How to not get your music heard; how to not pitch to the media and other protocol violations
When you send out a pitch to the media, I recommend you not…
1. Send a long pitch via Facebook messenger, email or text message to someone you do not know.
2. Ask the pitch receiver, who does not know you, to give you a call during your initial interactions.
3. Ask the pitch receiver, who does not know you, to view or listen to your attached files during your first encounter.
4. Is your project authentically classical? Just because the recording or performance includes a string quartet, or the artist was classically trained, does not automatically make it classical (see E below).
When you send out a pitch to the media, I recommend you…
A. Develop your relationships with Arts Reporters and Journalists slowly over time.
B. Briefly introduce yourself and ask if he or she would be willing to chat with you about a specific subject (see No. 2).
C. Easy does it on the follow up (see A). Remember, they don’t know you yet.
D. On the phone, always ask the receiver, especially print journalists, “Are you on deadline?”
E. Is your project classical? Close to classical? (See 4 above.) Be brief if you are asking the pitch receiver to recommend someone else to hear your non-classical music project. (We do love passing on new artist information to our colleagues.)
