In the Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music by Emily Correa

In The Spotlight: Over
100 Voices in Music

In The Spotlight: Over
100 Voices in Music
❖ ❖ ❖
Dani Felt & Emily Correa

Legal Information and Disclaimer
In the Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
Copyright © 2015 by Dani Felt and Emily Correa
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the authors. Reviewers may quote brief passages in
reviews.
Disclaimer and FTC Notice
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication,
neither the author, nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors,
omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein.
This book is for entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are those of
the author alone and should not be taken as expert instructions or commands. The
reader is responsible for his or her own actions.
Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, including international, federal,
state, and local governing professional licensing, business practices, advertising,
and all other aspects of doing business in the US, Canada, or any other jurisdiction
is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader.
Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever
on the behalf of the purchaser or reader of these materials.
Any perceived slight of any individual or organization is purely unintentional.
ISBN: 1512270482
ISBN 13: 9781512270488
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015908039
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
North Charleston, South Carolina
Reviews for In The Spotlight:
Over 100 Voices In Music
❖ ❖ ❖
“Inspiration’ is a fitting title for Chapter 1 of In The Spotlight: Over
100 Voices In Music!
The anecdotes shared in the ‘Keys to Success’ portion illustrate that
inspiration can come from anywhere and anyone. The ‘Featured
Interview’ with Broadway star Joanna Christie reminds readers that
self-belief is the biggest ‘Key to Success’. Authors Dani Felt and Emily
Correa have created a motivational guide that is sure to inspire.”
- Steve Gordon, Entertainment Lawyer, Author of “The Future of the
Music Business”
“Thank you for sharing these words of wisdom. The first chapter
“Inspiration” is like “Chicken Soup for the Soul” by Jack Canfield.
The stories are short and to the point, ego free, and without long
drawn out rhetoric. Many artists and new industry people want to
know experiences from both the indie and the established. Never
has a book been written where you get the personal inside scoop
from artists themselves, I felt as though I was in group therapy! Stay
blessed!” -Andrea Arroyo, Music Artist
v

Reviews for In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices In Music
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
“What an amazing way to reach creatives around the world by delivering
such an inspirational book. It showcases stories and keys
to help you unlock your inner power, to keep going and to focus
always on your art and creativity without boundaries. This is one
of the toughest times right now to be an artist since we are fighting
such a crisis of survival and this book helps and inspires you to
strive for what you believe in. I am blessed to be one of the featured
artists and think this is already one of the best things I could have
done in my career this year, opening and sharing my story to inspire
other musicians and artists. What a great job Dani and Emily have
done taking their time to put this all together! I wish from the bottom
of my heart that this book reaches millions of people all over the
world”- K’Sandra, Performing Artist
“Inspiration” has caused me to reflect about my own journey – I look
forward to reading more of “In the Spotlight” to gain more insights
into different strategies I can use to reach my goal as an artist.”
Elena Murzello, Author of “The Love List”
“I am so blessed to be a part of Creative Spotlights in this book.
As an artist working from the ground up, it can feel like pushing a
boulder uphill to just move forward a half step in your career. Dani
and Emily`s bravery in starting this book and their online presence is
HUGE. Not only does it validate artists as performers, it showcases
talent as talent…not needing labels or producers to be the middleman.
I have so appreciated Creative Spotlights’ kindness and opportunity
in my life”
- Michelle Anderson, Performing Artist
“While the book title suggests that the content will only pertain exclusively
to the musically inclined, varying artists at any stage in their
career can benefit from these words of wisdom. I enjoyed reading
the featured interview with Broadway actress, Joanna Christie depicting
her trials and tribulations throughout her career. Her thoughts
on using self-belief as an internal compass resonated with me, especially
when navigating through difficult times. The first chapter
vi
vii

Special Thanks
❖ ❖ ❖
“I would like to thank God, my family Lori, Eric,
Morgan, Michael, my partner Zach, Emily my amazing
and genius Co-Founder and all of my friends for
their constant support and believing in me no matter
how crazy my dreams might have seemed.”
- DANI FELT
“I would like to thank my business partner and best friend
Dani for all the hundreds of hours we spent analyzing every
corner of this book! Also all those people in my life that
believed in our dreams and heard me chatter endlessly,
especially my partner John. As always, I am thankful to
God, divine presence, in all forms I was approached in
light and love with a clear direction on all parts of this
work. It wasn’t always easy, but always enlightening.”
- EMILY CORREA
We also give thanks to our Creative Spotlights Team + Supporters,
without your belief in the vision of Creative Spotlights, we wouldn’t
know the depths of what could be…
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Our Creative Mission:
❖ ❖ ❖
In November 2013, Dani Felt and Emily Correa partnered up
on an amazing idea to support the over 300 music artists and
professionals
Creative Spotlights had featured over 4 years of hard work;
the design of an inspirational guide with words of advice on the
music industry
by those who are in it!
Our mission is to provide a truly motivational resource
of life and career advice for the music artist to:
1. Truly understand their creative gifts
2. Learn how the industry really works
3. Ultimately understand what it takes to compete at higher
levels in the music industry
We hope as you read this book you become as inspired, empowered
and strategic as we have become from creating this book!
xi

Table of Contents
Reviews for In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices
In Music · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · v
Special Thanks · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·ix
Our Creative Mission: · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·xi
How to Use This Book · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · xv
Foreword: The First Note · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·xix
Chapter 1 Inspiration · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1
The Coach’s Perspective: Staying Inspired · · · · · · · · · · 11
Featured Interview: Joanna Christie, Broadway
Star from “Once” · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 13
Chapter 2 Realities of the Music Industry · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 25
The Coach’s Perspective: Knowing the Industry · · · · · · 35
Feature Interview: Trevor Gale, Vice President
of SESAC · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 38
Chapter 3 First Steps · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 51
The Coach’s Perspective: Walking a New Path · · · · · · · 61
Featured Interview: David Schuler, Award-Winning
Music Producer · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 65
Chapter 4 Creative Belief · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 77
The Coach’s Perspective: Designing Your Vision · · · · · · 87
Featured Interview: Steven Memel, Celebrity
Vocal Coach · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 90

Chapter 5 Power Relationships · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 103
The Coach’s Perspective: Building your Network · · · · 113
Featured Interview: David Dufresne,
CEO of Bandzoogle · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 117
Chapter 6 Words to the Wise! Creating Your Artistic Armor · · · · 125
The Coach’s Perspective: Hold Your Armor High · · · · 135
Featured Interview: Steve Gordon, Famed
Entertainment Lawyer · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 138
Chapter 7 Dream Collaborations · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 149
The Coach’s Perspective: Inspired by Greatness · · · · · 157
Featured Interview: Noah Guthrie, YouTube
Superstar · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 159
Chapter 8 Music in Five Years · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 167
The Coach’s Perspective: Vision in Music · · · · · · · · · · 175
Featured Interview: Benji Rogers, CEO of
PledgeMusic · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 178
Chapter 9 Legacy: Leaving Your Art Behind · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 189
Coach’s Perspective: Leaving your Legacy · · · · · · · · · 211
Featured Interview: Lou Plaia, Co-Founder
of ReverbNation · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 214
Chapter 10 The Laws to the Ultimate Creative Spark · · · · · · · · · · · 223
About the Authors · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 229
Special Thanks to our Writers · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 231
Creative Directory · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 235
Our Sponsors · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 241
What’s Next? · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 247
How to Use This Book
❖ ❖ ❖
Congratulations on taking the next step to truly empowering
yourself as an artist!
THIS BOOK HOLDS 10 INSPIRING chapters ranging from “Inspiration,” “First
Steps,” “The Realities of the Music Industry,” all the way down to
“Legacy”.
Chapters 1 through 8 each begin with a personal story from Dani
Felt, the CEO & Founder of Creative Spotlights. These chapters hold
over 40 key pieces of advice from the over 100 music artists featured
in this book! Look out for Dani’s best business and life strategies called
Keys to Success to stay on track.
Included in each chapter is a special full length interview
by Emily as
our top entertainment writer with one of the industry’s highly-respected
music professionals.
Chapter 9 spotlights an amazing Inner Circle Roundtable of music
industry professionals and “movers and shakers” showing how they
feel their legacy will make a difference in music.
Each chapter ends with the coach’s perspective by Emily Correa,
a certified life/business coach for those in arts + entertainment and
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How to Use This Book
Founder of Vida Linda Coaching. You will find specially designed
exercises to empower, guide and motivate you to connect to your
highest creative purpose. This way you can use your new awareness
to attract true prosperity, make better business decisions and swiftly
bring forward your dreams!
As a special bonus, we are including her exclusive tool, “The Laws
of The Ultimate Creative Spark” for Chapter 10 to help raise your creative
energy immediately and enhance your luck.
What to do next:
Grab a journal/notebook/pen or IPAD and find a favorite place to
reflect and strategize!
When you are done reading In the Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in
Music, we have some special invites for you too...stay tuned!
xvi

Foreword: The First Note
❖ ❖ ❖
MY NAME IS DANI FELT, the CEO of Creative Spotlights. I would like to
start off by sharing with you the story of how Creative Spotlights was
born. As I write this book, I am still reaching for my dreams. I have always
felt that I was born as a mover and a shaker, and that I was meant
to create great changes in this world. I didn’t know it at the time, but
my trip to London in 2011 to learn about the music scene was going to
be the start of just that. It began while I was volunteering to sell raffle
tickets for a music therapy foundation at a Stevie Wonder concert.
While standing in the VIP area, this tall, handsome British guy caught
my immediate attention. I walked over to sell him a ticket. I told him
he looked “like an artist.” Little did I know that sentence was bound
to plant a seed, a creative connection to the development of Creative
Spotlights that would blossom with time.
Upon returning to the United States for my junior year, I became
more interested and involved in the music scene. I decided to start a
music blog. I started out by searching for my favorite bands online. I
proceeded to email them fun questions, such as “What’s your favorite
color?” and “Who would you go on a date with and why?” Given the
fact that I had always wanted to be a singer, combined with the rise
of social media marketing, this was the perfect way for me to connect
with the artists I admired.
Eventually, I started showing my new online project to some of my
friends, who all enjoyed reading it. It was the excellent feedback that
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Foreword: The First Note
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
encouraged me to showcase the site on Facebook. Next, I realized it
couldn’t hurt to make my website project known to my acquaintances,
(you know, those people who end up on your list of friends, but you
maybe talk to them once a year). One of them happened to be Henry,
the cute British musician I met in London. While most people were
telling me they liked what I was doing, Henry’s response was more
elaborate.
Henry wanted to partner with me and make the blog useful for
other artists. He suggested we formulate new questions that would
serve as advice for their careers. Henry is a painter and a musician,
so he understood firsthand what it was like to be looking for clear,
defined guidance. After brainstorming for weeks together, we developed
fifteen basic questions for musicians that, if answered correctly,
would serve as a road map to a fruitful artistic career. Once the new
questionnaire was online, I started to get more in-depth responses
than I had gotten in past interviews. I suddenly began to understand
how my blog could effectively offer insight.
In time, Henry and I realized that if we were going to take our joint
endeavor seriously, we needed our own domain, and that was how the
name “Creative Spotlights” was created.
It didn’t take long for Creative Spotlights to be discovered by PR
companies whose representatives contacted me to feature their artists
on the site. Although I originally created the blog for fun, I was increasingly
investing more time into it. As a result, it had become a more
serious avenue for me to explore.
Three years later I realized that Henry’s focus had drifted more
towards the visual arts while my heart had always belonged to music.
Therefore, I decided to purchase his percentage of the company from
him and revert Creative Spotlights back to my original vision. Finally,
my website was solely dedicated to the music industry. That way, the
website became more manageable. Once there was a more defined
focus, it became easier to identify, target and market to an audience.
(This would change again in 2015, as CS took a more expansive
direction into all the arts; Music, Fashion, Acting, Photography and
more through the design of our first artist development program...)
In 2013 Creative Spotlights was reborn and I moved to New York
City. In order to recruit new writers to interview artists for the website,
I submitted a post on LinkedIn, and other internship sources. This is
how I met Emily Correa. Like me, Emily was a creative entrepreneur
passionate about the arts with her business, Vida Linda Coaching. As a
certified life and business coach she was looking online for new creative
projects to be a part of and came across my ad by fate. Entertainment
writing for Creative Spotlights would expose her to the world of music
that I loved so much.
After spending two years in New York City she came to understand
the value of networking, which motivated her to host events
for her Meetup group, NYC Artists On The Rise. Her group attracted
a variety of artists including actors, painters, singers, photographers
and many more. Emily’s understanding of art and music along with
her coaching background made her ideal for interviewing the music
professionals that Creative Spotlights began attracting. We started
getting full length interviews with producers, such as Dave Schuler
(John Legend, Pink), Doug Fenske (Chris Brown, Emily Osment), as
well as the CEO`s of music companies such as Bandzoogle, Featured.
me, ONErpm and PledgeMusic. Creative Spotlights’ expansion into
music was growing at a swift speed.
Emily and I both had very similar goals: to transform the entertainment
industry by using our growing network to inspire and guide
artists. During a business call with Emily, I asked her advice on what I
could do to take Creative Spotlights in a new direction for 2014. Emily
suggested we create an inspirational book using key career strategies
and life lessons from all the interviews CS had completed. We decided
to feature quotes from the over 300 interviews Creative Spotlights had
showcased on the website. The book you are reading is a culmination
of hundreds upon hundreds of hours of work and over 1 year of business
meetings, coaching sessions, research and a lot of NYC coffee!
xx
xxi

Foreword: The First Note
My favorite part about forming Creative Spotlights is how I’ve had
the opportunity to reach out to new levels of people from the music
industry, from not only music artists and their labels and publicists,
but also CEOs, celebrity producers and vocal coaches, making great
marks in the music industry. I mean, how often does a 25-year-old
indie singer-songwriter get to have inside access to the inner world of
the entertainment industry professionals’ best kept secrets and insight
for success? What I had was golden.
xxii

CHAPTER 1
Inspiration
❖ ❖ ❖
MY CREATIVE JOURNEY IN MUSIC started when I was five years old, when I
used to put on performances for my parents. I would dress up as my
favorite nursery rhyme characters, stand on top of a yellow bucket,
and pretend I was “on stage”. I was one of the lucky ones as a young
artist; my parents always supported everything I did and told me to
follow my dreams. This gave me great confidence in my passion for
singing. I truly believe I would never have gone as far as I have today if
it wasn’t for their constant support.
When I was around nine years old, I was blown away by this 10-yearold
in my art class who had an amazing voice. Every time she opened
her mouth to sing I was in awe. I asked her what her secret was, and
she told me it all came down to voice lessons. I realized that was the
answer to becoming great at what I loved, and I started weekly lessons.
I found them to be an amazing tool that truly shaped me into the
acoustic folk singer I am today.
As I grew older, and entered middle school, I had a hard time fitting
in. I started to get picked on a lot. I used to come home every
week and cry in my mom’s arms. Throughout the years, I learned how
to use my songwriting ability and voice as a way to channel my frustration
into something beautiful; something people could relate to.
Songwriting was an incredible experience and an outlet for me. I
used to write many songs, mostly sad music, because I was not a very
happy child. Then in middle school, I decided to try out for the school
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In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
talent show, and I made it! From that moment on, I knew I was going
to make music a big part of my life. There’s nothing like the feeling of
an audience cheering your name and strangers congratulating you -
people who you never would have spoken to otherwise. It was a glorious
sensation.
By the time I was 14 years old, I found a songwriter workshop camp
to attend in New Hampshire. It was that summer that helped me become
the outgoing person I am today. I was forced to introduce myself
to strangers, and from that experience, I learned I had a love for
connecting with new people. This camp was a monumental step in my
journey as a singer as there we were taught how to write simple structures
for a song. I would create lyrics and vocal melodies, and then the
director would come up with the guitar parts, and help me mold it into
a finished product: a song. We would then record all of our songs in a
studio and perform them for all the parents at the end of the summer.
From then on, songwriting became my number one passion, so
I applied to college to study music business. In college, I joined the
Music & Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA). One day
I suggested creating a compilation album to raise money for breast
cancer awareness. I waited for weeks, yet no one seemed interested
in moving forward with the idea. I asked once again, and one of the
board members suggested I should create it as my own personal project.
I had never been in a leadership position like that before, so I was
pretty nervous but I decided to embrace the challenge. It took quite a
while, but soon enough, I had found the bands to put on the compila-
tion album, which was later titled “A Minor Effort for A Major Cause”.
I designed the cover and promoted the CD to friends and family, as
well as on my college campus. Between my dad promoting it to all his
work friends, and my efforts in pushing it to everyone in my network, I
got to hand the Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation a $1,000 check
that summer. Doing that made me realize how much I loved leading
and being an entrepreneur. I also realized how much I loved to make a
difference using the power of music and how music can be used as a
tool to implement change. That summer The Philadelphia Inquirer
ran
that story and featured me as a “citizen of the week”.
“It’s amazing what we can do when we try.”
– DANI FELT
Keys To Success:
Connection: If you are looking to expand your business network, LinkedIn
is a great place to start. It is similar to Facebook, but you connect with
people in a more professional setting. On LinkedIn you can create profiles,
get testimonials, post projects, and connect with an abundance of
people to help build your network even further. I highly recommend signing
up on LinkedIn. Connect with Creative Spotlights on LinkedIn today.
Community: If you are looking to expand your network, another tool to
use is www.meetup.com. This is a platform that makes it easy to meet new
people with similar interests as you. There are Meetup groups for singer/
songwriters, producers, actors, writers, and many more. Some events are
free while some cost money. You can also start your own group by becoming
an organizer, although you would have to pay a fee for that.
“Everyone has a special someone, a cool event or a combination of
experiences that first ignited their passion for music. Here is what
some artists had to share! Hopefully their words can serve as inspiration
for you.” - Dani Felt, CEO of Creative Spotlights
“The true artist will produce higher quality work with a balanced,
multi-dimensional experience. As such, I am inspired by great human
beings who have changed history, not just musicians. Ultimately,
greatness is my biggest inspiration and by comparing myself to the
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In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
all-time greats, I always know that there is more work to be done and
that my own meager efforts are nothing compared to theirs. There
is always the next level – always push for it.” - Leo Freire, Session
Drummer, Queens, NY
“I remember being asked to sing at almost every family gathering since
I was four, and that’s really where the ‘fire’ for singing began. I would
credit my family and friends as being the ones who have always, and
will always, support my passion for music.” - Christian Hollingsworth,
Entrepreneur, Model, Singer/Songwriter, CA
“Since a very young age, I always had the most fun performing in
school plays, singing and making costumes and getting dressed up
and becoming another character. I expressed very early on my emotions
through singing and songwriting instead of just talking about
myself or my problems. I was never a very good talker and swallowed
a lot of pain, but through music, found a way to process all my
emotions. Music has been a passion and healer for me all my life.” -
K’Sandra, Singer, Los Angeles, CA
“I would have to say my biggest inspiration is my Mom. My mom was
a single mother who worked 4 jobs to keep a roof over our heads and
food on the table. My mom worked so hard to bring me to Broadway
shows and put me in dance classes. My mom always brought me to
NYC to see as many shows as possible. I have always had a love for
NYC.” - Andrea Benham, Singer, NJ
“When I was playing alto sax in the seventh grade school band, I went
over to a band mate’s house to play some music. His brother had a
keyboard, and when I saw him overdub a hi-hat, my mind was blown.
That was an epiphany. I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen or
heard. At age 17, I decided I wanted a career in record production.” -
Doug Fenske, Producer, Los Angeles, CA
“I feel like I was born with songs in my head, so it’s hard to say who,
or what, first ignited my passion. However, there are quite a few artists
that have forever changed me. The most obvious of them being
Michael Jackson. Watching his sheer magnificence ignited a burning
desire in my heart that hasn’t ever gone out. He changed my perspective
on the purpose of a song.” - Alexa Falk, One Half of Country Duo:
Falk, UT
“Sofia Gubaidulina, James MacMillan, Betty Olivero and other contemporary
composers allow me to experience music to the fullest.
The same goes for players and conductors; the score, their musical
understanding, education and technical abilities are reflected in every
note, phrase and musical gesture. To experience their remarkable
works taught me from what inner place I should approach my own
compositions.” - Gilad Hochman, Classical Music Composer, Israel
“It’s very coincidental to be giving this quote on this day. My grandmother
(who passed away one year ago today) is the reason I got into
music. Some of my earliest memories are of my grandma putting a tambourine
in my hands, teaching me words to songs, and us just marching
around her living room singing and dancing. I was hooked. Whether it
be performing, writing, or working in the industry, music has been a
part of my life ever since.” - Jesea Lee, Musician/Publicist, NYC
“My biggest inspiration is the thought...the prospect... of living life at
your highest potential. Seeing the emotional and mental garbage that
we are subject to everyday, but overcoming it in order to bring our
deepest imaginations, of a perfect life, into fruition. This is what I like
to write about most.” - Stephen Rivera, Rock Vocalist and Producer,
Los Angeles, CA
“My passion for music came at a young age. When I was 10 years old
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. While undergoing treatment
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in the hospital, as part of recreation, we were able to go and play
instruments. Playing made me forget about the treatment and what I
was going through for a little while.” - Charlie Scopoletti, CT
“Listening to everything. I try not to let one specific thing be my main
inspiration ever, because I don’t want to fall into a sound derivative of
something else. Every song I hear, I think, subconsciously inspires me.
I just want inspiration to come naturally, I think that’s where the best
songs come from - a headspace where you don’t even have to think
about it.” - The Ready Set, IN
“My parents. They are such strong authentic hard working people. My
father was in the Emergency Service unit of the NYPD for 23 years and
my mother (after raising 5 children) is starting her career as a therapist.
It is very easy to lose track of reality in the rush of this business.
But my parents are a constant reminder of the truthful simple day to
day problems that everyday people face.” - Marrick Smith, Broadway
Star and Singer/Songwriter,
NYC
“When I was six, a babysitter gave me a toy piano. I played it until the
batteries ran out. That’s when I had that moment of discovery: ‘This is
what I’m built for!’ ” - Alexis Babini, NYC
“Everything and everyone in my life. I am a sponge, affected and impacted
by everything around me. I am also really interested in selfexploration
and cannot help, but become inspired by other artists
(writers, painters, musicians, sculptors, etc.). They all pay their creative
energies forward. It’s not just one thing or person.” - Selena Garcia,
NYC
“My biggest inspiration towards being a better artist is definitely my
fans. I go on Twitter and Facebook and see they may not be having
the best day, so I go try and talk to them and make them feel as good
as I can through a computer screen. They tell me my music helps them
get through some tough times, and for that I am grateful and strive to
become a better artist and reach more people.”- Dylan Ander, NYC
“My brother was actually famous in the Midwest, and I followed him
around until I picked up some of his skills on my own by playing shows
with him. Low and behold, he discovered that there was something
about my voice that I was not tapping into yet. Out of the blue he said,
‘C’mon, let’s go see Pavarotti!’ We saw him at an outdoor arena, and
when I heard that sound, that voice, and that music, that was it! I do
not know how he knew it! We were not even listening to opera at the
time. We were heavy into rock ‘n’ roll. After that, I went off to school
and started studying.” - Alexander Kariotis, Rock Opera Vocalist, NYC
“My biggest inspiration is the hope that my music could possibly help
someone. Music is so powerful, and I really want to inspire people
through my songs.” - Marie Miller, VA
“My father had a lot of instruments around the house even though he
was a doctor. He had a violin, mandolin, bongos, an organ and various
flutes. He’d teach me just basic melodies of songs he loved like
old film music and Indian songs on the organ. He bought me a guitar
when I was five, and I started taking lessons at 10.” - Anu Gunn, Rock
Vocalist/Guitarist/Actor, Los Angeles, CA
“I started playing bass guitar as a teenager and fell in love with being
a musician. I’d have to say that I had to work really hard to develop my
ears and skills as a musician, but once I got into the audio/recording/
mastering side of things, I found pretty early on that I had an aptitude
and ear for what I do as an engineer.” - Adam Ayan, Master Engineer,
Portland, ME
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Inspiration
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
“My parents always played all different kinds of music, so I had a vast
range of music styles from a young age. They are the reason I want to
succeed because someday I want to spoil them like they spoiled me
all these years!” - Alex Flanigan, Nashville, TN
“I always felt a really strong attraction to recording. Freezing time.
Freezing a moment and a feeling. It’s a similar reason why I love photography
too. I’m fascinated by that process of being able to take a
snapshot of a feeling, a thought, a moment, and being able to relive it
later or to be able to share it. It’s like proof of existence or something.
Once I started I couldn’t stop! I’ve become almost addicted to that
process of expressing and documenting in the hopes of understanding
myself, and then somehow connecting. I have something to say
through music and art that I can’t express in any other way. Most artists
I know feel that way.” - Adam Watts, CA
“Stevie Wonder inspired me to really just want to be great and just not
settle for less. I have worked with Stevie Wonder before, but at the
same time, he was the reason why I had the drive and the ambitious
attitude today. His music made me want to create something that was
on his level.” - Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Producer, Los Angeles, CA
“Along
with being a musician, I come from a non-profit background. I
spent some time in Washington D.C. working on an anti-poverty/antihunger
campaign inside the schools. Getting started in music is hard,
and over the years, I knew I didn’t want to stay where I was. The work I
was doing in non-profit was such a good thing to do, but I was always
going to do my music. People need help, but people need music too.
If I am just sharing what I feel, and if someone else feels it, they know
they are not alone. That is powerful to me, and special. I guess that
helping place is where I write from.” - Casey Dinkin, NYC
“My passion for music is linked to my childhood. When I hear the
Gipsy Kings I imagine being six years old in the summer. I’m soaked
from the pool and reaching for corn chips, while the adults are smoking
cigarettes, drinking beers and laughing. My inspirations are all the
memories that I try to recreate.” - Adam Lasher, Los Angeles, CA
“I was always interested in the ‘heart and soul’ of music as a young kid,
and what really fascinated me is how a song could make a person feel
various emotions and moods. When I was eight, I talked my mom into
buying me an acoustic guitar, and I taught myself to play. When I was
about 12, I formed a band and started playing at local events. We even
had a manager who just happened to have a makeshift recording studio
in his house. We used to record songs that we would perform live
from time to time.” - Craig Bartock, Lead Guitarist from “Heart”, CA
“There are many things that inspire my passion for music. Talking
to people and hearing their stories is always inspiring. Listening or
watching a great band play or hearing a good song is not only humbling,
but also inspiring. Bad days, good days, rain, sun, tears, joy,
hard times, great times, it’s hard to pinpoint what inspires that passion.
I guess it`s a little bit of everything.” - Emily Earle Brooklyn, NYC/
Nashville, TN
“I’ve been a music lover my entire life. When I discovered my talent,
my passion grew to a point where I couldn’t see myself pursuing anything
else. My parents have been beyond supportive every step of the
way since day one.” - Yaya, Artist Manager/CEO of Ya IndieGround
House, NYC
“I was initially inspired by my cousin, B.E. Taylor, and his band while I
was coming up through the music ranks. The thrill of the live show and
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Inspiration
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
the intense connection created between the musician and the listener
in that environment led me to be a performer.” - Dom Liberati, Los
Angeles, CA
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with music. Nothing
makes more sense to me. I love everything about it.” - Dan Wright,
NYC
“My mom and dad are professional artists and encouraged my creative
streak from day one. They were open to inspire any of my emerging
talents, but when I came out singing and whistling and banging on
the piano, it was clear that music was my thing.” - Neara Russell, Los
Angeles, CA
The Coach’s Perspective: Staying Inspired
When I was a child, my big requests every Christmas were crayons,
colored pencils and blank drawing pads. I had the mind of an artist
even back then. For me, seeing the endless colors all displayed like
rainbow-hued candy inspired my young creative mind, and helped me
express myself as I drew the world around me. With each passing year,
I experimented with different forms of art while observing the world’s
interaction and connection with the creative part of society, not really
sure where it would all lead.
My love for the arts started with drawing, then moved unto devouring
hundreds of books, soon enough a fascination for writing grew
within me. My interest then turned to poetry, which led me to create
over 80 poems in my teens. Finally, when I was 16 years old, I became
obsessed with acting and theater, with which I truly fell in love, and
felt creatively free. I received classical acting training through various
scholarships. That led to teaching within the arts.
Ultimately, what truly inspired me was the psychology of an artist,
their contributions to society and the business side of the industry. I
chose to give back to the artistic community as a thought leader and
life/business coach, in a niche I was once part of and knew so well.
Now, in collaboration with Creative Spotlights, I got to design this
amazing, healing, guiding tool to inspire all music artists. I now feel
higher levels of understanding about my creative purpose. I am truly
living “inspired.”
That is what art does to the honest, brave and self-aware person.
It allows people to reach into the innermost core of who they are as
creative beings.
At your most deepest core, you are a creative being because you
were created by an introspective universe that wanted to explore the
meaning of the world through you.
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Inspiration
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
As your coach, I ask you the following:
1. What first inspired you to express yourself through your art?
Featured Interview: Joanna Christie,
Broadway Star from “Once”
2. What are you truly creating with your work?
3. At this moment, name the top 10 ideas, images or words that inspire
you to create your art?
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
9. 10.
Chapter 1 Affirmation: Stay Inspired
“I am creative because I was created. It is my natural state
to receive inspiration from it all, then to inspire others with
my art. When I do this, I know I am continuously supporting
the process of creation and living inspirationally.”
❖ ❖ ❖
JOANNA CHRISTIE most recently starred as Girl in Broadway’s
Once. She trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and was
a member of the National Youth Theatre. Television includes: Mr
Selfridge (ITV); Starlings (Sky 1); Misfits 3 (E4); Lewis series II
(ITV);
Small Dark Places (BBC); No Angels (Channel 4); Holby City
(BBC1).
Theatre includes: Equus (Gielgud Theatre); The 24 Hour Plays (The
Old Vic); Be My Baby (Hull Truck Theatre); The Ramshackle Heart
(Public Theatre NY/The Old Vic); School For Scandal (Greenwich
Theatre); Dr Faustus (Greenwich Theatre); Bloody Poetry (Jermyn
Street Theatre); Immaculate Conceit (Lyric Hammersmith); One Night
In November (Belgrade Theatre Coventry).
Emily: Today on Creative Spotlights, we’re welcoming Joanna
Christie from the Broadway hit show “Once,” winner of eight 2012
Tony Awards, including best musical. Joanna will share her creative
journey to help guide, inspire and motivate our creative fans to find
their voices in the music scene and keep going after their dreams.
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Inspiration
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
So Joanna, my first question for you is; have you always dreamed
of being on Broadway?
