Tour:Smart Official | Invisible Records | Martin Atkins Myspace | Tour:Smart Facebook | Revolution Number 3

Interview With Martin Atkins - March 26th, 2010

By: Theresa Carter

ABOUT TOUR:SMART PLUS

Tour Smart PLUS is a unique two day immersion seminar in everything you need to know to become the rebel artistic entrepreneur you want to be. Musician, entrepreneur and DIY guru Martin Atkins will be your guide as you learn to write effective branding communication, engage your online community in tangible ways, use audio and visual tools to market effectively, design your graphic identity and even learn how to screen print your own merchandise or promo materials. Along the way, you'll meet and learn from industry professionals and entrepreneurs who have been there, done that, are still doing it and are teaching it!

The weekend revolution is designed to make a concrete difference in your world, give you an instant boost in some of your most important entrepreneurial skillsets and change the way you approach your business. No matter your creative discipline, this crash course is perfect for any artistic entrepreneur looking to step outside the comfort zone and gain invaluable real world experience to make sure your brand or business stands out in the crowded marketplace. You don't have to be a musician to live by the DIY ethic...experiential learning defies creative genres and can help any entrepreneur learn and grow in a way that sitting in a stuffy classroom and copying from a textbook never could.

What You'll Learn

How to Get Started

This stuff isn't as hard as you think. Most of the time you simply need a kick in the ass to get started. During your three days with us you'll learn easy to use tools that make everything easier, how to think "out of the box" and even before there, where to find the box in the first place, and most importantly how to communicate with the people who love you, your fans.

How to Pour Gasoline on Your Own Spark

You will know how to recognize opportunities when they present themselves and how to grow those opportunities. When all the unknown forces align to create that great show in Cincinnati or the amazing gallery opening in Baltimore, you will have tools and ability to pour gasoline on the spark and create a fire.

How to Measure Your Results

You will learn social media tools to track where conversations taking place about you online. You will know how to join those conversations. With a better understanding of your audience you'll be able to create custom merchandise, create special events, and earn more fans (we'll show you how to do all that too).

How to Balance the Art of Business, and the Business of Your Art

You are an artist. It is your passion. You may even view business as a necessary evil. After three days at Tour:Smart PLUS you'll better understand the necessary business components of your art, learn to leverage them, and give you more time, energy, and money to create and progress your art.

Location

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Satisfaction Gauranteed

If you do not leave this event with an actionable plan to postively change the business of your art, we will refund 100% the registration fee, no questions asked.

Dress

Required. This is a casual event - jeans, sneakers, will work just fine. We also love it a little when you wear full stage gear to our 7am early bird coffee!

About Martin Atkins

Martin Atkins is the definition of entrepreneurial activity in cultural arts endeavors. His three decades in the music business spans across genres, borders and industries. Having experience in nearly every aspect of record production and promotion has given Martin a unique perspective not only on where the music industry is currently, but where it is going in the future.

After playing drums in a variety of English bands, Martin auditioned for and subsequently joined Johnny Rotten’s Public Image Limited in 1979. His first contribution to the band was co‐writing and performing on the song “Bad Baby” for the revered Metal Box LP. After touring the world with P.i.L and contributing to several more studio albums Martin left the group in 1985. Over the next five years, he played with and managed Killing Joke and toured with Ministry. In 1990, while on tour with Ministry, he formed his own band, Pigface. He also worked with Nine Inch Nails, performing on the Grammy award winning “Wish” and appearing in the “Head like a Hole” video.

From 2003 - 2009, Martin taught “The Business of Touring” at Columbia College in Chicago. Martin wrote his book Tour:Smart in 2007 and has since spoken around the world at the Midi Institute in China, Drumtech in London, NAMM, SXSW, and By:Larm in Oslo, and many more. He currently teaches his Tour:Smart class online at Madison Media Institute. He spent significant time in China over the last two years recording, signing, and producing bands. His 2006 visit spawned his first documentary 16 Days in China (winner of Best Documentary at CIMM 2009). He is a father of four boys and lives with his wife, Katrina, in Chicago.

Most recently, he started his own entrepreneurial school – revolution number three.

“Should be in the car, van, or bus of anyone trying to make it.” - Trevor Fischer – Illinois Entertainer Magazine

“Best speaker on the planet.” - Paul Natkin, Chicago Music Commission

Tour:Smart Official | Invisible Records | Martin Atkins Myspace
Tour:Smart Facebook | Revolution Number Three

Special thanks to Theresa Carter from the Local Tourist for conducting the interview.