GETTING OFF THE GROUND...

Day 12 of the 10,000 EP project is drawing to a close and I thought it was time for a little update! Since launching the project on Friday 15th June, I have been up to my eyeballs in sending emails, handing out pre-order cards, posting updates on social networks, designing and ordering flyers etc. etc.. And then there are normal life things like washing up, taking the dog for a walk, going to the bank, grocery shopping, which have just been completely put on hold. Sleeping and eating are about the only two normal life routines that have stayed the same!!!!!

The excess tea drinking problem I have has not been affected..

Anyways, I am happy and feeling good about the project. It has already attracted a lot of attention. The main experiments that have progressed since the launch are:

1. 1,000 SALES - currently have approx 100 pre-orders placed!
2. 1,000 WORDS PUBLISHED - 580 have been officially published up to today. Thanks to journalist Jim Hayes and Margaret Roddy of The Argus. The Newry Democrat will publish an article in their 'Vibe' section of the newspaper next Tuesday and some positive feedback from Hot Press has opened up the possibility of a mention of some kind in the next few weeks. My only concern on this experiment is the possibility of missing a publication and not being able to acknowledge the journalist!
3. 1,000 MINUTES BROADCAST - This experiment definately concerned music professionals the most. Getting 16.66 hours of radio or tv time is very very difficult even for the most established artist. I can't explain why but I have a quiet confidence on this one. Maybe my gut feeling will be proven otherwise but I have accumalated 60 mins of airtime over the past 12 days. Harry Lee on Louth Internet Radio kindly gave me 40 mins of airtime on his show this morning which of course makes up the most of those 60 mins. The remaining minutes come from an interview on Northern Sound with Sean McCaffrey, airplay of my singles on various radio stations throughout Ireland. (I am registered with Nielsen Music so I can keep a weekly track of my plays!) and project mentions on other radio stations that I have been informed of.
4. 1,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS - I have nearly 100 new followers, without spending or devoting much time to twitter so that's a positive start!

Of the remaining 6 experiments, some are slowly getting off the ground and some are not scheduled to kick into action until August!

I also enjoyed a visit to Mark McGuire photography in Newbrige, Co.Kildare for my EP photoshoot, which stressed me a little in the lead up to it. I had a lot of ideas for styling, locations etc and it began to get a little overwhelming in deciding on what look would work best. A quick visit to Penny's and a sorting through of clothes and accessories I already had made things clearer and in the end I am happy with my choices and the style I went for. There are lots more photos in the editing stages. The project is proving a lot of fun despite being intense and keeping record of all the different aspects is taking a lot of time. All in all, it's been a great start. The FUNDIT campaign is 80% funded and you can still pre-order the EP and some additional bits and pieces here. FUNDIT

Thanks for all the messages and gestures of support!! Chat soon xx

One of the 10,000 EP shots - MarkMcGuire Photography

I BRING YOU '10,000' - THE EXPERIMENTAL EP!

It is my pleasure to finally share with you the details of my debut EP '10,000'...

For months I have had my head down trying to find something a little different, something creative and in March when my frustrations with my creativity were beginning to rise, I came across the following words, which Thomas Edison is believed to have said:

"I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work"

Those words spoke volumes to me about a person who commited completely to finding solutions. A man who didn't see his failed attempts as reasons to give up but as reasons to keep going. Eventually he found the right combination of elements and conditions and the lightbulb came to be as we know it now. His patience and belief became his success.

I signed myself up to work in the music industry in September 2010 and I have been learning and finding my way around it through experimenting. Some things work, some things don't. Simple. The hardest aspect of it has been accepting the fact that it is an industry overloaded with aspiring artists and bands all hoping to achieve the ultimate ambition of being a recognised and respected act and there just aren't the opportunities to go round or even the interest in hearing what you have to offer. The nature of how it all works has changed and has been changing for many years and when I enrolled in the music industry nearly 2 years ago now, I had my eyes opened. Creating a great product really wasn't enough on its own.

So here I am on the very first day of my '10,000' project. I call it a project and have done since I created it. Part of the project is the EP release itself (on 10th August), which will feature 5 tracks. The rest of it is a carefully thought out plan of action. For the next 3 months, I have set myself an experiment of my own, to try and bring this EP to the attention of 10,000 people. To do this, I have created 10 smaller experiments, each one designed to attract 1,000 people.

1. 1,000 SALES (physical and digital through pre-orders and downloads)

2. 1,000 WORDS (published about the project)

3. 1,000 MINUTES (broadcast minutes on radio, TV and online including airplay, interviews etc.)

4. 1,000 FACES (collection of 1,000 images featuring people weaing the '10,000' goggles and badge)

5. 1,000 KILOMETRES (travelled over the course of the official release week to promote the EP)

6. 1,000 LIVE AUDIENCE (performed to during the course of the official release week)

7. 1,000 ARTISTS (establishing connections with 1,000 Irish artists across dance, theatre, music and visial arts, promoted and shared on the blog with links to artists work etc.)

8. 1,000 NEW FACEBOOK LIKES (on launch date stands at 840)

9. 1,000 NEW TWITTER FOLLOWERS (on launch date stands at 489)

10. 1,000 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIPTIONS (on launch date stands at 32)

I have a big challenge ahead of me and each experiment requires a lot of time and effort, hence my schedule of 3 months! I don't know if the experiment will be a success or a failure but I'm willing to give it all I've got, hopefully having a lot of fun in finding out! Each week, I will update you on the experiments and tell you how each one is doing! So please come and support 10,000. Who knows.. maybe it could be something special!

Over the next three weeks I will be asking people to pre-purchase the EP for just €5. You can do so here: FUND IT

or contact me directly: mcnallysinead@hotmail.com  

The following links take you to 3 of my other experiments, which you can contribute to in just a few seconds.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

'LIKE' MY FACEBOOK PAGE

SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Here's to making things happen!!

THANK YOU XX