Joanna: Actually—well, I was on the phone talking to my mom yesterday.
I was saying to her that actually, Broadway was even beyond my
dreams!
I have always, always wanted to be an actor, and I had been utterly
dedicated to that since I could speak. But I never even thought about
Broadway. This thing is kind of so far away and so kind of…(trails off)
All I wanted to do was work.
All I wanted to do was just be able to play good parts and good productions,
be on radio and just have a varied and interesting career.
That’s all I wanted.
So it’s not the bright lights or any of that that attracted me. I haven’t
been dreaming of that. You know what I mean? I’d just been focused
on making a living out of acting and just being able to work as much
as possible. I just didn’t think I had the voice. I didn’t think I had what
it took to do that. It’s beyond my wildest dreams.
Emily: That’s great because, of course, a lot of people who are singers/dancers/actors,
aka triple threats, desire to be on Broadway
so badly! The dream is always, “Oh, I wanted to be on Broadway
since I was a young child.” But the fact is that you attracted it into
your career. It was part of your path as an artist.
Joanna: Yeah, yeah. I’m so lucky. I just really feel very lucky, and grateful
every day.
Emily: Absolutely. So how did you begin your journey as an
actress?
Joanna: Well, as a child, I always wanted to act. I just did as much as
I could always do to perform. I did loads of amateur stuff when I was
a kid. I’d always say I wanted to go to drama college! What you can
do in the UK, instead of going to university, you go to drama college
for a year for a practical performance degree. Then I started working
from 21 when I graduated from there. I was really fortunate enough to
find a great agent straight from drama college. But then, the real hard
work started.
Emily: Do you feel that is the best path for an actor/actress, to
get a degree in theatre, in drama?
Joanna: No, now I’m older and hopefully a bit wiser, and I can see
other people’s paths and different trajectories. There’s no rhyme or
reason. There’s no set formula. There’s no “way” to do it. There’s no
way to “not” do it and all that.
I think that with this industry, unfortunately, there’s so much luck involved.
It takes one person in a position of power to believe in you and
to give you an opportunity to show what you can do. But it’s really rare.
I felt like all through my career, I’ve had to have such huge self-belief
because there’s been so many setbacks, but I’ve always thought, “I
know I can do more than I’m being given the opportunity for.” You just
have to hold on to the hope that one day you’ll get these opportunities
to do that.
I do feel a tiny bit of regret. I don’t regret anything because I wouldn’t
be here now. And I don’t regret anything in my life, but I do feel that I
do sometimes wish I had gone to a university instead of drama college
actually. At the time, I thought going to a drama college is the obvious
way to get into the business. But actually, I had a really good education,
and I’m interested in a lot of other subjects. And I kind of regret
not having an opportunity to study on another level.
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Inspiration
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
And certainly in England, going to a good university like Oxford or
Cambridge and Edinburgh and Bristol, they have such great drama
departments. You get to do tons of great drama when you’re there,
and the agencies respect those places. So I kind of feel like that is a
really good route to go down as well.
I think if you are intelligent as well as talented as an actor, the next step
is to study something like English or history or something else that
you’re really interested in. Because as an actor, the more strengths you
have, the more interests and knowledge, the more you know, then the
better an actor you are, to be honest, I think.
Emily: I think that’s a good point. I think it definitely makes an actress
well-rounded. My own journey after I completed my own training
in acting was to go to college, but instead of majoring in theater,
I majored in psychology and sociology with a minor in business management.
I felt inspired that this sort of education with my acting
background would suffice in navigating the realities of the industry.
Joanna: Absolutely. You’re not going to be the best actor you can be
without being well-rounded because obviously, when you’re playing
roles, you’re playing normal people. You’re not playing an entertainer
in our industry. The more you know about everything else, in my opinion,
the better.
Emily: Right! I would suggest classes on history, philosophy and
psychology… business management, hopefully, to get very wellrounded
as an actress.
Joanna: Yes, exactly. Actually, last year, I was studying anthropology
in between my acting jobs and rehearsals. I was going to lectures, attending
free seminars. It was so fascinating. I realized that I didn’t do
that enough in my life and that it could only make you a better actor.
It completely opened my eyes a lot.
Emily: That’s really great advice right there. You also mentioned a
couple key points in your sharing I would like to point out!
You mentioned strong self-belief as an artist pursuing this career
track. You can navigate your career through the ups and downs
with that self-belief. You also mentioned having that right person
who’s going to change your life at the moment is key, a person in
power to direct your career.
You really shared a number of nice introspective viewpoints that
will inspire our readers, as it’s so important for artists to coach
themselves and to continuously do that on a daily basis and just
know the gift that they have within them.
Joanna: Yeah, absolutely, and to nurture it. I feel like there are so many
obstacles that are going to be against you. You have to do so much
yourself to just keep going. Emotionally, physically, mentally, you just
have to do it to be strong enough to get through all that.
Emily: Right, very true, very good tips! I can understand what
you mean. You’re showing the different areas where artists can
develop themselves. You said you’ve got to be mentally very
strong to handle the ups and downs of the industry, and physically,
you’ve got to be in shape to be on Broadway because it’s so
physically demanding.
I do want to ask about the cast. They all sing and play their own
instruments. I mean, it’s such a beautiful show. What did you learn
most about yourself as a musician while doing this show?
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Inspiration
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
Joanna: Oh, God! I got so much as a musician, as an actor, as a person.
The show, I feel, has gifted me an opportunity to learn so much
about myself. That’s been one of the major profound things about me
regardless, like achieving a dream. Just the self-exploration that it’s
enabled me, it’s been quite profound.
I mean, I didn’t even think of myself as being a musician before I did
the show. When I got to the audition, it was like, “Oh my God! I got to
play the piano. Argh!” I think it was going to be an absolute nightmare.
And actually, my mom is a musician… my brother is a musician. The
music is on my mother’s side of the family. I’ve played the piano from
a really young age, and I did tons of it. That was what I just did. But
when I was 15, I played a concert and basically got stage fright, and I
just absolutely crumbled. I just decided that I don’t want to ever play
in front of anyone again. And this is off of kind of 10 years of playing
competitions and concerts… Suddenly, I didn’t want to do it anymore.
So since I was 16, I haven’t played in public again. So just having the
audition for “Once” was kind of really, really nerve wracking! But I got
over it suddenly after 10 years, and I feel really proud of myself. I’m so
happy playing a simple piano piece in front of 1,200 people when at
one point years ago, it would have been an absolute nightmare for me.
But it’s not like that right now. I enjoy it, and love it. It’s really precious
to me.
The fact that I’m back with the piano, a part of my life since age six,
then I lost it and had it fall by the wayside, to now rediscover that at
age 30 and play on Broadway, I’m just so grateful for that because it’s
a really beautiful thing to be able to play.
Every time I meet a young person who plays the piano, I just say, “God!
Just don’t ever give it up because it’s such a joy.” And every adult I
meet who used to play when they were young and gave up, regrets it,
every single one of them.
So I feel really strongly about that. It’s such a beautiful thing to be able
to play music. It’s a really big part of anyone who has music in their life,
it’s a big part of it. I feel I just want to say to any young person to keep
that with you. It’s a really precious gift.
Emily: That’s so inspiring and beautifully said. And I want to ask
you, what is the Broadway schedule like? I know it’s very demanding!
How many shows… ?
Joanna: It’s crazy! Today is my anniversary actually on Broadway.
Today is the day it all started. When I started, I didn’t actually know
if I’ll be able to do it because I’ve never sung before. I’ve never sung
professionally. I just never used my voice this much. And also, I’ve had
a lot of voice problems in the past.
Emily: What happened to your voice?
Joanna: I’ve had nodules on my vocal cords twice. I’ve had them when
I was 15 when I was singing in the rock band at boarding school. I
developed nodules, and I had to stop singing. And then I got them
again when I went to drama college at 18. I had to have an operation
to remove them.
Since then, I’ve always had to be so careful with my voice. I lose it really
easily. And I think that’s kind of why I haven’t sung more than I have before
now because I didn’t think I could. I didn’t think my voice would handle it.
So starting this job was kind of scary because I thought, “Oh, my God!
Am I actually going to be able to do eight shows a week?” But it’s
amazing…
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Inspiration
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
Emily: It’s just so ironic. You play the piano and sing for eight
shows a week. It’s a wonderful thing that you have going on.
Joanna: I know! There’s so many things that I just didn’t know I could
do, but I think when you prove to yourself that you can do something
that you didn’t think you could, it’s the most liberating, strengthening
thing you can do.
And so to get to this point, to have my yearly anniversary of doing all
these things that I never thought I could do, I’m kind of proud of myself.
I mean, I feel it’s probably one of my greatest achievements.
And my voice got so much stronger just by doing the show. It’s amazing!
Again, instead of this taking out of me, it’s given me so much more.
I found my singing voice a lot more, and my range has increased. I’m
singing a fifth higher than I did when I started the job. I work out with
my vocal coach every week, and she’s just been incredible to work
with. She has helped me find my potential in my voice. I never thought
I had that as well. It’s great!
Emily: What is your vision for your career in the next five years?
Joanna: Oh, God! Part of me feels like I should have more business sense
really about my career, but I kind of feel like my career so far has had [a lot
of] I-never-know-what-is-around-the-corners. I could never have guessed
that this would happen for me, so who knows what the future holds?
But all I want to, as I’ve said, all I wanted to do is just to be able to
work. It’s kind of funny, my brother said to me, “You know, doing the
job you’re doing now, for you, it’s the top. It’s the summit. There’s nowhere
higher to go.”
I mean, I don’t necessarily agree with that, but I know what he’s saying.
I just would love to keep working. I would love to do more Broadway. I
would love to do more theatre, more musicals if I can. I can’t believe this
world [that] has opened up to me—and some TV.
I just would love to have as much variety in terms of what projects I
do and what roles I play. My absolute dream would be to be seen as
an actor, a versatile actor who was not of any “type” and to just play
and to be considered for character roles, as well as leading roles and
just as I would say not to be put in any kind of box. That’s the ultimate
dream for me. I would love to do rom-coms and then action films and
indie films. I would just love to do everything, everything and anything,
as much as possible.
Emily: You’re on Broadway, yet you’re so down to earth. You’re
such a strong woman. You’ve been through a lot of ups and downs.
You have this strong, fighting spirit in you.
Joanna: Thank you. Yeah, that’s actually what I think I prize most above
anything else.
Emily: Inspiration—definitely, definitely as a woman artist.
Adventurous—you’re open to wherever life takes you in a positive
direction.
Joanna: Oh, absolutely. You kind of just summed me up. That’s kind
of how I try to be anyway—strong and adventurous, kind of more like
I’m learning, and [having] courage.
I would think that if you have courage in everything you do in life, then
you can’t regret anything. You just have to dive in. You have to be
bold. You have to be brave and not be scared… All those things.
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Inspiration
But it’s so tough. It’s so hard. I’ve just been there in a place in my career.
When I’m not working, it makes me extremely unhappy. So when
I’ve had those periods of unemployment in my career, they have been
my most unhappy times. It’s so difficult to keep going.
But to find inner strength and to find what makes you feel strong [is
important], to find other talents and to nurture those and have other
interesting hobbies that make you feel worthy as a person because
being unemployed and getting rejected in your career, it can really
make you feel worthless and destroys what’s inside of you.
So I kind of feel like just your inner strength is just so important. To
keep believing in you; in yourself.
22

CHAPTER 2
Realities of the Music Industry
❖ ❖ ❖
I HAVE BEEN SINGING SINCE I was five years old. I used to dream of being on
magazine covers and singing in front of crowds of a million people. I
thought, “I can sing. Of course, I’m going to be famous.” I look back,
aware now that I needed to be realistic.
The truth is, millions of people can record music at the push of a
button. That doesn’t imply that they will deliver quality, but instead
means that there will be clutter, so it’s hard to find good music and
real talent. The reality is that if I want to have a chance at “making
it,” I need to not only be on top of my singing, but also my branding,
marketing, social media, my overall image and finding the right team.
I need to stand out, and do something that makes people consistently
remember me. Audiences listen to millions of songs in a lifetime, so
the only way to get their attention is to be original, to wow them and
to connect with them.
I used to think, “Oh, I will get discovered by a label and get signed,”
but nowadays, artists need to develop themselves and build a team.
Then they need to create a following, and once they develop enough
of a buzz, they will grab the attention of an indie or major label.
There is also a fine line when it comes to how and when you reach
out to your fans. If you only talk to them when you have a new song to
sell, odds are they might eventually tune you out. If you want to gain
attention, start a YouTube documentary about your life, cut a cover of
a song, make a contest for your fans to participate in. Music is not just
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Realities of the Music Industry
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
about the song anymore, and it’s not just about selling an album; it’s
about creating an experience for your target audience. That is how
you will gain their support.
It might not be strategic to focus all your energy on selling songs
unless you are on a major label because, let’s face it: the majority of
people will find ways to download your music for free. Just look at
Spotify, it lets you listen to millions of songs free of charge. The real
way to make money from music these days is to team up with great
brands, gain sponsorship opportunities, license your music, go on
tour, and sell merchandise. You can be creative. Maybe your mom is a
painter. You can have her paint custom guitar picks, and sell them as a
necklace at your merchandise table. There are unlimited possibilities.
Set goals for yourself. Remember that if making money is the only
drive for your success, chances are you will fail. You have to do this
for the passion you have for music. When you are passionate, you are
abundantly more successful in everything you do. Keep faith and love
in your heart, and you will go a lot further than you would by just striving
to get paid. Music isn’t just about making money. Music is art. It’s
creation. It’s incredible! Make music for your fans, for your team, for
the people who believe in you.
Understand that you might have to play in clubs with 10 or 12 people,
hundreds of times before you get to play in bigger venues. Realize
that if you meet the right people this might not be necessary. Know that
this industry is full of politics and that you need to focus on building the
right relationships. Maybe you don’t invest all your money in creating
an album the first time around, and instead you just create a demo at
your friend’s apartment with Pro Tools and use that as a key to convince
venues to give you a chance or to eventually find the right producer.
Know that no matter what you are doing, there are hundreds of
thousands of people who are working just as hard as you, and would
practically do anything to succeed. If you want success, you have to be
mentally strong and persistent, and have passion and faith in yourself.
If you’ve knocked on one hundred doors, be prepared to knock on
one thousand more. Don’t give up if you truly want your chance more
than anything in the world. Remember, each obstacle will come with
opportunities and lessons. Use them as a chance to develop as an artist
and gain experience.
Lastly, being an artist is a lot of pressure, and it’s not for everyone.
Anyone who makes it, is not doing it just for the money. They are doing
it for the love of music. Know that anything is possible, but you still
need to work for it. It takes the right drive, passion, positive mindset
and team, but you will get there.
Keys To Success:
COMPETITION: Learn to compete against yourself first, and then focus
on those around you. Realize that it is more important to improve
yourself than to try to beat others. If you wrote a good song last year,
try to write an even better one this year. If you performed in front of
100 people, try to gain an opportunity to perform for 200, 500 or even
1,000. If you have 5,000 Twitter followers, make it your goal to gain
10,000. There are always ways to constantly improve. The more we
can focus on competing against ourselves and developing ourselves
and our artistry, the more chances we have of reaching our objectives.
HEALTH: Make sure to take care of yourself. If you are not healthy, you
can’t help others. If you are not happy, you will not want to improve
yourself. Make sure to set yourself in a positive environment as much
as possible. This will make a huge difference to your well-being. Make
sure you eat enough every day and drink plenty of water. Food equals
energy. You are accomplishing nothing by starving yourself, and that
can only make your career go downhill. The reality is that if you are
only worried about your image and don’t take care of your health, life
will be bleak and depressing. And remember to take breaks, that may
be the time when you are your most creative self!
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Realities of the Music Industry
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
MEDITATION: Listen to meditation CDs, be in nature, take some time out
for yourself to relax and just be. When we are passionate about something
it is easy to get caught up in it and become a workaholic. Passion
is amazing but everyone needs time off. Just as being physically fit is important
for your health, so is being in a peaceful mindset. The calmer we
are the easier time we will have in finding solutions to issues that come up.
Reality hits hard, yet in can be the fuel behind an artist’s dream. This is
what they had to say about it:
“Many artists lose their ‘soul’ in striving to be more mainstream. I credit
artists like Adele as individuals who balance mainstream success and
passion well.” - Christian Hollingsworth, Entrepreneur, Model, Singer/
Songwriter, CA
“Technology and the Internet have allowed everyone to make music.
In the past, record companies served as filters, and I think they did a
very good job. Now there are no filters. Everyone is a musician and
music producer. The problem is they aren’t making good music, and
most of it sounds awful. It makes it a lot harder for those of us who
really are professionals. Indie artists don’t realize this. It’s one thing to
make a great record… It’s another to get people to pay attention to
it. That costs dollars.” - John McCracken, Producer, NYC
“One thing I have learned, especially in moving to Los Angeles, is that
getting opportunities doesn’t always have to do with talent… Most
industries are driven by money, and the music industry is no exception.
Sometimes it’s hard to look at your art like a business, and I think this
turns a lot of amazing musicians bitter. I don’t want to turn bitter.” -
Rachel B, NYC
“For a while, the industry was solely relying on the artist’s look to carry
the product, but over the past year, I’ve seen a lot of independent
artists stepping up their game and demanding attention, whether
they were drop dead gorgeous or not. It’s really refreshing to see and
having the audience take notice.” - Carly Lind, Los Angeles, CA
“Simply put, from what I can see, there’s less money to go around, and
it’s eliminating the middle class of the industry. I’m keeping myself
busy by working smart, efficiently and creative. Time is precious, so
I’m focusing work on the GREAT songs and not the mediocre or good
ones.” - Greg Ogan, Writer/Producer/Engineer/Mixer, Hollywood, CA
“Even though companies, business models and record labels are dying,
I feel like we’re in the wild frontier with social media and the new
marketing paradigm. I made tour videos for “Slumdog Millionaire”
Oscar and Grammy award winning composer/musician A.R. Rahman
while on his Jai Ho World Tour. His Facebook fan base was at 600K
when I started. After four months of releasing just the videos I made,
it grew to 2.3 million. Now it’s over 5.3 million. He puts out a post,
and within 10 minutes he’s got 800 likes. You don’t need record labels
once you get to that point, but you don’t have to be an A.R. to be
there. Bands like OK GO make amazing videos that go viral.” - Anu
Gunn, Rock Vocalist/Guitarist/Actor, Hollywood, CA
“The amount of creativity in the world is enormous; however, the arts
are usually the first to be taken as a luxury. On that point, I state that
only a society where decision makers know the value of music and
the arts can be a prosperous one.” - Gilad Hochman, Classical Music
Composer,
Israel
“Call me naive, a believer, or just plain stupid, but one aspect that has
taken me totally by surprise is that I had no idea that you can buy your
way into the music industry. If I had two million Euros for radio promotion
and a marketing campaign, I could probably be as big as a Lady
Gaga or Taylor Swift. I guess that makes me sad, though… I always had
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this romantic notion that all it took was talent and a lucky break, but
when I got to Los Angeles no one seemed interested in music, only in
how much budget I had to work with.” - K’Sandra, Los Angeles, CA
“Being a record producer requires long hours, extreme attention to
detail and a sharp business mind. My high points are always when
I receive recognition from my peers. We are in the business to sell
records, and while sales are great, it’s even better when other working
professionals admire something that you’ve put together. Low
points are definitely when you think a song is great, and it doesn’t get
the reception that you’re hoping for.” - Doug Fenske, Producer,
Los
Angeles, CA
“I feel excited about the industry today! It’s evolved to a place where
anyone has the ability to create their own career due to the opportunities
the Internet has provided. It gives an artist, like me, a chance
to connect with fans, write honest lyrics, and say things I want to say,
regardless of how a giant record company feels about my opinion.” -
Alexa Falk, One Half of Country Duo: Falk, UT
“We are living in a digital world now where artists can produce music
from home. You don’t have to be in Nashville, L.A. or New York in
order to ‘make a record.’ It’s convenient for sure, but also there’s a lot
of ‘self-produced’ music out there. Also, it’s not about making records
anymore. More artists are delivering EPs or singles in order to get
their fans music quicker.” - Brian Fuente, Nashville, TN
“The corporate structure tends to be in opposition to the innate way
that music is created. I think some of the best music comes from
the most personal place. There’s something wild and unpredictable
about that. Yet, the corporate world does everything possible to
guarantee consistent results and profits. That said, I’ve had so many
great experiences in that world, and there are some really talented
executives out there who totally get it and love music and artists.” -
Adam Watts, CA
“A
singer will work really hard to get their voice and branding together.
Once they get a record deal, they tend to forget what got them
there in the first place. They have radio interviews and other obligations
and a lot of people talking to them. They forget about what they
worked through to get to the top, and they put their attention to the
demands of the industry. They stop maintaining their voice.” - Renee
Grant Williams Vocal Coach, Nashville, TN
“Unfortunately, I see a lot of colleagues of mine that have won
Grammys, have 20 Gold/Platinum Records, have number one hits, all
have tremendous amounts of success, and who have left the industry
because they couldn’t make a living anymore. Thank God I was able
to make that transition for myself, which is basically marketing our
services to independent labels, independent musicians, independent
singers, and not rely on the record and publishing companies for the
majority of our work.” - Arty Skye, Producer, NYC
“Music is suffering because labels want instant gratification. If they
meet an artist and they put their record out, and it doesn’t connect
with the people, then they’ll let them go. Back in the day, they built
artists. If it didn’t work the first time, they just kept building their fan
base. Right now, that’s a lost craft. Now, as an artist or a musician, you
have to come into this game basically at the top of it to be respected.
It’s making it harder for artists and musicians to grow because everything
is so ‘here today, gone tomorrow.’ ” - Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd,
Producer, Los Angeles, CA
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“It’s more effective for independent artists to put out singles rather
than focus on putting out EPs or full albums. As individual artists, it’s
harder to get people to digest an entire product at one time.”
- Dylan Synclaire, Producer, Los Angeles, CA
“There is a lot of struggle in the music business, but that does not
mean things can’t turn around. As far as the music goes, I just hope
talent continues to be something important for success (not money).”
- Alex Flanigan, Nashville, TN
“The recording world has traditionally been male-dominated, and
even though it’s improved in the last five years, much of the gender
discrimination still exists.” - Erica Glyn, NYC
“As we are becoming more fast-paced and less personable, more
opinionated and less active, more needy and less attentive, we are catering
our music to those attributes. Like I said, though, it’s a hopeful
time. The talent and authentic always rise to the top.” - Dom Liberati,
Los Angeles, CA
“I think what is most surprising is how hard it is to keep people interested
in your music. I remember when we first started touring, we would
play shows and have all these people come up to us afterwards telling
us that we were their favorite band. Then the next time that we came
through the city they wouldn’t even be at the show! … We learned we
needed to focus on not thinking of people as just another ‘fan,’ but as a
friend whose life we can be a part of.” - The Icarus Account, FL
“Making money is probably the biggest challenge, for sure. It’s hard
to make money. When you’re going into other markets and touring
around, if you don’t have a lot of promotion leading up to it, it’s hard
to get a crowd at some of the places. That’s always a demoralizing
thing.” - Zak Smith, NJ
“One of my biggest fears that I’m getting over was having a normal
life and going out with friends over the weekend. You know, you can’t
do that as an artist. You have to kind of stay in and work, work, work,
work. It’s kind of like the AMAs and VMAs are your prom and homecoming.”
- Macy Kate, Los Angeles, CA
“I do think that the music industry is full of alligators, and you have to
watch who you swim with. We have been offered many contracts that
were very dangerous to a career, and I am sure a lot of bands are signing
without really thinking what they are signing or going to a music
lawyer.” - Dream Aria, Toronto, Canada
“With illegal downloading, we were only getting two or three out of 10
in our purchasing-to-consumer ratio, meaning that if 10 people are listening
to a song, only two or three of them actually bought it. There are
several ways to increase this ratio, and one of them is a monthly fee for
streaming services. Mechanical royalties should increase too!” - Doug
Fenske, Producer,
Los Angeles, CA
“The music industry is split in two, unevenly. Ten percent of artists are
making music for radio, and that’s what Joe Public hears every day.
It’s a here today, gone tomorrow kind of deal that’s a double-edged
sword. Someone is making bank — possibly not you. The other 90
percent are creating music through a passion for their art and a desire
to be understood through it. They’re broke. They don’t get played
on the radio and are just looking for an audience, touring and doing
it grass roots style.” - Declan Bennett, Broadway, Star and Singer/
Songwriter,
NYC
“There’s just so many facets to everything, and I love the art and creativity
involved, as well as the passion and excitement from people
when all the pieces work together properly. Sometimes though, it can
get muddled up with the business and bureaucracy of things and lose
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sight of why we all got involved with music in the first place.” - Chase
Coy, Nashville, TN
“There’s far more bad music out there than there is mediocre music,
and there’s more mediocre music out there than there is GOOD music.
Music that is well written, carefully crafted, performed by exceptional
musicians, recorded and produced at the utmost level of quality
and mixed and mastered so that the details, dynamics and EMOTION
of the song are brought to the forefront is becoming hard to find.” -
Derik Nelson, Los Angeles, CA
“I am pretty sure that you’re better-off making friends with people
than making music they like. In short, be nice to everyone, don’t expect
anything from them, and, above all, never trap yourself in bitterness
by thinking that you deserve anything. No one really deserves
anything. If you get it, it’s luck, connections and chance. Good music
probably helps, but not all that much. Bad music does hurt though.” -
Michael Epstein, MA
“You have to love it. If you are in the business or want to get in it for fame
or money, forget it. That all comes later if you work hard and are honest
about the art. If you ‘chase paper,’ that’s all you will be doing.” - Karl
Heilbron, Producer,
Atlanta, GA/Los Angeles, CA
The Coach’s Perspective: Knowing the Industry
Many artists I have worked with don’t realize how much every craft,
whether it’s music, acting, visual arts, etc. is a business. They either don’t
manage the career side of their art or mishandle it by choosing the wrong
people, disregarding branding, lacking direction, and so on. When you
are expressing your art, you’re selling a brand. Your brand is everything; it
goes from how you look, and sound, which is your individual style, all the
way to the basic theme colors of your website and marketing materials.
Your branding as an artist must match your fan’s perception of your art.
Working with a coach can clarify your message to your fans so you can
reach that next level. Don’t take your branding for granted!
However, what I have just mentioned here is the “outer stuff,” the
somewhat superficial part of your artistic package that matters, yes,
but only to a point. As an artist, there is a core part of who you are
from within, which is powerful, a creative energy that you must take
good care of consistently. There will be highs and lows; that is the expression
of your emotional life.
At regular intervals, you must strengthen your inner self alongside
all the areas of your creative business and seek to improve who you are
and how you express yourself as an artist to the world.
It’s hard to crack open who you really are and what you have
been through. It’s just as hard to separate your weaknesses from your
strengths, and bring the right team in to support you. But like I explain
in my A.V.A. method, awareness of your creative gifts at the present moment
is your key to success in your future. The creative universe will rejoice
in the capturing of this clarity. This clarity will heighten your power.
As your coach, I ask you the following:
1. What is the exact state of your music career today? What is working
and not working?
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7. How does the world see you?
2. Where was your career a year ago? What have you achieved since
then?
8. What is the true “you”?
3. What are your biggest blessings and gifts?
Chapter 2 Affirmation: Realities
4. What are the biggest weaknesses that you have as a music artist??
“I know who I am as an artist and a creative being. I have
complete clarity in expressing myself to the world. I accept
my weaknesses and my strengths, knowing I define my own
state of perfection. I am full of creative power and have a
great purpose in this world. Knowing this, I continuously
build my inner power towards my ultimate success.”
❖ ❖ ❖
5. What resources do you need from others to improve your level of
success?
6. What is the biggest fear that crosses your mind about your career?
About yourself?
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Feature Interview: Trevor Gale, Vice President of SESAC
Emily: I’m sure our readers will appreciate the wisdom from someone
who has been there, done that and accomplished so much in
supporting artists with your work!
So my first question is this: What would you say are “some keys to
success in the music industry” that an artist needs to commit to
whether they’re aspiring or they’re in the midst of a music career,
promoting… touring, etc. What should they focus 100% on?
Emily: Today on Creative Spotlights, we are welcoming Trevor
Gale, Vice President of performing arts giant SESAC, which represents
thousands of songwriters and publishers, and their right
to be compensated for having their music performed in public.
They have headquarters in Nashville and offices in New York,
Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and London. SESAC is one of the
top three organizations to support songwriters in all genres including
Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Bryan-Michael Cox, Bale’wa
M Muhammad, Omarion, Swizz Beatz, Jason Perry and Angela
Hunte, to name a few.
The goal of this interview is to receive your wisdom and guidance
as a music industry veteran so that music artists checking out our
site, Creative Spotlights, can truly succeed in the music industry,
and be inspired. So welcome!
Trevor: There’s a lot of things to keep in mind if you want to be successful
in the music business. Most of them are pretty simple. Most of
them are pretty straightforward.
Trevor: That’s a very good question. The first thing that I do say to
many, many artists and many, many musicians every day is don’t be
afraid of hard work.
No. 1: The music industry, no matter how you slice it, is very rewarding
but most of the time, the real reward comes at the end of a long drive
of hard work.
It’s like you have to back out an expensive Cadillac through a very narrow
driveway that has these granite walls on either side and there’s a new
paint job on the car and you have to get it through without too many
scratches. It’s very difficult to not get the scratches, but it’s also very difficult
to not get discouraged when you do get the scratches. It’s also very
‘relieving’, so to speak, when you actually get the car out of the driveway.
It’s kind of like what the music business is about… It’s a challenge, a
never-ending challenge. So you have to not be afraid of hard work.
You have to never give up. Never give up. You have to have an enormous
amount of confidence in yourself, but that confidence has to be
based in reality. That confidence has to be based in the fact that you
know you put in the work, and you’ve done the homework, so to speak
and you’ve really developed your craft and your ability to a certain
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level. That’s what it has to be based in, not like, “Oh, my girlfriend said
I was good, so I guess I’m good.”
Those are the first three or four things I would tell somebody because
just like anything in the entertainment field, you’re going to start with
just rejection. Everyone is going to say, “No, you’re no good. Get out
of here!” Even if you’re good, they’ll say, “Wow! You’re great, but I’m
not looking for a tall great guy that can sing good. I’m looking for a
short person who just does that,” or whatever.
Emily: That’s amazing advice that you are sharing. Your analogy
is definitely original, it does take a lot of confidence and selfawareness
for an artist to claim their musical gifts, and have a door-die
mentality and passion for their career, you know? So tell
me about the mission of SESAC and how it all started.
