work to get this CD off the ground.
And family, it's a full time (part time) job.
But I love it. I truly do. It's the one thing that keeps me going when another "day in the cubicle" is staring me dead in the face. If it weren't for music and my passion for it, I truly don't know what I would do. I'm sure I would either find a hobby or jump off a bridge.
And in that sense I'm no different than any other musician out there with a day job. We do what we do because we have to. We've gotta pay the bills until we are successful enough at the music thing to go to work one blissful day, drop trau, bend over, grab a heaping helping of asscheeks and scream at the top of our lungs, "KISS MY ASS!!!"
So to all the musicians out there slaving away at a day job until that fateful day arrives, I'm in your corner baby. Keep doing what you're doing and one day it's gonna pay off in HUGE dividends for you.
Until then, take it for what it is and do your own thing.
Peace.
-Stephen
P.S. I would be remiss in this blog not to pimp myself so here goes: You can find me on i-tunes.com, napster.com, amazonmp3.com, and shockhound.com with rhapsody.com soon to follow. Find me by typing in my last name, "Dillard-Carroll" and there I will be in all my mud covered glory.
P.P.S. For those of you on facebook and myspace, I'm also there.
P.P.P.S. I however, will NEVER be on Twitter. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about being accessible to people, but Twitter takes accessibility it to a whole new level that quite frankly scares me just a little bit. I mean, do I really need to know you're taking a dump right now? Do you really need to know I'm masturbating like a fiend right now? Do ANY of us really need to know what the other person is doing every second of every day? To those of you on Twitter, God bless you. I however will pass.
Masturbating In The Corner Like A Fiend,
Stephen
This week's blog is kind of a departure from the norm for me. Usually I talk about the brass tacks of the music business and the "so idiotic and Bizarro World crazy it must be true" shit that happens to me in regards to the music business on a regular basis. (Don't worry. If the current shit I'm dealing with resolves itself in the next week I'm gonna have TONS of Bizarro World shit to lay on you in the next blog.) But today's blog is gonna be a little different. I'm gonna take a minute to salute the musicians out there that have "day jobs".
*shudder*
Family, I have a day job. Sad, but true. As my CD continues to gain steam (thanks for all the positive comments, by the way! Tell everybody you know!!!) it's a situation I hope to one day soon rectify. But for now, my day job is a means to an end to pay for the night dreams I have. I get up every day, get dressed, fight rush hour traffic, get to work, go to my cubicle, put in a good day's work, leave work, fight rush hour traffic again, and then come home.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Die a little inside each day.
In that sense I'm no different than 99% of the other Joe Schmoes out there. I have it no better and no worse than 99% of the rest of the workforce out there. But at times as I'm looking at the drab soul crushing surroundings of my cubicle and office and the machinery that is Corporate America, I can't help but wonder "Is this all there is? I mean really, is this it? Is this all I have to look forward to for the rest of my miserable life?"
And as I cry silent tears into my morning cup of coffee I have to kick myself in the ass and remind myself that my day job is just a means to an end. I have dreams. I have plans. I have goals. There's a reason I get up every morning to make my paltry just this side of slave wages.
It's all about the music, baby.
See, when I get home I take a shower, grab a quick bite to eat and then sit at my computer. And I do the business of OYOS Records. I do the business of making sure as many people are reminded over and over again that "Introducing... ME" is now available EVERYWHERE online. I answer e-mails. I accept friend requests. I do friend requests. I go to dance class. I nurture just budding relationships in the music business. I research. I ask questions. I demand. I beg and plead. I do whatever is necessary to make this CD a success. (I'll have a REALLY specific example in the next blog if the shit storm I'm currently dealing with is resolved.) But regardless, I'm working on my passion. I work my ass off each and every night on this project. I try to get a good night's sleep for the drudgery of the next day, but more and more sleep is going by the wayside as I work to get this CD off the ground.
And family, it's a full time (part time) job.
But I love it. I truly do. It's the one thing that keeps me going when another "day in the cubicle" is staring me dead in the face. If it weren't for music and my passion for it, I truly don't know what I would do. I'm sure I would either find a hobby or jump off a bridge.
And in that sense I'm no different than any other musician out there with a day job. We do what we do because we have to. We've gotta pay the bills until we are successful enough at the music thing to go to work one blissful day, drop trau, bend over, grab a heaping helping of asscheeks and scream at the top of our lungs, "KISS MY ASS!!!"
So to all the musicians out there slaving away at a day job until that fateful day arrives, I'm in your corner baby. Keep doing what you're doing and one day it's gonna pay off in HUGE dividends for you.
