We've all been cooped up for awhile now and while we know it certainly can have negative effects on the brain it can on the body as well. When you stay inside too much you start to feel "off." We always knew this in the back of our minds but over the past few months, being encouraged (and in some cases mandated) to stay at home, it's been way too easy to stay indoors. We figured the reason we feel like crap if we stay inside for too long was due to a lack of Vitamin D. While that may be the case, we found a collection of studies that suggest something else entirely.

We have a Facebook group called RoshamFAM that's an open forum for ideas, art & projects (since we're always pushing ours). One of our fam shared these studies with us on from The Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Shout out to Cheryl.

Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons.

Usually, environmental health studies seem to focus on negative health of effects of your environment but this one suggests there's literally a whole world of positivity right underneath your feet. The earths surface is teeming with electrons and our modern way of life puts a barrier between us (concrete, asphalt, shoes). Returning to a more primitive human environment, a.k.a. getting your hands and feet dirty, once a day can can have a tremendous effect on your sense of well being. Here are 8 ways making direct contact with the Earth's surface can improve your health.

1. Regulating Sleep

You need sleep. No one needs to explain to you that if you don't get good sleep you'll be miserable. Earthing has been proven to to improve the time it takes to fall asleep, the quality of sleep and waking feeling rested.

2. Chronic Pain

82% of men and women in a blind study reported improvement in muscle stiffness and 74% reported improvement in chronic back or joint pain compared to 0%-12 who reported improvement in the control group.

3. Lower Blood Pressure

Some test subjects reported improvements with symptoms associated with high blood pressure, hypertension and even some respiratory conditions.

4. Improved Cortisol Levels

You need cortisol in your body to help control blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism, fight inflammation & assist in memory formation. However, too much cortisol can be very bad for you. Specifically, in men, high cortisol levels slow or stop the production of testosterone. While abstaining from certain foods like flax seeds, vegetable and hydrogenated oils (which are TERRIBLE for you anyway) can help regulate cortisol, Earthing seems to be effective as well.

5. Eliminates Ambient Voltage

There's still a considerable amount of debate on whether ambient voltage in the body caused by common electric power sources is harmful to humans but we can prove that the body is indeed effected by it. You absorb extra electricity from stuff in your house and walking barefoot outside discharges it.

6. Stress

Understanding the technical aspects of this particular double-blind study on how earthing affects stress requires a little more knowledge of root mean square (rms) values of electroencephalograms (EEGs) and how it relates to blood volume pulse (BVP). You're welcome to read more about it in section 2.4 of the study HERE.

We know you don't have time, but basically, you can stick a bunch of pads on people, measure specific electrical values and/or changes in their bodies and see how it effects their heart, brain, lungs and muscles. When you're stressed, your heart, brain, muscles and lungs react a certain way and that information can be quantified. Earthing has almost an immediate effect on your your body's EMP and BVP. In short, if you're stressed go outside and walk in the grass for awhile. You'll feel better.

7. Breathing/ Heart Rate

Another associated study has suggested that earthing can help stabilize variance in blood oxygen levels (BO), increase respiratory rates, stabilize heart rate variability (HVR) and raises the heart rate just enough to suggest metabolic healing response (due to an increase in oxygen levels).

8. Immune system

Earthing boosts your immune system. Another entirely separate study monitored levels of gamma globulin concentration in test subjects and noticed an increase in levels after earthing as well as the bodies abilities to absorb and maintain healthy vitamin and mineral levels.

There's a whole lot more to these collection of studies and you can take a more detailed look at the collection at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov We knew our moms were right when they told us to go play outside but we had no idea the depth of it's meaning. Obviously, there are lots of ways of treating all the things we've mentionioned but we found these studies to be interesting.

NEW EP COMING NEXT WEEK!

 

It's finally here! We've been working on an 808s Hip/Hop inspired remix EP for that last few weeks and we're finally ready to show it to you! It's available today to our Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/Roshambeaux and will be available on our store next week WED July 8, 2020! 

LIVE VLOGCAST TONIGHT!

We go live every Wednesday night at 8pm/est on Facebook. Come hang out, sit back and get in the chat. We want to hear what you've been up to!

Click To Watch Latest Episodes

Special Thanks To Our Patrons!
Nancy B, Renee T & Steve B!

These awesome people are the reason we're able to create our Blog, Vlog, Concerts & Studio Recordings! They are responsible for making sure the show goes on. We truly couldn't do this without them. 

If our content has helped you and you find some value in it, please consider contributing on at patreon.com/Roshambeaux even at just $1 per month. It goes a REALLY long way. There are multiple tiers for our supporters. Here's what our Patreon supporters receive for their donations each month.

 

Additional Thanks to:
William H & Jeff C!

Thanks for your donations last week! They really help to keep this going!