Trevor: SESAC is a performing rights organization. We make sure that
songwriters, as you said, get paid for their public performances. What
that means really is that when your music is performed that you created
(you created a song), it actually is your intellectual property.
You dreamed up that song. It was created within your intellect, and
it’s your property. So intellectual property, when that song is performed
in a nightclub, on a radio station, on a television station, on
the Internet provider, on an airline, a cruise ship, anywhere where to
gain access to that place or venue, someone had to pay money, then
there is theoretically, a royalty or a payment that is now due to you
because your intellectual property has been utilized to sort of draw
people in.
I always use the analogy of ‘cheese on a mousetrap’. The reason why
radio stations play music is not necessarily because the radio station
people actually like music, they play music because they like money,
and they know that if they play music that the people like, they’ll get
listeners. The more listeners they get, the more they can charge advertisers
who advertise on their station. You know what I mean?
If they can tell the advertisers (i.e. Pepsi, Coke, Chevrolet, Kentucky
Fried Chicken or whoever it is) that they have six million listeners, then
their fees goes up.
So that’s what we do. We make sure songwriters get paid for the usage
of their music in those types of situations.
And those types of situations, I might just add, have vastly expanded
and blossomed. Initially, it was clubs and bars and radio and then television.
And now we have this whole Internet world and viral world, so
it is there as well.
Emily: Yes, definitely a lot more layers there nowadays and artists
in my opinion, shouldn’t be afraid of branching out and expressing
their branding in multiple ways to get exposure and influence.
I did notice that you also use very sophisticated technology at
SESAC to keep track of the songs that are out there from your
artists that you worked on signing and representing.
Trevor: Right, right. Basically, we use a system called BDS, which is a
company called Broadcast Data System. They’re sort of a sister company
of the Nielsen company. When you hear television ratings and successful
television shows, you hear about ‘high Nielsen rating’, well the
same people have another company called Broadcast Data Systems
and they measure and account for the number of performances that
songs have on radio and in some music-intensive television networks.
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We use that technology. We use them to track the performances of
the songs that we represent. That is very, very accurate. We’re very
satisfied with that system and it’s worked out very well for us.
Emily: Let’s look at your start with SESAC. I know that you started
with SESAC in 1996 as the Director of writer/publisher relations.
And then you swiftly moved up to Vice President. Next to Senior
Vice President; impressive!
I’m sure our readers would love to know how the music scene was
back then in the day in 1996 compared to how it is right now. You’ve
seen it all! Plus, you also have your own musical background as an
independent record producer, songwriter and drummer that has
toured with Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Vanessa Williams
and Run DMC and CEO of Gale Warnings Production Company, a
full-service music production facility in NYC.
Trevor: It’s interesting because the music scene has changed a lot.
Music, necessarily, hasn’t changed a lot and what it takes to be successful
in music hasn’t really changed that much. But the scene of music,
parts of the music business have changed a little bit. Before, when
I started at SESAC in those sort of days and times, you got a record
deal. The record company promoted your record if you’re fortunate
enough to have them do that.
And then you went on the road and you performed and you became
famous, so to speak, based on the success of your songs.
That still happens to some degree today, but as we know now, the
Internet is the way to go. It’s everything. It’s just taken over. It has
changed some of the methodology and some of the processes of how
you become known for your music, but at the end of the day, there’s
also a shallowness to the Internet.
I think the Internet is a great thing and it creates great access to music
and access to different artists and such. But at the same time, because
it creates so much access, it’s something that doesn’t have weight.
“We love you. We love you” and the crowd is then, “Okay… now, I’ll
go and listen to somebody else.”
Emily: Yeah, nowadays anyone can put a song on their Facebook
page and YouTube and all that!
Trevor: Next week, I’m kind of listening to somebody else like, “I heard
you. I saw you. Get out of here. Leave me alone.” It wasn’t so much
of that back in the day when you only had the more traditional ways
of promoting artists. It was a little bit more of “If I like you, I like you”
back then. Not “If I like you now, I like you right this second. I might
not like you ten seconds from now.”
It’s so much access. It’s just so much coming at you. It’s so much...
touching, there’s so much feeling, there’s so much hitting you, there’s
so much there that you don’t even have time to know an artist and to
get to understanding artists.
Even though the Internet allows you to kind of do that because you
can search back, “What was their first record? What was their record
before that first record? What was their demo?” It allows you to dig
deep, but most people, they don’t dig that deep because they’re busy
going to the next thing. It’s a challenge.
So that, the scene of music, as you say, how has it changed? I think the
enormous access that the Internet provides also takes away from the
depth of my association with an artist.
Emily: I agree. Now the artist is much more of a creative entrepreneur
in a sense. The Internet provides all this self-promotion
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for any person that it can get cluttered with so many new
artists…
Trevor: When I was a kid, I used to listen to Santana records. I used to
play the record until the groove wore out basically on the record, you
know what I mean? But now, if I listen to Santana, it’ll tell me, “Oh, you
like Santana, you’re going to like this guy” and before I know it, I was
listening to Santana for a minute, the next thing I know I’m listening to
some other guy… and then some other person, which is cool. But now
I’ve gone away from that artist that I really was interested in in the first
place, and now I’ve started listening to what something is telling me
I’m going to think is the first artist.
It’s a very subtle, but not so subtle change to what has become the
music scene. It takes away I think from the intensity of the fan base.
It’s funny because in some ways, people will argue and say, “A true fan
now is really a true fan,” but it’s just a little different I think because of
the amount of access to all the music we have.
It’s good in a lot of ways because it enables new artists to get heard,
so it’s always a fabulous thing. The challenge of it is the fact that the
whole society, so to speak, has become disposable a little bit and this
quick, “Oh, I chew that gum. It loses its flavor in two seconds, I get
another piece of gum.”
When you buy gum now, it’s like they give you 40 pieces of gum in the
box and the little thing. Back in the day, you’d buy the chewing gum
and it’d have five sticks of gum in there if you’re lucky and you’d chew
that for like a week or something, or three days or something. Now,
because it loses its flavor in ten minutes, you go through the box in a
half hour.
It’s kind of that way with some of the music. It’s very interesting.
Emily: I interviewed Jason Boyd, producer of Justin Bieber’s records
and he was saying the same thing. He was like, “Oh, nowadays,
people have ADD with music.” It’s just everything is so
commercialized in a way, and it’s like, “Okay, what’s the next artist,
or next sound.” They jump around.
Trevor: Back in the day an artist would come with an album, they
would tour, they would take a break, they would record another album,
it would take them a while, and then they’ll be like, “Oh, my God! So
and so’s album is coming out.” You would really wait for that. It’ll be
exciting.
Nowadays, it’s like the artists come out with new albums, it seems like
every two weeks. You can’t even keep up what album that song is from
because they’re constantly putting songs out there… because they’re
so afraid that the people will forget them and go away, their fan base
will wane and dissipate that they’re constantly putting more songs out.
It’s a very strange and interesting phenomenon.
It’s also interesting from another perspective that because of the different
layers and levels of the uses of music and access to music that
songwriters have opportunities to at least have a little bit of a difference
and more options as far as streams of income are concerned.
Emily: I’ve been saying that as well! There are some great opportunities
for artists, especially if they have the right team around
them.
Trevor: There’s more songs being used in films and TV. There’s obviously
more channels on television. It’s just a little bit more opportunity.
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It’s still not perfect. It’s still not the way we all really want it to be, but
the light is a little brighter a little bit, just a little bit.
Emily: There’s more freedom. They have a little more freedom in
their brand management and their marketing. Social media helps
a lot too.
Trevor: Yeah, it’s interesting.
Emily: At labels today, there isn’t artist development or mentors
like there used to be in old days… Like Ray Charles was with
Atlantic Records.
I thought that was really great because I, myself am a life and
business coach for people in the arts and entertainment. I’m doing
my part to help inspire and work with artists in developing
their careers because I saw this need in the market plus I had passion
for the arts. What is your perspective on that?
Trevor: You’re right. Like I say, the level of artist development is a completely
different scenario now with labels. Labels are actually looking
for artists who are developed already. They’re looking for artists who
have fan bases already.
The phenomenon of these television shows, X-Factor, American Idol,
the Voice, all these stuff is based on, “Okay, we’ll find semi-talented
or talented artists or singers,” let’s call them (we don’t know if they’re
artists), “…and we’ll put them on this TV show, which is a reality-based
sort of thing, and they’ll get fans from the people that watch the show.
So, as soon as we put the record out, they’ll have a fan base. Thus,
we’ll have record sales from day one.”
That is their thing. Outside of that, if they do sign someone new, they’re
looking for those who have already had a presence online. That way,
they can say, “Oh, these people already have 500,000 views on their
video and this and that and a web page and blah-blah-blah, so we
don’t have to do anything. We just have to put the record out because
all we want to do is make money.
So it is a completely different thing when you go to a label back in the
old days and they had a staff producer who had a sound that the label
is famous for, and so to develop and hone this artist into something, or
an artist who was ready to go out and perform with a sound and with
an identity, and a look and all of that.
Now, you’d have to walk in the door with that. It is completely different.
That’s why I say that artists have to have the ability to work really hard
because you have to not only work to say, “I’m the best guitar player in
New Jersey,” but you have to have a vibe, a uniqueness and a message
and a persona and character. “Who are you? What are you saying?
What are you talking about? Why do I like you? Why should I like you?”
You have to come in the door with all of these before they even pay
any attention to you. It takes a lot of thought, it takes a lot of work, and
it takes a lot of trial-and-error to get to that point where you’ve got
that stuff together.
Emily: Awesome advice! Are there any final things you want to
share with Creative Spotlights?
Trevor: It’s interesting. Music to me that works and lasts is all emotional.
It speaks from the heart. It speaks from the soul actually. In order for
an artist to do that, whether you’re sculptor, a painter, a photographer,
a musician, a dancer, you have to find out who you are and understand
who you are, and what you have to say. Understand that that’s the only
thing that really means anything.
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Or else you’ll be an artist that has a hit song. It’ll be one of those things
that come on at three in the morning.
“You remember the Pink Doorknobs? They had this song, “Baby, I
Love You” and they were like, “Oh, yeah. I had the Pink Doorknobs,
but then they only had that one song, and then I never heard from the
Pink Doorknobs again.”
I mean, that’s not bad. You can be one of the Pink Doorknobs. But if
you want to be Bono or…or Otis Redding, you want to be somebody
that somebody cares about, or can change somebody’s life.
You have to really dig deep and work extremely hard to find your voice
within your soul first, and make it come across through music, which is
sometimes difficult.
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CHAPTER 3
First Steps
❖ ❖ ❖
NOWADAYS, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT to pay attention to your brand. Society
is shallow and will judge you from your shoes to your hairstyle. Be
prepared for judgment. Just as in clothing and overall appearance, it
is vital to master the right branding for yourself as an artist. That said,
your social media profiles are equally, if not more, important. When
becoming an artist, you need to decide what kind of artist you want
to be. If you are a metal artist, you are probably not going to use hot
pink as your main branding color for your website or logo. If you are a
country singer, it is unlikely you would dress in all black and sell t-shirts
that curse out the world. My point is: your brand awareness starts from
the moment your name is browsed.
Often, the question is: where to start? First, begin with the basics.
Sit down and think about what kind of music you want to perform.
What kind of artist do you want the world to see you as? Are you looking
to be that singer with the awesome-acoustic-guitar-rocker-chick
vibe or more of an innocent pop girl for teens to idolize? Also, in this
day and age, bands and brands go together. I recommend calling the
head of communications for a brand/cause you believe in and setting
up a meeting. If they see how passionate you are about what they do,
there is unlimited possibilities. They could end up hiring you to be
their spokesperson, or even hire you as a songwriter for their brand.
Now that you have a cause or brand you are teaming up with, it`s time
to hit social media. Start by creating an email account for your creative
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work, so all band related requests can be organized. I highly recommend
Gmail. Adding a great promotional photo to match your email
address is important too.
Next, it is time to start creating a fan page on Facebook, spreading
the word, and having people like/endorse your page.
Then, you should add some photos of your band to your social
media sites. I’d recommend using great professional photos instead of
amateur ones that a lot of beginning artists use. This means no selfies.
Personal photos are great for your personal Facebook page only. Take
professional ones to show you are serious and that you mean business.
The type of photos reflect your brand, so always keep in mind what
you want the world to see in you.
Next, upload your music on different platforms. If you don’t already
have recordings, I would suggest finding a music producer to
record, engineer and master your tracks. Once you have your music,
you can connect your music player to your Facebook page by using
Reverbnation.com or www.bandpage.com. To build your brand awareness,
I recommend you creating profiles on www.soundcloud.com and
www.reverbnation.com The latter is great because it allows you to upload
your press kit to your profile and gives you the chance to send
requests to venues. All this is great for your presence as an artist.
Another great step to take is to find a graphic designer to create
your logo, an image that goes with your brand. If you are looking to
save money, try www.fiverr.com. Once you have a logo, you can use
it as your email signature and on your flyers, your Facebook page, CD
album, merchandise, and so on. Remember to always keep your brand
image consistent. Make your brand name and logo something that
stands out, something people will remember.
Next, I highly recommend buying your domain name and setting
up your website. If you are trying to do it yourself, I recommend using
Bandzoogle which is a platform to help create websites for artists. We
speak about this more with David Dufresne, CEO of Bandzoogle later
in this book.
Now, on your website you want to have the following sections:
photos, a biography, a music player with some of your songs, videos of
your performances, social media links, a button so people can sign up
for your mailing list and the schedule of your upcoming shows.
You can use several sites for mailing lists. My personal favorites are
MailChimp and ReverbNation. It is also a good idea to set your band
up with some social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Google+ and ReverbNation. Moreover, get a YouTube page, so you
can post videos of your performances and your overall journey.
Finally, make sure to constantly put out new content. Fans love this!
Keys To Success:
Social Media: Make sure to set up a social media profile on Google+,
Facebook, YouTube, ReverbNation, SoundCloud and Instagram.
Google+ is great because there are different music groups to join just
like on Facebook. There is even a YouTube singer/songwriter Google+
group. You can use this as a great outlet to promote your music, and
connect with more singer/songwriters.
SoundCloud is excellent for expanding your fan base and audience.
It’s all about the sound on this platform. On the other hand, Instagram
is very useful when it comes to making your fans feel more connected
to you. You could post a photo in the studio or of lyrics you just wrote.
The more your fans feel connected to you, the more likely they will
be to promote you and support you by purchasing your albums, merchandise
and more. In the same way, YouTube is perfect for videos,
and when you create a Google+ hangout, you can record it and the
file will convert right to YouTube.
Engage your Fans: Make sure to keep your fans engaged. Let them know
about upcoming shows, tours and albums you are working on. You can
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also send them holiday cards and tie them in with your music. For example,
you could have a Valentine’s Day contest where one lucky lady would
win a brand new, original song written just for her. You would ask those
interested to submit a video about why they should be the winner, and
encourage them to post it on your Facebook page, or tweet about it to
bring more views and activity to your profiles. You can get super creative
with this. No matter what, make sure to keep your fans updated. Even if
you send out a quick hello every month, it will make a difference.
“Make sure whatever you are creating, artistically satisfies you on a soul
level. If it is connecting with you, it will connect with the people.” - Dan
Kimpel, Los Angeles, CA
“Really understand finances. I’m here because of understanding returns
on investments in all aspects of life. It’ll get you further. For example,
instead of spending hundreds of dollars on headshots, I spent a bit more
on buying camera equipment to do my own headshots. Now I’ve got the
equipment to make films as well. Also, figure out ways to make passive
income. For example, owning a vending machine can bring in money
while you’re writing your screenplay, and scale it up to getting into rental
properties.” - Anu Gunn, Rock Vocalist/Guitarist/Actor, Los Angeles, CA
“Classical training will definitely mold you as a singer. My college
voice teacher, Emily Riggs, is my knight in shining armor! She really
helped me find my voice, and build a strong technique to carry with
me throughout my career.” - Rachel Lynn, NYC
“I read a book called ‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Gladwell. He talks about
the 10,000 hour rule. If you do something for 10,000 hours, you will
achieve greatness in that field. Twenty hours a week for 10 years. If
you haven’t already—get started. Do what you love, and what you
love will do wonders for you.”
- Declan Bennett, Broadway, Star and Singer/Songwriter,
NYC
“YouTube is the reason I was discovered. Social media is a big part
of what started my career, and it helps me continue to connect with
fans and hear their stories, letters, etc. I use it to respond to as many
as possible, and it helps our relationship become a community.” -
Meredith O’Connor, NYC
“I think the main thing in the industry, in the entertainment industry as
a whole, that I found that really helps you more than anything, is being
a nice guy to everyone and really gaining respect.” - Noah Guthrie,
YouTube Superstar with over 50 million views, SC
“Understanding music is the first step toward being a producer. Look
at top music producer, Quincy Jones. The guy is an incredible musician.
That’s what you need to be able to do. You need to understand
a number of different instruments. You have to understand from the
engineering point of view the different sound qualities of the different
instruments and how they all fit together.” - Arty Skye, Producer, NYC
“Find a good mentor starting out. The whole notion of assistant/mentor
training in the studio has changed quite a bit recently. It’s so much
easier to purchase a DAW and jump right into engineering or producing
records with little experience. The problem with that is you’re missing
out on learning the art of recording from an experienced engineer.
There is the reason that those at the top of our industry are so good
at what they do. Learn from them!” - Adam Ayan, Master Engineer,
Portland, ME
“Stay levelheaded and be able to see how situations or people can
change in seconds. Just believe in yourself. And do one thing everyday
that will help you toward your goal.” - Alex Flanigan, Nashville, TN
“I hate to say this, but you have to be honest with yourself and your
goals because if you have ANY doubts about a music career path,
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then it’s not for you. It’s very competitive… Be focused and take advantage
of opportunities in your immediate surroundings as well as
the bigger music world. Say ‘yes’ to everything.” - Greg Ogan, Writer/
Producer/Engineer/Mixer,
Hollywood, CA
“Get acquainted with all the social media formats. Also, acquire a relationship
with a Performing Rights Organization, publisher, etc. Also,
acquire relationships with recording studios that fit the mold to the
sound you envision for your recorded music… I would say that you
need to refine your craft by spending time with people who are better
than you… If you are more of a business savvy person, a music
theory course can help your communication skills… Take marketing
and economics courses to brush up that part of your brain and remind
yourself that it’s not just about practicing your instrument or pouring
your soul onto the page.” - Alexander “Sheriff” Ariff, Musician/Radio
Producer,
NYC
“I think asking the advice of ANYONE and EVERYONE about your
music is totally key.” - DJ Dark and Stormy, NYC
“Lay a solid foundation first. I’m one of those individuals who organizes
everything with a purpose behind the passion, with the intention
of never failing. This is one of the reasons I decided to get into
the marketing/business industry first. I decided that if I wanted to
find an audience for my music, I should have an intense understanding
of how business and marketing works. This has led me to harnessing
the power of people, and now I have a Twitter following of
over 152K and a blog that is syndicated to over 11 million people.”
- Christian Hollingsworth, Singer/Songwriter, Entrepreneur, Model,
CA
“I just knocked on every door that I could. I just talked to every person
that I could. I spent my whole first year just trying to meet people.” -
Zach Adam, NYC
“You have to think of yourself, your music, your performance and even
your social media presence as a product and you have to constantly
ask yourself; is your product something people would want to spend
money on? If it’s not then you have to work harder and improve your
craft to make it worthwhile for your audience.” - Danielle from Danielle
and Jennifer, NYC
“I learned everything I could about every facet of the music business
including entertainment law, distribution, publishing, etc. I had a great
mentor named Arthur Mann, who started a very successful record label
called Rykodisc in the mid-80s. He was invaluable in my learning
the ropes in the music business. I can’t express enough how valuable
it is to have a mentor.” – John McCracken, Producer,
NYC
“1. Hard work 2. Hard Work 3. Hard Work. Really for me, it’s about
setting goals and working my butt off to accomplish them. Every year
I make a goal list, and throughout the year, I check to make sure I’m
doing what I need to be doing in order to be where I want to be.” -
The Autumn Film, CO
“Being a musician, songwriter or engineer is a great place to start …
I would advise the people who want to be in the back end of music
to practice one or two of these core skills and to go to school! There
are tons of recording schools across the country, and the interns with
formal education almost always get further than the ones who don’t.”
- Doug Fenske, Producer,
Los Angeles, CA
“Not only do you have to be concerned with what you like as an artist,
but you have to take into consideration what your audience wants as
well.” - Jennifer from Danielle and Jennifer, NYC
“Depending on what you’re doing in the industry, first hone your specific
craft. If you play guitar, take lessons, and if you sing, take voice
lessons. Take a course on publishing or marketing… Every tool you
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have can be an asset to you and make the difference in your career.”
- Charlie Scopoletti, CT
“My personal motto is: act like everyone is your biggest supporter
and your biggest opportunity because they just might be.” - Robert
Ballesteros, Talent Handler/ Photographer, Los Angeles, CA
“Be a student of the arts, pursue excellence and stay humble.” - Rob
Chiarelli, Producer,
Los Angeles, CA
“…There are a LOT of bases to cover to establish yourself as an artist—
making albums, social networking, having a nice website, having good
pictures and working on your image, writing and recording good songs,
promoting yourself, expanding your fan base, networking, working on
your performance (performance experience plus vocal and dance training,
etc.). The work is never done.” - Adam Shenk, VA
“First you need to figure out three things: 1.) What am I better than
other people at musically? 2.) What do I enjoy doing musically? 3.)
How can I make the most money with music? Figure out what those
are, and stick to those fields.” - Adam Lasher, Los Angeles, CA
“I think the most important thing is to say yes to everything, to opportunities
big and small. I learn more during bad shows than on good
ones. When a night is going terrible, the crowd isn’t on my side, no
one wants to buy anything, and I’m messing up… that’s like throwing
someone into a river for the first time, so they can learn to swim. You
stay afloat by making the best of those situations.” - Alexis Babini, NYC
“Be a sponge. You can be a sponge anywhere. Know what you want to
do, then soak up everything you can from any and all sources. We’re
all a little bit different and respond differently to things. Do what will
work for you rather than what you think you should do. Be willing to
do any and all of it. Take lessons, learn your craft, figure things out
yourself, search things, watch videos, read interviews, whatever you
can think of. And focus on what gets you results. And always, always,
always use your intuition and your logic.” - Adam Watts, CA
“If you have an idea and you can see it through, and have an impact
on people, that’s success. Always remember why you’re doing this,
and never get caught up in the things that don’t relate to your reason
for making music. Never sacrifice your intent for success.” - Alyson
Greenfield, NYC
“…Practice every day, and try to do at least one musical thing a day,
whether it be obsessing over an artist or writing a song. Do anything
you can that will help you become a better person, which helps you
become a better artist.” - Carly Lind, Los Angeles, CA
“It is so important for musicians to be educated in music business because,
as an artist, you are your own business. More and more, artists
are in charge of their own booking, marketing, promoting, recording
and financing.” - Emily Earle, Brooklyn, NY/Nashville, TN
“There’s no better course, or class than just doing it. I would suggest
to not get bogged down with books, tests, etc., and get a Mac, get
GarageBand or Pro Tools, find some friends and make some music.
Or if you’re on the business end, get a job as an intern somewhere.
Practical experience… There’s no substitute. That being said, the best
teachers are the ones that have actually been there, and done that.” -
Craig Bartock from Heart, CA
“I will have to say my key philosophy in life would be four Ps: prayer,
persistence, patience and then that all equals perseverance. Those are
my keys to become successful.” - Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Producer,
Los Angeles, CA
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“Never try to sound EXACTLY like your favorite artist. You may think
this is an excellent way to get fans since the person you’re trying to
emulate is probably successful, and if you do it right, you might be
right. You might find a slight amount of success in doing this, but is it
worth it? Do your fans honestly listen to you for you or because you’re
just another catchy mainstream artist? Be different, be unique, and if
you find success on your own, it’ll all feel worth it in the end. People
will look up to you.” - Diary Of Snow,
Atlanta, GA
“If you’re looking to start a career in music, it helps to be in a huge
entertainment mecca like L.A. simply for the connections available.
However, with the state of the Internet today, and the tools available
for home recording, marketing and distribution, there are ways to get
your music heard and create a name for yourself from anywhere in the
world without having to be in L.A., New York or Nashville. It just takes
a lot of hard work, passion and fearlessness. It’s kind of like pointing
to your goal on a map, and then driving as fast as you can in a straight
line with your eyes closed until you get there.” - Derik Nelson, Los
Angeles, CA
“Learn as much as you can. Part of this learning will be your art,
learning all aspects of your craft in depth and always challenging the
boundaries of your style and comfort zone. But also study the world,
literature, philosophy, politics, science—all the things that combine
to form life as we know it because art is the portrayal of life, and the
more you learn, the more you will have to call upon and be inspired
by. Finally, don’t be afraid to market yourself. No one else will do it for
you. Know what you are capable of, and do not rest until others see it
too.” - Michael Bihovsky, NYC
“Take EVERY opportunity you get. Don’t let fear push you away from
what you want. Let it be your motivation to succeed.” - Nick Finochio, PA
The Coach’s Perspective: Walking a New Path
Your first words… your first steps… first kiss… first track?
It’s said that the most consistent part of life is change. How do you
feel about that? What will it take for you to truly let go of the past, and
stop worrying about the future? To simply focus on achieving success
in the “now” = the present moment? Life is all a series of moments in
the “now” isn’t it? You are living your future right now!
Now, in the journey to become the level of artist you desire, you
got to stop, and truly look at your level of self-awareness! Who really
are you? What have you been through? What are the hidden life
lessons in all the good and bad you have been through? What do
you need to let go and accept?
In each of your life experiences is a clue to reaching your ideal future.
There is a message for you if you look close enough. Once you
unravel that part of you, you can now truly move onto attracting your
ideal future. On top of that, it has to be a pretty determined crystal
clear future! Success will come to you if you are persistent, confident
and unwavering on your path. Do not switch back and forth in your
decision-making, as your chances increase greatly when you stay focused.
In life, the directionless go nowhere.
Who you are + your past + your potential future = the full picture,
a mirror effect that I unbiasedly share to my clients in our sessions. I
collect several pieces of information hidden in their stories, adamant
truths to their persona, and glitches in their psychology. As a professional,
I reflect it back so my client can understand their inner world
much better, and be able to release old energy. Although I like to
focus on career strategies, clearing the way for this information makes
it much easier to influence my clients to move forward in making real
plans of actions. Layering emotionality to the process with acceptance
and gratitude seals the process towards success.
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Now there is a natural pull in nature towards a timing in things.
There are many metaphors for this in the coaching world, but I like to
use the 4 seasons; Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Where you fall
season-wise when starting the coaching process provides a bit of a
road map for the artist/coach connection, making it easier to navigate
these changes together over time.
Here is a description of the seasons:
Spring: During this time period there are many new beginnings and fresh
starts. You are starting new things; perhaps a new direction for your music,
a new image, moving to a new area, or teaming up with new people
who can help support and manage your dreams. Spring time is innocent
and positive, as all the dark debris from winter has finally eased up. You
are in a new life cycle, and the feeling is adventurous and freeing.
Summer: This stage is full of experimentation, quick conversations, new,
fast business relationships, just getting the projects and ideas, that you
started during spring, moving quicker. Since it is a fiery season, full of
passion, you may get very enthusiastic about new business/creative
ideas, and quickly tire of some other ones. Time quickens and so does
the pace of your moves in the music industry. It is a social season, as well
with more opportunities to network. This is the season of social leverage.
Fall: The stage of autumn is about patience. The combination of all
the work started during spring + the somewhat exhaustive pace of
summer really starts bringing some amount of anxiety for results. As a
music artist, you want your harvest at this time, especially the fruits of
your labor from your more intense key projects. This is a good season
though as you start to see the lasting values of those key projects,
the truth behind key relationships, and just generally securing a really
good foundation. If you congratulate yourself for all your efforts, you
will actually realize that you have done quite well, and know the results
are occurring in a perfect timing.
Winter: Endings. Analysis. Relaxation. Rest. Peace. Introspection.
During winter, you rest while you move through endings and settle
things once and for all. This could be finishing up the last stages of
your music projects, finishing recording your album, or ending partnerships
with band mates or a manager. It is time to clear what is not
moving you forward in your career. You clear the wrong out of the way
and you slow down and just think. You heal and analyze until spring
comes again, and it’s time for you to begin anew.
If you did this right, the new life cycle will be a blessing, and you
will be stronger, wiser and more strategic than ever. You may physically
and energetically feel a transformation. It wasn’t easy, but the life lessons
you collect along the way, and the payout is worth it.
As your coach, I ask you the following:
1. Considering all the seasons, which one are you currently in? What
are some signs that tell you this? Please explain:
2. What is the one truth about your past that you must accept? Be brave:
3. Where do you want to be 1 year from now? What support do you
need?
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4. What is the next step you can take today, in the present moment,
to drive your career forward?
Featured Interview: David Schuler,
Award-Winning Music Producer
Chapter 3 Affirmation: First Steps
“I have a complete clarity on who I am and what I have
been through. The journey is perfectly arranged because it
has only made me stronger and wiser. I accept the lessons
of my past, for it has made me brave. I own the moment
that is now, and only I design my future as that comes from
within. With my creative armor raised high, a vibration of
protection around my creative gifts and my true supporters,
I fight for my dreams to come true. I am starting now.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Emily: We are excited to feature our first interview in a new year
(This was done January 2014). It’s number 301 for us at Creative
Spotlights with Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum, worldwide
selling record producer, songwriter and artist, David Shuler.
How are you?
David: I’m good. That was quite an introduction, wow!
Emily: At Creative Spotlights, we appreciate all your years of experience
in the music industry. You most recently worked with
John Legend and Pink as their producer. So the focus of this interview
is to provide your perspective on what it takes for a music
artist to succeed in the industry.
This information will help countless readers of our Creative
Spotlights site, get an edge around what they need to stand out,
and make a good impression with the fans.
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So my first question for you was; if you could express your journey
in music over the years into one sentence to share with your
fans, what would it be and why?
David: In one sentence and why. Let me see, I would say passion, not
permission.
Emily: Wow! Passion, not permission!
David: The reason that I would say that is because there’s gonna be
a lot of people that are going to say to whoever’s reading this that
they’re foolish for wanting to pursue a career in music and that it’s unachievable,
it’s unattainable. A lot of people are going to tell you that
you just can’t do it, period.
Making a life in music, you have to make it without asking anyone. You
just have to do it because you’re never going to get the answers that
you seek from anyone else but yourself. You only get what you put in,
which I feel goes along with anything in life. It really is a long, challenging,
exciting journey, but I think that seeking validation in what others
think, is just going to yield nothing but negative results 9 times out of
10 unless you’re dealing with your peers.
