Projects, the role of Entertainment and Discretionary Spending

Projects, the role of Entertainment and Discretionary Spending

To: President George W. Bush
From: Frank Paul Gambino
Date: 7 October 2008

This will certainly be a good year but how do you go about making it a great one? Start by telling yourself that all things are possible. Continue by trying something new every single day. Finish by loving someone from the depths of your heart.

Try not to overreact to criticism today because that will give your rivals the impression that you have something to hide - and it may be true. Act as if you don't have a care in the world. If you pretend hard enough it won't be an act for long.

First of all, I heard from Janet last night so I am not paying attention to the rumors out there.

I have been doing a lot of maintenance on my studio computer and decided to make a few changes in how I create music. I think I will start using Samplitude V8 Classic as my default Host Program instead of Acid Pro 5. I uninstalled Acid Pro 5 and cannot install Acid Pro 6 for some reason. I think I will start using Samplitude V8 Classic as the Host and Reason 4.0 as the Slave along with my VST and VSTi and Cubase SL-3 to do my studio work unless Samplitude V8 Classic proves to be everything it is supposed to be. In which case I will not install Acid Pro 6 and give it away and let go of either Sonar 7 or Cubase SL-3, probably I will install Sonar 7 in another computer in my name and give up Acid Pro 6, I opened the box but it is still unused and can be registered in the name of the person I give it to. This is my next project! This will take my music creations to another level.

I have a lot of reading and studying in front of me, I have to read the whole Samplitude manual and this book on Reason 4.0, I know Reason 3.0 and have been using 4.0 but it has new features I am not totally clear on and the book I have explains the new features. I plan to get back into my music and split my time between blogging and creating music and working, I had to work more hours last week and yesterday but today I should be back on my regular schedule and will have time for my studio projects. My studio fell behind on the updates and I probably have more to go I have been neglecting my studio and putting all the focus on the tour, I need to mix it up more because my intentions was to work on some material for Janet’s next project while she is on tour.

I suggested that Janet consider a more advanced ticketing pricing system and not sell tickets like a drug dealer, who has the customers hooked. She has to win them over again, even if it means a price breaks on some tickets, we want to sellout every show even if it means lower ticket prices the work is the same before a 75% capacity crowd and an 95% capacity crowd (The same show), but if you reduce the tickets about 25% or 35% we might sell more tickets faster, we are in a recession and discretionary spending is down, people are losing their jobs, but entertainment is even more important now than during good times because people need to forget for moment to refresh their minds to think there way out of the current situation, but $135 for a front row might be steep, maybe $75 to $85 and bunch of $60 and $50 tickets and the back row for about $35, Janet does not need money she just needs to pay her band and entourage, but out of principles she has to gain a profit for her work.

This comes to accounting practices, she has to tabulate all expenses and determine a breakeven point to figure in a profit margin. I think they call it a breakeven analysis. Something I picked up in statistics. I think Live Nation should reduce the price of concert ticket across the board in response to the Bailout Bill Act. And price tickets according to Wall Street reports when the economy starts to grow again we can go up on the prices.

Entertainment should work in cohesiveness with the economy and sometimes do certain things in reverse to support a recovery. Even the box offices at the movies are down while ticket prices are going up when they should be going down. This is a time when actors, singers and other entertainers to be taking price cuts, they get extravagant salaries so a 25% to 35% cut in wages does not put them out on the streets but it makes it possible for businesses to advertise cheaper and allows people feed their families and buy gas, now when these prices balance back out they can ask for more because people will have the discretionary money to spend. Hell the price of housing is going down due to foreclosures so they come out ahead anyway, it is a buyers market.

Frank Paul Gambino