All Photos by Roshambeaux
Additional photo credits
Science- How Stuff Works
SOL Physical Therapy
heart.org
Dr. Mark Vanderpump
Banggood
Hubspot Blog
Live Science
ThoughtCo
 

 

 

We've been in the studio this last week finishing up the final tweaks on our latest EP. We're REALLY excited to show you! Look for an official announcement on it's release in the next week or so. We're planning on chatting more about it tonight on our Wednesday night Vlogcast at 8pm. Come hang out! We really enjoy getting to chat with y'all every week!

Click Image To Watch

The Georgia Guide Stones

J got a chance to go see the the Georgia Guide Stones in Elbert County, GA this past week. We've heard about them but we've always wondered what they say. While it seems like an ancient ruin it was actually erected in the 1980s and is often referred to as the "American Stonehenge." It's made from 6 granite slabs, stands over 19 feet tall and weighs 237,746 lbs!

Brief History

In 1979 a mysterious man known only as Robert Christian (no one knows his real name) approached the Elberton Granite Finishing Company representing "a small group of loyal Americans," as he put it, with the idea for the structure. The monument would serve as a compass, clock and calendar that would hopefully be able to withstand natural, human or technological disaster. The company called him "a nut" and quoted him a price several times higher than the cost of labor and material. They were shocked when the mysterious man accepted the quote saying his secret group had been planning the idea for over 20 years.

Inscription

So, this mysterious man and his secret society wanted 10 things written on the monument. This is what was inscribed in English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.

1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature. 
2. Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity. 
3. Unite humanity with a living new language. 
4. Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason. 
5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts. 
6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court. 
7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials. 
8. Balance personal rights with social duties. 
9. Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite. 
10. Be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature

J's Thoughts

On the Inscription.

"Most people believe this to be a depopulation monument due to the first 'commandment.' I do tend to agree with most of the statements except the first, realizing that 500,000,000 is roughly the population of India. This number seems to be a false expectation. But maybe they just forgot a few zeros? The second "commandment" I thought, at first, was very Nazi-ish but I soon realized they were only saying to not f*ck your sister... lol. Everything else I think most would easily agree with."

On Seeing it.

"It felt no different than any other monument I've visited except this one had a little more "fabricated" feel to it. I did find it interesting that this being built roughly 40 years ago and socially already has a sense of mysticism around it. I also reflect on why, in our modern times, we don't have more things like this to preserve our moral and social ideals against the test of time. Carving something into stone, as we've seen in our historic past, lasts a lot longer and has more impact than information stored on a server or harddrive."

 

Stats For The Nerds.

OVERALL HEIGHT 19 FEET 3 INCHES 

TOTAL WEIGHT 237,746 POUNDS

CAPSTONE 9-FEET, 8-INCHES LONG, 6-FEET, 6-INCHES WIDE;  1-FOOT, 7-INCHES THICK.  WEIGHS 24,832 POUNDS 

 951 CUBIC FEET [26.9 m³] 

GRANITE QUARRIED FROM PYRAMID QUARRIES LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF ELBERTON, GEORGIA.

 

Thanks to Our Supporters!

Nancy B, Renee T & Steve B.

These awesome people are creators of our Blog, Vlog, Concerts & Studio Recordings! They are responsible for making sure the show goes on through these unprecedented times. We truly couldn't do this without them.

If our content has helped you and you find some value in it, please consider contributing on Patreon starting at just $1 per month. It goes a REALLY long way. There are multiple tiers for our supporters. Here's what our Patreon supporters receive for their donations each month.

 

 

 

 

 

Hey RoshamFAM! A lot of people have been writing in and asking us how artists are keeping their heads above water during these strange and unprecedented times. We've gotten a chance to talk to a few of our artists friends over the past few weeks so here's our collective opinion.

Art-Is-Love-Is-Art 

Erich Fromm was an amazing Jewish-German psychologist who escaped Nazi Germany. His words about love, art and freedom still inspire us today. He helped us understand that love and art are really not that different. They’re both choices we make. They’re both giving of the self for someone else’s benefit. Perhaps most importantly if you sell either of them it makes you a… well, we won’t say it out loud, lol. 

As artists, it’s often a personal struggle to ask for or charge money for what we do. We didn’t get into this because we wanted to be rich or famous. We got into this because we genuinely think it’s our small way of making the world a better place. We like seeing people be happy and kind to one another. We like showing people it’s ok to be angry when it makes us do the right thing. We like talking about love in all it’s forms; It’s why we’re all here. We like singing about pain because we think it’s the best way to find healing.  We didn’t want these things to be just a small part of our lives. We wanted them to define us. So, we dropped everything else, even our “Day jobs.” 

We know not every artist feels this way. We actually wrote a song about it called Ms Dichotomy. You can listen to it on Spotify right now for free. Just click the Spotify image below. Don't forget to like & follow!