Emily: So one of the keys to success, you would say, is having this
instinct that you’re meant to be in the music industry, the intuition
on who you are to listen to for advice, and listen clearly to yourself.
David: Yeah! I mean, be passionate about what you do, in that it has
to show every ounce of your character and even more importantly
in your work. Your music should be able to speak to people, and it
should speak for itself. There should never have to be any kind of a
disclaimer.
I feel like that’s the secret ingredient. When you can find a way to create
music that just speaks to people without any excuse or any kind of pretense,
that’s really what I think every musician should strive to achieve.
Emily: When you first started back in the industry, you probably
had a totally different perspective than where you’re at right
now, about how you see the industry. What do you wish you knew
back then, when you started, about being in this industry?
David: It’s great because I played in bands for years. I really started
when I was in my junior high school. Honestly, if I had one wish, it
would’ve been to spend my time a little bit wiser.
At first, I was the guitarist, and I was convinced that if I can learn every
metallic song in the catalog that I would be the best guitar player in
the world. I did that, and I was like, “Oh, I’m still here. What am I going
to do now?” It’s like if I could join a band and it sounds a certain way,
then that’s going to be it.
I went and I found that band, and I was still kind of in the same place.
You set goals for yourself along the way because that’s what you have
to do to get by, but I wish that I was a little bit more reasonable with
the goals that I had set as opposed to being so immediate.
I mean, I’m 31 now, and it took me a long time to really make a commitment
to just let go of everything that I was holding onto that was
holding me back and really commit to making music professionally for
a living.
I feel like there’s plenty of other producers out there. They’re a lot
younger than I am that are breaking it down by the numbers and being
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successful in the business, and you always think, “What could I have
done better?” But I think it’s almost important to not think that way
because everybody’s story is different.
Emily: I coach artists and a lot of times, it is about having a focus.
It’s this serious drive for who you are as an artist and your purpose
in this life and expressing your art, but a lot of times, a lot
of it has to do with kind of surrendering to the fact that you’re an
artist and that you can’t control everything around you. Just have
faith and confidence at the same time that as you go along in the
journey, the right people will come your way, you’re authentically
expressing your art, you develop yourself, you learn from mistakes
and on and on, you know?
David: Yes, definitely.
Emily: So what do you think it takes for a music artist to really
succeed in the industry that we have right now in 2014 where
everything is so competitive?
David: I think first, the most important thing is that success is determined
by an individual always. There’s so many ways to break through
the noise of today in music because you can get music on your watch…
There’s a watch now that you can get with a phone and an mp3 player.
Music is coming at you from every possible format of media that there
is. It’s really about finding where your music lives and who you’re trying
to speak to and finding the best format to reach those people in the
biggest way whether it’s on a specific blog.
If you’re making EDM music, then you know you should go to Fresh New
Tracks, and you should be sending your music to that blog or anybody
who writes for that blog. If you’re in hip hop and you’re a musical director,
you should be sending your videos out too… If you’re just a guitar
player, you should be making YouTube videos of you—just start playing
guitar and other songs and hosting them. There’s just endless ways. As
far as success, overall, to break through, I mean again, I feel like it’s a
relative term because it really is defined by the individual.
Emily: Right. Some artists would be satisfied just being a local
band or just being a local famous artist. That’s good enough for
them. They want to have kids and a family because that’s success
for them.
David: Yeah, totally! And I think there’s formulas that work for producers.
There are formulas that work for songwriters. There are formulas
that work for singers, for touring musicians.
It’s like there’s so many different ways to make a living off of music that
it really depends on what you do and what you see yourself doing for
however long. It’s just endless. There’s so many opportunities in music,
just like anything.
Emily: That’s good to hear for anyone who is a musician or a music
artist and they maybe want to get to the behind the scenes
side of the industry. You’ve been there, both musician and on the
business side as a producer. How is the view different from each
perspective for you?
David: Well, the only difference in producing a record is that you have
to deal more with personalities. When you produce a record, you have
to make a) everybody happy and b) the record everyone wants and
that includes the artist, the label, the artist’s manager, whoever works
for the artist, everyone at the record company.
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At the end of the day, everyone is just going to have their creative
input, but nobody knows really what they want to hear until they
hear it. That includes the artist and the producer and the songwriters
at the same time. You set out to realize this musical journey, but
you really don’t know what it’s going to sound like until you start to
make some noise in the studio and figure out what the sounds are
and everything.
It really comes together in such a strange way, but as a producer, it’s
most important to make sure that you’re spending the money for the
budget of the record wisely, that it’s not getting blown on shirtless
nights in the studio, like the liquor or whatever the artists wants to
do. You have to really kind of steer the creative work but also create a
space that the artist feels safe and open to try things, but also understanding
that they have an obligation to the record company to deliver
a record.
It’s really just kind of a juggling thing. And it’s much different. I think
a lot of people think that—like movie producers, for instance, it’s like
they’re producing a film, their job is entirely different than that of a
record producer. It means two totally different things. In TV, again, it’s
totally different.
And I feel like you should also—I guess in today’s landscape, we’ll call
it being a record producer—I really feel like musically, you should have
an arsenal of ideas and abilities. I mean, 95 percent of the records that
I produce, I play every instrument. I do a lot of the engineering. I do a
lot of the writing.
I think with these guys who work in recruitment, they don’t necessarily
play instruments or touch-and-gear anything anymore, but they have
that ear. There’s a new wave of producers on the rise that do everything.
They play everything.
I feel like you should be able—at any given moment, if things are going
well in the studio and suddenly, you need that guitar recorded and
nobody is in the room that can play guitar—you should be able to pick
up the guitar and play that guitar quite right, the way the song needs
it. That’s just my opinion though.
Emily: Yeah, it sounds awesome because you’re basically saying
that because you’ve been there, done that, you’ve been a musician
and that you got your start in high school playing guitar, and
it’s part of who you are.
You’re able to, as a producer, have the edge, the extra thing that
you need to create all the success and the successful records
that you’ve done so far. You can contribute and have that vision
and just really put your amazing input into the work that you’ve
done. You know, John Legend and Pink and the Backstreet Boys.
Awesome!
What are some of the things that you noticed that can ruin an
artist trying to make it? Because you know, it’s a lot. A lot of
pressure you have on your team and on you, you have your own
creative ideas, you’re trying to keep the ideas with the management
and all.
David: In any situation, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care who it is, if it’s a
massive star to an unknown singer, the most vulnerable person in the
entire equation throughout the entire journey of anyone’s career is
the artist. It isn’t the manager. It’s not the A&Rs. It’s not anybody but
the artist. And because of that, a lot of times, they’re also the most
impressionable.
I think that they forget that an artist is the one, that if the rest of the
world looks at you, it’s like, “I want to be like that girl… or that guy.
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They are awesome for what they say. They’re awesome for what they
wear, what they stand for.”
A lot of times, recording artists will let the music kind of float around
a bit, and they’ll seek opinions that they may not want to hear. I just
think that leading by example as an artist as opposed to letting
someone at a record company determine whether or not you like
your own song is—it’s something that I’ve experienced that is a
shame because you think if the artists say, “Look, this is music. Get
onboard or get out of the way” because I know artists that are like
that as well. Pink is one of those people. I mean, that’s really how
it should be because at the end of the day, everyone’s working for
that pinnacle of what the artist is doing which is songs. If they can’t
rally up behind their own music and lead, that doesn’t really work
well.
I think being confident is the most important thing. When you record a
song and you’re like, “I love this song,” and three weeks later, no matter
how many people told you they’ve hated it, it shouldn’t change the
fact that you love that song.
Emily: I love that. Yeah, a musician should also be timeless in a
way. Music, I feel, should be such that 20 years from now, it’s still
a great song. People go, “Oh, okay! That song is great. I remember
it back in the day, and it’s still good. Let’s listen to it…” When
it’s timeless like that, it creates a form of a musical masterpiece.
So what do you feel is the future of music in the next five years?
David: Honestly? Spotify. It pains me to say that as a songwriter because
they’re not paying what they should for the music that they service,
but that’s a debate that will probably never end. Companies like
Spotify, they are offering massive amounts of streaming music for literally
free with the exception of a few advertisements that you have to
listen to unless you want to pay a subscription.
Emily: Wow! That’s a challenge. Musicians worry about their
creativity, their branding, social media and fans, but also how
technology has changed the music industry and will continue
to rapidly change how music is heard and what kind of music
keeps the attentions of the market. So I agree with that point.
David: I think that’s probably where everything is heading. I think that
the day of the album is numbered as well, at least when it comes to
pop music because there’s so much noise. You have to release a new
song like every three months or else people forget.
It went from a day and age where you would buy an album, open that
pamphlet, see that person and be like, “Oh my God! This Bon Jovi
is like a legend.” You would go to the concert and see Bon Jovi and
almost be able to touch him, but that’s as close as you could ever get
and ever imagine to get unless you’ve got some meet-and-greet pastry
radio station or something.
Now, if Bon Jovi doesn’t tweet you back, you’re not a fan. If he doesn’t
reach out directly and speak to you and connect, then it’s almost like
Bon Jovi loses that fan.
So the entire mystery has kind of been stripped, but that’s the world
that we live in because people want things now and they don’t want
to wait. And when they get something, they get it and then they want
something new. It’s the day and age that we live in. If that’s what everybody
else is doing, then in that sense, it is a race and you have to
keep up or else… I’ve seen it happen.
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Emily: That’s amazing advice for the readers. As an artist, it is important
to stay ahead of the curve and observe the trends. Social
media networking and it’s influence, getting close to one’s fans is
really where it’s at. The walls fade a lot every few years. What are
some key success habits that you recommend that a music artist
or musician commit to?
David: That’s a tricky one. It really depends on what you do. I mean,
I feel like you should be practicing if you’re a musician. You should
constantly be practicing and performing if that’s what you want to be
doing. You should be booking shows. You should be tweeting your ass
off if you’re the artist, if you’re the singer of the band or just a singer.
You should be making it known to the Internet that you’re out there
and that you’re there to find if people look for you.
But at the same time, I feel like you should only pay so much attention
to the Internet because it’s also a very cruel and unforgiving place.
It can be a lot of negativity at the end of the day. So it’s like you really
have to commit to who you are and just let that be that and give
people their right to free speech, but try not to look at it because it
gets pretty ugly.
Emily: What do you feel fans really want from the artist now?
What are they really looking for in 2014?
David: Something new. Everybody knows how much they hate to turn
on the radio. Now radio is still the biggest format, but it’s also the
slowest. I think guys that are breaking through, whether it’s…(thinks
about it) oh man, I don’t know, like I do like Zed or a band like The
1975 or like this band, Joywave, (that I’m a huge fan of and friends
from my hometown)—these people are making music that just doesn’t
sound like anything else, but it also has that home-cooked feeling at
the same time.
When you listen to it, you love it. It takes you somewhere, but you don’t
know where it is. But you gravitate toward it because it seems familiar
because the songs are good. I think that that’s what everybody wants.
Emily: Music is basically, out of all the arts (acting, dancing and all
of it), the one that hits you the deepest because it’s just vibration-
al, and it connects to your subconscious and your spirit. I feel that
music is so influential because of that, because it has that power.
David: Also, I will say I’m a huge cinephile. I’m a massive fan of cinema.
I see pretty much everything that comes out. I think that when it’s
paired with film that it’s very powerful.
Emily: For example, like music videos. You get a combo of both
and that influences you.
David: Yeah, whether it’s a music video or if it’s a movie or whatever. I
agree. I think that it’s like you’re going to listen to music on a tone and
you can watch a movie that has no music, but when you watch a movie
that does have music, then it has everything.
But at the end of the day, who doesn’t want a new favorite band or
a new favorite singer though? I mean, every time you discover new
music, it’s like being born again or something. It’s a whole new experience
in itself.
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CHAPTER 4
Creative Belief
❖ ❖ ❖
I BELIEVE HAVING A POSITIVE mindset in your music career can make or break
your success. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else
believe in you?
Throughout my music journey I have chosen to focus on the positive
and it has resulted in some incredible opportunities. I have had
the opportunity to sing in front of a music producer who has worked
with stars like Madonna and Will Smith. I’ve managed to build an entertainment
site which has featured over 300 interviews with people
in the music industry over five years. I’ve also been able to work with
a very successful voice coach. I believe it takes more than luck to be
where I am today.
I meditate and pray to God all the time to bring people into my life
that can help me build CS to ultimately help artists around the world.
I believe God has played a huge part in what I have been able to accomplish
so far with CS.
Having gratitude is also an important step to creating success. Be
grateful for what you have. I can’t tell you how many times I have said
“thank you” for everything that has been brought into my life.
Another important step I like is visualization. You need to be able
to see in your mind whatever you want to bring into your reality. When
I was living in Pennsylvania, I pictured myself living in New York City.
I created a vision board with pictures of NYC apartments and moved
there without a job but with a little faith and a savings account.
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I believe things happen for a reason. If I had not taken a chance,
moving to NYC, I would have never met Emily, my Co-Founder, who
help kickstart this book with me and our new artist development program
on our site. Or have met all the other incredible people I have
been blessed to get acquainted with so far. I knew I wanted to move
to NYC. I pictured finding jobs day after day. I found a job, I found an
apartment but most importantly, I believed it would all come together.
So I took a chance to make it happen.
Keys To Success:
Positive Mindset: Thinking positive is a huge key to being successful
and gaining way better results. It actually enhances your luck, which
you definitely need in the music industry. Every time I walk into a music
networking event and I am thinking positively about who I am going
to meet, the most amazing things happen to me. The right people are
standing in front of me waiting to speak to me about whatever I was
excited to speak to them about. This has a great deal to do with being
positive in the first place.
Stay Open Minded: You never know when the people you’ve met
throughout your life will come into play, or how, for that matter. Never
expect an artist to still be right where they are now, in five years. Always
build a relationship and be open to learn, grow and change. Try to find
a way to provide support for others too. You never know who knows
that person who can help launch your career in the right direction.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, you’ll never push yourself to get better.
If you don’t push yourself to get better, you’ll never grow as a musician.
If you don’t grow as a musician, you’ll never make it in the industry. If
you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.” - Brian Hull, Dallas, TX
“Listen to yourself, believe in the possibility of your dreams, do what
makes YOU feel happy, not what you someone says you SHOULD do,
and always live in joy. Anything is possible.” - Alexa Falk, One Half of
Country Duo: Falk, UT
“With so many gadgets and devices all barking and nipping at our
heels for attention, taking time to analyze your own needs and goals
is vital.” - Dion Roy from Fire and the Romance, NYC
“It is important to have a positive attitude. Regardless of an individual’s
success, there will always be people who disagree with certain
career decisions. That’s what makes this creative business so great
and exciting. Keeping a positive attitude allows you to have faith in
yourself, and to press forward. Oftentimes, positive forward progress
is the key to navigating this rocky industry.” - Jacob Kupin, Artist
Manager/Promotions Coordinator, Nashville, TN
“The faithful muse that always inspires me is my vivid imagination.
Living in a world of dreams brings me to the most unchartered and
wildest territories imagined. I know that for a fact and teach that concept
to all of my students, that visualizing your dreams in the most
precise details will bring tremendous amounts of creative results and
inspiration. Try dreaming big. Put yourself in a place where you are
happy doing what you love. Imagine the scent, the colors, people
around you. Then go sit at the piano and watch magic happen!
Also...I always knew I was born to change this world with my art. When
I see poor children struggling to survive, I get an adrenaline rush, and
voila! another benefit concert is on its way. It is someone’s misfortune
that kicks me hard, screaming, ”Get up and go! They are waiting, and
you can help them!” - - Elena Ryepkina, Classical Pianist and Vocalist,
NYC
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“Everyone is living their own movie. The visions you create, the beliefs
you hold, dictate the next scene in your movie. Dream beautifully,
dream big, dream with love and watch your life become better than
your dreams.” - Wendy Parr, Vocal Coach, NYC
“A
positive mindset is important to being successful in any area of
life, not only as a musician. Nobody really wants to be around Debbie
Downer. The energy in the room gets drained when they are there.
Unfortunately some people just have that energy about them. One
thing I have to give credit to this country is the yes-we-can attitude towards
everything. Other countries start with “no, we can’t and slowly
change their mind to “ok, we can do this.” As far as visualizing or meditating
goes, every artist has their way of finding that special creative
place. Michael Jackson for example, loved having stuffed animals in
the studio when he recorded. It made him feel good, it found him a
happy place that inspired him. Every artist is different. Some need the
Nag Champa, others need a spot to meditate, some need a place to
exercise.
The important thing is to find that place that opens up your creativity
and allows you to bring the best out of you. When you are in that
spot, you make some of your best work. An artist needs to be in that
space to be successful. When you have a positive outlook on life and
work, you swim with a direction. When you lack this concentration, it
is like being stranded out at sea. You can swim and swim and swim,
but you have no idea what direction you are going in.” - Pablo Arraya,
Producer, NYC
“If you want something, go out, get it. Manifestation turns into reality.”
- Adam Lasher, Los Angeles, CA
“Creative belief is key to survive [in the industry]. My intention is to
live a life of joy and creativity, inspiring hope in others. It’s a daily
process of confronting yourself, and asking yourself what would bring
you happiness.” - Michelle Anderson, Los Angeles, CA
“Give yourself to this industry at all times. If you are only going to
give 50%, it isn’t worth it. When I started out, I made a decision not to
stop, and I haven’t looked back yet. You have to be ready to kick down
every door that gets closed in your face, and be able to see that light
at the end of the tunnel.” - Daniel Rinaldi, MA
“Music is a very personal thing that brings people together. If you
don’t believe 100% in what you are doing, then you are wasting your
time. You could be the most talented person in the world, but if what
you are expressing isn’t from the heart, then you can’t touch people’s
lives.” - DJ Axis from Shinobi Ninja, NYC
“Believe in yourself, and do one thing every day that will help you towards
your goal.” - Alex Flanigan, Nashville, TN
“Any
kind of spiritual practice that puts you in line with your vision,
and opens you up to life’s possibilities is a key. You have to to let go
of things that are not serving you and focus on manifesting what you
want to create. If the intention is good, the how is unimportant. It will
happen.” - Tatyana Kalko, NYC
“Stick with it. It’s not going to be easy, and it won’t always be fun. If
it’s what you want to do beyond anything else, stick with it.” – Greg
Burroughs, Nashville, TN
“You have to tell yourself everyday that you know what you want, how you
can get it, and that no one can stop you.” - Carly Lind, Los Angeles, CA
“As
an artist, you will encounter every obstacle imaginable and hear
a thousand ‘No’s’ before you hear a ‘Yes’. You have to endure the
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journey. Sometimes, persistence and work ethic trumps everything
else.” - Ahmir, Boston, MA
“There have been times throughout life, where I’ve had a vision or
dream reaffirming a simple truth. I believe that what you imagine becomes
reality.” - Christian Hollingsworth, Entrepreneur, Model, Singer/
Songwriter, CA
“If no one knows who you are, no one can hire you. Even if you don’t
know anyone in the industry now, reach out. Many people have been
in your shoes and would love to help. You will be amazed at how kind
most people are in the industry.” - Brian Hull, Dallas, TX
“Dreams are art, they come from inside. One must be true to the
purity of both. The art that is released to the world is a dream that
one has realized for others to use in their dreams.” - Manic Mike from
Shinobi Ninja, NYC
“Taking the time to meditate, in whatever form, is best for you, whether
it’s yoga, a quiet moment, listening to music, going for a run etc. it
always helps us come back to our true and simplistic selves. It helps us
find our breath and be present in the moment. When it comes to playing
and performing music, that is a necessity. We want to be honest
and authentic in what we put out there.” - 5j Barrow,
NYC
“If you are giving up, then a part of you doesn’t want it. Having a plan
B is only right, when you’re not certain. In the life of a successful person,
there is plan ‘A’ and that’s it. You just do that until you have done
it the way you wanted to do it.” - Stephen Rivera, Rock Vocalist and
Producer, Los Angeles, CA
“Creative belief is essential for any artist to cultivate or have. Because
the first step to create anything, is to believe, or to see it, envision it with
the imagination, then the creative medium usually creates itself.” - Dani
Tersini, NYC
“Creative Belief expresses who you are, helps to open your creative
mindset and, last but not least, it defines you.” - ‘JC Stang’, Lead singer
of ‘Wysteria’, NYC
“Visualization helps us strive for our goals. It keeps us motivated. It
puts our goals into a realistic perspective. We watch old NSYNC concerts
and take time to figure out how, what, where they were at that
stage of their careers to get to that status. Then visualization helps us
apply these occurrences to our own band. All of these methods are
crucial for us as artists!” - Phase Five, Los Angeles, CA
“Without determination your goal has no fuel. Without fuel, a goal is
just a wish. Determination must be in the picture. Faith, I believe, is
your moral compass to what you are, and what you are not, willing to
do to achieve your goal. It sets boundaries and parameters that let
you sleep at night.” - Eric G., NYC
“We are formed by what we do. It is our actions that ultimately make
us. What we do slowly becomes the creator of our lives and our souls.
What we are doing in life decides how we are creating ourselves.
What our behavior is in life decides the directions our soul will travel,
the paths it will move on, the new worlds it will explore.” - Ghastly City
Sleep, NY
“I actually do a lot of yoga and it really helps to center me. I’m a pretty
energetic guy with lots of ideas flying around. I’ve found that my meditative
practice combined with yoga helps my creativity immensely.
Check out www.mogamind.com, fantastic friends of mine are starting
their own meditative revolution right here in Chicago.” - Avi Dell from
AyOH, Chicago
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“Self-belief is crucial in an industry that is hyper critical and often
cruel. You need a ‘game plan’ and you need to stick to it. If negative
comments or bad reviews make you want to quit then you probably
should. Successful artists are generally loved and hated in equal measures.
Both Liam Gallagher and Bono fit into that category, and I have
worked with both. They thrive on the insults and negative comments
thrown their way. Stay strong and focused and believe in yourself.” -
Pete Maher, Master Engineer, UK
“Visualization and meditation and different things is really better than
prayer because we live in a thought world. Everything is thought out
in your mind first and then that`s what goes out. Your mind is a very
powerful thing. That`s what goes out to the universe. The first thing
with visualization is you can’t doubt. It takes practice. It has helped
me a great deal. Once you put your mind to something and put it out
there in the universe, you have to know it, you have to feel it. It`s called
laws of attraction. That is the key to life. Never second guess yourself.
Your first mind is what we call God’s mind, the second time it’s on you.
As soon as you have one inkling of doubt come to you in your mind,
then you have to start all over again. It works for me.” - Daryl Brown,
son of the “godfather of soul”, James Brown, Los Angeles, CA
“Think of every little failure or obstacle as training. As your skills develop
and your experience accumulates, your abilities strengthen.
Visualize the finish line. You may not get there first and hurt yourself
on the way, but you will cross it.” - Meghann Wright, NYC
“I believe that truly anything can make you creative, you just have
to open your mind to it. Anything and everything can make you create,
and should make you feel creative.” - Greg Baughman Jr., The
Deadlight Projects, Nashville, TN
“Having the desire and expectation that I create something timeless
and worthwhile is important to me, but equally important is visualizing
that I have already achieved that goal by allowing myself to know
success has already taken place. Having faith in the creative process
and knowing there is no such demon as ‘writer’s block’ is the best
mantra for meditation.” - Rob Hegel, Los Angeles, CA
“Early on, the world of songwriting was so fresh that I could dive into
each composition without any fear of retreading melodic or lyrical
ground, but now greater forethought is required to ensure that I’m
keeping the process fresh.” - Matt Jaffe, Matt Jaffe & The Distractions,
San Francisco, CA
“Pursuing a life in the arts requires a blind kind of determination. You
have to ignore all of the naysayers, haters, doubt and evidence-tothe-contrary
and just go for it. In the end, a life lived with purpose,
focus and dedication is so much richer and more dynamic than a life
sacrificed to the daily grind out of fear of failure.” - Alexis Hightower,
NYC
“Believe endlessly in your pool of water or it will dry up. People will
drink your water and tell you they are still thirsty. You are dehydrated
and can’t make more water. You decide what goes in your water recipe.
If others don’t like the taste, either make them some water they’ll
like, or tell them to spit it out.” - Duke Sims from Shinobi Ninja, NYC
“The great and universal truth in all art is that it is defined 50/50 between
creator and audience. The artist channels something or works
to express an idea, then gives it up entirely to the viewer to define
and understand. It’s a subtle but deep relationship. It’s really the most
sublime form of conversation.” - Alec Gross, NYC
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“There is a virtually limitless amount of things that inspire me.
Almost every day, I find something that inspires me to write a
new song. Whether it’s generic inspirations or whether it’s based
on events in my life, there’s always something.” - Diary Of Snow,
Atlanta, GA
“True art is real. True art can be sad, ugly and twisted. Much of the
mainstream music we hear today has been chopped down, so the
listener does not have to think, interpret or struggle to find meaning
inside. The artistry is fading away, and if listeners keep seeking out
this music, the art will soon be gone.” - Adam Christopher, IN
“Music is always changing so it will definitely be different in five years.
I think it will go back toward more musical live performances with
instruments rather than people pushing buttons on huge stages with
big lights.” - DJ Axis from Shinobi Ninja, NYC
“The main source (likely the only source) of musicians’ income will
be entirely on merchandise and live ticket sales. I believe a new
way to sell music and profit off of music sales will come to the
forefront.”
- Rick Rocker, Queens, NY
“Music is the thing. It is the connecting point. It’s the international language.
It is something that gives me purpose.” - Dan Kimpel, Author,
Educator, Journalist, Los Angeles, CA
“Songwriting and producing are partially instinctive endeavors. In the
moment of creation, you go with what feels right. That said, the more
tools in your toolbox, and the more you’ve studied other ideas, the
more successful you can be at piecing together the puzzle that is a
song, a cue, or a piece of music.” - David Das, Composer/Producer,
Los Angeles, CA
The Coach’s Perspective: Designing Your Vision
Why do you create your music? What guides your mind when
you are creating?
Some artists are pulled by the fame. The anticipated riches. Awards.
Popularity. All of it! But if you are a true artist, one that is on an authentic
life path, you will pursue music for something way greater. How
about: To express your heart, mind and spirit to the world and
change the lives of countless of your fans in the process?
Want to make your art last? Leave behind a legacy? Then speak
through your art to the hearts of your fans! Stay committed to your
own vision of success. Most of all know you deserve it all; prosperity,
love, friendship, wisdom, health, truth… but all in the right ways without
selling yourself in the process. Stay strong and see things clearly!
A cycle for increasing your inner power:
Accept the greatness of all your past accomplishments. Yes,
you did all of that!
Reflect on hidden life lessons and gifts that arise from your trials
and tribulations. See their worth to your learning and development.
Design a vision for the future, preferably in writing, and stay faithful
to it, and you will receive. Never give up for nobody or nothing.
Stay positive and strong with laser focus on your goals, while
living in the moment to fight fear and stagnation.
Have gratitude for who you are and what you have been through
+ accomplished in that same moment. Do this on a regular basis.
Meditate and take time away from distractions to release negative
energy and to learn to hear the voice of your inner light.
Ultimately, forgive others, forgive yourself, and let go of the
past. Know all human emotions are valuable and just a sign
that you are alive.
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Having a strong creative belief in your work + using the above balancing
methods will enhance your intuition. This is like having a deeper
level of hearing, seeing, feeling and knowing about your environment
that will lead you through the right doors. Little by little, you will have
a special feeling when you meet the right people and get inspired with
fresh, new ideas for lyrics and beats. As your trust in your inner voice
grows, so will your self-awareness, confidence and inner peace.
The opposite effect, the decrease of your creative power through
self-created drama, chaos, drug and alcohol abuse, sex addiction, lies,
manipulation etc. will shift a shutdown of your inner resources. It can
really make you go astray in the music industry or just about any creative
industry. You see, there is a magic that exists in the vibration
of music. One that can heal and shift society, inspire the masses for
amazing action and collaboration. Or you can do the other route with
your gifts, be self-seeking and express music for the fame. The energy
goes in totally different directions. Where is your middle ground and
how do you keep your inner voice clear?
3. What is the biggest lesson you learned through your trials? How
has it made you stronger?
4. What are you truly grateful for? Ready to let go of? Who will you
forgive?
5. Living in the moment you know this:
As your coach, I ask you the following:
1. Why were you made to be an artist? What is your purpose?
Chapter 4 Affirmation: Creative Belief
2. How does your music change the world?
“There is a greatness in my music. I am here to shift the
world. Through thick and thin, I have strived for my best
and I accept my past, knowing that only I have ultimate
power over my future. I forgive it all, moving on towards
my blessed future. I am healed. I am grateful. I am free”.
❖ ❖ ❖
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In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
Featured Interview: Steven Memel,
Celebrity Vocal Coach
the teacher said, “Okay, what are you doing in this class?” Well, I was
honest and I said, “I need the units.” She knew my teacher. She said,
“Okay, you can stay in this class if on the day that I split up the men
and the women, I’ll take the women, I’ll give you the classroom and
you teach the men.”
Emily: “You teach the men?” Great start! Tell us more..
Emily: Today on Creative Spotlights, we’re featuring Steven
Memel, a celebrity vocal and performance coach based out of L.A.
Steven has worked with many singers including Adam Levine and
Jesse McCartney and also actors Drew Barrymore, Justin Long,
and Isabella Rossellini, to say the least. The goal of this interview
is to get your perspective as a coach on what it takes for a music
artist to express himself fully and get the success they seek in the
entertainment industry.
My first question is what pulled you to become a coach and help
others in the entertainment industry?
Steven: Good question, well people wanted my help. It’s a strange
thing. I say sometimes [that] it “chased” me down. I had a rather auspicious
beginning, as in I needed to graduate from college and I needed
two extra units. I had already been singing for a couple of years, I was
19 and so I took a beginning voice class. On the first day, I sang and
Steven: I know! I got my own classroom and a bunch of students.
That kind of thing kept happening. I studied with an acting teacher
and they’d say, “Do you teach voice?” My voice teachers that I had
worked with, they’d say, “I want to send you my overflow students.”
So I guess people were seeing something and so I kind of fell into
it like that. Then I left it for a while and then, several years later (ten
years later or whatever), somebody started really asking me again
and I just went, “Okay... I yield.” I hung up my shingle and the rest
is history.
Emily: That sounds really amazing. Tell me about your ‘Science of
Switching On’ technique and how it attracts artists to you and
just anything you want to share about that.
Steven: Sure, the ‘Science of Switching On’ – well, let me backtrack
and say that the only thing that drew me to teaching was not this fortuitous
stuff. It was also [that] I had a real love of seeing the underlying
structure of things. And so if I really look at it, it was always a leaning
of mine to break things down and explain them to other people. I think
teachers just have that desire.
