Week Two

2-11-08
9 am - 5pm
16 hrs

This week I started calling some places and asking about distribution. I mostly called some places in Santa Rosa. I was repeatedly told that I needed to visit the places in person so they can hear the music and discuss the technical stuff in person. I don't have the music on me right now so I asked my mentor if I should download a sample cd or to get some cds to bring with me. I've decided to start going around to some record shops next week after talking to my mentor for a little bit. After I called around I started to research some online distributors such as paypal. This was pretty difficult because I didn't really know how to find different ones, and I had to read the fine print on how much percentage of money they take. I tried going to other stores and seeing what they used but it all seemed like they had either made their own or used paypal. After I looked up this I found a few distributors which promised to carry merch for free. I started to find more distributors and emailed a few then called it a day.

My workplace learning acutally takes place at my home. I talk to my mentor either in the morning or the night before on what she'd like me to work on. When I met with her we both wore casual wear and it was pretty laid back. I actually have been going around to record shops and trying to see if they will carry some merch. Apprently thats the only way to deal with this sort of thing. I tried calling them at first but I kept being told that they needed to hear the music and talk about it in person. Once I get some music to bring with me I'm going to make some rounds to record shops and I probably will wear my every day clothes. It will most likely be laid back. This is about the same too school except I'm around more people of alternative style. Its a little different because I'm there on a more professional level, yet still acting laid back.

First Day Feb. 4 2008

Hours: 8
Time: 9am-5pm

I checked in with my mentor and asked what she would like me to do for the day. I did some small stuff at first. I spent a little while checking the site and making sure all the links worked out. Then I looked around for a song of the month. My mentor and I already talked about my project. She would like me to do distribution. This means that I need to find record stores to sell the bands merch. The record stores need to be independent or not corporate due to the bands preference. Since the music is specifically punk and hardcore I need to find stores that sell those genres. Finally, I have to find out what the stores terms are for selling the merchindise, such as if they take a percentage of profit and how much. I worked on this by checking the yellow book for record stores. I then researched the record store to check its history and see if it seemed like the bands would be ok with this store. After I researched the store I gave them a call and asked if they would like to sell some merchindise.

I didn't really know how to go about calling the stores and asking them about selling things. I didn't even realize that stores took a percentage of the sales, but it makes sense that they would. I asked my mentor how I should ask and she told me that she has left distribution up to the bands until this point, so my guess was was good as hers. She gave me an example of calling and explaining that I am an intern from a non profit ect, ect.

I enjoyed my first day. It wasn't very difficult and I liked feeling like I'm helping bands. My project seems like it can be an on going project and I will continue to work on it throughout my WLE even when I find some stores interested.

Beginnig

I am interning at a small non-profit punk label called f-labels. I met with my mentor and really like her. I don't really understand how she makes money, but she is against corporations ruining the music scene. I respect this point of view and am excited to start my internship. I have also been thinking about doing a second internship on the side, because f-labels doesn't require me to come into her office because there would not be any room for me. I have an interview today at a bakery in Petaluma. I am not sure what this bakery is called but my mom mentioned to me that they said I could come in and talk to the baker/owner.


My internship website is : http://www.flabels.net/