4 Ways To Help Creators That Make Free Content 

1. Just Enjoy It. 
The simplest way to support content creators is to absorb their content. Watching their videos, streaming their music and sharing their content with your friends on social media goes a really long way. By absorbing their content, even though it's not directly supporting them, offers encouragement and exposure to new people, especially when you share it.

Play Roshambeaux's Free Unplugged Livestream Concert from FRI 6/12/20

2. Tell Your Friends.
You're the big break your favorite artist needs. Sure, a nice feature spot on the right platform might offer a decent amount of exposure in the moment but it pales in comparison to what you can do for them. Personally, when we look at our favorite artists, they're not our favorites because we saw them on tv. They're our favorites because we link them to a memory of our friends sharing them with us. They became a part of our relationships. If you want to help an artist, you don't have to help them come up with some scheme to have millions of people see them all at once (although, it's a nice thought). All you have to do is tell a few friends that you think might enjoy them as well. As artists, it means the world to us! We got tagged in this and it made our day!

Click Image To See More On Our Instagram Page

Social Media (especially, Facebook) makes it easy to tell you friends about something you enjoy and invite others to enjoy it as well. Here's how you can do it (and yes, we're selfishly using our page as an example). This will do way more for your favorite content creator than any other promise of "exposure," because it's coming from you.

 

Click HERE To Open Facebook

 

3. Give on Patreon
With more and more live event centers announcing delays on reopening and facing second waves of shutdowns due to new Covid 19 cases, a lot of artists who relied on live performance as a steady means of income are having to shift to online content creation to stay afloat. When you're starting out, it's a little daunting (we speak from experience). You have to create free content for your audience, especially if you are trying to grow a new one online. It makes sense. You wouldn't buy something from a guy you just met if you didn't have the slightest idea of what it is you're buying. That's why so many Youtube shows, Spotify podcasts and online concert streams are free to stream and stay that way.

So, if you want to support an artist that makes free content, a very simple way is to donate to them on a platform like Patreon, even if it's just $1 a month. There are a tons of content creators on there from famous astro physicists like Neil Degrasse Tyson to single moms that make folk art. Most content creators offer unique rewards for being a monthly supporter. By doing so you become a part of their creation process and allow them to continue to create. Here's what we offer our supporters.

​​​​​​​

Click Image To Open Patreon

4. Buy Their Art
It's kind of the obvious one on our list but we often forget it. Not only does it directly support the artist when you make a purchase, you're also doing everything else on this list as well. Every time you wear one of their tee shirts, listen to their song or podcast with a friend or take a sexy Instagram photo with their visual piece in the background you're letting everyone you meet know the artist is worth supporting. It makes a big difference and keeps art alive.

Wanna Hang Out?

We go live with Van Philosophy- Live Vlogcast every Wednesday night on Facebook @ 8pm/est. Tune in tonight, sit back, ask questions, shoot the sh*t, and let us know what you're up too! When you do, make sure you leave a comment. We really like that!

Click Image To Open Our Facebook Live Page

Special Thanks To Our Very First Patreon Supporters!
Nancy B, Renee T & Steve B

We truly couldn't do this without you!

All Photos By Roshambeaux
Additional Photo Credits include:
Philosophy of Enrich Fromm- Highbrow

Hey Roshamfam!

We're so excited for this week! We have a jam packed week of new things coming out. We're so grateful we're able to continue to create in these strange and troubled times. We hope you are well and safe wherever you are. We miss you and love you very much!

 

Lessons From Eisenhower 

This last week has been heavy. There were a few times we felt like the world was falling apart. There's a lot of anger, resentment, pain and at times a sense of helplessness that have the potential to rob us of our principles: E Pluribus Unum. Though out of many we are one. When a brother falls we focus on picking him up because he is our responsibility. When police fail to uphold their duty we call them out. When privilege or policy is valued more than humanity we strike it down. When our own people are oppressed we lift them out. We listen more. We argue less. Being right is not an excuse to be cruel and the failures of our past do not make us helpless to change the world for the better.

With our Nation's birthday only a few weeks away we are reminded of a leader who's words, although spoken almost 70 years ago seem like they could have been said yesterday. We find encouragement from a man who's responsibility was to lead our nation through one of it's most painful, angry and war torn times. He saw the world with a compassion that only comes from looking evil in it's eyes before severing it's head. If nothing we say can inspire change we hope his still can.

1. "We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it"

2. "A people that values its privileges over its principles soon loses both."

3. "Extremes to the right and to the left in any political dispute are always wrong."

4. "Every gun that is made, every warship launched every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending it's laborers, the genius of it's scientists, the hopes of it's children. This is NOT a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war it is our humanity hanging on a cross of iron."

5. "The search of a scapegoat is the easiest of all hunting expeditions."

6. "Get it all on record now- get the films- get the witnesses- because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened."

7. "Never waste a minute thinking about people you don't like."

8. "We must never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion."

9. "Pessimism never won any battle."

