Joel Wood joins Mark Trammell Trio
The Mark Trammell Trio announced yesterday that their new tenor will be Joel Wood. His first official date with the group will be July 10 in Sikes, Louisiana.
Wood had performed with Georgia’s Daybreak Quartet for four years. Joel and his wife Melissa have four boys—Tyler (10), Brayden (7), Jaxon (3), and Cameron (9 months). He just had his 29th birthday.
Joel had been with Daybreak since May 2005 and owned a landscaping business, Mac’s Landscaping in Columbus, Georgia. Before joining Daybreak Quartet, he sang with several other groups, most recently the Damascus Road Quartet. He also occasionally sings with Men of Grace, a group based in his home church, Grace Baptist Church of Columbus, Georgia. His brother David is also in that group.
He enjoys golf, and according to Daybreak’s biographies page, at one point made plans to attempt to go professional.
The quartet has posted a number of complete songs on their ShoutLife page. Wood has a solo on “Nothing But the Blood” and a brief lead on “The Cross Speaks Louder.” Via Daybreak’s Facebook page, a number of other songs are available for listening here. Wood has a solo on “Sing Oh Sing,” “God Bless the USA,” and “My Country Tis of Thee.” Wood’s voice quality reminds me of Liberty Quartet’s Keith Waggoner (and, though Waggoner isn’t a household name yet, I say that as a compliment to Wood).
Wow. 50 comments. Not bad at all!
#45, Mark, I guess the bottom line for me is that it doesn’t matter how good a group is or who sings with them, if I’ve never heard of them or don’t ever hear them on the radio or see them in concert. LOL!
email me your address and I will send you their new cd so you can say you have heard them. Then your world will be complete.
markforestermusic@yahoo.com
Brady – and yet, many of today’s top groups started out as groups you’d never heard of. The McKameys and Hoppers spent decades as local/regional groups.
Even the mighty Gaither’s started out traveling in local churches in Northern Indiana…
Great point.
And in the early 70s, after they lost the television exposure, many people might have said, “Who are the Cathedrals”?
39. Actually Swain the label usually makes the decision on the radio releases… Fowler told me that last month, the group has some say in it but usually the label makes the single choices… But I agree “I’m His” would be a top 10 song for sure… I like it better than “In A Million Years” and that one has made it to number 8 on the SN charts and Number 2 on the SGN chart…
#54 Daniel–I am fully aware that most groups started out as unknowns. But Samuel (and he can explain it differently if I have misunderstood him) sounded to me like he thought that DayBreak would benefit greatly from Joel leaving for Mark Trammell Trio. And while I know they are a side bar to this week’s news I really don’t see how this is going to increase their popularity or be of much long-term benefit. I guess only time will tell. It may all depend on how much or little the group desires to move up the ladder, so to speak, or what they do with this unexpected and unplanned opportunity.
Some refer to the inner workings of the industry as playing a game that the leaders control. Like it or not, this is a business as well as a ministry and there are leaders and followers. There are also obvious markers that measure a group’s success or popularity on the business side of it that both full and part-time artists would generally agree are a reasonable and fair analysis by which to measure success from the business or popularity side of it.
This discussion you are creating has benefited Daybreak…their name is out their and people are checking them out.
If markers of sucess are having radio singles, nqc spots, fancy busses and record labels…..while cutting salaries, no health insurance, zero retirement savings……frankly you can have that sucess then. There are serious smoke and mirrors going on.
#59–Paul, let’s look at this next year or even next month and see what this has done in the grand scheme of things for DayBreak. I’m not saying they aren’t getting attention now, but I personally do not feel it will make that much of an impact as far as longevity is concerned.
#60 Mark, when you slant it like that, it makes everyone in this industry look like an idiot for even being out there. Waitresses, social workers, self employed truck drivers, nurse’s aides…the list could go on and on of people who may not make a lot of money or have a lot of benefits. But that doesn’t mean they are not successful or take pride in what they do or enjoy their work.