And so, the ‘Science of Switching On’ kind of came to me when I was
21, but I didn’t really codify it and call it that until many, many years
later.
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I’m involved in so many arts. I’m a dancer. I’m an actor. I’ve directed.
I’ve done film/television, and recorded in the recording studio. I’ve
done voiceover. I’ve produced. I mean, you name it, I’ve done it.
What became extremely clear is that there’s really one set of principle
that lead to mastery. The channel just is different depending upon
what discipline you’re involved in.
So in singing, which is where I originally made my mark as a coach,
in singing the voice is the channel. And therefore, having an understanding
of the channel and the mechanics involved and the ability to
removing obstacles towards its greatest expression of not only your
feelings, but its created expression of color and tone and dynamics,
that is an important piece.
But also being equally versed as an actor and a director and having
studied an enormous amount of psychology, spirituality, personal development
with being a movement person, because I have been a
dancer, all these things came together and I saw that there were these
elements that were inextricably unified to be able to be a master at
any discipline.
Now because you have to make an entry somewhere, since I was
teaching singing and since I was coaching performance of singing
also, that’s where I decided to originally begin. The differentiation of
what I do in the ‘science of switching on’ is most people have a big
understanding of performance or acting or they have a big understanding
of real deep skill set at the technical aspects and a moderate
understanding of performance.
Because I come from where they are completely unified, inextricably
linked, then that’s the uniqueness of the work I do with singers and
performers. There is really no clinging separation line between the
technique and the inner work; between the outside and the inner. The
simplest demonstration of that is asking the question, “Is your body
going to be in the same state when you’re standing in front of a teacher,
in front of a piano, and you’re doing vocal exercises that it’s in when
you’re in stage in front of a thousand people?” Of course not.
“Is it in the same state during that moment when you’re in front of
the teacher as when you’re expressing anger, when you’re expressing
joy?” No, the body is consequently in a dynamic state.
Therefore, to practice technique only as a mechanical attribute, then
it’s not the same because intention needs to move the body and shift
the body and shift the physiology and shift the mind. And so these
things have to be brought together as a unified whole to really have
that extraordinary “it” factor/hit the zone/lose the self/become the
character, whatever it is.
So that’s the ‘Science of Switching On’.
Emily: That’s an amazing explanation. It definitely sounds like the
artist needs to have an extreme self-awareness, a sense of selfawareness
on their intention with their technical gifts or skills, to
create that creative performance for themselves. And also, the
environment is really important.
Steven: Exactly. And not only that, over the last couple of years, my
intention was always to develop it in the arts, but then move it into
business and expand into other areas.
I’ve been working with entrepreneurs and business owners and just
people in all walks of life bringing the same principles together of
mastery. The principles that enable one to become a high-performer,
a top performer in the arts, those are the same principles that enable
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people to become a high-performer in any area of endeavor, human
endeavor.
Emily: Right. Even in a professional setting as well.
Steven: Yes, because if you even think about what are the levels of
communication, “Am I communicating authentically?” If it’s about my
business, if it’s about my brand, what is my voice, what’s the story that
my voice is telling, is it that I’m a powerful person while I’m talking
about power, or is it communicating some undermining other impression
that, “Oh, he’s got a weak voice,” you know?
Emily: How do you like your clients to come to you? As an ideal
client, what do you look for when they come to you? Do you like
them to be very experienced, or do you like them to have an open
mind or they have their own techniques?
Steven: That’s a great question. You ask good questions, Emily. Well,
what I’m looking for, what I’m always interested in, is somebody with
desire, somebody who has a passion to develop further, to get the
competitive edge, to grow, to expand.
Some people come to me with major obstacles like this gentleman
that I work with who was sent to me by a laryngologist, a Beverly Hills
guy who does all the American Idol people and all that. This gentleman
had vocal nodules.
So instead of surgery, I worked with him to build his technique. So
whatever was in the way, whatever friction was occurring to create that
impasse, that bottleneck, it goes away. And in a matter of let’s say
about two months, his nodules completely disappeared.
And that’s not because I’m hearing it, it’s because you see the film.
You see the film with the nodules when he has them and then you see
the film with them gone.
Emily: So what caused more of a difference? Was it more the
technical training that you provided to him as a coach or was it
more the internal stuff that you helped him with or was it a combination
of both?
Steven: I was going to say yes, because first of all, technical [issue] has to
be resolved. You can be as developed or expanded as you want, on your
internal level, your chakras can be beautifully ordered. But if the channel
(which in this particular case is the voice, in the case of an accountant, it’s
the spreadsheet), the inner world can be as well-expanded and full as you
wanted it to, but if the channel is blocked, it ain’t getting out.
Now what happens is there is a psychological, emotional and energetic
ramification of the blockage. Here we are wanting to express
ourselves without care, without holding back and yet, we hit this obstacle
and it draws our attention and it distracts us and we’re no longer
able to be free. We’re no longer able to release because we hit this
impasse or stricture.
And so yes, they’re both [necessary] component[s]. One has to find
center and peace to even affect the musculature and all the other
physiological aspects to be in their most responsive state, because it’s
no mystery that I’ve invented that when one’s mind is tense or when
it’s doing anxious, your muscles are in a compromised state.
So both changing the musculature, moving away from the attachment
to the results releases the inner world. Changing the inner world can
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release the musculature. So it’s a constant flowing of mechanics and
energy back and forth.
Emily: That’s great because it explains your philosophy, which is
also what I was going to ask next: what’s your key philosophy in
life?
Right there it was so philosophical on how you see the world
spiritually, the inner energy and the outer stuff too. It’s just a
perfect, nice answer to showcase your philosophy. Your style is
beautiful.
Steven: We all as human beings (or most of us I should say) vastly,
dramatically, underestimate ourselves and undervalue ourselves. If we
only knew how amazing we were, we would have so much more of that
‘amazing’ at our disposable.
One of my basic philosophies and obviously, if somebody walks in
my studio, I’m not going to throw this at them, we’ll start with the
scales, but ultimately, whether it’s ever spoken or whether it’s tacitly
understood through the sense of wholeness that one has when you
finally embrace your ability, we are intrinsically so valuable that nothing
we ever do in our life can add to that one bit and nothing we ever
fail to do can detract from it one bit. It’s a done deal that they were
born (and some would say, from the day before the day we were
born).
So what life is about, is owning that unbelievable vast value and that
unbelievable understanding of the beauty of human life and our life
and then saying, “While I have this time here on earth, what do I want
to create? What do I want to make it about?”
If we can maintain that position, much better. What is not a joy can
become a joy.
Emily: I want to ask, you’re in L.A, you see the acting scene and
music scene, how is it? What do you see going five years from
now?
Steven: Wow! Yeah. Well, it’s the wild west. I like to say it’s the wild
west.
Emily: Yeah, I’ve heard that before.
Steven: Yeah, I’m sure. The reality is that the acceleration of change
is so intense that the one thing we have to become good at now is
change and navigating our way through things that will not remain the
same most likely, and that are incredibly volatile and dynamic.
So the more capable we are of doing that, the better we’re going to
survive the industry. And if you want to put it down to street terms, I
say, “You have to be scrappy.” You just have to say, “You just have to
be scrappy. How do I make it work?”
So ultimately, right now, it’s about people developing their own audiences,
people building their fan base. And when you have visibility,
when people see you, then you have a good shot. But you need the
other element of being a real hardcore entrepreneur. It’s not a day’s
work where you can say... I mean, some people still can walk into this.
There’s no rule or anything, but it’s not the same way that most people
can expect somebody to go and take them and then make it happen
for them. You are lucky if you get that. But for most of us as artists,
we have to be an entrepreneur at the same time. Know our business.
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Spend 50% of the time on understanding the business, understanding
what impacts fans, understanding the channels you can use, being
able to measure so that you’re not going on instinct.
“Well, I like doing this channel.”
Well, what’s the result you’re getting and are you able to convert that
into hard cash, because if you want to make a living as an artist, then
you have to understand your sources of income and how to create
them and turn your streams on for yourself. It’s not that it can’t happen
any other way, but that’s the way it happen[s].
Emily: And your work is definitely about it, as well. Artists should
definitely surround themselves with someone like a coach, a manager,
having an agent and on and on, the right chain.
Steven: Yeah. And you have to learn how to manage the team. The
skills of management has[sic] sic] to be – you know, people skills, social
skills. How do you influence others and I’m not saying in a manipulative
way, but how do you influence others – you understand what I’m
saying because...
Emily: Absolutely, yeah. Authentically and powerfully to influence
others.
Steven: Exactly, authentically and powerfully. And I’m sure that’s what
you do a lot in your work.
Emily: Love it! My final question is regarding legacy. At the end
of the day, what do you want the people you work with, what do
you want to leave behind for them? At the end of the day, how do
you want them to remember your work?
Steven: Legacy, if we’re going from a general place, the legacy I want
is to leave my son thriving and healthy. Of course, every parent would
say that, but that’s the impact I would like to make.
And then on the world, what I’d like to leave is the impact of having
contributed a set of tools to which I’m hoping there’s some originality
or if not even originality, that it’s just another voiced thing in a new way
that would affect people’s lives, and help them achieve their goals in a
powerful way. I’m sure you’ve heard this. This is:
To laugh often and much
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of
children
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal
of false friends
To appreciate beauty
To find the best in others
To leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a
garden patch or a redeemed social condition
To know even one life has breathed easier because you lived
This is to have succeeded.
Emily: I love that one. Emerson, yeah. He’s amazing.
Steven: Isn’t that beautiful? Something that’s really, really important is
people must take the long view. They must keep their vision.
Too many of us allow ourselves to be swayed by the momentary ups
and downs that happen along any journey. My difficulties as a young
artist was[sic] sic] that that’s exactly what I did. If I had know[
sic] that the
world was really understood – not just heard, but really understood
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– that the world [was] built on relationships and that those relationships
come to you in ways that you could never imagine and you just
treat people decently.
And this doesn’t mean to say, “Well, I’ll do that for free” because you
also deserve to be compensated. And maybe sometimes you do it for
free… Because it takes care of you, right? Isn’t that true? So you take
care of yourself, but you’ve got to take the long view.
And also in that, you’ve got to be able to survive. So find additional
methods that bring you an income that leave you the most time. Live
as modestly as you can so that you don’t put a noose around your
neck. And continue to just create things. Just continue to create.
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CHAPTER 5
Power Relationships
❖ ❖ ❖
“IT’S WHO YOU KNOW”
I WOULD SAY THE MOST important thing I have learned so far is the importance
of networking with the right people.
The first time I really had the opportunity to network was during my
freshman year at University of New Haven. That was back when I was in
a music organization for students called MEISA. I had ordered business
cards for myself that promoted my music website. The MEISA conference
was coming up, and I had to go. I had never been to an event like
it, so naturally, I was quite nervous to try networking for the first time. I
took a deep breath and told myself to meet as many people as possible.
When I got there, I started walking up to everyone. With a great,
big smile across my face, I handed people my business card and introduced
myself. I gave them my card with such confidence that I was
sure they were all going to contact me. This was not true. Years later,
I realized that the key to effective networking is not the amount of
people you talk to, but how strong the relationship you build with
them becomes over time.
Over the years, I started attending events to network more in the
music industry. I started really paying attention to those I had an immediate
connection to versus those I didn’t. If I felt that I couldn’t help
them, then I would move on because my time was valuable. I thought
to myself, “no wasting time.”
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There are many ways you can go about strategizing at a networking
event. One might be going to it with a purpose in mind, such as
looking to connect with a graphic designer. Another way you can go
about it is going with the flow, being open to meeting everyone and
seeing where it takes you.
The part people probably have the most trouble with is what to
say to the potential contact. I always introduce myself to them, “Hi,
I’m Dani.” I always try to smile at them to make them feel comfortable.
Then, I ask them what they do. I cut to the chase. What I say next
depends on the answer they give me. The conversation should feel
natural and fulfill the purpose of supporting each others’ careers.
It’s also a good idea to practice your 30 second elevator speech.
It is a hypothetical scenario of what you would say to a good contact
about yourself if you only had an elevator ride with them. This is basically
your pitch.
It’s also really important, after an event, to follow up via email with
the people you really want to build a connection with. It`s really good
to do this within three days. Otherwise people will forget about you.
People are super busy. I believe the right people will connect with you,
depending on your intention.
One great way to meet new people is using sites like www.meetup.
com or www.eventbrite.com. I have met some great people like my cowriter
Emily who hosted her own artistic Meetup group where we were
introduced. However, I don’t limit myself to where I meet new people.
If I’m on the train and I see a younger guy with a guitar, I ask him about
what kind of music he does and how long he has been playing. If it feels
right, I will have no problem handing out my business card out almost
anywhere.
Keys To Success:
Networking: When it comes to networking, it is imperative to be yourself.
People will feel uncomfortable around you if you have issues
being who you are. They will feel that awkwardness of you trying to be
someone who you are not. Therefore, don’t say things just to impress
people. If you are new to networking events, it is better to tell people
that it is your first time than to pretend you’ve been to them before.
Pretending to know everything gives a false impression. Once people
start to call you out, you are done—your reputation is tainted. Do not
proceed on the fake route; it is not worth it. People will know when you
are lying. Just smile, be friendly and be curious about others.
Listen First: Always find out about the other person. Try to listen more than
speak. I admit, this is one of my faults, as I am so passionate about what I
am doing that sometimes I can go on and on about it. When people get
bored or annoyed, I know I just lost that potential relationship. Learn from
me: It’s not worth it. Rant to your best friend, sibling or parents instead.
Create Intrigue: When it comes to business, try to keep it short; make
people feel intrigued. Think of it like a first date. You don’t want to give
out all the information about yourself at once. Otherwise, why would
people need to follow up with you to learn more? You want to say
something to catch their attention. You may also want to market yourself
and your work differently to different people. Pay attention and
listen for what their need or want is. For example, if you hear someone
say they just started a new company and you are a web designer, see
if they are looking for a new website. Find their ache or pain and then
provide the needed medication/treatment, aka your services.
“There are so many talented musicians in this world, so networking is
very important.” - Gina Cimmelli, NYC
“In a competitive environment, whenever you’re successful, you’re filling
a spot that everyone wants-- so you want to build relationships
that take others up with you. So your friends and connections are
rooting for you as well as themselves, and you’re rooting for them,
too. Renegade artists don’t climb far.” - Tom & Hebron, Nashville, TN
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“Networking is everything in music. I always tell my fellow musician
friends that the industry is sadly 20 % about talent, 80 % about business.”
- Leo Freire, Session Drummer, Queens, NYC
“Artists
should care because those one off encounters and meetings
can lead to something major years later.” - Robert Ballesteros, Talent
Handler/Photographer, Los Angeles, CA
“Your networking should be as dated and consistent as your experience
in your industry. A good network is the by-product of positive,
supportive relationships nurtured thus far, and a safe haven for the
progression of one’s career.” - Maniak Mike from Shinobi Ninja, NYC
“Relationships are the most important tools in the music industry.
Without knowing at least one or two people to open doors for you,
it is damn near impossible to break into the business. A very small,
seemingly insignificant relationship could blossom into you meeting
that one person that could change your life forever.” - Jesea, Musician/
Publicist, NYC
“Look past fear. Express yourself if you have something you need to
share.” - Maggie Szabo, Los Angeles, CA
“You can join all the music organizations in the world, attend a million
music seminars about how to succeed in the business, and have
a thousand people critique your music, but in the end what matters
is that you are happy and proud with what you have created. Please
yourself first, have high standards, all else will follow.” - David Harrison,
Songwriter/Owner of Get Me Out of Here Publishing, NYC
“Because of networking, I’ve been able to sing on other artists’ tracks
or even do some songs together. There’s no one way to market yourself
anymore, and connections are vital. I used to work as a stand in
on Pretty Little Liars when I first was getting started recording music,
that was pretty much the lowest position on the totem pole, but because
of the relationships I made there, I was contacted about having
one of my songs played on the show, four years later! You just never
know.” - Michelle Anderson, Los Angeles, CA
“Networking keeps you relevant. If you don’t have new music to put
out, networking is the closest thing you can [do] to putting out music.”
- Dion Roy from Fire In The Romance, NYC
“Networking is vital. It’s your way of letting people know, “Hey this is
what I do and I’m darn good at it!” and in turn you get to know about
other people and what makes them tick. Maybe help yourselves along
the way.” - Eric G., NYC
“Life is all about experiences shared with people. It’s not only your
skills that get you a gig, it’s a good hang.” - Wendy Parr, Vocal coach,
NYC
“Networking allows doors to open for you when you need them most.
Everyone is looking for something. I need tomatoes - you sell them.
Music is all about connecting with people. As a musician, engineer,
producer, or even stagehand, you have to build relationships with the
people you work with. They need to trust you and know what your
strengths are. The most qualified person for the job doesn’t always
get it. The one with strong relationships does. How will people know
what you are capable of if they don’t know who you are, or what you
can do?” - Pablo Arraya, Producer, NYC
“Networking in an organic way has been one of the many factors in
the success of our band. We love people. We love meeting music lovers,
artists and other bands. Naturally by supporting other’s work, collaborating
with other artists, and connecting with our audiences, we
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have been ‘networking’. These connections have led to some great
opportunities and most importantly fruitful collaborations and friendships.”
- 5j Barrow, NYC
“Networking is very important because that is what best gets to
the grassroots of people. It is the grass roots that are gonna spread
your name. That spreads quicker than the internet. Word gets
around fast. Once you get the word out there about what you are
doing then it spreads like wildfire. The Internet is another source
of that. It`s used the same way. If you don’t, then you will just be
lost.” - Daryl Brown son of the godfather of soul James Brown, Los
Angeles, CA
“We have to learn from each other how to communicate, how to hunt,
how to care for others. Think of everyone you meet as a teacher.” -
Meghann Wright, NYC
“For me, the line between fans and friends has always been blurry. I
hate feeling like I am shilling for something online, when I am trying to
get my friends to come out to a show or listen to a new song. It can
feel like a delicate tight-rope walk, but I’ve been learning not to let it
bother me. Anyone I really consider a friend will understand why I do
these things and encourage me to press on.” - Arison Cain, NYC
“You have to interact with fans; the days of distant rock stars are over.
You are expected to connect with people and build relationships with
them. I see the modern music industry as a two way street: if you want
fans to invest in you, you need to invest in them. If you think investing in
your fans just means providing new music for them, you are mistaken.
Fans don’t just invest money in your artistry, they invest their time and
their emotions. It’s only fair that you do the same for them.” - Michael
Flayhart, Nashville, TN
“You’re only as successful as the people who can help you. Everyone
starts out independent, but in order to become a superstar you
have to lean on people who have the ability and resources to help
you in a multitude of areas. In the beginning, people don’t know
who you are, so start small and begin making connections until you
have cast a wide net. Out of 50 people you meet, maybe only one
of them can actually help you, so you have to be relentless.” - Ahmir,
Boston, MA
“You never know who is going to be the person who leads you to your
next break. It’s always a good idea to get out there and just be nice
to people. Be interested and be authentic. Sometimes it’s the unsuspected
neighbor or corner store clerk who holds the keys to your
fate.” - Alexis Hightower, NYC
“The music industry is a business based on relationships. I always joke
that any success I have is probably because I bug agents and managers
to death until they answer my questions.” - Zach Falkow, NYC
“Networking and social media is your introduction to the industry. It’s
your way of letting the world know you exist and if worked correctly,
can lead to a successful career. My success as a leading mastering
engineer can be traced back to the contacts I made in the early days
of MySpace (2002). As a complete outsider working with unsigned
artists all the way up to mastering U2, The Killers, Jack White etc. was
all down to networking.” - Pete Maher, Master Engineer, UK
“Networking helps build relationships and connections to develop
and share wisdom with others. Without networking, some of the most
successful artists of our generation wouldn’t be in the place they are
at. Creating this new family helps maintain a healthy career!”
- Phase
Five, Los Angeles, CA
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“The most vital networking is done in person out in the world. The
social media aspect is important but the most important thing is a
handshake and an incredible audience experience. If you can make
your content emulate that, then you’re starting in the right place.” -
George Woods, Boston, MA
“It comes down to how you make use of opportunities and how you
put yourself in a place to succeed. To me, once you have the talent,
it’s all about creating networks.” - John McCracken, Producer, NYC
“I moved from a small town in Canada to LA and I didn’t know anyone
when I got here. Networking, meeting new people, and getting
inspired and motivated by other people in the business has been
helpful to me. Even though it can be scary and intimidating sometimes,
we all have to put on a brave face and be open to meeting new
people. I’ve been lucky enough to have met some amazing people
that support my music and I’m grateful for that.” - Maggie Szabo, Los
Angeles, CA
“Networking is important in every aspect of life. These days the world
is a constant experiment in crowdsourcing. From finding a roommate
to buying technology to listening to music and the more your can be
relevant in different networks the more likely you are to be noticed.” -
Avi Dell from AyOH, Chicago
“Talk to everyone; no one is a waste of time. You never know how someone
can help you and how you can help them. Always extend a helping
hand, and you might receive one back.” - Rick Rocker, Queens, NYC
“I feel that good music and true artists will surface with time, but the
people who seem to take off overnight always end up knowing someone,
or being some famous actress’s sister. That is what I don’t understand
about major labels; ‘Oh, she’s the daughter of two celebrities?
Does she write good songs? Who cares! Let’s sign her!’ Yuck!” - Keeley
Bumford from Hotel Cinema, Los Angeles, CA
“Network to get where you want, just always remember who got you
there.” - Lawrence Bray, UK
“Strive to create AUTHENTIC relationships. We’ve been fortunate
enough to keep the flame of creative passion burning for over 2/3rds
of our lives. Over this time, we have built and maintained loving, helpful
and authentic relationships with tremendous numbers of people.
Watching our friendships with them blossom, seeing how their existence
has made our creative existence possible, is just as gratifying as
the art itself.” - Ghastly City Sleep, NYC
“There are many great programs at plenty of universities around the
world that can teach you the fundamentals of the industry. However,
NOTHING can teach you how to be a professional other than being
around other professionals and having enough sense to listen
more than talk. You have to surround yourself with truly great, caring
people in order to exude that yourself. And don’t worry, you’ll find
them, or they’ll find you. It’s just the way it works.” - Dom Liberati,
Los Angeles
“Everything revolves around creating and building relationships, in
the music industry especially, as we are all interconnected. It is important
to build healthy relationships in the business. Whether you are
an artist, manager, agent, song-writer or the CEO of a record label, it
is good to stick to appointments, be very clear with intentions and to
continue to cultivate relationships in the business.” - Dani Tersini, NYC
“My network is conformed by those people that, if I call out of the
blue, they answer. We’ll start talking about the weather, we’ll start
talking about anything and the next thing we know, it’s a two-hour
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conversation. They are the same people that have been there since
day one.” - Adam Clark, Rochester, NYC
“Truly having vision doesn’t just mean thinking ahead and having
goals. It’s knowing what parts of the picture are replaceable and
which parts are absolutely necessary. Life will happen and chances are
you’ll change a few things here and there based on your experiences,
but some things should be held steady. Identify those things. That’s
vision.” - Justin Howard from VYD, NYC
“Networking is the one thing I didn’t think would be as big of an influence
in my career as it turned to be. The music world gets exponentially
smaller with each musician I meet.” - Cassandra House, NYC
The Coach’s Perspective:
Building your Network
How are your networking skills? From 1-10, 10 being the best
you can be and 1 being not at all good at networking, where
would you mark your score?
Being a good networker is vital to success in life, especially if you are a
music artist. The music industry is about relationships, collaborations,
trust and teamwork. But how did I become so passionate about the
topic of networking when I was a serious skeptic on it? I had the best
mentor via my sister, a certified career coach that over the last 10+
years has worked with youth.
My whole life my older sister Lynette, a CEO of www.CC4Kidz.com,
was a true career inspiration for me. She has an impressive network from
all levels of academia, youth activism and community outreach, and she
got that way from always attending events and joining advisory boards.
Entering college for my psychology/sociology degree, she was
adamant about me getting out there with her to networking events at
the key colleges of Boston; at Harvard University, Northeastern, Umass
Boston, Lesley, Boston University, the list goes on.
Attending these events and observing this powerhouse was truly
inspirational. Being two strong Latinas, we always chose events related
to leadership, women empowerment, diversity and entrepreneurship.
I learned from her how to “confidently approach the host in the room”
and just about anyone in power without much intimidation.
One day my graduate school, Suffolk University was holding an
amazing event for the Entrepreneur’s Club, I was invited as a guest
and had submitted a business idea for their contest.
My sister was to join me, she already knew the host and a couple of
other key people at this event and it was her goal to formally introduce
me to them. The day arrived finally, and guess what, she couldn’t go!
She had a meeting and urged me to go by myself, for my first time solo,
not let my introductory meetings down, and just to stay open and learn.
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I did go and for the first time I navigated that room by myself.
I met the hosts and added them on my growing LinkedIn. I felt incredibly
inspired by the life and business lessons of several CEOs
who were on the panel. Most of all, I totally had an epiphany while
sitting in that room with over 100 aspiring entrepreneurs, that energetically,
spiritually and mentally I was truly just like them! I decided
then and there that I was going to go down some sort of entrepreneurial
path. I didn’t know it would be a certified life/business
coach myself, an entertainment writer and Co-Founder of Creative
Spotlights.
I was just a student, but I had as much potential as anyone. With
the right outfit, a friendly smile and a great confident handshake, attending
events started to become fun for me, and my LinkedIn grew to
over 1,000 connections. I succeeded in expanding my network quickly.
A few years later, post my Masters degree, I took these skills to NYC
and built a huge network of those in the arts too.
KEY TIPS:
The point of networking is not “to meet everyone in the room.”
That will just deplete your energy, and you will come across as
inauthentic.
When I network, it is about the energy surrounding a person and
how that energy can flow positively with my own. Observe body
language + the energy in their aura first. Look for a “vibrational
match”.
When I enter a room full of art & entertainment people, I know my
own power and presence is attractive, but I only seek to attract
positive, like-minded people. Let the right people also come to
you.
Pinpoint the main people of the event; like the host, the event photographer,
the DJ, whoever was part of event planning, and have a
quick conversation with them and get their card. You want to know
the top organizers to build your reputation! Then spend the rest of
the time attracting like-minded people.
As your coach, I ask you the following:
1. Consider the top five people you spent the most time with over the
course of the last 3 months. Who are they, and what do they do?
2. For each person, write out five adjectives to describe him or her:
Person 1:
Person 2:
Person 3:
Person 4:
Person 5:
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3. What are the most common words you see? You are “the company
you keep”, so this is a clue of how you come across to others!
Featured Interview: David Dufresne, CEO of Bandzoogle
4. Knowing this, what can you do to improve who you network with +
invite into your inner circle?
Chapter 5 Affirmation: Power Relationships
“My art is a gift to the world, and I only attract the right
people into my inner circle for the right reason, for a
season or for a lifetime. I release the wrong people
swiftly and surely. Looking outward, I can see who is
right and wrong for me by observing the signs. I am
protected and blessed. When I meet the right vibrational
match, I invite them into my creative, spiritual family. I
win, they win, we all win in prosperity and peace.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Emily: Today on Creative Spotlights we are featuring Bandzoogle,
an awesome artist website development platform that allows music
artists to develop their branding through online promotion,
merchandise sales and social media. I’m here with David Dufresne,
the CEO of Bandzoogle. My first question for you is: there are a
lot of sites out there that works to support artists. What makes
Bandzoogle stand out?
David: The core thing that makes us stand out or differentiates us from
other website-building platforms is that we are a platform that is made
FOR musicians and made BY musicians.
We are a team of about 20 people, almost everyone is a musician or a
singer or in my case, a huge music geek.
For the past 10 years, we’ve been refining our platform, working with
tens of thousands of musicians, taking their questions, their suggestions,
etc. So everything that we build, every new feature or action
that we add comes from an actual need that some of our users and
members have asked us for.
And if you ask how Bandzoogle compares to other music platforms,
we’re a platform that anyone can use to first build their own website.
It’s extremely easy to use. You don’t need to code anything, you don’t
need to hire anyone. We have all the features you need to build a
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professional artist website – music players, photo galleries, advanced
calendars.
We have a blogging platform as well. We also have a store feature, so
you can sell either your digital music or your CD or your merchandise
directly to your fans. You actually get to keep 100% of your sales. We
don’t take any cut from your sales.
We have that built into the platform. We also have a mailing list tool
built in the platform. If you want to send out newsletters to different
groups of emails you’ve acquired.
You can also do things like send geo-targeted emails if you’re touring
and want to email, for example, your fans that are within a hundred
miles of Nashville. You can do that using our platform.
So overall, it’s an all-in-one solution that is easy, but also powerful and
professional and very affordable that musicians can use to build their
home base and the hub for their online strategy.
Emily: The company definitely sounds progressive and a fierce
leader in the market. You have ten years of really responding to
your clients and developing the company in a way that the artist is
super creative and if they don’t have that business side developed
as much, Bandzoogle provides this awesome opportunity for them
to manage their career using technology, to really develop their
career into a creative business like it has to be. It has to be a 360°
management of their career and this is a great direction for them.
David: Yeah. I mean, it’s the west side. There’s many other sides to
their career, we definitely try to make that part as easy and as painless
as possible and as affordable as possible.
I still see too many artists that either don’t have control over their
website because sometimes, someone else built it for them and they
have to contact them as soon as they want to update it or if they want
to change something, add a new section, change a design. We give
that power back to the artist so that they can easily and quickly do it
themselves. And then we let them manage their part of the marketing.
I mean, definitely the mailing list is extremely important as you must
know. We let them manage their commerce. It’s a big part of what they
need to do. That saves them money for what I think are more important
things.
Again, I still see too many artists that spend thousands of dollars to
get a website. That’s thousands of dollars that they should be spending
on getting professional photography done, getting professional
video shot and/or pay the rent, buy gas for the van and buy some new
instruments. But yeah, definitely the website part should be easy and
very affordable.
Emily: I love it. Now, how did Bandzoogle start its journey?
David: The short version of the story is that the founder of the company
is actually my partner, Chris. His name is Chris Vinson, he’s now
our CTO. So he takes care of the technology, chief of technology.
But Chris, in the late ‘90s used to play bass in a grunge band here in
Montreal. He had learned how to build a website back in those days.
For the band, he had built one of the first websites where they had fan
forums where a lot of their fans were super active in those community
forums – organizing ride shares to go see their gigs out of town and
things like that. I know some couples were made and unmade through
the community of that band. Their website helped them get signed by
one of the big labels here in Canada.
