I never thought I`d be CEO of Virgin Independent, nor would I want to. I had material to release. No major or indie label wanted to hear about it, so I did it myself. And let`s face it: guitar music is a tough sell, so most majors won`t cut you any slack.
The talented artists associated with Guitar Nine recall their mentors and heroes.
I find it hard to believe that some people have trouble getting press. It`s not really that difficult to do. I think the hardest part is letting go of the fear of a bad review. I`ve spoken to colleagues who don`t send their CD out because they`re afraid it`ll get trashed. Yeah, it might. But you have to take that chance.
I believe that back in the 80`s it was a very novel thing to be an instrumental rock guitarist. I mean we`ve had rock instrumental songs since rock began, but the technical advances made by many of us were very charming and, for a while, in vogue. These are the very same qualities that almost killed the genre.
We have our own recording facility at our rehearsal studio and have been doing all recent recording there. We also rent time if necessary at a more elaborate studio. Ralph (Perucci) has his own studio in Manhattan.
As far as releasing independently - there`s really no other way. Instrumental music (other than `happy saxophone` music I suppose) doesn`t really get a lot of support from record labels, guitar magazines, radio, whatever. So, if you love doing this kind of thing, then you really have to accept that you`ve gotta do it yourself.
Except for distribution, I`ve always made out better doing it myself using investor money then any contracts I`ve been offered. I have a "go in the studio and play" mentality. I don`t overdub, and I usually only do two or three takes for each piece. I make sure when I go in, I`m ready! So my costs are embarressingly low!
I like to take another artist`s song and vision and take it to another level. My experience with Fourth Estate, as well as contributing to many other projects and playing in countless cover bands, gives me a broad perspective in which to approach working with a variety of different artists. I am also very picky about sounds and tones and I think that translates in most of the projects I`ve produced.
McAvinchey signs off on the popular series; what will the future bring.
But even with my success in Belgium, it was impossible to get any industry support/interest generated. It was then the time of Kurt Cobain and friends, people like Tony MacAlpine and Greg Howe weren`t having any luck, what hope was there for me? Releasing my own CD seemed like the only answer.
The past few years have seen the rise of several new ways to get your music promoted and selling, leveraging the strengths of the Internet.
The only recording I do at home is for demo purposes. My engineer and I have actually built a commercial studio in San Luis Obispo, CA. The studio is a 3,000 sq..ft., 24 track, digital facility. It was a huge project, spanning two years. The great thing is I don`t have to worry about the clock anymore. There is a tremendous feeling of freedom when I can spend the time needed to record my songs, the way I feel they should be.
Dan McAvinchey is a guitarist and composer living in Raleigh, NC.
He believes every musician or composer has the power to write, record and release their own music.
His 1997 CD release on Guitar Nine was entitled "Guitar Haus".
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