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4 Must-Have Gifts for the Music Fanatic in Your Life

You’ve eventually got to get creative when it comes to buying gifts for your music lover. They’ve got plenty of collector’s edition guitars, decorative tambourines to hang on the wall and tour merchandise from their favorite bands. You need to start surprising your audio engineer, music student or musician. Give them something amazing and unexpected, and they’ll start to think you’re the best in the world when it comes to choosing presents that really rock. Here are 4 awesome ideas to get you started that are sure to please any music fan.

The Mojave Leather Picker’s Wallet

picks

Photo by matsuyuki via Flickr

Every guitar player carries around a guitar pick. They just never know when they’ll be invited to jam with local musicians, friends, or even famous people they meet while doing audio engineering jobs. A pick is as necessary to a player as cash, credit cards and a driver’s license. Most players keep their picks in their jeans pockets or tucked in their existing wallet with their insurance cards. These aren’t the most convenient places to keep something as tiny as a guitar pick, and they can easily be lost. The Mojave Leather Picker’s Wallet solves this problem by providing a pick pocket directly in the wallet. The pocket holds the pick securely and makes it easily accessible whenever it’s needed. This is a true gift of thoughtfulness and convenience for a music lover. $31.00

Recording the Beatles, by Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan

beatles

Photo by Affendaddy via Flickr

This multimedia book set is any Beatles lover’s dream. This is especially true if the Beatles lover in question is also a music engineer. This highly detailed book goes into exactly how the Beatles recorded everything at Abbey Road.Recording the Beatles is full of technical details you won’t find anywhere else. The technicality of the book makes it intriguing to someone attending an audio engineering school like Pinnacle College. With extras included like a slipcover with the appearance of an old EMI tape box, a poster of the Abbey Road mixer controls, a copy of the handwritten lyrics for “A Day In the Life,” this will be the present of the century for any music lover. $120.00

iRig Pro

irig

Photo by nipotan via Flickr

Lots of today’s audio engineers like to record things on the fly with their iPhones or iPads. However, the sound quality often leaves something to be desired. The iRig Pro remedies this problem. It lets musicians connect any electronic instrument or microphone directly to an iPhone or iPad (4). It has a preamp that matches the output of whatever is plugged into it and also has phantom power for the most advanced instruments and microphones. It is the accessory for allowing crystal clear iPhone and iPad recordings, and your music lover will use it all the time. $150.00

TronicalTune

Many audio engineers and mixers are also musicians on the side. They like to record as well as play. The Tronical Robot Tuner will make playing a lot easier, and you’ll be their own personal Guitar Hero for getting this for them. The TronicalTune is high technology that attaches to the headstock and tuning knobs of any guitar. It then accomplishes the amazing feat of tuning the guitar automatically. It will even re-tune to alternate tuning settings instantly just by pressing a button. It makes playing on stage with a band much simpler and more fun. $330.00

This blog was contributed by Joseph Treece

Joseph is a reporter for an independent music network. He loves everything from shoegaze to top 40 pop to Japanese surf punk.

 

 

EOS 3D: A Radical Step Forward for 3D Technology

3dIn recent years, Three-Dimension (3D) technology has seen a steady increase in quality as well as quantity in our everyday lives. Ever since Honey I Shrunk the Kids provided the first interactive movie experience by combining rudimentary 3D film with other sense-tickling technologies, 3D technology has evolved to the sophistication of James Cameron’s groundbreaking film “Avatar,” which revolutionized 3D film. (It is worth noting that the making of the film was delayed 10 years in anticipation of how this evolving technology would enable the film’s intended effects). 3D has now moved even further, creating more interactive experiences in an attempt to render inanimate technology more “life-like.”

Various advances demonstrate this progression: Leap Motion, which creates an interactive cloud that reads hand movements, gestures, and grabs, allowing total control of what you are researching or creating on your computer; indoor Google Maps, which creates a 3D model of the inside of buildings, allowing for a far easier, more interactive option for finding a doctor’s office or mail room; and Google Glass, which combines social media with 3D technology, in effect documenting your life in a 3D platform for all your social network “friends” to see.