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So they did a record, they toured, lived the rock star life for a couple
of years I think and then the band decided to break up. After the band
broke up, the label hired Chris as the webmaster for all their websites –
so all the websites of all of their artists. That was kind of a big task, so
Chris built a platform that would let either the managers or the artists
themselves update the website. If they wanted to add a new photo or
a new track, or a new tour date.
People loved it. A lot of his friends and people in the industry started
asking him if they could use their platform for their own indie bands.
So that’s how he got the idea of Bandzoogle and launching it as a
start-up. He got a small loan back them from his boss and went on his
own. I mean, it started just by himself with no employees.
Emily: Most great companies start organically like that, with all
the efforts placed at the beginning from a smaller team, then
building upwards from there.
David: Yeah, I mean, ten years later, we’re a team of about twenty. We
have over 20,000 paying customers. It’s been a very organic growth.
We’ve never had big venture capital or outside investors. So it’s a very
healthy growth and yeah, we have to thank our members for it.
Emily: What does it take for an artist to truly have an incredible
website that helps develop their career?
David: Well, the first thing they need is amazing music. Even if you
have the best website ever and your music is not so good, or your
performance is not so good, it won’t really help you.
Music is also great content. You need to have great songs, but also really
great professionally shot photos. If you can have great videos, it’s
going to make a better website.
Then you need to give reasons for people to visit the website and reasons
for people to come back to it. So you need to regularly update
the contents.
The website is your opportunity to really connect with your fans because
that’s an environment – like if you compare that to Facebook
and Twitter where you compete with tab videos and ‘news of the
day’ and tons of other updates from strangers, if you’re able to get
people to visit your website, you control the narrative, you control
the design, you control the call-to-action. If you want people to
focus on your new EP, you can put that right on the homepage and
make sure that people check it out. If it’s a new video, you can also
make that your main call-to-action if you’re building your mailing
list.
So it’s only on your website that you have full control over that. That’s
where people are one-click away from visiting your store. And if they’re
in your store and they download music either for free or to buy something,
you can get them to sign up to the mailing list.
Those are all things that happen in a website, so you need to give
them reasons to come back, so that means if you can have regular
blog updates or new videos and new photos that then you can promote
on Facebook and Twitter and get people to come and visit your
website. If your content is great, you’re going to have a great website.
Emily: It definitely sounds very interactive. I love all the calls-toaction
because that’s the best way to connect to your fans and
provide with different opportunities to connect with their fans
whether it’s a blog or look at a video or buy merchandise from
the site.
I wanted to ask you. How does merchandise sales help the artist?
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David: It depends on the artist, but I think it’s extremely important
because I think everyone knows that there’s more and more music
available. So as an artist nowadays, you’re competing for attention
with thousands of musicians, right?
What I’m trying to say is we moved from an industry that was based
on volume where the name of the game was to get as many fans as
possible, many thousands or even millions and then sell them a little
margin, undifferentiated product that was either a CD or in the last
two years, the ¢99 or the $9.99 album.
I think we’re moving now toward an industry where you probably won’t
get as many fans, but you have to focus on quality so that the fans that
you’re able to get and that you’re able to engage with, you have to
stop thinking that your goal is to sell them ¢99 and the occasional gig
ticket, concert ticket when you finally get to their town.
So having nice options of merch, giving people the opportunity to
buy vinyl records, to buy your t-shirts and I don’t know, your books of
poetry – you can make it up.
Emily: Yeah! It’s more horizontal marketing and branding at that
point.
I have access to all the music in the world for $10 a month or even for
free with some services.
For the artist, again, it means that you’re competing with the hundreds
of millions of tracks that are on there and you’re probably not going to
make tons of money with people just listening to your music. So you
have, again, to find new products. So find new things that people are
going to be willing to pay for.
I like to see things like crowdfunding becoming more of a thing, more
of an accepted behavior. I think people more and more are going to
be paying for experiences that involves music, but not necessarily music
itself – concerts, private concerts, house concerts, online, limited.
Anything limited edition that is made for your top fans, I think –
I don’t think there’s going to be one music industry.
I think there’s going to be tons of small music industries, so you kind
of have to make your own.
And our job as technology providers is to give you the tools to make
that happen and there’s more and more tools that are extremely exciting
for that.
David: The whole idea is that the quality of each relationship you have
with your fans should be better. So in theory, they should be in the
best sense. You should be ready to invest and spend some money on
what you have to offer. So it’s important to have something to offer.
Emily: Where do you see the future of music going in five years?
David: Well, more of what I just described. The future of music is moving
towards streaming, which is for a music fan, it’s amazing because
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Words to the Wise! Creating
Your Artistic Armor
❖ ❖ ❖
WHEN I WAS IN SEVENTH grade, I decided to try out as a singer for my
middle school talent show. I was speaking to a classmate who was an
amazing singer. She had asked me what song I had selected to audition
with. Not thinking twice, I told her the song. I was really excited
and proud of my choice. At this young age I didn’t know anything
about how competitive the industry is, I was naive.
One week later, I spoke with her again about the talent show. I
asked her about what songs she was considering doing. I was shocked
and horrified when she had chosen the song I was going to do! I was
extremely angry and felt completely betrayed. How could she do this
to me? She seemed so nice! The next week I spoke with the director of
the talent show and told him what had happened. He called her in the
office to talk and decided she had to choose a different audition song.
I didn’t end up making the talent show. I was so upset. Aside from
my disappointment, she had spread a rumor that I had stolen her
song, which caused everyone to look down on me. From that point
on, I realized not everyone is as nice as they seem, and you should be
really careful who you trust. Since that day, I have kept my guard up.
A few years later, I was really passionate about my music and all I
could think about was being famous. One day, I received a message
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from a producer telling me he had enjoyed my music and that he
would love to talk further about collaborating. I was beyond excited.
He had told me how he really appreciated my music and wanted
me to sing on a track he wrote, so he could pitch it to A&R companies
and shop it around.
Naturally, I recorded it and sent him the track. He loved it and told
me that he wanted to begin shopping my music around. He named
some people he had worked with, but when I googled their names
with his name, I was not able to find much information. I thought nothing
of this, though, and kept a happy mindset instead. One day, he
told me my music was going to be played on the radio. Words could
not describe how excited I was. “My music was going to be played on
the radio—that’s amazing,” I thought.
I started to get advice from different people just to find out more
about him and ask questions. Nobody I spoke with had heard of him.
Finally, I asked him when my songs would be played on the radio. He
told me my music would be played the same time I had planned to go
abroad to London that summer for a music internship. So I would not
be able to hear the track on the radio. I thought it was super weird that
he happened to want my music to be played during that particular time.
That was the last straw, I thought to myself. From then on, I ignored
his emails and phone calls. Weeks later, when I was in London, I got a
phone call from someone from his company. I never called them back.
Keys To Success:
Protect Yourself: There are a plethora of people out there looking to
screw artists, to trick them and take advantage of them. If something
seems too good to be true, odds are it is. Do things the legitimate way
and be careful of who you trust. Always stay grounded and around a
team of people who care about you and want you to succeed. Be extremely
wary of people who seem to make amazing promises without
proof or credentials. Lastly, always make sure people sign non-disclosure
agreements. You can find free templates for different NDA agreements
online. No matter how nice people seem, you don’t know what
their agenda is, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Ask Questions: Always check people’s credentials. Make sure you have
proof of what they say they’ve done. There are a lot of professional
liars in this industry. Make sure to go with your gut. If you have a weird
feeling about people, don’t trust them. On the other hand, if you meet
people and you feel great energy around them, it’s probably better
to build a relationship with them and let them prove themselves to
you. Some people are braggers, and try to get your trust by quickly
impressing you. If anyone tells you they are going to make you famous
overnight, you should ask them questions. There are many scammers
out there just preying on people who have a dream.
“The most challenging thing for me used to be when I was told how
to sound, what to do, what to wear, what to say, how much I should
weigh. And it was exhausting because it was all based on ever-changing
opinions. One of our greatest songs, ‘Deadly Beauty,’ wasn’t even
considered as a song that we could record because the producers
thought it was not ‘radio friendly.’ We decided to trust ourselves and
played it live on 97.1 instead of the song we were supposed to promote.
It is now our top seller on iTunes. My sister and I took the risk
of our lives when we decided to move back to Utah. We left all the
big-named people we had worked with behind and decided we were
going to get back to our roots and make music that meant something
to us. We finally said ‘Hell no’ to recording any more manufactured
bullshit. It was liberating and terrifying. The two of us had to
completely start over, without a record company, money, producers,
managers, agents, etc. All we had was faith in ourselves and each
other. Here we are two years later: ambassadors for NEDA, co-owners
of NaShea records, living in Nashville, mixing the last few songs for
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our album, getting ready for a big show at CMA’s Fan Fest and having
more fun and success than ever. Now we’re free and living the
dream!” - Alexa Falk, One Half of Country Duo: Falk, Utah
“Waste no time and spend every waking moment making moves toward
your goal. Walk the path. Be bold and confident, not afraid of criticism.
Be different. Don’t change yourself into something you’re not, but find
a unique quality in yourself and your writing, then put the spotlight on
that. Be true to yourself, but be aware that you will need to make hard
decisions down the line concerning image and your market. Learn who
you play for, what they enjoy and how to expand their musical horizons
while bringing them along for the ride.” - Robert Gillies, CA
“Whether you’re a struggling artist or you’re doing amazing, if you’re
happy with yourself and what decisions you’ve made, then I consider
that a success.” - Ryan Cabrera, Los Angeles, CA
“People who offer you INSTANT success or recognition are liars. Do
not give them money. To protect yourself, work hard, and earn your
keep. Also learn about what you are paying others to do.” - George
Woods, Boston, MA
“I think anyone can be in music production, but you have to have thick
skin, take criticism well, stay focused and make sacrifices—especially
at first. All your time and money should go into your craft, not your
car.” - Doug Fenske Producer, Los Angeles, CA
“Sometimes your dreams seem like they are unreachable, and sometimes
it’s because you can’t reach them at that moment. You want to
become a professional skateboarder, then you break your leg, tough
break. Sometimes those hard times help fuel passion you didn’t even
know you had, for something you didn’t even know you wanted. Sharp
turn, then the road seems straight again. Suddenly, you realize that
old dream wasn’t what you were supposed to do in this life. Your new
passion is your calling.” - Matt Costa, CA
“Be tenacious and keep your level of intensity at 100 percent at all
times. You only get out what you put in. Success is never handed to
anyone. Find genuine people to work with, and know that nothing is
accomplished alone.” - Esnavi, NYC
“Be nice to everyone, don’t expect anything from them and above
all, never trap yourself in bitterness by thinking that you deserve anything.
Make the best music you can and only make things you really
believe in. If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, get out of everyone
else’s way.” - Michael Epstein, MA
“Understand the cost of what you’re getting into. I’m not talking about
money either. There’s a sacrifice that comes with pursuing what you’re
passionate about. There’s a deeper commitment to being yourself
that has to be made in order to create the most genuine art. People
want to be a part of that. It may cost you relationships. It may cost you
your job. It may cost you what you thought your sound was. But at the
end of the day, being a part of this industry is really all about being
the best you that you can be. Find your song. Don’t try and become
someone else’s. People who want to entertain have to realize that
they’re walking brands. Know what you’re advertising, and what it is
that you want to be known for. Live it, eat it, breathe it and wear it. Get
ready to work! You are your business. As a musical artist, you can no
longer just be ‘creative’ anymore; it’s really important to understand
how to market or brand your art.” - Afterlife Parade, Nashville, TN
“Always
be true to yourself. Never conform to anything, never. Hard
work does pay off. When you work hard and are committed, when you
keep your head on the prize, that’s when success comes into play.” -
MJ Rodriguez, NJ
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“It inspires you to trust your own instincts and take chances. The best
music challenges the trends and is ultimately different. That’s why
it’s important to follow your creative impulses and break the rules.
Following trends will get you nowhere.” - Boy Pierce, NYC
“Master your own assets. When you can look yourself in the mirror
and announce who you are with clarity and confidence, your industry
worth just became invaluable. Who doesn’t want to work with someone
who owns a wealth of talent and knows how to use it? Also, owning
a baseball bat and some knockout jokes can be helpful when the
competition gets rough.” - Neara Russell, Los Angeles, CA
“It’s challenging to stay relevant in an ever-changing industry. The
way I deal with it is trying to be as out of the box as I can. You need to
be different to reach your fans and also reach out to new ones… You
need to give excitement, energy, urgency and identity so that at the
end of the day you are the right artist for right now.” - Daniel Rinaldi,
MA
“Caring is what pushes me forward so having overly thick skin can be
counterproductive. Half the reason I do this is for myself. The other
half is to connect with people. I do find, though, that if I really get that
first 50 percent right, I’m more at peace with what people think. If it’s
any less than 50, I’m in trouble.” – Adam Watts, CA
“Take it all with a grain of salt. Don’t just negate what people give you
as criticism. Understand how to absorb it and let it make you stronger.”
- Dan Kimpel, Author/Educator/ Journalist, Los Angeles, CA
“The initial challenge is becoming a legitimate artist, but ultimately it
comes down to: does everyone else believe that you are a legitimate
artist?” - The Icarus Account, FL
“My thing so far is I’ve done over 60 personal house concerts. I told
my fans I would come play a show in their living room if they can
get 25 or more friends to attend (in addition to covering the gas).
I’ve toured all across the country this way. I’ve also focused a lot on
building an online fan base through social networking sites. That led
to a pretty cool feature on the YouTube homepage. It’s all been very
grassroots but effective.” - Mikey Wax, NYC
“Some musicians think licensing their music to commercials and branding
themselves with a product is selling out, so they refuse to do that.
I think it is hard to generalize like that. I would not have really discovered
Leslie Feist if it wasn’t for that Apple commercial.” - Kailynn West
from Tiny Stills, Los Angeles, CA
“I would like to say that independent is the way to go, but the truth is,
paying out of your pocket for things like touring, merch, etc. is really
tough. You’re expected to run all the business aspects of your band,
work a full time job AND write/create good songs? I think that every
band needs a sugar daddy, of which we are fully open to applications…
But in all seriousness, I’m hoping that something will surface
and bring the music industry in a new direction.” - Keeley Bumford
from Hotel Cinema, Los Angeles, CA
“Really good venues could become like labels, build a stable of performers,
really take ownership of an artist and his/her career. I’d trade
playing at other clubs for steady work and steady pay. For sure.” - Alec
Gross, NYC
“I once wrote to several influential acoustic guitar players asking if I
would be able to study under them and learn their techniques. The list
included Tommy Emmanuel, Don Ross and Erik Mongrain, and I didn’t
expect much in the way of responses. Every one of them but one,
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wrote back. It just goes to show how far a well-written, well-sourced
and honest email can go.” - Robert Gillies, CA
“I think the hardest thing about being in the music world is that there
is so much pressure to be something that we just aren’t and never
will be. For artists in the music industry there’s a huge pressure from
the media that makes it seem like the only way to get noticed is to
be a sex symbol which is completely false and untrue. There are definitely
many other ways to get noticed.” - Danielle from Danielle and
Jennifer, NYC
“We protect ourselves by just staying true to who we are and staying
grounded. People seem to be really responding and respecting
us for that, which makes us very grateful. It’s definitely a scary world
out there but we are prepared for it.” - Jennifer from Danielle and
Jennifer, NYC
“I like to get into a zone with the band before every show. We talk
about the set. We talk about what we’re going to do. Everybody has—
somebody—may have a new idea... ‘Hey, let’s try this…’ and just get
us pumped up and psyched. I’ll do 20 push ups with everybody in the
band, just to get us in a real good frame of mind and to go out there
at our best.” - Eddie Gindi, lead vocalist from Men In My Head, NYC
“As
a composer and arranger, the priority is to find the way to write
the music that makes the visuals work right. That can mean Beethoven
one day, Stravinsky the next, and Weird Al the next. As a producer, the
key is to work with the artist and figure out the music that’s in them
to make. Figure out who they are, what they’re trying to say and then
translate that into a recorded document. Sometimes that means an
acoustic guitar and vocals; other times it means a large orchestra.” -
David Das, Los Angeles, CA
“Be in the music industry if you’re compelled to, but it’s not an easy
path to riches or fame or anything. It’s just another way of working
in the independent artist community.” - Brian Felsen, Former
President at AdRev; CD Baby, BookBaby, HostBaby, Los Angeles,
CA
“Just
like any job there are many pros and cons. Being a freelance
Producer/Engineer I believe the highs and lows are extreme. Work
begets work so you never try to say “no” to anything, this leads to
the sacrifice of personal time. The way to protect yourself is try to
be there when you are and live in the moment. It also applies to
when you are working with an artist, they should feel like they have
your undivided attention even though you might have several ongoing
projects, make them feel like this is all you think about, this in
turn will get you complete trust from an artist.” - Andy Manganello,
Producer,
NYC
“Be tenacious and keep your level of intensity at 100 percent at all
times. You only get out what you put in. Success is never handed to
anyone. Find genuine people to work with who believe in you. And
know that nothing is accomplished alone.” - Esnavi, NYC
“Artists
out there, they do half the work, and they don’t follow through,
which I used to do back in the day. But as I’ve grown, I’ve learned how
to put my best foot forward and follow through. That also has a lot
to do with determination. Some artists have what it takes, and some
artists don’t.” - Adam Clark Rochester, NY
“If you have the money, invest in advertising. If not, invite friends to like
your page and create profiles on different social media sites and utilize
free ways to spread word of mouth. The object is to go viral.” - Eric
Olson, ME
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“I think it’s hard not to get distracted by comparing yourself to the
success of others. I pray and try to stay focused on the real goal, which
is to make good music.” - Marie Miller, Virginia
“As
an undiscovered talent, you must either spend hundreds building
a decent recording studio in your home or pay by the hour to have
your music recorded in a studio, which may end up being just as expensive.
As an artist who has explored both options, my best advice
is to create a simple setup in your home: microphone, interface, and
digital audio workstation, such as Mixcraft, Pro Tools, even Audacity,
which is free. This way, even if later on you want to record your songs
in a professional studio, you can make the rough draft right at home
using the equipment you already have.” - Diary Of Snow, Atlanta, GA
“There is an incomparable rush to being on stage. The point of creating
is to bring light to the ears, eyes and minds of the audience. The
music industry can do as it pleases—I don’t try to let it limit me. I
don’t want to take all the conventional routes to success. Don’t get
me wrong, I’ll take some of them. But I’m going to do it my way. I truly
believe that the artist of today can really take over his brand and be
his own boss while being successful.” - Danny Severance, NYC
The Coach’s Perspective:
Hold Your Armor High
Back when I was crazy passionate about acting, I had seen my share of
the scams that existed out there, from paying hundreds of dollars to be
listed on fake auditioning sites, to waiting hours for lame casting calls
and to not getting copies of my work. It’s such a stressful, fickle field
that can be a huge time waster! The arts and entertainment business is
at times such a mess, so that’s why it is important to have the right, supportive
team around you at all times to provide guidance and support.
The worst scam I’ve encountered was when I teamed up with a business
alliance named Eli to develop a modeling management as Co-founder.
For about 4 years, I was a lead modeling/acting instructor at a modeling
school. I had trained over 1,000 young women on personal development,
beauty, and the facts of a career in the entertainment industry.
This business alliance met me while travelling to NYC, discovered
my background in our conversation and became very interested in
forming a modeling management company with me. I was working on
my master’s degree at the time, therefore, I also knew how to design
workshops and curriculums, a skill he needed.
We spent five months having meetings, while I started to develop
an ideal curriculum of entertainment-based classes with industry professionals/agents,
etc. He was very smart and kept recordings every
time we met on everything we discussed. I felt empowered and flattered,
thinking this was my career path; doing something I loved, educating
others. The potential as Co-founder was amazing; I was told
that I was going to be the lead spokesperson for this management at
various locations, lead trainer and a casting director. He even set me
up with top photographers to get promotional pictures for my own
use and for the site. I was very excited and positive that all my experience
in the arts was going to go to good use.
But then one day I tried to contact him and his phone was
disconnected.
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He had disappeared with all my basically free consulting advice,
curriculum work and even my pictures. Now, I had studied business
law previously and read all our contracts carefully, so I couldn’t believe
it. But I wasn’t going to just walk away. I did my research and I was able
to locate the photographer who was still working with him and didn’t
know he did this. I confronted them both at the studio and threatened
him with a lawsuit. When he saw how serious I was, he gave me my
pictures as settlement and I walked away.
Now what was his excuse for cutting ties? A bogus excuse that I didn’t
produce the work he requested fast enough. He was trying to take absolutely
all of my ideas, and have me write training manuals next, but I felt
uncomfortable and wanted my copies of my pictures first. I trusted my
instincts, but ultimately he was able to walk away with all my intellectual
property and waste many hours of my life, mind and heart for nothing.
I got burned badly by this, but it made me way more careful
with legal agreements and making sure my own priorities are clearly
stated and protected. I became way more attentive to ulterior motives
in all new connections and potential alliances. I learned to trust
my inner voice right from the beginning of a business relationship,
and over the years since, really shook out the fakeness from many
more characters in this industry. I’m happy to say the lesson may
have been worth it.
As your coach, I ask you the following:
1. What are 2 things you need to keep an eye on in your life or career,
and maybe even protect?
2. What is a lesson you learned from a past negative experience?
3 . . What are three signs that a possible alliance is good for you?
4. Why is your art worth protecting?
Chapter 6 Affirmation: Words to the Wise
“I am aware of my boundaries and share them without
fear. When it’s meant to work with someone, it will just
flow. I see the realities in the music industry clearly. I can
learn my life lessons from positive experiences. I trust
myself and my instincts. I watch and observe, knowing
when I encounter the wrong vibrational match, I will
just know and test it for truth. I am not easily swayed
by false promises. I grow stronger each day.”
❖ ❖ ❖
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Featured Interview: Steve Gordon,
Famed Entertainment Lawyer
Emily: Today, Creative Spotlights is excited and honored to interview
Steve Gordon. The goal of this interview is to share Steve’s
perspective on what it takes for a music artist to succeed in the
industry and stay inspired.
Steve, my first question is: how did your journey in the music business
begin?
Steve: I studied entertainment law at NYU Law School, and my first
job was with my entertainment law professor. He was a litigator and
we worked on a variety of legal disputes involving entertainment business
contracts, copyrights and trademarks. Some of the cases were
interesting, but I wanted to be involved in making projects successful
instead of engaging in legal battles. So I took a job in LA as the music
lawyer for a Hollywood studio, De Laurentiis films.
Steve Gordon is an entertainment attorney, educator, and consultant
based in New York City specializing in music, television, film
and digital entertainment projects. His clients include music artists,
songwriters, managers, record companies, music publishers as well
as television and film producers, TV, web networks and digital startups.
Steve also operates a music-clearance service for producers
and production companies who wish to use music in documentaries,
feature films, ad campaigns, live theatre, digital stand-alone
projects and more. A Fulbright Scholar, he has taught courses
at universities in Europe and Israel. Steve served as Director of
Business Affairs/TV & Video at Sony Music for over a decade, and
previously worked as an attorney for Atlantic Records as well as
a major Hollywood movie studio. He is a graduate of New York
University Law School.
Eventually, I realized that I did not want to spend my life in LA, and decided
to return to New York. The best job I could find was with a small music
public performance organization (“PRO”) called SESAC, which, at the
time, stood for the “Society of European Stage Authors and Composers.”
I enjoyed working at SESAC, but I wanted to be more engaged in the
“real” music business. I landed a job at the in-house law firm for Atlantic
Records. After that, I got what was then my dream job: Director of Business
Affairs at Sony Music. There, I specialized in television and video, including
doing the contract work for over 250 music videos each year plus dozens
of concerts videos and music based documentaries for artists such
as Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, and many others.
During my time at Sony from 1991 to 2001, the record business was doing
great. And my position was extremely secure. Now, unfortunately,
the situation for people working at major labels is quite different. Income
from recorded music has declined in almost every year from an all time
high in 1999 of 14.5 billion to less than 7 billion in 2014, and that income
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continues to decline in 2015. No one is absolutely sure if the lights will stay
on, or at least, the lights in their own office.
Five or six years after I started at Sony, they decided to create an inhouse
production company called Automatic. I became Automatic’s
lawyer and handled the business affairs for three different TV shows
including Sessions at West 54 th , a concert series which was named after
Sony’s studio on 54 th street near 10 th avenue. That building is now a
condo – which gives you an idea of the state of the recording business
today. That is, not as great as it was in the 90’s!
Emily: For those artists, who haven’t really worked with an entertainment
attorney of your caliber, how does your service support
them?
Steve: Entertainment lawyers perform a number of services. Contract
negotiation and drafting are a music lawyer’s main job, but he can
also set up your record or publishing company, give strategic business
advice, file trademark registrations to protect your name, guide
you on how to properly file copyright registrations for your songs and
masters, and perform many other necessary legal functions. Perhaps
most importantly, though, an established music lawyer has relationships
with all kinds of people in the business who can help their clients
including investors, managers, producers, labels (both large and
small), music publishers, PROs, etc.
But before reaching out to a music lawyer, you should always try to find
out as much as you can on who you are calling. Also think in advance
about what you are calling for. In the music business, no one has time
to waste, and that’s especially true of lawyers who are trying to make
a living based on their time. So find out about a lawyer’s practice by
checking their website, and then ask yourself why you need a lawyer
and whether that lawyer would be able to help you. In fact, it’s almost
always better to email before calling, so the lawyer you are trying to
connect with can evaluate whether he can help you. Some lawyers will
listen to your music and give feedback for a fee. Personally, I never
charge money for that. I’m an attorney, not an A&R.
In terms of how I can help a client, I’ll give you two recent examples.
A young man who had a hit song on the Internet but who had no idea
about the business called me and showed me a contract that he was
offered. He didn’t understand what the contract meant because it was
written almost entirely in “legalese.” But I saw immediately what the
contract really provided. As I explained to the artist, if he had signed
it, he would owe over 50% of his income from the entertainment business
to the company for the rest of his life. There was no money for
him upfront, and the contract did not specifically require the company
to do anything, except find a “distribution deal.” That term was
defined so broadly that all the company had to do would have been
record a few tracks and upload them to iTunes through CD Baby or
TuneCore. I prevented the client from signing what I like to refer as
the “contract from hell.” Then I hooked him up with a leading management
company. That led to a series of meetings with major labels.
Negotiations are now underway, and so is his brilliant future.
Last week I helped two gentlemen set up their own label by registering
the LLC, drafting the Operating Agreement for the management
of the company, protecting their name with a trademark registration,
preparing an exclusive recording contract that the label can use for all
three of their artists with minor modifications, and writing a producer
agreement with the guy that makes beats for them.
Emily: That’s great. You painted a very good picture of the different
areas that an entertainment lawyer could be involved with,
and how an artist can connect to each area whether they’re a
songwriter or a singer etc.…
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Steve: To add a personal note, I was a little shy when I was at Sony.
At parties and other events, I would have chance encounters with
managers and producers of very successful artists. But I wasn’t really
into socializing with other music business folks. Now I nurture all my
relationships with people in the business because having good relationships
with them is crucial to helping my clients.
Emily: Yes, it’s all about relationships, especially in the entertainment
industry. In our book, we have a whole chapter about this
topic.
Steve: Yes, relationships are all important in the entertainment business
– even in entertainment law. For instance, I worked at a couple
of “boutique” music law firms before Sony. There were partners who
used to “schmooze” all day, and then there were worker bee lawyers.
Those were the guys and gals in small offices who drafted and negotiated
the details of the 80 page plus standard recording contracts. In
the meantime the partner lawyers in the corner offices were just talking
on the phone all day -- getting and making deals happen. Basically
there are two kinds of music lawyers: the deal makers, and the ones
who do the “legal” work. It’s great to have somebody who’s good at
both!
Emily: That’s right. Being versatile in your career track is so vital,
just to be flexible. For example, I’m a life AND a business coach
because my expertise lies in business, but due to my own life experience
as an artist and a classically trained theater actress, I’m
able to bounce back and forth with my clients, depending on their
preferences. What would you say are the top three things that an
artist must do to break through to the top of the industry?
Steve: Well, an artist can make it in all kinds of ways.
It’s great to start when you’re 12 and you’re on Disney. That’s a huge
head start. I mean, ask Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina
Aguilera, and, more recently, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi
Lovato. Ariana Grande fits in that category too, although she was on
Nickelodeon. Their TV career brought them to the attention to people
in the business, as well a huge number of kids. Now, if you take somebody
like Beyonce, who’s just loaded with talent and looks so great,
she got her first break when her father got interested in the music
business, and helped launch her career by casting for Destiny’s Child
which he build around her. Taylor Swift’s parents supported her decision
to move to Nashville and supported her until she took off. And if
you look at Lorde, in fact, my knowledge is that when she was 12, her
dad found a guy from Universal Music/New Zealand to work with her.
She didn’t happen overnight. The point is it’s good to start young,
and have great support from either a corporate behemoth and/or your
family.
But then – look at Jay Z. He didn’t start on Disney, and he didn’t have
a rich daddy. He really did do it on his own. He booked his own gigs
and released his first record on his own. Kanye is another example of a
“self-made” artist. He got his big break producing tracks for Jay.
That brings to my mind something Donald Passman, the great music
lawyer, told me. He said in the course of my podcast interview
with him that he had a lot of different famous artist clients, but the
one thing they all had in common is that they all would have “broken
down walls” to become successful. I think that that’s the key –
you have to really want it, in addition to being talented. So it’s a
combination of a lot of things – being incredibly talented, gifted,
beautiful are all great, but most of all though, whether you’re born
with connections or not, you’ve got to really, really want it and work
hard.
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Emily: Who are the top artists that you loved working with, who
just really inspired you with having a hunger for being in the music
industry?
Steve: Over the years I’ve worked with various famous artists including
Mariah Carey, JLo, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson.
That was at Sony. Now I work with a lot of talented emerging artists,
songwriters, and producers, as well as managers, indie labels, and
publishers.
One of the things I enjoy most about my current practice is the diversity
of the matters I work on. Currently I’m putting the finishing
touches on an offering memorandum in a limited partnership deal for
an indie movie. Yesterday, I finalized a deal for use of music in a new
app. The day before that, I was clearing music for a Broadway musical.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
But perhaps I get the greatest satisfaction from helping new talent. A
young singer songwriter I work with has been approached by a very
famous producer who could make her a star if he puts his mind and
talent to it. But in the meantime, I helped get her PRO to put her in a
major concert for their best new talent of the year. And I am hooking
her up with other talented producers who can hone her sound. One
way or another this girl is going to make it, and I am going to do everything
I can to make that happen.
Emily: Now, I saw your podcast on your site – it’s awesome –
about all the businesses that came out since the sales of CD’s
have dropped, over the years, and how digital music has provided
opportunities for new businesses to come out, like ReverbNation,
Bandzoogle, PledgeMusic and Apple iTunes.