10. "I'd like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think people want peace so much that one of these days the governments better get out of the way and let them have it."

"Pull the string and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere."

Dwight D. Eisenhower

New Single: Maybe I Don't Have To

As musicians we only play a small role in making the world a better place. Through these past few months we've felt depression, anxiety, anger, self pity, the urge to inflict violence and the urge to create. Faced with everything we could possibly do wrong we ask ourselves "But do I have to? Maybe I don't have to. Maybe I can love people. Maybe I can defend people. Maybe I don't have to be afraid of what I know is right. I didn't want to live in a time like this. However, maybe in a small way, my actions can bring us to a better time."

We are excited to say that we wrote a song about it and it officially comes out TODAY on our Patreon Page for just $1 patreon.com/Roshambeaux and on our webstore roshambeauxmusic.com/shop 

Streaming This Week

We have two livestreams this week on Facebook! We love seeing y'all on there! We'll be live streaming our 7th Episode of "Van Philosophy- Live Vlogcast" tonight 6/10/20 at 8pm/est. We hope you can join us and take a load off. We have a few special announcements we'll go over. We know you're reading the blog right now but take a quick second to click on the image below so you can get a reminder about tonight.

click image to get a reminder

Roshambeaux: A Night of ROmance (naked, stripped down, unplugged)

With the help of our Roshamfam (<-- click to join) group on Facebook we habe decided what style of performance we are doing this Friday! It's gonna be stripped down, naked and unplugged!! Be sure to tune in @ 8pm/est. Sit back, relax, get in the chat and let's have an awesome night together!

 

click image to donate

Patreon Launches Today!

If you've been following this Blog or Vlogcasts for the past few weeks you've heard us mention we've been working on a way to get extra exclusive content available for you guys. HERE IT IS!!! We are officially announcing our Patreon monthly subscription service! This is a way you can help support us and a way we can give it right back to you. Please consider joining us over there if you find even a little value in what we do. Weve set up 4 tiers starting as low as $1. Check em out!

$1- The In Crowd
Access to our to our exclusive Patreon feed, monthly shoutouts, early access to releases, merch, tour info & a free copy of our latest single upon release.
(Latest Single: "Maybe I Don't Have To")

$5- The High Fiver
High fives are free but for this one we'll send you our latest secret cover video (not available anywhere else) every month. We'll take suggestions from all our High Fivers on what songs to do next!
(Includes "The In Crowd" Perks)

$20- The Back Stage Pass
Step in to our studio every week for an exclusive live behind the scenes look at what we're working on whether its recording guitar tracks, songwriting, graphic design or video shoots.
(Includes "The In Crowd" & "High Fiver" Perks)

$50- Monthly Video Call
We're REALLY excited about this one! We want to do something extra special for you! In today's world it's so hard to get real time, intimate, face-to-face interaction, especially with artists. So, for your support we'd like to offer you a face-to-face performance that's special just for you every month. We'll give you a call, chat and sing you a song just between us. We can't wait to see your face!

click image to join our Patreon

Special Thanks To:

Valerie B, Rebekah, F, Gabe B, Cheryl H, Nancy B & Pam K

We truly couldn't do this without you!

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Roshamfam!

Last week we returned to Full Live Show streaming after a few weeks off in preparation for a few new things coming this month. Thanks to everyone that tuned in on Friday night! If you didn't get a chance to watch "Roshambeaux- Dropping Bombs: Full Show Live Stream" you can rewatch it now on Facebook Watch. Just Click the image below! 

Special Thanks To Our Supporters Last Week:

Jeff C, Cassie D, Renee T, Charles F, Momentum of Today, Tre' B, Colby W, Gabe, B, Phyllis F, Nancy B, Christine D, Lauren S, Nancy C, William H & Pam K! We truly couldn't do this without you!!! 

Roshamfam- a home for art, ideas & positivity.

If you're like us you've been noticing a lot of negativity on your social media news feed. A lot of it is warranted with everything that's been going on but we wanted to create a safe fun space that can cultivate connection, fun and a reprieve from life's struggles. If that sounds like something you'd like to be a part of just click the image below to take you to our private Facebook Group: Roshamfam. We talk about all sorts of stuff from gardening to favorite vacation spots to our favorite music (and of course what's going on with our favorite electronic duo). Once your there hit "Join Group" and someone in the family will let you in. We're all waiting for you!

Acoustic Live Stream Friday 6/12/20 @ 8pm

We're so grateful for our Roshamfam! Earlier this week we weren't sure what we should do for our next live stream so we asked the fam what we should do. Usually we struggle getting ideas from people on social media (because of algorithms and throttling) but we're able to connect with people instantly! We all decided the next Live Stream Concert should be unplugged. We're excited! Our first shows starting out were all unplugged and it's great that we don't have to leave that part of our lives behind. We'll have more info for you soon. But plan on seeing us stripped down, naked, unplugged, acoustic... (you get the idea) on Friday 6/12/20 @ 8pm. We'll have plenty of reminders on social media and in the Roshamfam group so be sure to follow us!