However impressive all these innovations may be, they have achieved interactivity only in the abstract sense. The film industry creates 3D entertainment; Leap Motion creates some Star Wars-esque cloud of interactivity; and Google Glass records and shares what’s around you – but none of these 3D technologies succeed in creating something tangible that can be held and beheld, in appreciation of the true genius behind the creation.

But all this has changed with the introduction of EOS 3D – which literally prints 3D objects. These machines are capable of “printing” in plastic, metal, and sand manufacturing, and the appeal to various industries – ranging from aerospace to medical and lifestyle products – is undeniable. Working with tool-less laser technology, EOS 3D manufacturing can produce light-weight yet high-tech components – and for cheap. For those of you who watch Orange County Chopper, the “printing” works in a way similar to how motorcycle enthusiasts customize various parts.

This technology marks a very interesting point in the 3D technology industry. While it may be true today that e-manufacturing relies on clunky, massive devices, the first computer wasn’t exactly pocket sized either – and if you hadn’t noticed, change tends to happen a lot faster these days.

Just imagine owing one of these e-manufacturing devices in the year 2020, a time when they’ll have decreased to the size of a toaster, and being able to materialize whatever you want without leaving the house. Need a screw? Print it. A pen? Print it. A sandwich? … Print it?

Until next time,

Kelli Richards, President, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC

PS: Subscribe to my FREE All Access Group Newsletterhttps://bit.ly/AAGNewletter

PSS: Listen to an entire library of intimate discussions with industry visionaries https://bit.ly/AllAccessPodcastSeries (Priceless)

 

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Sexy vs Cash Projects

For those of us who work for ourselves (and for those who aspire to), there’s a phenomenon that people don’t often talk about because it’s assumed that we’re intended to be performing and achieving high levels of success at all times. However, sometimes there are periods of feast and famine in our businesses, especially for those of us in creative professions. My colleague Rich Litvin has shared his observations on this with a nod to Hugh McLeod’s “Sex and Cash Theory of Creative Work” — and I really resonate with this. The basic notion is that the creative person has two kinds of jobs — the first being the fun, sexy kind (those projects and clients we love to work with), and the second one is ensuring that we have enough cash flows that the bills get paid each month. Sometimes the task at hand covers both bases, but not all the time. So there can be a tense duality between the need to make a living and the need to follow one’s passions. You can’t run a successful, thriving business if you have no money and your only thought is “I NEED money!”. …

Guy Kawasaki, Evangelist, Author, Speaker


Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. He is on the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, a brand ambassador for Mercedes Benz USA, and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley). He was also the chief evangelist of Apple. Guy is the author of The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and nine other books.

 

Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-guy-kawasaki

The Quiet Passing of a Giant

The music industry has experienced whBeatles_and_George_Martin_in_studio_1966at seems like an unprecedented string of losses since the year began. Add to that list, a legend in Sir George Martin who passed a few days ago at the age of 90, and was considered by many to be “The Fifth Beatle”. Sir George was perhaps among the most talented record producers, music arrangers, and A&R men of all time. He was a true master at his craft — he pioneered all mann
er of unique things artists could do in the studio — and truly co-created with the artists he worked with to amazing results.Unusual things like running the tape backwards to create new sounds as in “Tomorrow Never Knows” or adding in unique instrumentation like strings over “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yesterday” or weaving a mellotron into “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”. And as gifted as he was and a master at his art, equally important is how well-loved and respected he was by all who had the chance to meet and work with him. I’ve never heard a bad word said about George by anyone throughout his career which is telling; quite the contrary. …

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Kelli is “In the Hot Seat”

“In The Hot Seat” with Larry LeBlanc for CelebrityAccess. “In the Hot Seat” profiles entertainment leaders from around the world in a Q&A form. It was very exciting, and AAG invites you to click over and read the interview today!

