Project Management At It's Best

The South Florida Gospel Music Awards

The South Florida Gospel Music Awards held it’s annual event earlier this month. The event was organized by Peppi Hendrix, Founder, CEO and Executive Producer for the SFGMA. Mr. Hendrix and his staff are a good example of project-based teamwork.

According to the organizations website, (http://www.sfgma.com/) Peppi Hendrix started the gospel music based organization in 2004. He and his team have since held two awards events in the West Palm Beach, FL area. Because of Hendrix’s leadership, the group has seen significant growth in the state of Florida, The Bahamas, and internationally.

As any project manager will tell you, success does not come without failures. This includes spiritually-based projects as well. An awards show of the magnitude in which SFGMA holds has many different components that need to come together for an excellent finished product. There are venues to be secured, hotel rooms to be blocked, and artists to be booked. Many things can go wrong in this phase of the process. Venues can already be secured by other events. Hotel rooms can be sold out. Artist’s availability may become an issue. An organizations organization skills can remedy all of these problems, and based on the success of the 2010 SFGMA Show, that’s exactly what happened. The show was a success, with several groups from the South Florida area receiving awards for the following categories: Best Gospel Male; Best Gospel Female; Best New Group; Best Gospel Hip Hop Artist; Best Praise and Worship; Minister of Music of the Year; Best Contemporary Gospel Artist, and more. 

Hendrix and the SFGMA staff have once again brought a project from brainstorming to successful finished product. 

Street Teams

Cheap, Yet Highly Effective Marketing Tools

Today, we take a look at Street Teams-the low-cost, yet highly effective marketing tool for  gospel music labels.

James Blakely of indie music website golistenlive.net defines street teams as “a group of devoted fans that want to help spread the word about a new product or group.” Blakely’s explanation does not officially call street teams a marketing tool, however, that’s exactly the purpose intended for them. Street teams are by far the most effective marketing tool available to record labels as they are able to reach consumers by distributing promotional materials to targeted areas.

Calling the shots for a street team is a fun yet challenging endeavor. The street team manager is responsible for choosing the team, directing the team, communicating with the team, and compensating the team. According to eHow.com, choosing team members is the first and most difficult step in putting together a good team. The article states, “Find and gather individuals who are passionate about the artist or band's music…get their contact information ...communicate what the street team's function is.” Blakely gives cautionary advice, stating, “…remember that they (team members) are carrying your good name. Be very selective who is on the Street Team. Any trouble makers could hurt more than help.”

After assembling the team, a manager has to give directives that will accomplish the goals of the artist. The eHow.com article recommends the following to team managers: “Plaster areas where the band's listeners are likely to congregate with your marketing materials…find venues where bands similar to yours are playing, discover what demographic your band reaches and start there.” Giving advice on properly targeting your demographic, the article states, “if this is a Christian rock group, putting up posters at the Orthodox synagogue isn't the best way for you to utilize your team.”

Social networking sites have made it easier than ever to communicate with many people in many different places. These sites are ideal for a street team manager that wants to stay in touch with team members. Sites MySpace, Facebook and MeetUp are just a few that can be utilized to connect with many members all at once.

The biggest benefit of utilizing street teams is the form of compensation that team members receive. Members usually work for freebies such as t-shirts, CD’s and concert tickets. Not having to pay members with cash gives labels more money for the printing of promotional materials and other expenses.

"Traditional" Gospel Music vs. "Secular" Gospel Music

Your Grandma hates the "hippity-hoppity" beats of Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary. You fall asleep every time you listen to Shirley Ceasar and Andre Crouch. This is yet another device of division amongst God's Children.
The truth is, as time and music creativity moves on, so does the generations of Saints. Old Negro Spirituals are no-no's for twenty-somethings, but they can still reach a level of effective Praise and Worship through J. Moss, Fred Hammond and Marvin Sapp. Baby Boomers may not be able to usher in the Holy Spirit while listening to Kirk Franklin, but break out some "Guide Me Over Thy Great Jehovah"and revival is in session.
I'm proud to be a part of the generation that saw Gospel Music go to new heights. We (my generation) can actually enjoy an old-school Devotion Service with the Deacons singing songs of old, and, we can "Stomp" with Kirk and GP. We can belt out all 300 verses of Amazing Grace, and, we can "Take The Shackles Off (our) Feet So (we) Can Dance".
It's all for the kingdom!!!
It's my belief that both old-school and new are needed to help us get through the trials and tribs of life today. We need some "Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine" when we're feeling alone in this big 'ol world. However, we need some "It's The God In Me", when we feel like getting our dance on (In Christ, of course)!
As always, these are my opinions. You may or may not be of your frame of thought. Feel free to give your input, whether it's good, bad or ugly.
I bid you farewell for now, but tune in later for more....

Transitioning From a “World-ly” Life To a “God-ly” Life

Today, we look at your “Ear-Gate”, or, what you let into your spirit through hearing.

Since I’m a lover of good food (I’m from Louisiana for crying out loud), I felt that using eating analogies would make this information “easier to swallow”. Bon appétit!

Change your music.

Beginning your spiritual cleansing means that you have to stop “feeding” your mind/spirit the same junk that kept you bound in the first place. Changing your music “diet” is a great place to start.

Your favorite radio station can be as damaging to your spiritual diet as a Triple Bacon Cheeseburger (with extra mayo and an added hot link sausage) is to your physical diet (if you don’t already listen to “gospel/inspirational/Christian” music). A simple rule of thumb for listening to music is: If God’s not in it, don’t listen to it! Therefore, Lil’ Wayne = Chitlins with extra salt and hot sauce, while Yolanda Adams=Holiday Turkey with all the trimmings!

This part of your spiritual journey is going to be difficult, but not impossible. Changing your “eating” habits is always hardest when you first start out. 

A Somewhat New Believer

Will Spottsville
Greetings. I'm Will Spottsville, a somewhat-new Christian. I'm a PK (Preacher's Kid), who didn't have "that" encounter until later in my adult life.