Van Philosophy Live Vlogcast Tonight

Since having to be off the road we've spent the last few months trying to figure out other avenues of providing entertainment. We've always wanted to do a podcast and we think we've found a good weekly rhythm. We toyed around with a few ideas but for right now we're doing them live on Facebook every Wednesday night at 8pm. Be sure to tune in tonight! Sometimes we have specific topics but sometimes we just hang out with whoever joins us.

Click to open Stream 
 

What's Leaving This Month

1. GAUDY MONSTROSITY:

Click Image to Get Your Copy Now

If you've been following our other blog entries you've seen that we released our very first collection of recordings together called "Gaudy Monstrosity," along with some special bonus material and photos that document our earliest years together as Roshambeaux. We'd left in in the vault for awhile taking it down from Spotify, Apple, YouTube etc but we wanted to show y'all how it all started and that record was when we knew we felt ok diving into this as a career. It will be available for one more week and we'll throw it back in the vault to make room for what's coming out next.

2. QUARANTINE QUOVER:

Click Image To Get Access To The Quarantine Quover
 

Last month Kyle did a secret bedroom recording of one of his favorites by Elton John. Solo, stripped down, unedited. If you haven't gotten a chance to see it, it will be available until June 10th at www.roshambeauxmusic.com/donate

3. FLAT TOPS & WOODEN BOXES

Click Image To Get Your Copy 50% Store Price

In April, the day Gov. Kemp ordered the GA "Shelter in Place" order we were finishing our Live Acoustic EP Flat Tops & Wooden Boxes. We're were really excited how it turned out. We imagine ourselves on a long dark desert road and this is what's playing in the background. It will be available until June 10th at www.roshambeauxmusic.com/donate until June 10th and it will be moved to our online store at full price.

4. DISCOUNTED MASK PRE-ORDERS

Click Image To Go To Shop. Save 25%

Last week we announced pre-orders for masks last week and they'll be in stock in a few days! Last week we offered the early birds 25% off masks and included our latest Single "Maybe I Don't Have To" as a free exclusive download (not available anywhere online). We're extending that offer this week until it hits our store on June 11th.

What's Coming!

1. Patreon

 

 

 

 

What's Patreon? Patreon is a membership platform that provides tools for creators run a subscription based content service. It basically allows content creators like us to earn a monthly income by provided exclusive rewards and perks to our subscribers or "patrons." Look for an official announcement next week!

2. New Single!
We've finished our latest full studio single "Maybe I Don't Have To," inspired by our time in quarantine. Right now it's only available for free with a mask preorder but it'll be available June 10th on the webstore and next donation tier at www.roshambeauxmusic.com/donate

3. New Exclusive Video
We like keeping things fresh so we'll have a new video to replace Kyle's Elton John Cover that's leaving the donation tier on June 10th.

4. Masks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They'll be in stock next week but you can get your's now for 25% off + our new single FREE!

5. New EP
We've been working on a remix EP inspired by our 808s N Chill Live stream we did last month! J's hot in the studio putting on some finishing touches before we give it a final mix and master. We don't have a release date scheduled but look for an official announcement in a few weeks!

6. Merch Poll
We have a few ideas for some new merchandise but we want to hear your ideas. We'll take advice from Patreon (once it's launched) and from our Roshamfam members so make sure you get in one of them!

 

We have SO much going on this week so let's go over the highlights! We're really excited to show you a few things we've been working on getting out to you! A few are here this week and a few more are on their way! Be sure to make your way to the end of this blog post. We saved the coolest thing for last!

After Math Masks

This week we're taking pre-orders for face masks and we're offering our supporters 25% off! These masks are high quality, eco-friendly, reusable and comfortable to wear all day. The CDC recommends wearing a mask as one way to help stop the spread of Covid-19 in addition to social distancing. If you'd like to review the latest peer reviewed study on the proven effectiveness of face masks by the International Journal of Nursing Studies we found a great article HERE.

Click Image To Open Shop

EXCLUSIVE NEW SINGLE!

We've been working on a few new tracks and we're so excited to announce that our new Full Studio Single "Maybe I Don't Have To,"  is out Now! If you'd like to get a copy it's available exclusively for free with each mask pre-order. It will be available for regular download and supporter tiers in a few weeks! You can hear a preview on our Facebook and Instagram Stories. Be sure to follow our pages if you haven't already.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TONIGHT!

Did you know that we live stream this Blog every Wednesday Night at 8pm on Facebook? It's a series called "Van Philosophy Live Vlogcast," a time to connect, chat and answer any questions you have about our favorite electronic duo. We really enjoy hanging out with you and hearing about your day. Be sure to tune in! We don't just talk about music. In fact we'd rather just talk to you! Tune in for episode 5 tonight at 8pm est. 