This week In the Hot Seat with Larry LeBlanc: Kelli Richards, CEO and president, The All Access Group.

Today, as president and CEO of The All Access Group based in Cupertino, California in the heart of Silicon Valley and host of All Access Radio, Richards strives to create alliances between large content and technology companies, major artists, and consumer brands.

Richards guides her clients through the maze of leading-edge technologies and connections in order to get their products to more people. According to this savvy, fast-talking entrepreneur, her focus is on “strategic rainmaking, and creating opportunities between innovative technologies for digital distribution, and branded entertainment content.”

Digital Music East, Justin Timberlake, MySpace TV, and Where it’s All Headed

MySpace TV will still encompass the site’s library of 42 million songs and 100,000 music videos, and it will enable instant communication and huge search-ability around them between friends.

Who knows where MySpace TV will go from there? “As the plot of your favorite drama unfolds the joke of your favorite SNL character plays or even the last-second shot of your favorite team swishes the net, we’re giving you the opportunity to connect your friends to your moments as they’re actually occurring. This is the evolution of one of our greatest inventions, the television,” said Timberlake.

Thousand-Mile View of Life

One of my highlights for 2011 was a thousand-mile-high ride on a Zeppelin. Yes, one of those huge dirigibles that float over concerts and sporting events. Riding in a Zeppelin is a rare opportunity – in fact, there are only two airships in circulation for passengers – one in Germany and one in Silicon Valley. Rumor has it that the reason there was a free seat for me was because Mark Zuckerberg’s sister backed out at the last moment. I literally had only moments to make the decision and clear my calendar (no easy feat).

A Fireside Chat with Jack Buser, Director of PlayStation Home

I recently interviewed my good friend Jack Buser on my weekly online radio show. Jack Buser is the Director of PlayStation Home, which is a 3D virtual world and social game platform on the PS3. Home recently underwent a major redesign, and we were eager to hear about the new benefits and features. PlayStation Home is filled with hundreds of games – everything from pool tables and dart boards to full-on space shooters like Novus Prime: Escalation and massive online racing games like Sodium 2: Project Velocity. With Jack Buser at the helm, Home is leading the virtual world in community based user experiences, and doing an amazing job of it!

Fankix: The New Wave in Social Entertainment

I am thrilled to share that I’m now the VP of Artists & Brands for Fankix. Fankix delivers music to fans around the world with a unique social experience, deeper interaction with musicians and first-rate authentic content at no cost.

Cool or Not Cool? Bandzoogle and it’s Cool Connection to Direct-to-Fan

I recently inteviewed Dave Cool, the “voice” of Bandzoogle. Dave Cool writes the Bandzoogles blog, well known for inspiring and supporting Bandzoogle’s #1 mission: To make Direct-to-Fan a very real accomplishment for artists and bands everywhere. You can get a complimentary digital copy of “What is INDIE?” when you sign up for Dave’s mailing list at: https://bit.ly/hs4uk6

VIP Breakfast for Apple Alumni at the Silicon Valley Capital Club, San Jose, CA

I’m thrilled to invite you to join me for a VIP Breakfast for Apple Alumni at the Silicon Valley Capital Club in San Jose, CA on Thursday, December 8th, from 7-8am. I look forward to hosting an intimate breakfast and discussion exclusively for present and former Apple employees. This 1-hour Power Breakfast is about re-connecting & networking with Apple colleagues. We will explore how to take our businesses and our lives to a whole new level of success in the next year by building on the synergy of Apple alliances. The focus of this breakfast club will be my forthcoming eBook “The Magic & Moxie of Apple: An Insider’s View”. VIP Breakfast and a copy of the eBook (valued at $37) are limited to the first 12 people who respond.

A Fantastic Freebie from Fanatic.FM

To celebrate Fanatic.FM and their great contribution to DIY brand building for artists, Fanatic.FM is offering a special bonus for Kelli’s tribe. Click here for a free subscription to The Fanatic and enter to win a 1-hour session with the Fanatic.FM social media tune-up experts. Deadline: December 5.