No one is holding a gun to a singer’s head making them do this as a career. And they probably know going into it that they will not get rich. But if they want to sacrifice a benefits package to do what they love, then I have no problem with that. So then, if the success comes not from their paycheck, then where? I would think souls saved, lives changed, songs that reach the top, large crowds, award nominations…I would venture to say that person who is working for peanuts would enjoy that blessing or pat on the back, if you will, as validation that they are doing something right and worthwhile even if they aren’t getting monetarily rich from it. It’s called intrinsic vs extrinsic rewards in management classes. And while salaries may be low in southern gospel, there seems to always be someone standing in the wings to fill a vacant spot.
Brady….one last post and then I am done with this. My ENTIRE point is that most groups (other than about the top ten) waste tens of thousands of $$$$$ each year playing the game that the big boys play. They dump money into busses that break down every other week, radio comps that never get heard, producers that fleece them during the recording, ect……when that money could be better served to win souls by keeping them on the road for a longer period.
Trust me I know all about work vs. reward…I have done this a long time. If not for the eternal result I would have taken several other jobs in the music industry that I have had thrown my way.
My point is that MOST (not the top 8-10) spend a fortune and do nothing to really further their position. A top 65 song on SN charts does not put a dime in your pocket for your family but it does get a radio promoter a bunch of cash.
You would see a lot less “leaving to provide/see my family” press releases if people would quit chasing the “dream” and use more common sense.
You may never hear Daybreak and a million other like them , but many will and they will survive the burnout and falsh in the pans that come and go every day in this industry. Sit back and think of all the “hot new groups” that have come and gone in the last 2 years alone. There is a reason.
See ya.
Mark, from your last post it seems like you are bitter over groups trying to make it in this industry. It is a group or artist’s perogative to manage their career and use the services and tools provided for growth and exposure. I agree that there are some scammers out there, in fact I agree with a lot of what you said. But this industry is what it is, and until there are sweeping changes, that’s how it will be.
By the way, I sing in a grouo and have for more than 30 years. No aspirations other than I like to sing, people ask us to come sing, and we enjoy using our God-given talents to hopefully encourage others. I support both full and part-time groups, and I am for any group who can sing harmony and conduct their business Godly and professionally. And I have not been put here to be the judge of who does and who doesn’t do that, so I have tried to just support the music in general, lean toward my instincts, and trust God will justly deal with those whose agendas are not what He would be pleased with–on or off the stage.
To me at least, Mark doesn’t sound bitter at all. Since he’s done posting in this thread, I thought I’d speak up for him. He sounds like someone who’s been around the block a few times in the industry and has grown wiser with age.
You guys done yet?? :p
Why stop now?
I’m all for helping out new, good groups, and as they say, “All publicity is good publicity.” I doubt any of this is hurting DayBreak any.
haha, I meant “are those other two guys finished arguing yet??”
May God bless the ministry of Daybreak…hope the publicity that this post has given will help further there efforts…it can’t hurt. And, by the way, I think they have a good sound…and I am sure they will find another good tenor.
Holy Oregon! I had to open my big mouth. This post has the most comments I think.
#67, LOL! I am not arguing. The last time I checked, this country allowed for opinions and observations. I have not raised my voice(by use of capital letters) nor have I said anything disrespectful to anyone. I have obviously provided thought-proviking comments to this discussion or else you wouldn’t still be reading after over 60 comments. If you have some meaningful comments to this topic, I am sure there is still room for more.
#64 Daniel, re-read Mark’s post, then answer this; how are groups supposed to get noticed and try to make their mark if they don’t utilize advertising, promotion, marketing, attempts to make the best quality records, and/or trying to get their music on the radio? I know there are folks out there who are not reputable, but if a group wanting to increase/expand their work doesn’t spend some money, how do they compete with all the other groups out there? And if no one tells a group a certain promoter or label is out there only for money, how are new groups supposed to know this? I know a lot of this is trial and error, but aside from that, what do you think?