Until then, take it for what it is and do your own thing.
Peace.
-Stephen
P.S. I would be remiss in this blog not to pimp myself so here goes: You can find me on i-tunes.com, napster.com, amazonmp3.com, and shockhound.com with rhapsody.com soon to follow. Find me by typing in my last name, "Dillard-Carroll" and there I will be in all my mud covered glory.
P.P.S. For those of you on facebook and myspace, I'm also there.
P.P.P.S. I however, will NEVER be on Twitter. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about being accessible to people, but Twitter takes accessibility it to a whole new level that quite frankly scares me just a little bit. I mean, do I really need to know you're taking a dump right now? Do you really need to know I'm masturbating like a fiend right now? Do ANY of us really need to know what the other person is doing every second of every day? To those of you on Twitter, God bless you. I however will pass.
Masturbating In The Corner Like A Fiend,
Stephen
2.14.2009
Albequerque, Clams & Pismol Beach
Hello Family!
Let me start this blog off by stating I got the strangest phone call last week. I was sitting at my desk at home, furiously working on CD stuff when my phone rings. I don't immediately know who it is, so I let it go to voicemail. (As an aside, I'm very big on screening calls when I don't know who the person on the other end is. It's probably a habit I should break since the phone that rang was my business line. But I digress...) It went to voicemail and someone left a message. Fantastic. I LOVE screening calls! (On a business phone? Not so smart, but anyway...)
I'm gonna paraphrase right now because I erased the message (more on why later) but it went a little something like this:
"Hi Stephen! This is Peter Wells, Senior Vice President of Tunecore. I happened across your blog and I wanted to tell you that I went through the back door at i-tunes to see if you are up and running there and sure enough you are! Oh, and I made a comment on your blog as well. So all is well and you're good to go on i-tunes. Thanks for using tunecore, and if you ever have any questions, we're here to help."
A couple things rang through my mind as I listened to the message:
1) "This has got to be one of my friends playing a practical joke on me. All the while, taking hits from the bong and giggling as they hang up the phone."
The reason that went through my head is because I had told a few of my "bong-friendly" friends about the Sentence Of Despair. Plus it was Sunday around noon-ish and nothing makes Looney Tunes on Boomerang funnier than a good practical joke.
2) "How many times has anyone in this Universe gotten a personal phone call from a Senior Vice-President of a company to let them know their CD is up and running?"
The answer to that question is : Unless you're raking in Madonna dough for LiveNation on the soon to be resurrected Sticky And Sweet Tour, no Senior Vice-President is gonna call you on a Sunday afternoon when they could be out golfing.
Then things went from strange to downright crazy. I decided to check the caller ID. For those of you outside of Oklahoma, we have three area codes: 405, 918 and 580. The area code that called me was not one of the above three. So now I'm going through my rolodex of friends to try and think of one that had the same area code as the one that popped up on my screen. Nobody came to mind. Then I went through my "Cheech and Chong with special guest Willie Nelson" rolodex and came up with the same answer. Nobody has that area code. So now I start to think:
3) "What if it isn't a practical joke? What if my friends are all passed out in front of the tv in a brown, purple, orange and bright yellow haze of Cheetos, Twinkies and dirty bong water?"
Even in the Bizarro Twilight Zone kind of world I sometimes find myself in, that seems unlikely if not downright impossible.
So what do I do? I decide to call the number back. All the while in the back of my head I'm thinking, "THAT old gag..." But I'm good for a laugh and in my head I've already forgiven my "wake and bake" friends for their tomfoolery. Still, it's not an area code I recognize...
"Hello," a man whose voice I don't recognize says as he answers the phone.
In that instant I knew it wasn't some silly gag my friends cooked up while puffing and passing.
"Hi, may I please speak with Peter Wells?" I ask.
"This is Peter." he replied.
"Hi. My name is Stephen Dillard-Carroll and you just left a message on my voicemail about my CD going live on i-tunes..."
The rest of the conversation was private and confidential - now you know why I won't even tell you what area code the phone call originated from - but it was one of those things that on paper sounds so crazy and out of the blue it can't be a work of fiction. Although I will tell you a few things I learned from the phone call.
1) Peter Wells is a real person. He actually works at tunecore and he's actually a SVP there. (And he gets obscure Bugs Bunny references.)
2) I found out that tunecore is not a giant conglomerate with nameless, faceless people running around and buzzing up and down a skyscraper building in some downtown metropolis somewhere. In fact, at its strongest it's probably 20 people deep.