We did it! #1 on Amazon in Music!!!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who supported the Amazon Launch for “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry” – an eBook that raises the bar and demystifies social media marketing, helping musicians, agents and anyone in our industry to THRIVE. Not only did we spend all of last weekend at #1, as I write this, we’re STILL top ten!

Hypebot Promotes “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud”

I’ll write a separate blog about how my eBook went all the way to #1 on Amazon this weekend, but I wanted to take a moment and offer a special thanks to Bruce Houghton – a powerful voice in the music industry – who writes for HypeBot. He made an exception to his SOP to review the book, and his observations are spot on and very important to me. Because of the holiday weekend, I made the executive choice to leave the eBook at the launch price just until mid-week, giving all of the artists out there a chance to grab it (and use it!). MANY thanks to Bruce and to everyone who supported our effort to offer a hands-on, simple, DIY look at social media for the music industry. ~ Kelli Richards

11/11/11 eBook Launch! Help me hit #1 on Amazon!

Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – SOCIAL MEDIA for the Music Industry Kelli Richards’ new eBook, “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – SOCIAL MEDIA for the Music Industry,” teaches you to run your content, your revenue, your merch and your fan base ANY WAY YOU WANT TO. It’s easily the best eBook on Social Media for Musicians, ever.  Today is the ONLY day you can get the book on Amazon at $3.99. https://amzn.to/eBook-Crowd This eBook raises the bar and demystifies the social media process.  It will help you THRIVE in this tough economy and transform your online presence and your marketing mindset. It provides an overview of the top 10 online spaces and gives a brief look at how to maximize your social media presence to build and keep your audience – and turn them into your own personal sales force. MORE FANS! The ultimate end-game! BRAND TRANSFORMATION! (Yes, trust me, you are a brand!) MORE MONEY! That’s an easy one, more fans + more content = more sales. SIMPLE! Written in easy-to-follow language with easy-to-implement instructions. FAST! You’ll learn about 8 no cost Resources to build your brand and your fan base! STOP WORRYING! No more worrying about missing the opp for social media success. No Cost Online Business Tools and List Building Tools worth 10X’s the cost of the book. FR EE DOM! How about turning your work into a business that does not depend on a label, a manager or ANYONE. Do what you WHAT you want, WHEN you want, and WHERE you want… You can set your own hours… You can live anywhere… All you need is an internet connection… The sky is the limit. Kelli Richards’ new eBook, “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – SOCIAL MEDIA for the Music Industry,” teaches you to run your content, your revenue, your merch and your fan base ANY WAY YOU WANT TO. It’s easily the best eBook on Social Media for Musicians, ever. Today is the ONLY day you can get the book on Amazon at $3.99. https://amzn.to/eBook-Crowd.

A Digital Insider Scoffs at Townshend

As an industry insider – on way more than one level – it’s hard to take Pete Townshend’s comments as anything more than another great artist railing at the system. Look, in the end, we all have to admit that the system is broken. That’s one thing that Townshend got right in that interview. After that? Well, it’s all up for debate. But the fact that the debate was called to the floor again, that’s a good thing.

The Future of Content, by Futurist, Gerd Leonhard

Gerd Leonhard’s intent to publish this eBook via Amazon Kindle, exclusively, at this very low price, is to make these ideas and concepts as widely available as possible while still trying to be an example of what digital, paperless distribution can look like, going forward. Definitely a GREAT investment at $2.99.

The Pandora Box of Mobile – The Sky’s the Limit

If you were at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco last week, you probably heard Pandora Founder Tim Westergren share that SEVENTY PERCENT of their usage is through mobile venues. Yes. 70%. And having created a super-successful digital space for themselves, Pandora doesn’t see Spotify, iTunes, or any other competition eating their lunch any time soon.

Celebrity Wrangling.