Steve: My point is actually that digital has created better opportunities
for entrepreneurs than they have for musicians. Let me explain.
To give you an example, aggregators such as CD Baby makes money
from each download of a track on iTunes or another Web store. CD
Baby’s cut is 9% of what the artist would otherwise receive. iTunes
pays 70 cents for each 99 cent download, so CD collects approximately
6 cents for each sale. The majority of artists who use the service
sell very few units. But since CD Baby has over two million tracks, all
those pennies add up to a good business model -- for CD Baby. I am
not knocking CD Baby, I am just saying that the digital middlemen
sometimes do a lot better financially than the talent.
Another example: Beats Music. When started, the service, I thought
Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine, who is also the president of Interscope, were
foolish. Why roll out another on-demand streaming service when even
Spotify and Rhapsody, though established, are still struggling financially?
Then Dre and Jimmy turned around and sold Beats, along with
their headphone business, to Apple, for $3 billion. Most of that was for
the music service, as Apple now wants to compete in in the streaming
space. Like I said, the opportunities can be amazing for entrepreneurs.
For artists, though, technology has had mixed results. Sure, you can
make your own records on the cheap, with new technology, which
allows you to record and mix on a laptop, and yes, you can get your
music out to a worldwide audience without a record company. But
it is even harder now to be heard. That’s because there are so many
other musicians using the Internet to try to succeed. Also, outlets
like Facebook, Spotify, SoundCloud and iTunes which all allow you
to reach a mass audience, don’t pay advances or money to market
your music.
In the 90’s, if you were attractive, young, talented and fit into the latest
trend, you had a fighting chance to get signed, and you could become
a star via the production and marketing money and manpower provided
by the major labels or their affiliates. Now those opportunities
are more rare, as the labels make a lot less money. And therefore, they
have less capital to invest in new artists.
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For instance, once Nirvana hit, the big record companies descended
on Seattle and Portland or wherever and they signed a lot of bands
who looked grungy, played guitar and had a possible hit. Many bands
got a shot. That wouldn’t happen today. One of bands that came out
of that frenzy, Pearl Jam, and a few others have gone on to great success.
That success was built by major labels who spent a great deal of
money to make the band known to the masses. That is not happening
as often anymore. So is it a better time for musicians? In some ways,
yes. You could reach a worldwide audience. In a lot of other ways, it’s
even harder than it was before.
Emily: Then what can an indie artist do to continue to get to the
next higher level?
Steve: Amanda Palmer wrote the Foreword to my book. She raised
over a million dollars on Kickstarter. She said that one of the ways she
was able to be successful, including with the Kickstarter campaign,
was because she didn’t do it all herself, she asked for help, and she got
it from a lot of people, who became her “Team.” But Amanda didn’t
exactly answer how to build that team, except to say that she asked
for help. But maybe she put her finger on the nub, you have to ask for
help, and at the same time, you have to be talented, beautiful and/or
persuasive enough to get it.
Visit www.futureofthemusicbusiness.com for details of the latest edition
of “The Future of the Music Business” by
Steve Gordon and oth-
er amazing advice to help support your career. If you send Steve an
email (steve@stevegordonlaw.com), he will provide you with the section
of the book on the role of managers, how management agreements
work, plus whether you can or should hire an attorney to shop
your music.
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CHAPTER 7
Dream Collaborations
❖ ❖ ❖
FOR MY 22 ND BIRTHDAY I decided to visit NYC to meet up with a high level
producer, Arty Skye, who we had interviewed on our site. When
I stepped into his office, I felt the situation was pretty surreal. I saw
awards on the wall with the names Will Smith, Madonna and Brandy
on them. This was the real deal. I had always dreamed of working with
famous producers. Then, I had told him that I wanted to sing for him
the song I was auditioning with for The Voice.
Singing for him was nerve-wracking! I mean, here is this guy who
works with top singers, and he is listening to me sing. I was so grateful
for having that opportunity.
After I was finished, he told me I had good tone. This Grammy
nominated producer/engineer said I have a good tone! Being around
a person with so much talent was such a high. I felt so honored to even
be in his presence, much less to receive a compliment from him.
At another time, I spoke with a master engineer after interviewing him
on my site, and I asked if I could send him my music, and he agreed. After
I did, he ended up mastering one of my tracks as a thank you and sent it
back to me. The track sounded amazing! This producer had worked with
top talent as well, so again, I was thankful for that opportunity.
A third time, I sent my music to a famous producer who told me
that if I kept working on my craft, I could be the next Adele. I was
so honored by the compliment and couldn’t have asked for anything
better.
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All three of the producers were down to earth. Each piece of wisdom
they shared with me guided and empowered me as an artist. The
way these producers made me feel is how I want you to feel reading
this book. They gave me confidence and insights so I could be a more
successful singer. Emily and I want this book to be a source of wisdom
and guidance for you.
One of my dreams is to work with high level producers and songwriters
for my own music. I want to create hit songs for the radio. I want
to change lives through the music I create with these producers. I want
the songs to reach people on an emotional and spiritual level.
Ultimately, I know it is part of my purpose to change and touch
lives.
Keys To Success:
Take a Chance: Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you look up to. I
used to think, “Oh, well, I am just a singer/songwriter. Why would they
agree to be interviewed by me? I am not famous. They will not want
to talk to me.” But that is far from the truth. I believe almost anyone is
more accessible than you imagine. You might as well reach out to them
via email or by phone. Worst case scenario is they say no, and musicians
must get used to that word anyway. Therefore, a refusal will not become
lethal. On the other hand, imagine what would happen if they say yes.
“Yes, I would love to meet you,” or “Yes, we’d love to answer a few questions,”
or “Yes, I’ll listen to your song.” You never know the outcome until
you try.
The best way, though, to meet or connect with these people is through
your network. Try to find someone you know who knows the people
you are looking to connect with. Don’t be afraid to check out a musician
on LinkedIn and then reach out to your friend who is a mutual
connection to ask them to introduce you. Have no shame in asking for
introductions. We all are here to help and guide each other.
Be Yourself: Know that these people you look up to, no matter how
famous and accomplished they might be, are just people like you or
me. They are someone’s uncle, aunt, cousin, brother, etc. Don’t put
yourself below them. Don’t kiss the feet they walk on. Sure, you can
look up to them, but if you just treat them like regular people, they
will, most likely, respond better than they would if you try to kiss their
butts. Understand that they were at the same place you find yourself
now. Chances are that they worked very hard to get where they are
today, and they had to overcome obstacles just like you might have to
now. Use them as inspiration, not obsession. View yourself as equally
able to accomplish anything they can accomplish. This will not only
help your self-esteem, but also your drive and dedication will largely
increase as well. You can do anything. Creative Spotlights sure believes
in you!
“If I could collaborate with anyone in the world, it would definitely be
Ed Sheeran. Ed has such a talent for telling it how it is and I love his
style. He fills stadiums with fans for just himself, a guitar, and a loop
pedal and that is something amazing. His songwriting is so in depth
and makes you feel like you’re living in his tracks. I hope to one day
follow in his shoes.” - Dylan Ander, NYC
“If I think about this for more than 10 seconds I will go absolutely mad,
so I will just go with the first two that come to mind: Jack White and
Olafur Arnalds. Jack White because I think he could really pull out
some elements in me that I am even curious about, and Olafur Arnalds
because I am obsessed with his talent as a composer and artist. I’d
love to see what we could do together. I literally have a physical reaction
when I listen to his music.” - Selena Garcia, NYC
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“I am very interested to work with ethnic musicians, so we can combine
my classical and improvisatory piano skills with the authentic and unique
sounds of their instruments. That is my long time dream, and I know it
is coming true!” - Elena Ryepkina, Classical Pianist and Vocalist, NYC
“I have always dreamed of working with Darkchild (Rodney Jerkins).
He is a phenomenal producer and has worked with some of my favorite
artists, including Brandy, Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, TLC, etc.
I also definitely wouldn’t mind working with Frank Ocean. I am just
doing what I’m doing in order to get one step closer to working with
them everyday. Always keep your head up, and if you want it that bad,
it will come to you.” - Carly Lind, Los Angeles, CA
“I’ve always dreamed of working with Celine Dion. She’s one of those
artists who has a voice that reaches deep into my soul, helping me
to remember that dreams come true and happiness isn’t only a fantasy.
One day I’ll sing with her, and I hope to do so by sending positive
thoughts into the world!” - Christian Hollingsworth, Entrepreneur,
Model, Singer/Songwriter, CA
“I have many musical heroes and admirations in a field of giants. I love
all types of music, styles, and art. I would love the opportunity to work
with some of these artists again or for the first time: Bruce Springsteen
Mat Kearney, Paulo Nutini, Tom Waits, Vienna Tang, Rocky Business,
Wilco, Michael Kiwanuka, Ryan Adams, Daniel Lanois. These artists
I listen to everyday and they still inspire me to enjoy music and the
making of it.” - Andy Manganello, Producer,
NYC
“In the Music world: Rick Rubin and/or Jeff Buckley (If he was still
around).” - Marrick Smith, Broadway Star and Singer/Songwriter,
NYC
“I think the giants of the industry have always been a dream of mine to
work with. Nigel Godrich, Brian Eno, George Martin, Charlie Peacock,
many more. To accomplish working with them, I’d probably have to
be introduced to them. That sort of thing takes a lot of time and patience.”
- The Autumn Film, Colorado
“There are so many amazing artists I would love to work with like
Rob Thomas, Daryl Hall and Jason Mraz. Also, when I first started
performing, Dave Matthews had a major influence on me. He is
someone I respect for how he got recognized. They just went out
and toured like crazy, the grassroots way.” - Charlie Scopoletti,
Connecticut
“I used to dream about being in the studio with Michael Jackson. To
me growing up, he was the top guy. Now that he is gone, I would love
to work with producers more than artists. Flood would be a great
one. Jay Z was an artist I wanted to work with and got the opportunity
to [do that] this year.” - Karl Heilbron, Producer,
Atlanta, GA/Los
Angeles, CA
“Neil Diamond! I grew up listening to his music plus I’ve seen him in
concert like 30 times! How fun would that be to have a collaboration
with Neil Diamond on a EDM track!” - Andrea Benham, NJ
“There was never one person who I set out to work with, but there
were people who inspired me. Todd Rundgren was one because he
wrote, recorded, engineered and played almost every instrument
and did some of the most amazing pop songs along the way. Stevie
Wonder is another. I love ‘Innervisions’ and how you can just hear him
in every track. The drums, the synth bass, etc, they are all extensions
of Stevie. So many others. The list is just too long. Brian Wilson, Harry
Nilsson, Paul Simon, Randy Newman, any of the Beatles, the entire
British Invasion, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Led Zeppelin, Vanilla Fudge, Kenny
Burrell, Wes Montgomery… OK, I’d better stop.” - Craig Bartock from
Heart, CA
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“I’d LOVE to work with John Mayer, Damien Rice, Bruno Mars, Ed
Sheeran, Ryan Tedder and Sheryl Crow. I think they are all incredible
artists. They each have their own style and their own story!” - Alexa
Falk, One Half of Country Duo: Falk, UT
“I have to say that the team of producers we had for the concept record
we’ve released this year was quite an all star cast. They certainly
represented a dream team for me personally. It was nice to finally share
time and space with guys like Jeremy McCoy (bass for The Fray), Jason
Morant, Jeremy Lutito (Leagues) and Dan Brigham (Canon Blue). I’ve
admired them for so long, and I finally got the opportunity to work
with them. There are a few other producers that I love too, and I’m
interested in how they would interpret Afterlife Parade. A few of them
are Mike Elizondo, Ken Andrews, Steve Lillywhite, Lukas Burton and
Renaud Letang. They’ve produced some of my favorite records, and I
would be happy to work with them.” - Afterlife Parade, Nashville, TN
“I would love to sit down and write a song with Dr. Luke just to see
what his creative process is like. That guy is a HIT MACHINE. Maybe
make a record with Brian Eno? Put a Jay Z verse on ‘Loveblind?’ I
dream big. When the time is right, I’ll be able to work with big names.
The first step right now is focusing on my goals. I’m more determined
than ever. ‘Babiniworld’ is growing.” - Alexis Babini, NYC
“Paul McCartney, Sting and Imogen Heap to name a few. Love them
all. Brilliant on all levels.” - John McCracken, Producer,
NYC
“I’ve always looked up to Duncan Sheik as a writer and would love
to work with him. I think the way to go about working with a writer/
producer like him is to just approach him with an idea and hope that
he’s interested. I would only want to work with people that believe in
what I am doing.” - Brian Fuente, Nashville, Tennessee
“I would love to work with Prince. His artistry and musicianship is on
a supernatural level. He has written and composed hits AND has the
ability to play seven different instruments. Insane!” - Esnavi, NYC
“There are a few artists I want to collaborate with. One of them would
be Paul McCartney. I know it’s really out there, but I’d love to one day
be able to at have a chance to play him a song and maybe get his input.
As far as newer artists, I want to collaborate with artists like Lorde, Alicia
Keys, Drake and possibly also Rihanna or Christina Aguilera because I really
like what they’ve been doing lately. Tori Kelly, she’s great! Definitely
someone I want to collaborate with.” - Adam Clark, Rochester, NY
“Kailynn and I both have always dreamt of working with Chris Walla
from Death Cab for Cutie. Not only is he the tastiest guitarist ever,
he’s produced some of our favorite records from artists like Tegan
and Sara & Telekinesis… as well as all the Death Cab records. I have a
strong love for that band… they’re from my home town of Bellingham,
Washington.” - Keeley Bumford from Hotel Cinema, Los Angeles, CA
“There are many talented people that I’d love to work with, Colbie
Caillat being one of them. I already had the pleasure of producing a
duet that featured her, which I never thought would happen, so I don’t
know if I’ve thought ahead to who I’d like to work with next. In this industry,
you tend to meet people in unexpected ways, so I try to keep
my options open and learn from all the people I come into contact
with.” - Chase Coy, Nashville, TN
“There are lots of people I would like to work with, but one of the top
ones would be Brandi Carlile. I love the way she sings, and I love her
band. A couple of her songs were among the first that I learned when
I was trying to get better at guitar and writing.” - Emily Earle, Brooklyn
NY/Nashville,TN
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“Paul McCartney, Slash, The Roots, Alison Krauss, BB King, Mos Def.
I’m going to keep networking. I actually really enjoy expanding my
circles and putting myself in a powerful position by acting as a connector.”
- Danny Severance, NYC
“Adam
Young, mastermind behind the band Owl City. Ever since the
first day I heard his music on iTunes, long before ‘Fireflies’ was on the
radio, he inspired me greatly, and I think fans can hear that in my style
of music. As far as how I would go about accomplishing this, at the
moment I can only dream. Hopefully someday he’ll hear my music and
possibly feature me in one of his songs.” - Diary Of Snow, Atlanta, GA
“Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Stevie Ray Vaughn were HUGE
influences. I just want to work on my talent and my dream of being an
artist, however, I would love someday to meet the people that inspire
me.” - Alex Flanigan, Nashville, TN
“I would love to work with Taylor Swift. Her albums are albums, not records
with three or four hit singles on it, while the remaining tracks are
fillers. Every single song is well done. I would go about accomplishing
a potential collaboration with her, by working hard and never giving
up.” - Nick Finochio, PA
“I would love to sing with Andrea Bocelli and/or Josh Groban. They
both have magnificent voices and can sing pop and classical. I would
love to do a duet with them. Do not know how to accomplish this, but
hey, if anyone out there can make this happen, I would be ecstatic!”
- Patricia Welch, CA
The Coach’s Perspective: Inspired by Greatness
When I think of dream collaborations, I think of the power of mentors.
Not many people can succeed in life without the positive example set
forth by good role models and influencers. Mentors and a good inspirational
environment will do wonders for your creative success.
Mentors have certain life experiences + attitudes about life that
invigorate their mentees to confidently chase after their own dreams
with strength and conviction! Meeting your musical mentor and working
with them one day is the ultimate dream for many people and can
prove to be life-changing.
When I think of my own mentors, I think of Anthony Robbins, the
world’s top performance coach, and how his four-day boot camp
changed my life back in November 2013. Being surrounded by 5,000
entrepreneurs, CEOS and success-thinkers led by his brilliant techniques
truly changed my confidence and inner strength to live more
fearlessly.
Other role models in my life include, Steve Jobs for his relentless
drive for a vision, Richard Branson because of his fearless innovation
as a serial entrepreneur, Deepak Chopra for his personal healing presence
in my life as one of the top spiritual leaders of our modern times,
Suze Orman due to her financial genius and path from rags to riches,
Mark Cuban for his amazing passion for “the game of business” and
most of all Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich”. Reading
this book at 19 years old totally changed my inner world and swung
me on a faithful path towards achievement and imagination.
In his or her own way, each of them changed my life by allowing
me to understand a perspective towards success-thinking which can
be learned and followed by their incredible vision. Nothing is truly
impossible.
As your coach, I ask you the following:
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1. What does a dream collaboration look like to you? Who do you
dream of meeting and working with?
Featured Interview: Noah Guthrie, YouTube Superstar
2. Who are your top 5 influencers? What do you most admire about
them and their work?
3. Painting a picture of where you could go in your future; how will
you influence the world?
Chapter 7 Affirmation: Dream Collaborations
“The same way my music idols have inspired me, I will inspire
my fans. I am a voice for my generation through my work. Each
day my influence for doing good in the world expands. I center
myself in a positive creative environment, and frequently
take time to heal. I lead the pack with devotion to my dream.
My imagination is my guiding force towards success.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Emily: Today on Creative Spotlights we have singer/songwriter
and actor, Noah Guthrie, who has credits not only on Glee, but for
opening for Ed Sheeran, Neon Trees, Ben Rector, Cobra Starship,
Matisyahu, Matt Nathanson and Selena Gomez. His impressive
credits include a cover of LMFAO’s ‘Sexy and I Know It’ which garnered
him 22 million views (he has over 53 million views in total
from his famed YouTube covers) and he has appeared on NBC’s
Today Show, Jay Leno’s Tonight Show, Dancing With The Stars, to
say the least.
We are interested in getting his advice on the realities of juggling
both a music and acting career, and what it takes to succeed in a duo
of industries and stay positive! So Noah, can you tell us a little bit
about your creative journey as an artist? In 2014, your CD Among
the Wildest Things was released so can you share a bit about that?
Noah:
Yeah. So I released my album in 2014. It was really just about
15 songs and, before we recorded the album, I had probably 40 songs
written. And we had to narrow that number down. I co-wrote a lot
of the songs in the album, so it would be me and another person on
songs. Then, there’s one song in there that I wrote by myself. It was
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really something I needed to do because I had all these songs that I
was sitting on. I just kept writing and writing.
I finally got a little break with that YouTube cover that I did, and a lot
of my other YouTube covers as well. But that one, ‘Sexy And I Know It’,
really took off. I think there was a lot more pressure to get something
together and get something released. I’m really glad that I did that because
I really wanted my original music out there. I’ve been doing covers
for probably three years at that point. I just wanted to start adding
my original songs into the mix. It seems to be going pretty well and
people like the album. I’m very happy about that. Ever since I released
it, we’ve been doing little pushes here and there. Things will come up
to help it out. It’s been great so far. Last year, I toured the country and
supported the album. It was great.
Emily: Sounds great! It’s really important for artists to have
as many diverse skills as possible to grab more opportunities.
You write your own songs. You play instruments and you have a
voice. So it’s really good that you have all those different gifts.
On top of that, you understand marketing really great. YouTube
is one of the top things out there to truly promote yourself as
an independent artist. So you’re able to utilize that with your
YouTube covers. So how many covers would you say you had up
to this point? What are your favorites?
Noah: I would probably say I have around a little over 100 covers up.
Emily: Wow! That’s really impressive!
Noah:
Yeah. I’ve just been doing it forever. That’s a rough estimate.
But I’m pretty sure that’s around what I have. I think that YouTube is a
really amazing platform. If you’re not taking advantage of it to a certain
extent, then you’re missing a whole market.
I also love the very grassroots way of being in a band, which is playing
in shows and getting in front of the audiences, and stuff like that. And
that does work.
But I think now, everything is so digital and so driven by social media
that if you’re not just paying attention to that, then you’re not really
doing yourself any favors.
I believe we figured out early that we really need to be paying attention
to social media. I just figured why not keep doing the covers and
see what happens. Now, I’ve got quite a good little fan base. They’re
loyal and they’re great fans.
YouTube has been a big help to me. It’s been my home for a little
bit. Then once I started adding originals into the flow of content on
YouTube, people saw them and liked them.
I can do that more and start to transition hopefully a little more into my
originals, and then, do covers here and there. So it won’t be all about
the covers.
Emily: Yeah, it’s very smart to transition into your own work with
a mixture of both methods while increasing your fan base. Covers
are really commercial and great for clicks definitely!
Now, I’m a co-writer of a book called In The Spotlight: Over
100 Voices In Music along with Creative Spotlights’ CEO, Dani
Felt. We spent a year pulling this guide together, and we feature
over 150 indie music artists on their journeys with loads
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of advice. One of the biggest pieces of advice we share in the
book is about using social media to your biggest benefit. You
cannot be a known artist without being a bit more personal
with your fans, staying committed to providing interactive
content.
Noah: Yeah. It doesn’t take much. It just takes good content, but it
needs to be a regular basis thing. I think it’s very important.
Emily: But, of course, you gotta pay your dues, I would say.
Noah: Yeah, I know that for sure.
Emily: I want to talk to you about acting. So you jumped into the
acting world after your start in music. How did that happen? How
did you see that you had a gift for that? You have done a lot of
good stuff with Glee.
Noah: Yeah. It was very strange. It was a very random thing.
Acting was never on my radar at all. And then, I was on the road playing
music and I got a phone call from the casting department for Glee.
They basically called me and said, “Hey, we’re having trouble finding
someone for this new part on the last season of Glee. We think you’d
be good for the part.” I told them, “I’ve never ever acted before, ever.
So I don’t know if I’d be good.” But they were looking for a certain
voice. They told me about the character of Roderick. Basically, he’s the
chubby underdog who has the voice of Otis Redding, or something.
I was like, “Well, if you need a soulful voice, I guess I can try. I’ll give
it my best.” I sent an audition tape and read some lines. I waited a
couple of weeks to hear anything back.
Then, a couple of weeks went by, and they said, “Hey, we’d love for
you to come and audition in person.” They flew me up to Los Angeles.
I auditioned in front of Ryan Murphy, and the rest of the creators and
some of the writers. It was very intimidating.
But I just got up there and did my best. I guess the next day, they
called me as I was getting on the plane. They told me, “Noah. Hey,
you got the part.” I was like, “Oh!”
So I went home. I was like, “What will I do?” I think I flew back home
for a day and a half and packed up all my things. Then I went out to LA
and I lived out there for, I guess, five, almost six months. I literally just
got back to South Carolina two days ago.
But yeah, it’s been a whirlwind. Acting is a completely different world.
It’s very funny. I think I learned a lot. It was a great group of people to
be around. They were very good to me, very welcoming.
Emily: That’s awesome. I wanted to ask you about one thing –
you’ve seen the acting world. You’ve seen the music world. What
are some insider lessons that you’ve learned about working with
people across two different industries. A lot of our artists may
stick just with music, but it’s really good for them to be in multiple
directions, multiple industries, more opportunities. Is there
a difference?
Noah: I guess, yeah, there is a difference. I don’t know if I had noticed
it as much while I was acting. (Thinks about it) Yeah, I did know there
was a difference.
I think the main thing in the industry, in the entertainment industry as
a whole, that I found that really helps you more than anything, is being
a nice guy to everyone and really gaining respect.
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I know it sounds so cheesy, but it’s true. Be that nice person and
always take lessons when they’re given. Respect the people that
have been there doing it longer than you have and try to learn from
them.
Emily: No ego. Be cool… just being your authentic self while doing
great work…
Noah: Yes. You make connections by just being a relaxed, happy person
with all these new people. I made tons of connections that I would
have never had. Just by hanging out with these people!
Glee fell in my lap. I was very close to not doing it because it was so
outside of my comfort zone.
But then I just figured I know 100 more people that would kill to have
that opportunity. This literally fell on my plate, and I would have been
ridiculous not to pursue it.
I’m so glad. It opened me up so much, not just career-wise, but it really
made me step out of my shell a good bit. I made some really good
friends and really cool choices. So, you just keep doing what you’re
doing. Someday, it’s going to happen.
It doesn’t have to be a big scary intimidating world as musicians and
actors make it.
Emily: My final question is: where do you see your career going in
the next, let’s say, two or five years? Where do you want it to go?
Noah: Honestly, I’m definitely focused more on music again. I mean
music is my number one.
I’m just now starting to record some new stuff. I really want to get
some EP out of some new things. Then I’d love to hit the road with
my band and tear up the pavement for a little bit, and see where that
goes.
I really just want to extend my music. That’s my main goal right now.
Emily: I wish you the best of luck on your tour! What would be
some final inspirational advice for the aspiring artist?
Noah: …You just have to keep doing what you’re doing. I mean it’s
funny how things happen.
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CHAPTER 8
Music in Five Years
❖ ❖ ❖
IN THE NEAR FUTURE ARTISTS will have some amazing opportunities to get
their music out there. At this point, anything is possible:
I believe in five years more indie musicians will get sponsored by
brands, such as lifestyle companies like drink, clothing and car
companies. This will help them remain independent and truly direct
their careers.
Indie artists will find more opportunities through licensing their
music in video games, films and commercials. This will bring a diversity
of channels to expand their brand.
Many indie artists will become entrepreneurs and start their own
publishing companies or record labels. They will realize the value
of having the right team to simply do things their own way.
There will be many more crowdfunding platforms and social networks
to support and connect the creatives.
I definitely believe consumers will be charged to stream videos
and music on YouTube.
There will be more virtual experiences for seeing music festivals,
tours, etc. from inside your own living room (Emily’s idea)
There will be some kind of technology created to make it easier to
make your own music videos.
I think some people will still purchase CDs but most physical music
stores will be gone.
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I believe there will be more music platforms to sell your music such
as www.featured.me to cater to the artists over the corporations.
This platform lets artists sell premium music content to their fans.
I also believe there will be more collaborations within different
genres. Country artists will collaborate with R&B artists etc.
Being versatile will be one of the keys to career success. It will
become more of a do it yourself mentality, with artists being more
aware of business skills, design, photography and publishing.
Within five years Creative Spotlights envisions not only having an
artist development program catered to creatives, but also artist
showcases, becoming a label, being an artist management and
having a series of inspirational books with coaching tools to inspire
those in all the arts.
“One of my main mottos, I came up with, is to ‘become what stops
you.’ So if you can’t get a record deal, become the record company.
It’s a lot of work, and this is the main reason why I have subscribed
to the Robert Rodriguez school of doing everything to get it done
because no one else will do it for you.” - Anu Gunn, Rock Vocalist/
Guitarist/Actor, Los Angeles, CA
“The traditional industry, as focused on a tiny number of very commercial
acts, ends up being pretty irrelevant to me. There is, however,
a much smaller and far more fractured set of people in the game
at the moment, but they fly under the collective mainstream radar. I
don’t think we’re going to see many superstars anymore, and I really
don’t think we’ll see any superstars with 20-30 year careers. Is Lady
Gaga the new Madonna? I really doubt it. Is she the new Vanilla Ice or
MC Hammer? Probably. If she’s smart, and I think she is, she’ll save her
money.” - Michael Epstein, MA
“In five years, more artists will be releasing music independently and
making money on their own terms. I do hope that our services will be
better valued by the industry and listeners, aside from being just a
commodity.” - Tatyana Kalko, NYC
“I believe music goes in cycles. In the next five years I hope to see that
ring true.” - Greg Baughman Jr. of The Deadlight Projects, Nashville,
TN
“This industry is full of twists and turns, but I enjoy that aspect of
things, it keeps it interesting. In five years, I’ll most likely continue to
smile, and thank God for the ridiculous blessings He’s placed in my
life!” - Michael Flayhart, Nashville, TN
“Music in 5 years will be just as fun and infinitely varied as it is now,
but the quality of craftsmanship and writing will definitely be better.
There’s been a huge jump in hobbyist participants in the music
industry, and that’s flooded the market and reduced the intellectual
impact of music. It’s only a matter of time before their production experience
drives the progression of their talent into being full-fledged
professional media producers. There are some that will always be way
above this bar of quality, but for the vast majority, in 5 years it will
become less cool to make beats that sound like they came from a lateafternoon
class of careless third graders.” - Maniak Mike from Shinobi
Ninja, NYC
“I think the industry is headed towards a less flashy form of music and
more of music with substance. With the rise of the indie music, that is
all heart and no bells and whistles, there is a strong reason to believe
that it will continue that way.” - Brian Hull, Dallas, Texas
“Well, this question is very broad. There are so many different Genres
and styles that it is difficult to say ‘it’s going this way or that way.’
On an industry level, we are headed deeper into subscription based
format rather than selling records. I think U2 releasing their album for
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free on iTunes is a clear example. That being said, the way we make
music or the way we connect with audiences will change, but the deep
core values of what connects an artist to his audience will still be the
same. Social media is a new way to interact, but deep down inside, it’s
just exactly the same as it was before. People trying to find things and
moments that identify with themselves and the ones around them.
There is a saying I have heard in the past that I really like. I am 36,
and my generation is an analog generation living in the digital world.
Young kids today are a digital generation trying to understand the
analog ways.” - Pablo Arraya, Producer, NYC
“Music is always changing so it will definitely be different in five years.
I think it will go back toward more musical live performances with
instruments rather than people pushing buttons on huge stages with
big lights.” - Shinobi Ninja, NYC
“Making music that matters. It’s my desire that in five years, ‘Afterlife
Parade’ will have a loyal fan base that fills theaters and arenas, and
that I’m able to give back to those who have given to me and to help
others who can’t help themselves. I would like to be doing what I love
to do with, and for, people who love it too. We want what we do,
however big or small, to inspire change in others. That’s a big dream
that I’m willing to pay the price for.” - Afterlife Parade, Nashville, TN
“The industry in 5 years will be driven by digital content and social media.
