We love to hear stories about how real things are created from just an idea. Learning about how they took shape, hearing of the struggles, setbacks, and successes the creator experienced during the process. It inspires us to get up and run with our own ideas, believing they are possible.
We interviewed Bo Weber, a musician from Minneapolis who created an online music publication that supports thousands of touring and recording artists, from local to international acts. Enjoy!
Bo, How did Music In Minnesota come to be?
Since I was 17, I attended concerts and waited around outside with hopes of getting an autograph. I was interested in their music and their careers, and I was also in a band myself, so I’d ask a lot of questions. I left many of the conversations I had with these artists wishing I had recorded them.
I wanted to meet with bigger names in music, but I didn’t have money to afford admission to the larger concerts around town, and had zero odds of catching someone like Taylor Swift hanging outside the venue.
That’s when I began trying to sneak into festivals and concerts, pretending to be with a band or claiming to be working the event. Unfortunately, that was a terrible idea and I would not suggest it.
When I was in a band, we had difficulty landing press stories on music blogs, newspapers and magazines. I knew there was a need for this, especially in the local scene. I realized creating this type of outlet could give me a chance to establish relationships with artists and support them simultaneously.
I bought a domain name and created a website with the help from my friend Ryan. I’d contact dozens of artists per week asking for an interview and eventually I got a few.
While attending these shows, I would see photographers in the venue and introduce myself. I’d ask to see photos of the live performances, which were almost always better than the ones I took. I asked photographers if they’d like to shoot for Music In Minnesota. Several accepted the invitation.
Soon we had a team of 50+ talented contributors covering a couple hundred shows per year.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first two years were difficult doing a lot of it on my own. From handling artist relations, shooting, editing, writing, graphic design, not to mention learning how to fix never-ending website issues.
My girlfriend at the time let me borrow her camera. She would even assist in filming while I conducted interviews. I had no money to buy a camera of my own, much less a tripod.
I remember pulling quarters out of my change jar at home to walk down to Dairy Queen in NE Minneapolis. They had 70 cent hot dogs after 7pm or something like that. Her and I would each get two and that would often be our dinner.
I was painting houses during the day as my full time job, and working on Music In Minnesota at night. All of my leftover income would go toward hiring a developer to fix or make improvements to the site. It was frustrating putting in effort into an idea and not receiving any rewards in return for so long.
Once others began joining as contributors, it relieved some responsibilities from my plate, but also created a different struggle which was figuring out how to manage our growing team. I had to learn how to be a leader and a business owner, and I’m still learning.
Thanks for sharing that. Tell us a bit more about your work.
Within the last six years, our team has not only had the opportunity to be official press for the largest names in the industry, but we’ve also been proud to support hundreds of local artists in the state of Minnesota through our website.
The local writers and photographers that make up Music In Minnesota are the most passionate group I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of.
What matters most to you?
It’s important to me to provide individuals with opportunities and experiences they might not have been able to reach otherwise, and create a community of people who have common interests and goals. Seeing people express themselves through their art and show excitement in their passion is incredibly fulfilling.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.musicinminnesota.com
- Instagram: @musicinmn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MusicinMN
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/musicminnesota
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MusicInMinnesota
Image Credits
Travis Ellison (Cardi B.)
Christian Seiler (Crowd surfing photo)
Chris C. Taylor (Front row photo and Lazer light show photo)