#69 Samuel, Samuel, Samuel…you rabble-rousing trouble-maker!! LOL! Just kidding! Don’t ever stop voicing your opinion. It is ok for us to have our own thoughts on a subject and I appreciate the way we can all agree to disagree and still be civil about it on this website. Besides, Daniel owes us both an ice cream at NQC for keeping this thread going.
I lied. I said I was done but I do want to answer you brady.
Referencing your post # 70 (2nd part)
Nick Bruno makes the same points I was making. So many groups that are “chasing the dream” spend big bucks on radio promotion, ads, ect….to send their music to radio in California when they are not able to leave a 2 state radius because of work restrictions. These same artists draw 35 people in their hometowns but get talked into a “national” campaign to promote their ministry.
You ask how can they know if a promoter is bad or money grabbing? Pretty easy….if they don’t know the scope of your ministry, if they don’t ask important questions like ” are you selling out in your area?” then you might wish to keep looking.
The way you build a following and fan base and get noticed is NEVER to buy it. Try doing what the Booth Brothers and many others did. They sang their tails off in their home state first and built a following outside of their family and then slowly eased into regional/national promotion. Shoot- the BB still drive an older bus and have the cash in the bank to replace the engine and transmission! They are at the top of the food chain but run the business very different. They have a unique recording deal with their label as well. They are the blueprint to follow.
A group that wants to grow their ministry and signs a radio deal will pay around $800 to get on a disc. Monthly promotion can run $400 or more a month. You have to do that 4-5 months per song. Now you have spent $2500 or more to have your song buried at the bottom of a disc and never get heard.
A better model is :
1. Put $1500 in the bank for future needs!
2. Send out about 400 demos to new prospects for booking with the other $1000.
3. use that extra money to build your fan base through your web activities, mailers to your suppor tlist ect…..
Once fans are beating your door down in your area and 2-3 states around you…..take the next step and seek out a GOOD company for ads and promotion.
This is a model that groups like Daybreak and many others follow. This is how you sing full time for a lifetime, retire with money in the bank and not have to have a benfit concert if you need a root canal.
Souls can be saved, lives can be touched and a nice life can be had all at the same time!
Blessings.
I agree about the ice cream part!
Mark, God has a special place for liars, but since you openly admitted it, you are safe! LOL!
Obviously, this thread has evolved into exposure and trying to make it, and I agree with a whole lot if what you say and my asking was more to try to get others to contemplate this rather than wanting or needing to know for myself. I already know most of the ins and outs of this business, as you obviously do, too.
For every wannabe group there are a dozen people with their hand out to take money from them for a promised service that may or may not ever come to fruition. I think there is more than one way to make it in this business–some have hit on a big song, others by their stage performances or the way they build a following one fan at a time. It is not easy to predict who and what will click with audiences. And it is true that some artists have more dollars than sense. But I think a well balanced blend of talent, personality, hard work, an ad budget well spent on the most effective bang for the buck, as well as a healthy prayer life would be a good place to start for most any group.
And depending on the time of day, I may prefer the boneless pork chop sandwich instead of the ice cream.
“But I think a well balanced blend of talent, personality, hard work, an ad budget well spent on the most effective bang for the buck, as well as a healthy prayer life would be a good place to start for most any group.”
I AGREE 100%
Maybe we can start a business where we tell everyone how they should spend their money……..lol.
I expect Daybreak to mail me their new cd because we have talked about them. Ha! One more thing….I met them at a concert we did together in Scotland…..Scotland knows them!
I am on vacation from singing for 2 weeks! What am I doing discussing it on a blog at midnight on saturday?
[...] Quartet recently lost their tenor, Joel Wood, to the Mark Trammell Trio. They continue to make lemons out of lemonade, [...]