When it comes to celebrity wrangling, helping a corporate client or event organizer secure the right celebrity to support their event or product campaign is definitely more art than science. The most important part of the process is bringing my 25 years of listening and experience to a discussion about the objectives of the client. Is it a company celebration? Is the event or campaign about supporting their employees (internal) or their brand (customers)? Is it to thank their sales team? Or perhaps an industry conference with VIPs?

Billboard.Biz – “Music-Industry Characters You Need To Follow”

In our recent one-on-one chat, thought leader Thomas Reemer shares about the application (and implication) of watermarks and how they effect digital distribution. (For those who don’t know, Thomas Reemer is the CEO of 88tc88.com – an online service that, among other things, translates western titles and artists, enabling access for Western Music to the vast Chinese mobile market.

Complimentary Access to NARM Webinar Thursday 9/22

I will be offering a 45 minute presentation with NARM this Thursday 9/22 at 1pm PST.

The team at NARM has graciously given me 15 free “seats” at the Webinar to share with my followers and colleagues. The topic will be “Taking The Crowd to The Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry,” which was the focus of my recent eBook.

An Intimate Fireside Chat with Video Music Director and Producer, Robby Starbuck

This month’s Fireside Chat is an informal Q&A with Music Video Director and Producer, Robby Starbuck. Robby Starbuck is an artist who’s willing to take huge risks to walk the walk and paint his unique voice on his own private canvas — film. He’s directed music videos for such amazing artists as: Snoop Dogg, Smashing Pumpkins, Escape The Fate, Metric The Sounds, Pierce The Veil and dozens of others and has, to date, almost 28 million views on his YouTube channel.

An Intimate Fireside Chat with Thomas Dolby and Kelli Richards

Best known for his hit, “She Blinded Me with Science,” Thomas Dolby is much more than a recording artist. In fact, he’s STILL leading the tech revolution with his interactive game, Floating City, which reacts to player contributions, eventually granting access to Thomas’ newest music. This is digital technology meeting music at its best!

The Gifts of the Digital Age – Remember 9/11

Because of the advances in digital technology, we are able to keep alive the memories of those who lost loved ones on this day, ten years ago – and even more, to broadcast those memories to our nation and to our world. They do not remain locked in a vault somewhere, for eternity, they are instead broadcast to the far corners of the universe through social media.

VIP Breakfast at Digital Music West – Redefining Social Media for the Music Industry

I’m fortunate to lead a complimentary VIP breakfast kicking off the start of Day 2. This is an informal roundtable discussion focused on my newest eBook “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry” on Friday, October 7th, from 8:00-9:00am. The VIP Breakfast includes a vibrant discussion, great company, and a printed copy of my eBook, for the first 20 people who reserve their seat by Tuesday, October 4th (to do so, contact my team at sandy@allaccessgroup.com). The breakfast will coincide with the formal Amazon publication launch of my eBook on 11/11/11.

VizLingo – The Newest Gadget for Gen Z

Yes, the tech revolution has produced an endless stream of new gizmos, gadgets and tools. Some of these are vital to our day-to-day existence, like email, and some are simply a fun and entertaining distraction (Angry Birds anyone?)…

Not long ago, entrepreneurs Todd Younggren and Azeo Fables created hatched the idea to use the latest revolution in tech, mobile, to create a new way to communicate, and VizLingo was born.

Big Brother has Landed, and his name is Foursquare

Kelli Richards, technology futurist and consultant and CEO of the All Access Group shares her thoughts about Foursqure and their recent alliance with Groupon, BuyWithMe, Zozi, Gilt City, Living Social and AT&T Interactive — as well as finance giant, American Express.

CEO of All Access Group Invited to be in Alan’s Gang

Kelli Richards, a thought leader in digital music and entertainment, and one of only a few select members of Alan Weiss’ Master Mentor Program and Thought Leadership Summit, has recently been invited to participate both Weiss’ new Summit Global Network and also in the collaborative “Alan & the Gang.”
Alan & the Gang is an online destination where both aspiring and veteran entrepreneurs and business people can access thought leaders from around the globe. Kelli Richards joins a limited group of elite international experts in both process and content who contribute their intellectual property and expertise.