3) I found out that should you sign up with tunecore.com and get your music out there online, you actually have to take the initiative to search the different websites on your own to see if you're "live" or not. I thought I would get an e-mail or a text message or a smoke signal to tell me I was live on i-tunes. Not so much. You actually have to take the initiative and search out these things for yourself. I have a feeling as tunecore grows and becomes an even greater success than it already is, that will change. But for now it is what it is.
4) Peter Wells has time on his hands. Time enough to search out obscure blogs in the far-flung reaches of the internet, comment on said blogs with answers to obscure Looney Tunes animation references and to actually call people back. It's the last part of that little jab (which I HOPE if he's reading this blog he found HYSTERICALLY funny) that I wanted to talk about a little more.
Family, it's no secret I've been around the block. (Some might even say my ass paved the block, but that would be oh so catty and wrong...) I've seen a lot of things and experienced a lot of stuff. There aren't a helluva lot of "first times" out there for me anymore. But I can honestly say without hesitation this is the first time a SVP has EVER called me first. Usually I've had to call and leave 30 messages before an assistant to the assistant to the SVP decides to call me back. This is the first time I've been called without having made the first move. Which is why this whole experience was so Bizarro World for me. And why I had such a hard time believing it as it was happening.
For the record, and I really MUST stress this, Peter told me he was taking a chance in calling me personally. It's not something they generally do for everyone. Which means, I don't want tunecore to get a BILLION e-mails that start out with, "Stephen got a phone call! Why didn't I get a friggin phone call?" Nor do I want to get a billion e-mails requesting Peter's private cell phone number. He asked me to delete it from my phone and I did. I don't have it. And even if I did, I wouldn't give it away. It's not mine to give and I respect his privacy. (Plus, I wanna continue to trade obscure Looney Tunes references with him. And if I gave his phone number away, I'm positive I would get an e-mail from him with only one sentence in the body: "Of course you know, this means war.")
I have already thanked him privately for calling me and letting me know, but I thought I should say something publicly about the customer service that tunecore provides. Should February 25th have come and gone and I didn't know for sure what was happening with my CD, I would have eventually clicked the "Contact Us" button and inquired. And after last week's experience I am positive someone would have e-mailed me back asap. To say I am thoroughly impressed with tunecore.com is the understatement of the year. As always, I would certainly advise you to read as much as you could about the company and make a smart decision based on your business needs as to whether or not you will use them. But as for me, I'm sold on them.
Since last week, I've also found out I am live on www.amazonmp3.com. YAY!!!
I'm also live on www.shockhound.com. YAY!!!!
As of Friday, February 13th, 2009, stephendc.com is live. YAY!!! PLEASE check me out there. Zach Burch did the website design for me and I couldn't be more pleased. He's loathe to put his own personal stamp on websites, instead directing people to his online portfolio. So since I'm in a "shamless plugging of everyone I know and love" kind of mood right now, you can find him here:
http://www.coroflot.com/zachdburch
I cannot even begin to tell you how impressed I am with his professionalism, hard work and excitement for my project. If you are looking for a website designer and graphic designer for any artwork you may have (he designed the artwork for the CD which I'm hoping will be available in physical form at your local mom & pop CD store very shortly) then look no further than Zach Burch. I had my choice of designers and I'm glad I chose the right one for my needs. Check him out for yourself and see if he won't fit your needs as well.
I got my business cards! YAY!!! As I told you in my FedEx Kinkos blog, I decided to go with Office Depot. Family, they did a bang up job on the business cards. It was exactly what I wanted, how I wanted it and everywhere I needed it. So even though Office Depot IS a giant conglomerate, I'm gonna plug them too. As always, check them out and make a smart decision before sending me an e-mail that says, "YOU TOLD ME TO GO TO OFFICE DEPOT AND NOW MY LIFE IS RUINED...." They were fantastic to me and were exactly what my business needed. So check them out.
This week, I sent out a mass mailing to everyone I've ever sent an e-mail to in the last 10 years to tell them about my CD. I've gotten nothing but positive feedback and for that I am eternally grateful. If you are not on my mailing list and would like to be, by all means send me an e-mail to hello@stephendc.com. Or you can always comment with your e-mail addy to this blog and you're automatically part of the family.
