From Pro Musician to Digital Marketing Company President
By the time I was 25, I had achieved my goal of making a living as a musician. There was only one problem: I didn’t like the lifestyle. So I transitioned into the mainstream working world.
The Fender Years
Eventually, I wound up at Fender (yes, the world-famous guitar company) as an Advertising Copywriter. After doing a few issues of [the internal company newsletter] Fender Facts, I convinced the powers that be at Fender that I should do a magazine. That’s how Fender Frontline was born. So I became the editor of Frontline, as well as a Publicity Manager for Fender.
During the eight years I edited the publication, I got to interview a number of artists: Jeff Beck (my personal favorite!), Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Johnson, David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), and many others. I pride myself on being good at relating to people, and certainly it often takes finesse when dealing with celebrities. (Just see My Favorite Stories for some examples!)
Working at an Ad Agency
Several years into my stint with the magazine, Fender moved to Arizona. They installed me at their advertising agency in Los Angeles, to continue producing Frontline. Eventually, I became the liaison between Fender and the agency, as well. I picked up a lot about marketing from some pretty experienced people.
Being at the agency also inspired me to learn more about publishing, and I decided to sell ad space in Frontline. It wasn’t easy! But I persisted, and over time Elektra, A&M, Silvertone and other labels bought advertising, further broadening my contact with the record companies — as well as my marketing skills.
Moving into the Internet
Through the magazine I got to know the president of a company in the music industry. As he was knowledgeable about recording, I asked him to write a column for the magazine. During one of our photo shoots, he mentioned that he needed a Web site. I volunteered, and my new business was born — a business I’ve been in for more than 30 years.
My varied background gives me a unique edge when marketing my clients’ products and services online. The elements of magazine layout (clarity, readability, getting viewers to focus on specific details, etc.), provided a good foundation for Web design.
Over the years I have worked with a wide range of businesses, but eventually found the best fit to be in the professional services industries: legal, financial, and medical.
Coming Full Circle
Although work keeps me pretty busy, I still find time to play in my band, Savor: A Tribute to Santana. You can see our the band in our video. We average about 20 dates a year, and have played at fairs and festivals all over southern California, Arizona, and Nevada, as well as a number of clubs and casinos. Our CD of original Latin rock music is available through the website, and the songs are streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and other channels.
So I guess as much as I tried to escape it, once a musician, always a musician!
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