Chatting with Brenden Mulligan, Founder of OneSheet, the One Stop Solution for Artists

For a long time now, artists have been asked to create profiles on all of these different services, and one problem I felt was there was that there wasn’t necessarily an easy way to weave these together. What I wanted to do was make it incredibly easy for an artist to create a maintenance free web presence, something that would take them only a few minutes to do and be totally affordable.

Legacy and Celebrity Wrangling

One of the most important aspects of my career has been creating high impact collaborations between artists, celebrities and corporations, and sometimes between artists and charities. I call this celebrity wrangling. There’s no shortage of passion in the world surrounding celebrities and musicians; in fact, it’s rare to find one that doesn’t crave the opportunity to create lasting change and global/societal impact. Connecting the right artist for the right purpose – or simply being part of event production as a talent producer for award shows & charity events involving great artist/celeb talent, well, those are definitely career high points.

Kelli Richards Hosts a VIP Breakfast at the Bandwidth Music | Technology Conference

On Tuesday, August 16th, at 8am, industry thought-leaders, Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group, will host an intimate breakfast and discussion to kick off day two of the annual Bandwidth Music | Technology Conference. The focus of this “breakfast club” will be Kelli Richards’ newest eBook “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry.” VIP Breakfast and a printed copy of the eBook (valued at $37) will be available to the first 20 people who respond. Please RVSP to reserve your VIP seat at the event. sandy@allaccessgroup.com

Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry

My new eBook, Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry, is an insider’s view on how it all comes together. It raises the bar and demystifies social media marketing, helping musicians, agents and anyone in our industry THRIVE – it empowers and transforms the marketing mindset.

Spotify ….Finally

Spotify ….Finally. Well, after all this time, what’s left to be said???   Except let’s give credit to the artist.  Tallulah by Tobias Norberg

Social Media Wars – How Wide Do We Open the Kimono? Google+, Facebook, Etc.

It is very easy to see why they don’t want to do battle with megalith Google over anything more than ad sales. One has to wonder, however, where the users come into play. Although diligently trying to evolve every single day, there’s absolutely NO guarantee that Facebook will not become the MySpace of tomorrow. (Meaning that they become a great neighborhood that nobody lives in or even visits any more – sort of the Three-Mile Island of Social Networks.) Simply building walls and creating friction will not protect them.

3 Best Practices for Working with a Coach

This is an easy task to throw out there and probably one of the toughest decisions we can make at any given time. The notion that the right teacher will show up at the right time in our lives is only partly true. We have to actively participate in our search with a clear picture of what we want in order to attract the right people, no matter what role they are to play in our lives – and also to be open to them when they appear. Having a crystal clear image of what you need in a coach – what their area of expertise is, how they resonate with who you are & your vision, and how they work with their clients are all vital ingredients in your process.

An Intimate “Fireside Chat” with Million-Dollar Coach and Author, Alan Cohen

Alan Cohen: I love coaching because it’s a really fast way to make progress. When I work with coaches, I find that each one has a unique passion, talent, interest and vision. Half of the game of becoming a coach is telling the truth and getting in touch with where your unique path lives… for you, you’re an expert and master in connecting people and in the media – nobody else does that like you.

Facebook + Skype = Hyper-Connectivity …. Or Virtual Un-Reality?

What does it mean that Facebook has partnered with Skype to offer video calling? Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has focused on the “social infrastructure” that’s been created by the Facebook team (and other social networks) and the Orwellian openness that’s become our lives (which he calls sharing). Is he right? Is he wrong?

Best Practices for the New World of Live Music

But if you’re playing in Rhode Island or Flint, Michigan, you have to seriously consider what the market can bear. A lower ticket price doesn’t have to mean you’re eating PB&J for a week either, it means you have to get creative, so that those who want more contact or have more expendable income, can choose to participate on a higher level. Consider a paid meet & greet before you go onstage, or an after party with some free merch to go with the separate ticket price.

