I don't know if you know this about me, but when I'm not playing trumpet, I am usually writing. This week I'm at a sales writing convention (the American Writers and Artists Bootcamp) and in one of the presentations we were looking at a classic ad from the 20's, selling piano lessons. The headline was "They laughed when I sat down at the piano, but when I started to play..." As a writer, I've studied this John Caples ad closely. But the reason that I want to share it with you is that you can learn form it too. This ad isn't just about learning piano. It's more about the emotions that lead people to learn an instrument. It's about overcoming social awkwardness. It's about the respect that the person gains when they pick up an instrument and surprise everyone by actually being good. I can relate. Sometimes people are surprised when I pick up the trumpet and start to play. It never gets old. John Ford, the writer who was talking about this ad, was telling us about how he learned to play the guitar because it helped him gain the attention of one particular girl. (He lost the girl, but kept the guitar. LOL.) If you're trying to teach lessons or promote yourself as a musician, take a moment to think about the emotions that lead you to want to learn. What are the emotions that drive your students? The more you can write about and trigger those emotions, the more people will respond to your messages when you are trying to promote yourself. If you need help with writing promotional material, let me know. Just reply to this email or call me at 505-515-7001. Writing promotional copy is what I do for a living, and it's always a pleasure to help musicians. Keep practicing! Mandy Marksteiner Join our mailing list today!