So now that I am live on i-tunes, shockhound and amazonmp3.com all that's left is rhapsody and napster.com. In the meantime, I have to promote the hell outta this CD. You can help me out by telling all your friends, neighbors, relatives, people you love and three people you hate about this CD. I absolutely cannot do this without you. You all are my eyes and ears. My street team. My cheerleaders. The people that love my music and support it with all they've got. Without you I'm nothing, baby!!! And I will do my part in getting the word out to as many people as one person possibly can. Together, we'll make "Introducing... ME" a success. Thank you for all your positivity. I'll talk to you soon.
Peace.
-Stephen
P.S. You bring the drinks, I'll bring the clams and I'll meet you on Pismol Beach, Peter!
-Stephen
Let me start this blog off by stating I got the strangest phone call last week. I was sitting at my desk at home, furiously working on CD stuff when my phone rings. I don't immediately know who it is, so I let it go to voicemail. (As an aside, I'm very big on screening calls when I don't know who the person on the other end is. It's probably a habit I should break since the phone that rang was my business line. But I digress...) It went to voicemail and someone left a message. Fantastic. I LOVE screening calls! (On a business phone? Not so smart, but anyway...)
I'm gonna paraphrase right now because I erased the message (more on why later) but it went a little something like this:
"Hi Stephen! This is Peter Wells, Senior Vice President of Tunecore. I happened across your blog and I wanted to tell you that I went through the back door at i-tunes to see if you are up and running there and sure enough you are! Oh, and I made a comment on your blog as well. So all is well and you're good to go on i-tunes. Thanks for using tunecore, and if you ever have any questions, we're here to help."
A couple things rang through my mind as I listened to the message:
1) "This has got to be one of my friends playing a practical joke on me. All the while, taking hits from the bong and giggling as they hang up the phone."
The reason that went through my head is because I had told a few of my "bong-friendly" friends about the Sentence Of Despair. Plus it was Sunday around noon-ish and nothing makes Looney Tunes on Boomerang funnier than a good practical joke.
2) "How many times has anyone in this Universe gotten a personal phone call from a Senior Vice-President of a company to let them know their CD is up and running?"
The answer to that question is : Unless you're raking in Madonna dough for LiveNation on the soon to be resurrected Sticky And Sweet Tour, no Senior Vice-President is gonna call you on a Sunday afternoon when they could be out golfing.
Then things went from strange to downright crazy. I decided to check the caller ID. For those of you outside of Oklahoma, we have three area codes: 405, 918 and 580. The area code that called me was not one of the above three. So now I'm going through my rolodex of friends to try and think of one that had the same area code as the one that popped up on my screen. Nobody came to mind. Then I went through my "Cheech and Chong with special guest Willie Nelson" rolodex and came up with the same answer. Nobody has that area code. So now I start to think:
3) "What if it isn't a practical joke? What if my friends are all passed out in front of the tv in a brown, purple, orange and bright yellow haze of Cheetos, Twinkies and dirty bong water?"
Even in the Bizarro Twilight Zone kind of world I sometimes find myself in, that seems unlikely if not downright impossible.
So what do I do? I decide to call the number back. All the while in the back of my head I'm thinking, "THAT old gag..." But I'm good for a laugh and in my head I've already forgiven my "wake and bake" friends for their tomfoolery. Still, it's not an area code I recognize...
"Hello," a man whose voice I don't recognize says as he answers the phone.
In that instant I knew it wasn't some silly gag my friends cooked up while puffing and passing.
"Hi, may I please speak with Peter Wells?" I ask.
"This is Peter." he replied.
"Hi. My name is Stephen Dillard-Carroll and you just left a message on my voicemail about my CD going live on i-tunes..."
The rest of the conversation was private and confidential - now you know why I won't even tell you what area code the phone call originated from - but it was one of those things that on paper sounds so crazy and out of the blue it can't be a work of fiction. Although I will tell you a few things I learned from the phone call.
1) Peter Wells is a real person. He actually works at tunecore and he's actually a SVP there. (And he gets obscure Bugs Bunny references.)
2) I found out that tunecore is not a giant conglomerate with nameless, faceless people running around and buzzing up and down a skyscraper building in some downtown metropolis somewhere. In fact, at its strongest it's probably 20 people deep.
3) I found out that should you sign up with tunecore.com and get your music out there online, you actually have to take the initiative to search the different websites on your own to see if you're "live" or not. I thought I would get an e-mail or a text message or a smoke signal to tell me I was live on i-tunes. Not so much. You actually have to take the initiative and search out these things for yourself. I have a feeling as tunecore grows and becomes an even greater success than it already is, that will change. But for now it is what it is.