An Intimate “Fireside Chat” with Hollywood Producer, Gary Goldstein

An excerpt of Kelli’s Q&A with Hollywood Producer, Gary Goldstein, an inspiring voice in the film and music industries. Gary Goldstein produced one of the most iconic cultural expressions of the last generation: Pretty Woman. He has gone on to mentor many of the leading creative voices in music and film. He is an accomplished film producer, an author, a speaker, an innovator, a philanthropist, and a great guy.

Connectivity – A Vision of the Future

Digital goes far beyond songs and iTunes and singles and lockers, it goes past movies and downloadable books and content, it’s way bigger than anything we could have imagined five years ago, and I have no doubt that five years from now will showcase something else that’s beyond what we might imagine today.

Cloudy Weather at Apple, Then and Now

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Apple’s stock will rise the moment Steve Jobs takes the stage later today. By any estimate, Apple is worth billions – with or without Steve Jobs – but like it or not, apple is not a democracy. It is an autocracy. It is a company carrying out the vision and changing the world, all according to the dictates of its leader, Steve Jobs.

Join Me in June for a “Fireside Chat” with the Leading Minds in Branding, Coaching and

I’m pleased to share with all of you that my weekly “All Access Radio” Show has developed a strong and loyal following! Over 20,000 downloads in just a few months. I’ve been graced to interview some of the top digital visionaries and leading voices in the music and technology industries, as well as some great voices in the music and entertainment industries.

God Only Knows. Minefields and Memories…

Adopt-a-Minefield benefit concert given by Sir Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson, where they joined together and sang, “God Only Knows.”

The concert and the song definitely live in my mind as one of the most moving and inspiring events that I ever participated in. Although there isn’t any video from the event to really speak of, there is a snippet of it in an Access Hollywood interview, speaking with Sir Paul and host, Jay Leno, about the event.

Karma-Chameleon. The Fast-Changing Metrics of Digital Music

The changes in the digital music world continue to inspire a lot more than fear – they’re creating connections on every level, minute by minute. It’s great to see the Billboard Music Awards getting so much attention on traditional media, but the truth is that their rankings simply don’t mean what they used to. Long recognized as the industry standard, it’s no secret that the on-demand player and purveyor of music (and ranking) is now YouTube.

Personalizing Lyrics – One Amazing, Creative Way to Personally Rock The Fan Base

As a true lover of technology, as well as a coach in both the business world and in the digital music space, when I come across a tech solution that changes the course of a musician’s business and revenue stream, and builds a better fan base – well, let’s just say it’s always a reason to celebrate. As the music industry has been pummeled over the last decade, hit with punches from outside and inside of itself, creativity has turned out to be the number one solution to surviving – and thriving – the ever changing landscape.

Michael Robertson Talks about DAR.fm, MP3tunes, Amazon and the Cloud Music Industry…

Excerpt of Kelli Richards’ Q&A with Michael Robertson, the Bad Boy of the Digital Music Industry. Michael Robertson is a longtime provocateur of the music business and the founder and former CEO of MP3.com, one of the most popular Internet music sites ever. His newest startup, DAR.fm, is a centralized Web-based TiVo for radio. Users can search the programming schedules of over 600 music and talk-radio stations and schedule DAR.fm to record up to 4 hours of any broadcast.

Peter Rafelson – A New Chapter in a Long Hollywood Legacy

Growing up surrounded by Hollywood royalty, like Jack Nicholson, The Beatles and Bob Dillon, and being immersed in the renegade, independent film business of the 1960’s, Rafelson was blessed with a myriad of artistic role models. He shared this thought with me in a recent interview, “Growing up in that environment, it was very

Google kills SEO – Stay Alive with Social Media

I don’t know how many of you saw the news, but Google is changing how SEO is formulated. What? Yes, they’re tossing the algorithm out the window and writing a new recipe for how page ranking works. While some of the formula will remain as it is, a huge new piece will be based on what they’re calling a “social media grid.” What that means is if …

Making a Mark at Digital Hollywood Spring

I’m very excited to share with everyone that I will be moderating a panel session at Digital Hollywood Spring at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey on Wednesday May 4th. Here are the details on my panel, and some more information on the event itself.