Click Image To Open Facebook

 

FULL SHOW LIVE STREAM THIS FRIDAY! 

We took a break for a few weeks from live show streaming so we could work on getting a few projects off the ground for next month. We've missed it a lot! We are SOOO excited to announce we have an official time slot for our live stream this Friday! Thanks for tuning in last week's Van Philosophy Live Vlogcast E4 to help us decide! If you missed it you can still watch it on Facebook (just click the Vlog link). We can't wait to see you and rock out! Click the flyer below to visit the official FB event for the stream. Please help us invite some cool babes & breauxs like yourself. The more the merrier! We don't have a fire code capacity for this one! 

Click Image To Open Your Official Event Invitation

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

We wouldn't be able to continue making content if it wasn't for our awesome supporters! Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts! When we had to shift our content from live events to solely online due to the Covid 19 outbreak we weren't sure if we'd be able to continue making music. Continued support from readers like you help to ensure we can keep this project going and continue creating content that has value. Here's our shout outs for last week's supporters!

Phillip T, James B, John & Laura L, Rosemary D, William & Sharon S, Nancy B, Christene D, Renee T & Phyllis F!

Y'all are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for your support!

 

THIS MONTH'S SUPPORTER TIER

Last week we released, for a very limited time, our first collection of recordings together called "Gaudy Monstrosity." It's not available anywhere online for purchase or streaming. It will be available on this month's supporter tier along with some exclusive bonus content not included with the original release and then will go back in the vault to make way for the next wave of new music coming in a few weeks. If you haven't gotten a chance to get it (or any of the other exclusive supporter content) you still can at roshambeauxmusic.com/donate. If you enjoy what we do and find even a little value in it, please consider making a donation of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20 or more. Here's this month's supporter tier.

 

 

ROSHAMFAM!

You made it! We saved the most exciting bit of news for last! We started a 24hr group chat on Facebook called "Roshamfam." This is a home (more like a tree fort) for fans of Roshambeaux to hangout, share thoughts, pictures, ideas & shadow drops of our favorite electronic duo. If you know of any other babes or breauxs that should be here in this group with all of us, invite them so we can chat, share and become a family! We're waiting for you! 

How to Join...
Simple, just click the below image to go to the Facebook Group. Hit "Join Group" once you're there to knock on the door and one of our Family members will let you in. We just put this up and it's already growing by word of mouth. It's really cool to see what people are posting and sharing! We're keeping it invitation only for now but consider this your invitation!

Click Image To Go To Group

 

 

 

 

How Musicians (Used To) Make Money

The time tested model of income (or potential income) for a musician at any level has been the same for 50 years whether it's a popular Top 40 charting artist or the guy playing for tips at a smoky bar to 4 people on the bad side of town. 

1. Concerts 60%

Roshambeaux- Lynch's Jacksonville, FL
(We can't wait to see you guys again!)

As performers or entertainers it's easy to understand that the most money you'll make comes from, well... performing and entertaining. That's why most artists try to hit the road as soon as their new album is released. The idea that an artist can get a song on the radio and sit back and collect fat royalty checks until they write their next hit is a nice thought but it's at best an exaggeration. Even if that were the case (Here's looking at you Rembrandts!), imagine the direct difference just a few sold out arena shows, for even just, a week would mean for that artist. It's the same metric for the guy that gets one week of airplay on an am college station and makes $0.04 in royalties; He'd definitely make at least a few bucks busking on the street next to a local cafe. The bottom line is that any musician will make the most money actually playing for people.

 

2. Merch 25%

Limited sizes available at roshambeauxmusic.com/shop

If you've ever talked to an artist agent or artist manager you've probably heard the phrase, "Tees and Tours." Merchandise is that little extra that can make or break a successful tour. As we've said, lots of tour plans just plan to break even after agent fees, hotels, food, gas and advertisement so a lot of times the actual artist's paycheck can heavily rely on selling tee shirts after the show. We're not saying it's impossible to tour without merch and still make a living but  having a good stock of things that help people take the experience home with them makes a huge difference on whether or not being a musician is sustainable in the long run.

 

3. Licencing 10%

The next time you watch a show on Netflix try closing your eyes and to pay attention to how much music is in any given episode of your favorite show. Typically those shows entered an agreement with the musician. The deals range from flat initial buys to very small percentages of what the episode generates in the long run. There are plenty of artists that make a full time living off licensing but the model still stands. Artists will make a lot more playing that song for a crowd of people at a show. Sometimes just one show, two or three if you got a sweet deal.

 

4. Royalties 1-5%

Our Royalty Report (page 1) from May 2020

The word "royalties" is kind of laughable. The idea that that's what will make you live like the King of Spain is in just one word: WRONG. In the old days radio might pay an artist $0.03-05 (on the high end) per play. With the advent of streaming services that number has gone down to $0.00069 for basic subscribers and $0.00084 for paid subscribers. So if an artist goes viral with a million plays in 2020, they'll get a check for $690. That being said, if you're getting a million plays on your single you should probably book a tour. You'll easily make that in a night.