4) Peter Wells has time on his hands. Time enough to search out obscure blogs in the far-flung reaches of the internet, comment on said blogs with answers to obscure Looney Tunes animation references and to actually call people back. It's the last part of that little jab (which I HOPE if he's reading this blog he found HYSTERICALLY funny) that I wanted to talk about a little more.
Family, it's no secret I've been around the block. (Some might even say my ass paved the block, but that would be oh so catty and wrong...) I've seen a lot of things and experienced a lot of stuff. There aren't a helluva lot of "first times" out there for me anymore. But I can honestly say without hesitation this is the first time a SVP has EVER called me first. Usually I've had to call and leave 30 messages before an assistant to the assistant to the SVP decides to call me back. This is the first time I've been called without having made the first move. Which is why this whole experience was so Bizarro World for me. And why I had such a hard time believing it as it was happening.
For the record, and I really MUST stress this, Peter told me he was taking a chance in calling me personally. It's not something they generally do for everyone. Which means, I don't want tunecore to get a BILLION e-mails that start out with, "Stephen got a phone call! Why didn't I get a friggin phone call?" Nor do I want to get a billion e-mails requesting Peter's private cell phone number. He asked me to delete it from my phone and I did. I don't have it. And even if I did, I wouldn't give it away. It's not mine to give and I respect his privacy. (Plus, I wanna continue to trade obscure Looney Tunes references with him. And if I gave his phone number away, I'm positive I would get an e-mail from him with only one sentence in the body: "Of course you know, this means war.")
I have already thanked him privately for calling me and letting me know, but I thought I should say something publicly about the customer service that tunecore provides. Should February 25th have come and gone and I didn't know for sure what was happening with my CD, I would have eventually clicked the "Contact Us" button and inquired. And after last week's experience I am positive someone would have e-mailed me back asap. To say I am thoroughly impressed with tunecore.com is the understatement of the year. As always, I would certainly advise you to read as much as you could about the company and make a smart decision based on your business needs as to whether or not you will use them. But as for me, I'm sold on them.
Since last week, I've also found out I am live on www.amazonmp3.com. YAY!!!
I'm also live on www.shockhound.com. YAY!!!!
As of Friday, February 13th, 2009, stephendc.com is live. YAY!!! PLEASE check me out there. Zach Burch did the website design for me and I couldn't be more pleased. He's loathe to put his own personal stamp on websites, instead directing people to his online portfolio. So since I'm in a "shamless plugging of everyone I know and love" kind of mood right now, you can find him here:
http://www.coroflot.com/zachdburch
I cannot even begin to tell you how impressed I am with his professionalism, hard work and excitement for my project. If you are looking for a website designer and graphic designer for any artwork you may have (he designed the artwork for the CD which I'm hoping will be available in physical form at your local mom & pop CD store very shortly) then look no further than Zach Burch. I had my choice of designers and I'm glad I chose the right one for my needs. Check him out for yourself and see if he won't fit your needs as well.
I got my business cards! YAY!!! As I told you in my FedEx Kinkos blog, I decided to go with Office Depot. Family, they did a bang up job on the business cards. It was exactly what I wanted, how I wanted it and everywhere I needed it. So even though Office Depot IS a giant conglomerate, I'm gonna plug them too. As always, check them out and make a smart decision before sending me an e-mail that says, "YOU TOLD ME TO GO TO OFFICE DEPOT AND NOW MY LIFE IS RUINED...." They were fantastic to me and were exactly what my business needed. So check them out.
This week, I sent out a mass mailing to everyone I've ever sent an e-mail to in the last 10 years to tell them about my CD. I've gotten nothing but positive feedback and for that I am eternally grateful. If you are not on my mailing list and would like to be, by all means send me an e-mail to hello@stephendc.com. Or you can always comment with your e-mail addy to this blog and you're automatically part of the family.
So now that I am live on i-tunes, shockhound and amazonmp3.com all that's left is rhapsody and napster.com. In the meantime, I have to promote the hell outta this CD. You can help me out by telling all your friends, neighbors, relatives, people you love and three people you hate about this CD. I absolutely cannot do this without you. You all are my eyes and ears. My street team. My cheerleaders. The people that love my music and support it with all they've got. Without you I'm nothing, baby!!! And I will do my part in getting the word out to as many people as one person possibly can. Together, we'll make "Introducing... ME" a success. Thank you for all your positivity. I'll talk to you soon.
Peace.
-Stephen
P.S. You bring the drinks, I'll bring the clams and I'll meet you on Pismol Beach, Peter!
-Stephen
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