Jeff Brandstetter – Thought Leader in Digital Music and Entertainment

Jeff Brandstetter is a digital music and entertainment lawyer with over 20 years of experience in film, TV, music, literary, new media and entertainment financing matters. He is also the co-author of the highly acclaimed book “The Music Business Explained in Plain English.” He appears frequently as a speaker and moderator on entertainment law matters and Is also the Co-Founder and CEO of IndiePlaya, a revolutionary online film distribution platform optimizing the marketing and distribution of independent films.

The Futures Agency

I was recently invited to be part of The Futures Agency by my good friend and colleague, Gerd Leonhard. For those of you who do not know, The Futures Agency is the name of Gerd’s company, but he’s also created an online industry think-tank of friends and colleagues. I’m super excited to be part of this think-tank and elite group of leaders in the digital industry.

An Interview with Dave Kusek, of the Berklee School of Music, and the Co-Author of “The Future of Music”

I recently interviewed Dave Kusek, of the Berklee School of Music, and the Co-Author of “The Future of Music.” Dave Kusek is a digital music executive and is responsible for helping to create the market for digital music as an entity. He created a hugely successful online music school berkleemusic.com for the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Berkleemusic has become the world’s largest music school teaching over 15,000 students a year globally.

Duran Duran – All You Need is Now

Highly collaborative and innovative, Duran Duran has spent thirty years fusing pop music with art, fashion and technology, bringing music videos from a marketing tool in the 80’s to one of the music industry’s most valued creative assets.

6 Ways to Build Your Brand and Grab Your Audience

In today’s world, the connection to your customer is your number one asset. The path to communicating most effectively to your “fans” literally becomes the yellow brick road. If you’re not giving your fan or client a myriad of choices through which to connect, you are missing out not only on revenues, but also on building your army of loyal brand advocates. Here are 6 best practices to implement immediately to forge a solid, long-standing relationship with your best audiences and clients.

An Intimate Q&A with Tom Silverman, CEO of Tommy Boy Entertainment

Tom Silverman, CEO of Tommy Boy Entertainment and the Force Behind the New Music Seminar Speaks with Kelli about where the Music Industry is Headed. Tom Silverman, CEO of Tommy Boy Entertainment and the Force Behind the New Music Seminar Speaks with Kelli about where the Music Industry is Headed.

Here are a few excerpts of my interview with Tom Silverman on my All Access Radio Show. To hear the entire interview, please visit my website at https://allaccessgroup.com.

Hot Stuff from Hot Caramel – Excerpts from my Interview with Irene Cara

Being able to support great artists and entrepreneurs as they break away from past successes in their lives and embark on the new is one of life’s biggest highs for me. Few performers have had the amazing success and influence of Irene Cara – I had the chance to interview Irene recently and to hear about her new group, “Hot Caramel.”

Gregg Allman – Somehow You’re Still on the Run

Gregg Allman has always been a guy who colors outside the lines, in my opinion. There’s no question that The Allman Brothers Band has serious staying power. Probably best known for “Sweet Melissa,” Allman is a bluesy, jam-band pioneer who practically invented Southern Rock. As most followers of Allman Brothers music probably know …

Remembering John Lennon – 30 Years Later

It’s honestly hard to believe that thirty years have passed since he was taken from us in a single moment’s insanity. In fact, most of the time, it’s hard to believe that John’s really gone at all. His was far more than the voice of a generation – it was often the voice of our hearts and our conscience.

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Kelli’s monthly newsletters are her direct line of communication to clients and friends. Each edition includes a personal note, an overview of recent activities, book recommendations, and more.

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