Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to David Trahan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
Covering all digital mediums is almost par for the course these days. To maintain our position I run a networking website, a blog, a podcast, and a Youtube channel. But my company differs from others in that it implements these methods in the most personal way possible. There are many platforms available for bands. All are on a global scale, many are merely depots of templates, and none have cornered the Louisiana music market like we have. I have positioned my company in a niche market that possesses a wealth of talent. And I bring exposure to that talent on a grand scale while preserving their individuality. This is paramount in the creative arts. And my story reads much like the creatives that comprise our membership. I have a passion for music. Just like musicians, I am tasked with wearing many hats to propel this passion. I am aware of our members’ short term and long term goals, utilizing my network capabilities and digital acumen to bring solutions to their individual needs. In this capacity, I have done more than promote bands. I have connected budding music documentarians with well-established TV producers. I have placed fledgling bands amongst headlining artists in premier festival line-ups. And I have reported on impactful developments within the music scene that are in the beginning phases, well before they gained any press. I have been able to do these things through personal connections made in pursuit of cultivating an all-encompassing music entity.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My company was actually in existence years ago under a different name before I purchased it. It was a simple .php driven rudimentary forum created with Jamroom software. After purchasing the site and hiring a programmer, I redeveloped and expanded the site and its services. I brought it from a networking forum to a fully functioning site with streaming audio and video. I implemented on site messaging systems and tethered that to members’ off-site email. I created a Youtube channel and linked it to the website such to where the Videos Page on-site uploads content to, and downloads content from, the Youtube channel. I created a podcast player website, a blog, and an e-commerce store, and linked those to the toolbar. I created a global directory for music industry related services, a musically-focused classifieds section, and an RSS Feed events calendar. Members are privy to all of this for free. I use any placement within my means to showcase talent. So, video intros feature music and logos from members, mid podcast show shout outs discuss members and play snips of their work, and an Artist of the Month section displays three top-playing bands according to linked player data on-site. I also design static and video show fliers, media presentation logos, and conduct interviews with bands, recording studio owners, music photographers, etc across the state. Our interactions become a podcast, an article, and a series of videos. The main thing I want everyone to know is that musicians are people, not just entertainment. The more we learn about them, the more we humanize their existence and better connect to their artistry. Forming connections inherently begets support. It doesn’t always have to be about money when it comes to this industry. I do not accept money from bands. The talent is the draw. I want my brand to be recognized as a reliable, trusted resource for those in the industry, and as a source for Louisiana’s independent music to fans.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The first company I hired to build this website failed miserably. I was unaware they had no on-site programmers. They had worked for large, reputable companies like Shell Oil. But they were merely a go between. The most they were capable of was constructing semi-functional mock-ups which they would walk through during our meetings. There was a falling out between themselves and the outside programmer they found for my project. After many months, and thousands of dollars, I was told the programmer “barricaded himself in his house with the contents of my site”. I could barely afford to pay the fifty percent deposit I made in the beginning, much less pursue recompense in litigation. So, I lost about five thousand dollars there. The next web firm I hired was from out of state. The previous financial setbacks coupled with project deposits and travel expenses afforded me only one instance to meet with them in person. Once again, after months of back and forth, and thousands more, I was furnished with a disc that contained much of the previous; mock ups. I believe this instance to be attributed to a project beyond the scale of their capabilities. I will admit that I shelved this project for years after that in disgust. But the dream remained inside my mind. And I retained all twenty-three domains that lead to the site. For the passion I have about the music in my state, and for my determination not to admit defeat, I began to seek out a programmer on my own and educate myself on the various means to accomplish what was just a number of sketches in a notebook. It has taken years to get where I am. And it will take many more to get where I’m heading. But I will not stop.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
I am in the midst of this process right now. I am a Captain by trade. And Neworleansmusicians.com is more of a passion project than a “side hustle”. Brand recognition is gradually translating into greater income streams through merchandising, ad revenue, and production royalties. But cultivating that recognition takes time and care. Through the independent talent that makes up my site’s membership, the unique elements of our productions, and the personal perspective we give our fans, our brand will come to represent an entity that is motivated solely by the art itself. Some of the key milestones have included alliances with media and booking agencies, press coverage and interviews, and honestly just amassing a catalog of work on which the Neworleansmusicians.com brand can stand.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://neworleansmusicians.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neworleansmusicians_com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neworleansmusicians.net
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/david-trahan-312971235
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@neworleansmusicians
- Other: Neworleansmusicians.com Podcast is on all platforms by that name.
Image Credits
Charles Dye Photography