About
My name is Keith Novak, and I am a percussionist/songwriter/audio engineer/web designer/avid video game player. I am currently studying Music Recording Technology at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA, and if everything goes according to plan, I will graduate in the spring of 2012.
A picture of me playing my Korg MS2000B.
Musical influences include Frank Zappa, Rush, Todd Rundgren, and Animal Collective (especially Panda Bear). The music I make changes quite frequently but it often holds it’s roots in the electronic and experimental fields. I currently have one album on iTunes (under the moniker “MiTiDo”), there are more details about that on my music page. I am always working on more musical ideas, however, and I am in the process of creating a new album.
My music recording technology major is preparing me for the professional world of audio, but in the mean time, I am available for whatever you need me for, including mixing tracks, recording (into Logic Pro), mastering, live DJing and other live audio, and of course session musicianship. If you would like any of my services do not hesitate to contact me (see below).
In my free time I enjoy tinkering with electronics, playing video games, working on various websites, hanging out with the special lady, and enjoying all aspects of the music world.
Email: keith@novakeith.net
Other: Facebook
Keith, like you I am originally from Pennsylvania, I went to school there, I moved to Manhattan long ago when I was 22 and starting from nothing but through sheer work and determination, I’ve “made it big” so to speak. I have my own design firm writing and staging music and lighting and industrial shows, I work all over the world now, I’ve earned more money than I ever dreamed possible. And I give talented young people a helping start everyday.
Value yourself and value your work and realize that the value you will receive from others will directly reflect how much you value yourself in the first place.
Giving your work away for free on a network as huge as the internet is not a path to “making it big” Keith and your studio will not come “for free.”
Create good work, sell it for a fair price but the highest one the market will bear and you’ll gain respect and an income you can live on and grow.
But give it away and you, yourself, make the public statement that your best is still not worth actually purchasing. And once your “fans” have it once for free, they will never, as a coherent group, ever believe you are worth paying for again.
Never.
Do your work. Set your price. Take your chances in the market as we all do. But require from everyone that you get your price for creating something they want. Every fan, every time. True fans put their money where their mouth is. Always will. All the rest are leechers.
Mark my words.
Sam I Am
NYC
Thank you for that, Sam I Am. I understand that this should be a two way street (I make music, people should pay for it), as nothing in life is truly free. But I am comfortable releasing my own material for free, at least at this stage in my life. Maybe it is just the mindset that I grew into growing up in the digital age, where you can go on the internet and find the entire history of mankind on Wikipedia. I like that kind of power. And the entire free internet music thing is nothing new (take for example, Jonathon Coulton).
Again, I do understand your message, and I understand the value of working hard to obtain the goals I’ve set for myself. I hope my fans will mature with me so that when I start releasing music that I only want to charge for (as in, no free releases), they will support me by buying it.
” I hope my fans will mature with me so that when I start releasing music that I only want to charge for (as in, no free releases), they will support me by buying it.”
We can hope. But in the ten years since Napster the lesson seems clear, you either have the industry and their investments behind you (RadioHead, Reznor) or you go into apparel.
Selling t-shirts.
Respect doesn’t exist between fan and artist as it once did, but you can stand up for your rights and I suggest you do.
Sincere good luck.