So... What Do We Do Now?

Lots of musicians are setting up monthly donation tiers with perks for for their supporters ranging from simple shout outs, discounts on merch and of course music. It's definitely challenging but we've been personally blown away by the support of our own "Roshamfam" as we call them (or Roshambros/Roshambabes? Let us know?). It's challenging moving from performing more or less the same show in a different city every night for a year or two until the next album comes out to coming up with fresh content every month. Writers block has always been stressful but now it's a lot more "in your face." However, in a small way it lets us focus on the things we promised ourselves we've never let go of: Creating. We're heavy into putting on the finishing touches on what will be our second EP for this year with plans for at least one more and a full album as well. It used to be that an artist would release one project every two or three years. Now it seems like we'll be releasing two or three per year. The pressure is a little scary but luckily we've been into things that are a little scary anyway (just watch our music videos on YouTube HERE).

click image to donate

 

If you enjoy what we do and find even a little value in it please consider donating $1, $2, $5, $10, $20 or more and become a part of our creation process. Here's last week's new supporters. 

David M, Nancy B, Steve B, Christene W, Rane D, Christine D, Bill & Elena H, Nick R & Colby W.

Thank you guys SO much! We couldn't keep going without you!

Live Streaming

Even though we're still not able to get back on the road we've been lucky to get to see y'all on our weekly Vlogcast live on Facebook. Be sure to tune in tonight 5/20/20 at 8pm. It's so much fun getting to hang out with you!

We're planning on doing another Full Show live stream on Friday 5/29/20. Look for an official announcement next week! If you haven't gotten a chance to see the last one, you can watch it now below.

Click Image To Watch

 

Patreon

Patreon is membership platform that provides business tools for creators to run a subscription based content service. It allows creators to and artists to earn monthly income by providing exclusive rewards and perks to their subscribers or "patrons." One of our favorite artists that uses Patreon is Otis Grey. You can check out his page Sleepy on Spotify. Otis uses his ridiculously calming voice to read old books in the public domain to help you fall asleep each night. His patrons receive exclusive poetry readings every month and new subscribers' names are featured on new episodes of Sleepy. 

We're excited to announce our launch of Patreon in the coming weeks! We'll have a few different tiers of exclusive content so be sure to follow us if you haven't already. If you have a favorite Patreon Artist give them a shout out in the comments! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Photos by Roshambeaux
Additional Photo Credits
billboard.com - Corona Virus Cancellations Expose Vulnerability of Touring
Netflix- Netflix Logo
Patreon- Patreon Logo
Otis Grey- Sleepy Podcast on Spotify

 

Gaudy Monstrosity!

We're excited to re-release this project! When we recorded this project we'd only known each other for a short while but had already decided to be best friends over some Mike's "Harder" Lemonades. We both agreed they were in fact "harder" despite tasting like vomit and lemon pledge. We'd both come from other bands, J from metal and Kyle from acoustic/jam. We'd both written a lot of music that didn't have a place in the worlds we came from so we decided that it was time to make our own. Kyle had a few acoustic demos he made in his apartment with a learners version of Protools and J had a library of beats and instrumental tracks with an early version of Reason.  We didn't have a sound, a look or even a plan but had just enough songs for a project. We recorded it ourselves in J's mom's attic and went to Best Buy and got jewel cases, Maxwell CDs and a paper cutter. We'd built up a small following at a local club that had given us a Thursday night residency so we planned a CD release party. We called it Gaudy Monstrosity because it was something big for us at the time but we knew we weren't accomplished song architects with fancy tools. It had feet of clay but a head of gold. After 10 years we look back, cringe and smile. We hope we can have the same sentiment for what we're doing now in 10 years. This is what the crowd heard 10 years ago in a dingy, pirate themed club that decided to give us a shot.

 

This release will only be available for a very short time and comes complete with "Cut N Fold" art and bonus photos and memoirs from our first year together. We'll tell you how to get your copy before it's discontinued again below.

Covid 19 & Our Tour

We've cancelled dates into mid June and are unsure when we'll be able to resume a normal tour schedule. We've been nothing short of fortunate and blessed by our amazing fans that have told us to press on and keep making music and have allowed us to so with their contributions and support. We're so glad to have you be a part of our creative process. This month we are paying homage to the people that have been with us from the beginning. We have for you this week.

New Music Coming Soon!

