After one of the most difficult winters we can remember, it’s with open arms that many of us greet the Summer of 2015. Just ask the folks in Boston and other places hit with severe weather and they will agree that this time of year is a welcome change as to what has been happening from coast to coast. Many of our music and program directors will concur that it seems to be a bit easier to get to work, especially if you are among the many that also double as morning show personalities. Those trips to the radio stations at 4:00 AM can be quite difficult and with weather not being such a factor makes it all that much easier for travel.

We always remember a summer by the music. Songs that we can hear from out of the past can take us back to better times and can transport us back in time, to events that were going on in our lives. There were always those magical songs that even if the word summer was not set in the lyric, we still got transformed back in time to memories that we will always have. As artists and music producers, the best way to be a part of any summer music is to plan for such events very early on so that your plan and projects are in place just as this time of year begins to take off. Planning a summer hit just doesn’t happen magically.

Last year there were a few songs that seemed to have taken hold of the musical ears and minds of the listener. For many in the pop arena we were humming along to “Rude” by the band Magic. Although there was no mention of summer in the lyric, it was the rhythm and the reggae feel that fit the mode of the season most perfectly. Over in Country the likes of Jake Owen to Kenny Chesney provided some great summer music. It’s hard to predict what will ever take hold of a season but the fun is to watch, see and hear just what makes an imprint in our music world during this very special time.

This is also the time of year for the outdoor concerts. No one will have a bigger year for live shows than the young and ever brilliant Taylor Swift. Even though she dissed a lot of her country fans with her latest album, she’s now becomes the queen of pop music and many of her fans in country are still following her from city to city. Kenny Chesney has some monster shows this summer and will eventually end up in the Rose Bowl in Southern California, which is always a massive event. He seems to have taken the role of the great Jimmy Buffett who we use to honor as the king of the Summer concert season.

Many of our radio stations are hosting summer events to shows at the local fairs to concerts this season. Independent recording artist Eric Nicole for instance just paid a visit to NMW reporting stations KLMJ and KQCR (Hampton, IA) for an in-studio visit and a performance. Programmer Mike Betten was thrilled and so was the local audience. Although we don’t advise artists to just spring an unannounced visit on any radio station, this one was planned, set up in advance and worked well for both artist and station.

There are so many advantages for artists during this time of year. From radio, to concerts and the chance to sell merchandise, this is the time of year when you can actually turn your music into money. Again if you missed the boat on this special time of year, the time to plan for next year is your smartest move. It’s that time of year when it is much safer to travel and many people are on vacation and ready to be entertained.

New Music Weekly continues to offer the very best “tools of the trade” for summer and recording artists. In addition to this issue there will be several others that you can participate in to get your music and message across to radio stations and their programmers. We are here for you so let’s all have a great Summer of 2015.