We are moving to an online age, with companies quickly realizing
how to monetize web based endeavors. Apps are the way of the future,
and the industry is moving to a much more personalized music business,
where artists communicate directly to fans on a one to one basis.” -
Jacob Kupin, Artist, Manager/Promotions Coordinator, Nashville, TN
“We don’t guess it will veer off too dramatically from the direction it
has begun heading in the recent past. We assume it will drift more
and more towards a non-physical realm, less about product and more
about what connections can be made from musical talents.” - Ghastly
City Sleep, NYC
“I think that genres will be meaningless, since they are becoming
more obsolete every day. In five years we will finally accept that true
musicians don’t create music for genres, musicians make music and
the genres are applied after the fact. In five years, music lovers will
let the industry know what its next step should be, and not the other
way around. Last, I think artists will finally own up to being the great
business people they so often have to be. The mix of business and
creativity will be seen as a given and not as an exception.” - Alexis
Hightower, NYC
“I think independent artists will be a lot more prominent. The advances
that will be made within the next 5 years - in both recording and
promoting your music - will allow an independent artist to get his/her
name out there without the support of a record label.” - Michael Ravid
from Swear To Me, NYC
“It is my hope and belief that we will see a return to songs that are
comprised of memorable melodies and well-written lyrics. I believe
the general listening public will demand higher quality recordings
made by artists who play real instruments and can sing without using
auto-tune. I would hope we will all want to write better songs and
make better records.” - Rob Hegel, Los Angeles, CA
“I’m pretty sure we’ll all be wearing Aluminum foil and tin hats.
I think that as time goes on, the battle between Top 40 and the
niche-based music discovery will heat up even more. It is my hope
and belief that people will eventually get tired of the same 40
songs, and will begin to move to higher level of music consumption,
and, instead of background noise, they will find music that
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caters to them specifically.” - Dion Roy from Fire and the Romance,
NYC
“I set my goals and my dreams as high as they can be… I want to
sing the World Cup song like Shakira… It’s how this industry works:
you have dreams, and if something doesn’t happen, it’s not really a
letdown. It’s just a different path because the path to success is so
crazy.” - Berry Galazka, Los Angeles, CA
“In 5 years music will cross more genre’s leaving the industry with more
hybrid multi-talented artists.” - ‘JC Stang’ lead singer of ‘Wysteria’,
NYC
“The industry has changed a lot in recent years, and in a good way.
Artists are, generally, producing their own music and doing a great
job. As a mastering engineer, it’s often hard to tell the difference between
a track produced by a ‘big name producer’ or one produced by
the artist themselves, especially after mastering. So the future is set
up nicely for the independent artist. One area for improvement, is the
business side of things. Five years from now I would like to see artists
taking control and being more ‘switched on’ when dealing with the
industry.” - Pete Maher, Mastering Engineer, UK
“I see the music business with much more emphasis on social media. I
also see much more involvement in the artist management realm over
PR firms and record labels. I don’t know where the music industry is
going, and that is one thing I do love about the industry. In 5 years,
I see myself as a touring artist. I hope to have side businesses in the
music business/industry as well as my career as a performance and
recording artist. I also see myself in 5 or more years performing at
Jones Beach.” - Dylan Ander, NYC
“Music is like water or air, people need it to live. I think the industry
is just starting to get smarter about this. They’re finding newer and
more innovative ways to control the ‘faucets’ of music, so to speak, I’m
thinking of streaming services, online radio, etc. I’d say there’s a good
chance the industry will be back to financial form in 10 years, if not
5. As far as the sound goes, it’s hard to predict what specific sound
or genre is going to have an impact, but I think what you definitely
WON’T hear is a repeat of the last decade. Say goodbye to overproduction
and dramatic bass drops.” - Justin Howard from VYD, NYC
“I think the music industry is in the midst of a paradigm shift. Everyone
can sense it. We are going to see a huge backlash against mainstream
pop music in a way that we haven’t seen since Nirvana shook up the
industry in the early nineties. The income from studio recordings just
won’t be there like it used to be. If you can’t bring something to the
table in a live setting, there just won’t be a place for you at the table.
The next five years will truly be a test. The artists that are going to
cut through and connect with an audience are going to be the people
that really work for it, the people that have mastered their craft.” -
Arison Cain, NYC
“Everything cycles in music. Boy bands came back recently. With that
trajectory, I’m bracing myself for a resurgence of 90’s rock.” - Zach
Falkow, NYC
“I see myself as a well established artist with a Grammy or at least
a Grammy nomination, possibly a TV, radio or talk show, constantly
touring, being a part of some endorsements or campaigns and overall
just being in that space of what most call successful.” - Esnavi, NYC
“The music business has changed so much in the last decade, and so
has the music recording industry. I like to say it’s the ‘revolution to the
evolution of music.’ Things have to change, otherwise we are stuck in a
vicious cycle. We need to keep challenging ourselves and experimenting
with new and different ways of doing business as well as recording
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techniques and art. I feel in five years I will still be pushing the limits of
sound and business and working with clients who embrace the change
but respect the past.” - Andy Manganello, Producer,
NYC
“Music does not change, people do. If it’s not good music, then it’s
not going to exist. We go through these different phases where we
are dragged to different things. Eventually it’s going to be phased
out. When I say good music, I mean good music with messages that
help you get along in life. Real good music is always going to bring
the people together. Music is not going to change because music is
part of the universe, music is a part of God. There is no such thing as
the music industry anymore, and that has been ever since mp3 has
come out. Vinyl is coming back, trust me. They want to bring it back.
That was a part of music history. Technology has totally destroyed the
industry. That`s why the people of music today don’t sound different,
they sound the same.” - Daryl Brown son of the “godfather of soul”,
James Brown, Los Angeles, CA
“There will be a renewed focus on quality. Other mediums have begun
to realize that consumers recognize the difference between real
effort and ingenuity, versus formulaic, uninspired content. It’s only a
matter of time for the music industry to realize that originality leads
to bigger and longer-lasting rewards.” - Tom & Hebron, Nashville, TN
“In five years, I better be performing my music on the international
circuit. The American pop market is rude and overwhelming, but my
goal for Neara Russell is to promote as much of my authentic artistry as
possible while adapting to audience and industry feedback.” - Neara
Russell, Los Angeles, CA
“In five years from now, I see me right here, doing what I love. I see me
writing songs and playing shows, and whether that’s to 100 people or
2,500 people, I’ll be happy.” - Nick Finochio, PA
The Coach’s Perspective: Vision in Music
The future exists now. What are you currently creating?
When I think back to one of the first musical influences I had, it was the
song “Thriller” by Michael Jackson as my parents drove us kids to dinner
in 1987. That song, as it played on the radio, was unbelievable and till
today it still is! How can you make your music stand the test of time?
Look at your music, your image, your site and your marketing materials.
How can you innovate? Move 2 years forward? Have a bit
of an edge?
It’s so easy to just live in the moment as a music artist. But it is way
more powerful to have a “vision”, a plan for the future! Not having a
vision is a really bad move for one’s career. Yes, the artistic life is spontaneous,
adventurous and fluid—that is what makes it so intoxicating—
but the truth is, the directionless go nowhere without an unwavering
focus on a vision.
In my own life, I haven’t known exactly where things would end up
with my bold choices, but I frequently held onto my vision. I wanted to
move to NYC for 10 years, ever since I started my training as a classically
trained actress at 16 years old. I couldn’t afford to move to NYC to pursue
my dreams, nor did I have any friends or resources there. So I redirected
my actions, but didn’t fully give up on my dreams. I hung a large
portrait of Times Square in sight for all those years, wishing to make that
move I never did. After my Master’s degree, I did go anyway, knowing
only one person and relying on my savings to succeed. In 3 months, I
got a high-paying corporate job which I held for three years. I enjoyed
my lifestyle, developed a huge network and fell in love with the city.
However over the years, I started to feel my energy deplete in this
new city, especially with that soul-killing job. I had completed coaching
school with 350 hours of training. I started my business mingling
with the creatives of NYC, and transitioning into a new person, a phase
of life. My spirit called for the ocean to center myself, and I took 6 trips
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to tropical places; three trips to Puerto Rico, a one trip each to Mexico,
Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
I felt the message of these trips, which was to move to Miami, a guidance
I took to heart. So again, I moved by myself, this time to Miami with
just my savings and a dream. As of writing this, I have been here less than
a year, but I am living in one of the most luxurious buildings in Downtown
Miami with a view of the skyline + ocean. I’m in love and in a serious relationship
with my dream partner. And I’m a full time entrepreneur, just
bubbling with inspiration and productivity. I visit the ocean to center myself
frequently and my intuition grows with each passing week.
Therefore, my message to you is: design an ideal vision of your
future and make some firm decisions to make it come true. Build your
inner voice and be brave when you know what the right moves are for
you. There is a certain element of risk-taking, you must not be afraid,
instead you must trade your fear for faith consistently along the way. It
is human to be afraid at times, to worry and doubt, but you only have
one shot now to succeed, and make your dreams come true. Fight on
anyways and settle for nothing!
4. What is the risk you need to take to completely move your creative
world forward?
Chapter 8 Affirmation: Five Years from Now
“I can clearly see where my music career will be 5
years from now. With each plan made and committed
to, my vision improves. My actions all lead to the
direction of my success. Walls crumble as I move
forward, spreading my positive influence on the world.
I fear nothing. I am strong. I am succeeding.”
❖ ❖ ❖
As your coach, I ask you the following;
1. When you envision your life 5 years from now, what do you see?
2. Looking at the current music scene, realistically, where do you
see it going?
3. What is the gap in the market that will wake up the masses to
something new?
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Featured Interview: Benji Rogers, CEO of PledgeMusic
The purpose of this interview is to find out more about PledgeMusic’s
philosophy and direction in helping artists and also, to gather your
perspective on what it truly takes for a music artist to succeed in the
industry.
So, my first question for you is: how did PledgeMusic get started?
What sparked that first insight?
Benji Rogers is an independent musician from London who has
been making his own records since 1999. In 2009, Benji founded
PledgeMusic, the leading international direct-to-fan platform offering
artists a unique way to engage their fans in the music making
process while interacting with a global audience of music super fans,
resulting in chart topping albums worldwide. In 2013, Benji was recognized
on Billboard’s 40 Under 40 Power Players list, and in 2014 at
the MUSEXPO International Music Awards, he won Digital Executive
of the Year.
Emily: Today we have Benji Rogers, President and Founder of
PledgeMusic, an amazing direct-to-fan music platform that truly
supports artists in connecting closely with their fans, supporting
their creative developmental projects and expanding their
network.
PledgeMusic is recognized by official chart companies around the
world including the OCC and SoundScan and can account for a
significant share of first week and overall chart shares.
Benji: Basically, I’m an artist myself, performing and making records
for ten years. I had a couple of independent record label deals and
that type of thing. I couldn’t quite make it work for me. I would get really
close and get some amazing experiences, and then things didn’t
work out. The label would not work out or the band wouldn’t work out,
all kinds of things.
Basically, I just saw something in my head one night and I was like,
“Wouldn’t it be amazing if artists could offer their fans the experience
of the making of an album, the experience of a tour, the experience of
an EP, a single.”
I looked for it online and there were companies that did crowdfunding,
there were companies that did direct-to-consumer, but nowhere
did I see that really did direct-to-fan, which is this unfolding
process.
I was really just obsessed by this thought that artists, when they’re
making music are a lot more interesting to their fans than when they’re
just selling music. So when an artist is a salesman or woman, they are
one thing and when they’re making music, they are another.
I think that when artists are making music, it fascinates their fans and
that is something they can truly participate in, that’s a lot more interesting
and a lot more exciting and it turns out, worth a lot more to the
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fans than just the, “I’ve made an album, buy it here,” which is what
tends to commonly happen around most releases.
Emily: Yeah, definitely. In other interviews, I’ve definitely heard how
disconnected it can be between the artist and the fans nowadays
with so much competition and so many artists coming out, and with
all the different social media – fans are overwhelmed with all types
of directions and which different artist are coming on the market.
So it’s really great I believe that the fans can have a great, true
connection through PledgeMusic.
Benji: I agree. The funny thing, in the one sense, the Internet made it
both harder and easier to do disseminated content. It’s easy just selling
content, but harder to actually get that content heard and engaged.
The way I view this is that artists do things that are fascinating to other
people. Selling products to them is not one of them. It’s really fascinating
to watch an artist play live. It’s fascinating to watch an artist record.
It’s fascinating to watch an artist talk about their process. It’s not interesting,
I don’t think, to have an artist stand there holding up a record
saying, “Buy it, it’s $20.”
Really, what it is, the landscape of social media has really radically altered
that relationship. If you think about it, you can have a really close
direct relationship with a brand, whether it’s your cellphone company
or whether it’s your favorite restaurant, and often times, you can have
a better connection.
Like if I stay at a hotel or I tweet or post on Facebook or Instagram,
“Hey! Having a coffee at “Mario’s in Toronto,” this hotel will tweet back
saying, “Hope you enjoyed it. By the way, did you check out…” – this
is a hotel that does this.
So when certain brands get it better than artists who are creative people –
I think that the artist has to listen to that. I think that the days of being able
to shelter yourself away in a cocoon of creativity and emerge once every
couple of years with a shining product for people to buy is not going to be
a sustainable future.
I looked at it when I was first having the idea of Pledge (and it kind
of solidified through now), that there were basically two frontiers in
music. There was the release of an album and a touring of the album.
The touring of the album was normally to help sell albums. That was its
intention. It wasn’t designed as a money-maker, or if it did, it wouldn’t
break even for quite a while.
What, I believe, becomes the vision that guided Pledge was there, was
actually a third frontier, which is the making of the album. That making
of the album can’t be stolen because it’s not coming from the artist. It
can’t really be had after the fact. It’s literally something that you experience
in real-time.
This morning I heard a new track by an artist – I love Mike Doughty, off
of our platform, because he released it straight to pledgers only. So
I’m getting to hear something for the first time directly from the studio
while this is happening.
You can’t really go back and do that again. It has to be right there and
then. It’s got the urgency in certain cases of a live show, but that happens
across the Internet.
A lot of artists, they’re like, “But I just want to go make records and sell
them,” and that’s fine, but it doesn’t work. If it works, we’ve got kind
of like top tier.
Emily: Yeah, I can see how it doesn’t work anymore if at all.
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Benji: Yeah. Really, there’s a top tier of artists who have broken through
and then you’ve got the bottom tier who are just not doing it. The middle
tier of artists are really getting a hard time because they’re having
to wrestle with a new way of communicating.
The funny thing is it’s not that hard. Every album, every EP, every video
has a story to be told. If the only part of the story that the artist is telling
is how to buy it, then it’s not a story. The Internet is built on stories. If you
look at Facebook, it’s the story of what your friends are doing, it’s the
story of who they’re in love with, it’s the story of what your exes are doing.
And so, for an artist that just simply posts, “Buy tickets here” or “Buy
my album here,” it’s really selling the experience of what’s possible so
fans have alternatives for people who are doing it really well and they
go follow them.
There’s a reason that Amanda Palmer or Ben Folds or these artists are
incredibly good at social media. It’s because they just tell stories, they
respond, they’re real. They’ve understood what that communication
means to those fans who are on the receiving end of it.
Emily: Yeah, I saw that definitely great artists have collaborated
with PledgeMusic including Lucinda Williams, Slash, Bring Me the
Horizon and BB King…
Benji: Yeah, as an example, today, we have the no. 2 album in America,
in the Billboard Top 200 with Lindsey Stirling. She uses the platform to
engage with her fans. It was her way of telling her story to her fans and
having her fans be a part of the process, which she was really excited
about.
I think it’s really telling that an artist of that size and stature understands
direct-to-fan.
Emily: Yeah, you definitely found a part of the market with a huge
need for artists to truly connect with their fans. Especially now
with social media, you have all the different methods to do so.
The last few years, there’s definitely been innovative opportunities
for artists to really get out of the middle level, the middle
layer of being confused with how to really market to your fans in
the best way, and to really take this opportunity and truly expand
with connecting with others through their music.
I saw that one of the quotes on the site was that “PledgeMusic
gives you many of the benefits of a record deal, but you remain
in control of the creative process and retain 100% of the commercial
rate, music rate.” I would love to know more about that. That
is definitely interesting.
Benji: Sure. So basically, what it is, the traditional model, the artist accepts
an advance on a record label. In exchange for that advance, the
label owns that album for a certain amount of time.
It reverts back. That model worked very, very well, but that was when
the label’s greatest skill was in getting albums to more and more
people.
Labels, they had massive radio reach, massive retail reach and digital
reach more often. Now, an artist with a TuneCore or a CDBaby account
can access all of the digital distribution platforms from day one
for $20 or whatever it is.
And so what we really felt was a) we weren’t involved in making the
album (as in we were in the studio), we weren’t making artist repertoire
decisions about it. We were just a way in which it got to people and
the story in which it got to people.
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And so a lot of artists would go on to sign a record deal or they’ll sign a
publishing deal. They’ll sign with someone. They’re basically free to do
whatever it is that they want after the fact. And a lot of labels, in fact,
look at what our artists do, and, basically – a lot of people, they look at
what artists are doing, and they go, “Wow! I’d like to find them.”
So we’ve upstreamed maybe 50-60 artists to major independent labels
from the platform, and it’s been very, very cool. It’s definitely not
something that I 100% expected, but I’ve been really, really pleased to
see it happen because ultimately, if we can de-risk the label’s investment
in that band, the band will get a better record deal. I think that’s
something we definitely want to shoot for.
Emily: What is an ideal way for a music artist to set up a campaign
and get fans and more interest?
Benji: So there’s a few ways to do it, but basically artists email us and
we get them involved in that way or artists sign up on the website
and then one of our teams (either the UK or the US) will bring them
into the system, and help them through that way. The artist can do it
completely on their own or else, we will basically get involved and help
them through it.
So it’s a very collaborative process that works best when everyone’s
running in the same direction. We, basically, are able to convert more
fans to become pledgers than any other platform because it’s got
these pledgers-only update where we feed artists’ fans the experience
of the making-of-an-album.
So yeah, we’re very friendly. We have artists by our office all the time.
I just didn’t want to be an infinite company, I wanted to be a music
company that runs via the Internet.
Our team is at shows pretty much every night somewhere in the world.
We really actively do seek out shows. We actively do this.
Emily: I saw that the average pledge was $60, which is a lot higher
than average. I saw that also a percentage of the funds raised
go to supporting charities. I think that’s amazing.
Benji: When we had the idea for it, it was to solve a few things. I think
ultimately, there were a few problems. First of all, I worked with refugees
in the Middle East in 2004. That profoundly affected me. And so,
I wanted to find a way to give back, and to help out the things that I’ve
seen and done.
And then the other thing was that at the time, it was very much designed
that every artist I ever knew was passionate about a charity. They
would have one cause that was near and dear and close to their hearts.
And so the thinking was, “Well, why can’t we combine those two?”
I also was thinking in my head that a lot of us, we’ll be posting and release
material and release music, et cetera, and what I was thinking was
you’d have to be pretty cold-blooded to pirate an artist’s music, which
would be taking away from them personally, and from a charity as well.
And then charities got involved. They helped too. It’s just a win-win. It
doesn’t work if it’s not genuine. We say to artists, “What’s the charity
that you love? Don’t just pick one. Find out about it,” but most of them
just have one. So it’s been really nice to see that roll out. That’s been
a huge piece for us.
Emily: Well, to me you come across as a visionary. You have the
visionary mindset. You developed a service that is helping the
world.
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Benji: Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. It’s a team effort as well. I’ll say
from our CEO who answers to the board (and I’m on the board, so he
answers to me, and then I answer to him). No, it’s been a blessing to
have gotten this far.
I’ve made it my mission to ask very stupid questions, what I’ve seen as
very stupid questions all the way through, because ultimately, what I
want is – no, not what I want. I’m often asked, “What’s your vision for
the future of this way of doing things?”, and my answer is: so that it becomes
normal. The artists realize that this is how this is going to look.
I really believe that this is the future, this is what it looks like. When
you’re trying to turn around an industry that is used to doing things in
a certain way, its own way, and it’s not used to changing, there’s not
one change
What I love, the philosophy of it – it’s actually from Nick Bilton’s book,
I Live in the Future and Here’s How it Works, the customers of the
future, where they can’t find the stories that they want, will steal them
or create them. That makes it a huge potential and a huge possibility.
Artists can totally control their own futures now, and that’s a super
exciting time. There will be winners and losers in this. I don’t believe
that the labels will disappear, but just the nature of what they do will
change and it’s not a bad thing. It’s essentially very exciting.
So yeah, that’s what I believe it will look like.
I think, it becomes challenging. You are hitting your head up against
the wall all the time. The reality of it is that there’s no other way this can
really go. This is the future. This is what it looks like. It’s super exciting.
It’s a brilliant thing to watch unfold.
We’ve just built a dedicated team that is second to none. So yeah, I’m
blessed to be here.
Emily: Wow! So my final question is; where do you see music going
five years from now?
Benji: I think that basically 99% of music in the future will be streams.
The dissemination where people are streaming it from the Internet,
they won’t need it on their phone. It’ll live that way.
But one change is the fact of stories that people will fall in love with
the narrative that exists within bands, the narrative that exists for solo
artists. They’ll question why.
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CHAPTER 9
Legacy, Leaving Your Art Behind
❖ ❖ ❖
PEOPLE NOWADAYS LIVE SO MUCH for today. They don’t really focus on where
they see themselves in the future. Times move so fast, music changes
so fast, that one doesn’t realize that in the long run, you are leaving
your legacy behind to your fans. You are changing a part of the music
industry each day with your work.
Music is a part of my spirit, and ever since I was 5 years old, I knew
I was one of a kind. Over the years, I learned to channel my natural
creative mindset, out of the box thinking and hyper focused ADDattention
span into my purpose with Creative Spotlights.
My college education in marketing, public relations, communications
and social media gave me a foundation to strengthen my work
with each artist we have interviewed for the site. Now 300+ interviews
later I know with each day, I am adding to the legacy that I will leave
behind.
I always knew I was meant to sing, but the last few years I came to
realize that I am much more than a singer/songwriter. At my deepest, I
am a connector. It gives me great joy to bring others together.
I feel that I am supposed to create a revolution in the music industry
with Creative Spotlights. I’m not fully sure how, but I feel that I am
going to be leaving a huge footprint when it comes to relationship
building and connecting others as well as supporting and inspiring
other people’s dreams. All real artists have a sort of wisdom within
them of their real purpose with their art.
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What is that footprint? Well, that’s something you’ll just have to
wait and see. One thing I can tell you is that I would love this book to
be given to music schools as a guide for their students to follow their
dreams.
I would like to inspire musicians who don’t even have a website or
know where to start.
I’d love it if a musician who hasn’t played in five years picks this
book up and then starts playing music again.
I’d love it for that girl who is passionate about her gifts, to read this
and feel empowered and excited to fight for her dreams.
I want every person who wants to know how to be successful in
music, or just in life, to feel inspired by this book. I want this to make
them feel so alive, excited to live and ready to take this journey to
reach their dreams.
Keys To Success
Follow Your Passion: If you want your dream bad enough, go for it! It is
your life, so you might as well live out your dreams. Pursue your passion!
You will only be one million times happier, that’s all! Just a little bit of a difference,
right? Taking chances can be scary, but is walking around sleeping
on your dreams and be miserable your entire life until you are on your
death bed with regret, worth it? That is more of a risk, don’t you think?
Strategic Imagination: We are trained in school to only think logically.
Over time, we can move further away from what our hearts really want
in life. Especially when it comes to our careers. Do not be afraid of
going after your dreams. By strengthening your inner wisdom, you will
move closer to what you truly desire when you make the right decisions.
Stay grounded always. Combine logic with imagination. Don’t
keep your head in the clouds, make intuitive choices connected to
your inner truth. It will truly lead to prosperity.
INDUSTRY INNER CIRCLE ROUNDTABLE
OUR CREATIVE PANEL:
Fred Lipsius: Multi-Grammy Award winner and Co-founder of the
legendary jazz-rock band, “Blood, Sweat and Tears.” Lipsius has performed
with Simon & Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, and jazz greats Cannonball
Adderley, Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, Eddie Gómez, Al Foster, George
Mraz, Larry Willis, Randy Brecker, Rodney Jones and many others. He has
written music for and performed on over 30 CDs as both a leader and
sideman. He has also authored six books/CDs on jazz improvisation and
jazz reading.
Isaac Morris, American Music Industry Executive, Consultant and
Founder of Morris Entertainment Group and Rich Life: which consists
of a record label, management, and marketing company which works with
and represents artists and producers such as Teddy Bishop, Dave Hall,
Bone Thugs n Harmony, Smitty Lil Mo, Cadillac Don j-money, VIC, Liberty
City, Devin Johnson, profile, Lil G silk, Nivea, Marquise Daniels, C Wallace,
Khao, Sam Salter, Tony Rich, TLC, Usher, Outkast, Goodie Mob, Darnell
Jones, Jagged Edge, JT Money, Youngbloodz, Yung Ralph, GS Boyz, Coco
Kiss, Young Joc, Gunplay, Letoya Luckett, Destiny’s Child, Anthony Dent,
Sterling Simms, B major, Ideal, Jackie O, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Drummer
Boy, Ensayne Wayne, Gorillaz Zoe, ET Dirty Boyz, Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon,
DJ Montay, Dollhouse, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj and many more.
He’s called “one of the most powerful figures in the music business.”
Lou Plaia, Co-Founder of ReverbNation: This tremendous online
platform supports 3.5 million music industry professionals from around
the world — artists, managers, labels, venues, festivals — with powerful,
easy-to-use technology to promote and prosper online.
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Legacy, Leaving Your Art Behind
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
Music Industry veteran with over 20 years experience; spent twelve
years at Atlantic Records where he was VP of Strategic Marketing and
worked with Jewel, Hootie & the Blowfish, Collective Soul, George
Carlin and hundreds of other artists and bands. Was also Head of
Marketing and Artist Development for Atlantic imprint, Lava Records,
where he worked for four years with artists such as Kid Rock, O.A.R.,
Simple Plan, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Matchbox 20, Uncle Kracker,
Unwritten Law and many others.
The Venetia Fair, American Rock Band: As shared, “We’re a band
called The Venetia Fair and we have no fucking clue what we’re doing.
Our names are Benny, Mr. Chark, Mike, Joe Brown, and Austin. My
name, specifically, is Benny and I feel like I’m babysitting four 12-yearolds
all the time. Actually, I feel like I’m a 12-year-old babysitting four
other 12-year-olds and doing a really bad job (even for a 12-year-old).
Mr. Chark is like that weird 12-year-old who has a calculator watch,
carries a compass (but still gets lost all the time), and loves the sound
of his own voice, especially when he’s not using words. Mike’s more
like a hyperactive 14-year-old who got held back and has to hang out
with the younger kids but doesn’t mind because he gets to be better
than them at everything and the older kids are boring, anyway. Joe
Brown is the obnoxious 12-year-old who steals “chromies” off of tires
in the parking lot and learns obscene words to scream so he can explain
that “it actually means female dog!” to his angry teachers. And
then there’s Austin, the excitable 12-year-old who can’t wait to get a
sip of his dad’s beer or a peek down a girl’s shirt. Hanging out with us
is probably more aggravating than anything else but I think we’re all
best friends. If we actually were 12 years old, we’d be in a secret club
and have an awesome fort.
We get compared to a lot of different bands that don’t sound anything
like each other so it’s hard to believe anyone. We try to make
music that is theatrical, chaotic, catchy, and sometimes a little silly but
not too silly because it’s also serious business. We have a lot of fun
writing the music we write and performing the way we perform.
Not a single one of us had any substantial training in our instruments
or music in general so being in a band was really hard for us sometimes
but we worked really hard to make up for it. It takes a lot of
work to pretend to be good at something. Then Mike joined up with
us and he knows how to play stuff but we still talk to him like we’re
idiots (we’re idiots) so we’re still working pretty hard (not smart). We
try to play together every single day and some of that playing involves
music...”
S.J. Tucker: Tucker has been the glad captain of her own independent
music career since 2004, when she left the workaday world behind
to travel the continent, singing songs and changing lives. Named a
vanguard of the Mythpunk movement and even “the face of neo-tribal
Paganism” by Witches & Pagans Magazine, Tucker is the voice of lore
at the campfire and the sharp laughter of modern myth. With one
hand anchored in her art and the other held out to you, she is songs
and stories, community and wit.
With over ten albums released to date and several more currently in
the works, Tucker has received songwriting awards and has traveled
the USA, Canada, and Europe with her music. S. J. (called “Sooj”
by fans and friends) believes that there’s more than one way to be a
rock star. If you’re chasing your dreams and living your life in a way
that keeps you happy and healthy, Sooj believes you’ve got it made.
You may often find her on tour with similarly hard-working artists
and groups who believe in giving their fans all that they’ve got,
such as Toronto’s Heather Dale Band, Seattle cellist Betsy Tinney
(often with their shared project, Tricky Pixie), or Pride Rockers Big
Bad Gina.
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Legacy, Leaving Your Art Behind
In The Spotlight: Over 100 Voices in Music
Billy Gilman; Multi-platinum-selling Country recording artist,
Grammy Nominee and American Music Award winner: In 2000, at
the age of 11, he debuted with the single “One Voice,” a Top 20 hit on
the Billboard
country music charts and became the youngest singer to
a Top 40 hit on the country music charts. In 2001, he was included in
the Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest singer to
ever reach #1 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts. He has sold
five million albums worldwide and garnered awards and nods from the
Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, Billboard
Magazine, and the American Music Association.
In 2012, Gilman made waves by recruiting 18 fellow country superstars
to collaborate on a charity single called The Choice to benefit the
Soles4Souls charity. Proceeds from the song, which included Keith Urban,
Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Josh Turner, and Rodney Atkins, placed
shoes on tens of thousands of barefoot children around the world.
Kenny Fame: Stage name of musician Levi Wise Kenneth Catoe Jr. In
the NYC area, Fame has built an impressive resume as both a: spoken
word artist and a sought-after poet / lyricist in less than three years.
After creating a buzz in the competitive world of NYC’s Spoken Word/
Poetry scene. In 2013 Fame decided to focus all of his energies into
recording music which led to his debut CD “Kenny Fame The First
Album” released back in November of 2013. His 2nd album EP “Fame
Nation was released on June 3rd 2014; and he has an upcoming “The
Live Album” set for release on November 18th 2014, one year after the
“The First Album.
Samantha Echo: Echo hails from the mountainous regions of the Island
of Many Hills in the City of Blinking. She has been performing since
the age of six, when she decided she wanted to be a Disney character
when she grew up, and is a licensed busker with the Music Under
New York program. Her song “The Slut of Denmark” received the
November 2014 Akademia Music Award in the Folk-Cabaret category.
She has been featured in Suzanne Stout’s first annual Buskers’ Carnival
at the Players’ Club, the Notable Features’ documentary Rhythm in
Motion, and the Award-Winning Book The Noise Beneath the Apple,
by Heather Jacks, who calls her “a Salvador Dali of sound, challenging
and disrupting perspective.”
Tanner: By the age of 20, Tanner had overcome not only drug addiction,
but also a rare, life-threatening blood disease. Now clean and healthy,
the singer-songwriter is here to share his self-titled EP with the world. The