Last week we started recording a new full studio single inspired by our time in quarantine. The song is called, "Maybe I Don't Have To." We're putting the finishing touches on it and we can't wait for you to have it! We also started recording tracks for a new Remix EP. We had a lot of fun with our off the cuff live remix stream "808s N Chill" last month. We've always had a lot of fun imagining what our songs would sound like in other genres. It was great getting to think outside of our box. We decided to give the idea a little more production. We REALLY dig the vibe and we know you will too! We can confidently say both projects are some of our best work. We'll have more news on how both projects are coming along next week so stay tuned! If you haven't gotten a chance to watch our "808s N Chill" Stream" you still can on our Facebook page. Just click the graphic below.

 

Live Vlog Tonight!

We'll be back with our Live Vlog tonight on Facebook at 8pm! We'll have more to share about how we got started. Come hang out! Ask us anything! Sorry for the short notice! We got distracted! See you tonight!

No Streams This Week But...

We have a few new projects we're working on including a brand new Studio Single called, "Maybe I don't have to" and another EP! Be sure to check in with us next week! We just might have a few shadow drops for you.

In preparation for what we have coming up, we won't have any streams this week but we're hoping having some fresh music will make up for it. If you weren't able to tune into last week's Quaranstream, "Mayday Mayday Full Stream Ahead" you can still watch it on our Facebook page (just click the image above). We had a lot of fun and can't wait for the next one!

Thanks For Your Support!

We're 8 weeks into quarantine and subsequently 8 weeks into a full tour cancellation. We've had to pull dates so far into mid June (possibly longer). We were very afraid that this could have meant the end of our music careers but we've had the support of so many amazing people these past few weeks keeping us going! There's no way we could have survived this without you! You are so inspiring! Shout out to last week's supporters!

Stephen D, Adrian F, Nancy B, Pam K, Brooks Plumbing, Rebekah F, Steve B & David M!

Y'all are so awesome! We can't wait to show you what we've been working on! It's because of you that we get to! If you'd like to join our list of supporters and get yourself some fresh new tunes and exclusive videos start by clicking the donate button below. It really helps!

So... How's it going?

Really, how's it going? It's ok if you're going a little insane. How many weeks are we into this anyway? We call it cheese brain: That feeling you get when you're not done with something but you just have to NOT deal with it right now. We've had plenty of days like that over the past few few weeks and if you've been fighting the cheese brain along with us let's hang out tonight.

We're on our 30th week of blogging and we're excited to see it develop into new things. We tried converting Van Philosophy into a prerecorded Vlog/Podcast and honestly it just felt like pulling teeth. We joke around with each other a lot when we get into situations like this.

"Hey man, so... which Ninja Turtle are you right now?"

It's a little bit of an inside joke but we think most people get it. We grew up watching cartoons and we'd get so excited watching them we'd let our imaginations run wild and pretend we were those characters. We still kind of do that. Not necessarily with cartoons but with other heroes. It's easy to get caught up in what other people are doing and we don't think it's such a terrible thing in and of itself. However, it can turn into something awful if you measure your self worth on what other people are doing. It turns "I want to" into "I have to."

"I have to" is a horrible place to be. It's what makes cheese brain. It distracts you from what you want to do and who you want to be. Our most recent "I have to" was a Vlog. Don't get us wrong, a Vlog is a great idea. We just went about it in a way that didn't work for us. Our whole reason for doing it was so we could find new ways of maintaining a connection to people when we're not able to see them. We love you guys. We miss you.

So, last week we took a step back and discussed what it was we actually wanted to accomplish with the idea. And you know what? It went really well. We're still doing the Vlog but it's live (you know, like what we're used to doing :p). We'll be on again at 8pm/est tonight. Be sure to tune in and tell us how you're doing. Tell us what your "I have to's" have been during this crazy pandemic and who's the best Ninja Turtle (and why it's Donatello).

Mayday Mayday!

Last week we did a live remix stream called "808's N Chill." It was a lot of fun getting to reinvent our music on the fly. If you missed it you can watch it on our Facebook Page HERE. Music starts at 1:44. Let us know what you thought. We asked you what you'd like to see for this week's stream and y'all said we should rock out with a full show so that's what we're gonna do! Tune in this Friday 5/01 @ 7pm for "Mayday Maday! Full Stream Ahead!" We can't wait to see you. Be sure to let us know what you want to hear!

If you been following our tour updates you've seen that we've cancelled the remaining dates of our Spring Tour bringing the the total to 14 weeks off the road. We're unsure how far tour cancellations will extend at this time. As you may know, Touring makes up about 90% of an artist's income. If you enjoy what we do and find even a little value in it please consider donating $1, $2, $5, $10, $20 or more. 

 

 

Here's our new supporters from last week. We couldn't continue with out you! Special Thanks To: 

Heather D, Caleb C, Renee T, Alfonso B, Brooks Plumbing, Charles F, Michael O, Holly F, Kristie E, Colleen K, Jeff C & Kristy G!
 

 

 

All Photos by Roshambeaux
Additional Photo Credits:
Looper, "TMNT"
acepilots.com, "Great Aircraft of History"