Have just had a very welcome email from Indielab whose pages offer “resources and tips on innovative music promotion for independent musicians.” Note  their use of the term “Independent” rather than the horrible alternative: “Unsigned”.  Innovative approaches to musicmaking are of course desirable – indeed vital – but at the same time there’s no reason why young artists should be forced to reinvent the wheel again with every successive generation. Adam Walton – new music guru at BBC Wales – told me only today  “I grew up in a tiny village in North Wales that was so far removed  from everything, we had to crane our necks to see the sun set. There was no accrued wisdom about music or musicians… the band I was  in had to rely on getting a support slot at the only local venue so  that we could suck advice out of the touring bands.” There are tried and tested approaches to making and promoting new music which have been shown to work time and again, and none of them are rocket science. And that’s the value of sites like Indielab and  New Music Strategies – their posts, discussions and comments sections provide musicians worldwide with a space to pool their collective wisdom and experiences. Share and enjoy.