Music Career Talk Sixteen

I received so many positive comments about my last blog, I will take the next few weeks to finish this autobiographical talk. I ended last weeks blog with my band "The Wishful Thinkers" playing throughout New York. That band evolved into "The Backyard Blues" I wonder, would I ever be in a band that doesn't have the word "The" in it?
Well at this point we were tight to a fault. Well rehearsed and playing out on a regular basis. The road to my future has now been paved, even if I didn't know it at that time. Our lead singer got a very disturbing notice from the government, he got drafted. This seemed to be the beginning of the end. The two guitar players were college bound, the drummer on his way to heavy drugs, and I wondered, what next? Well that band was finished, that dream gone, and my band mates all in different directions. So I dropped the bass, picked up guitar, and put myself out there as a young musician looking for a musical home. One of the first bands I joined was a "Cream" cover band. All the guys were older then me and very seasoned players. I liked that because sometimes it's good to be the weakest player, that's how you learn. Of course I lived in a different part of the city so lugging my gear around in a cab or subway was a major pain. That lasted just so long, and I found my self in another band from Queens N.Y. We had a Chinese bass player, Puerto Rican drummer, female Irish singer and me with too many parts to mention. Lots of fun and good food at the bass player's house (who's parents spoke no English, but not what I was looking for. I thought I would try another whole direction doing club dates. I ran ads and spoke to friends about going out for one nighters just for the money and experience. I found the gigs, but missed the love of the adventure and friendships. Two years had passed since my band had scattered into the who knows where, when one day a got a call from my old singer fresh out of the army and ready to start the process again. Thank GOD my nomad musician days were over!! We met after two years apart, got a slice (New York lingo for pizza) and discussed plans to form a band, write the best music and go conquer the world. First on the list was to write music and pick hard rock and blues songs so we could play originals as well as standards. Next find players, we did. With luck on our side we found an amazing bass player, 6 years older then me, I was 19 or 20 at the time. He was very experienced, a great song writer, and chops forever. Along with him came a drummer, still a little older then all of us. We called him uncle Ernie, short and round, a very good player but didn't fit the image. We found an agent in New York, a real slime bucket who did come up with gigs. One day we got a call to open up for Buddy Miles (former Jimi Hendrix drummer), did we want the gig (300 miles away)? hell ya!! So here's the bad news, Uncle Ernie couldn't make it, "say what"?? Our bass player had been playing with another drummer on side gigs. This guy could play his ass off, had been Neil Diamonds musical director and drummer. My singer and I had seen him perform in a Central Park concert a few months before. He ended up replacing Ernie. We called him "The Bat" because if there was a paying gig he would be there like a bat out of hell!! We became "The Power House" a named I borrowed from an old English band. "The Power House" opened for a number of well known bands including; Paul Butterfield Blues Band, James Cotton Blues Band, Seals & Crofts, The Beach Boys etc. This went on for a few years, maybe some of the best playing years of my life. We were really good, there was no weak link!! The gigs started to dry up as the punk scene came in. The bass player and "The Bat" drifted into other things as they had wifes and lives, we didn't. One day while looking through "Billboard" magazine we noticed an article that mentioned the city of Toronto Ont. having the most rock venues surrounding a major city in North America. Guess what happened next. This was a trip in every sense of the word, fill ya in next Sunday. I would like to dedicate this blog to my friend Jani Lane who passed away a few days a go, enough said.

Music Career Talk 15

This being our 15th week together I thought you should know a little more about me.
I'll leave out names to protect the innocent and guilty, but you know who you are.
My father paid his way through school (University of Pennsylvanian) as a concert violinist. He was a musical prodigy (I didn't get that gene)who got me into music at 8 or 9 years of age. I started with violin, maybe the toughest instrument to play. I received lessons from a mean Russian teacher who never once picked up a violin to show me anything, he just gave me commands, that lasted about a year and a half. My father got rid of him and enrolled me in an up scale music school in mid town Manhattan. That lasted another year or so. I loved the violin, but it didn't love me so I thought it was time to move as far away from the violin as possible. Enter the drums. Got me a pair of sticks and played beats all over the house. The walls of our apt. had little dents all over as I honed my skills with every step I took. Once I discovered I had some chops I made a pitch to my parents for a real set of drums which met with a rousing "NO"!!. I guess the thought of me playing night and day in an apt. in New York was too much. I did have friends with drums so I would hang out with them and play every time the opportunity arose. I don't remember how, but I ended up with a snare drum, high hat and ride cymbal. The ride cymbal had removable sizzles, god I loved that feature!! I really wanted a set of black pearl Ludwig drums, Ringo played that same set. Never got them, still want them!!
While in junior high I played trumpet (all the drum positions were taken, damn it!!). Hooked up with two guitar players who I met during a major snow ball fight on 79th street and York Ave. These kind of cold and wet altercations were frequent in my neighborhood and so much fun!! One of the guitar players lived in my building, and the other near by. We started to rehearse a lot. There was no bass player, just two guitars and my snare and cymbal set. We all could play and sing well so in spite of our ages (12 or 13) we sounded really good. Hmmmm who new this would turn into a life long career. That year I did my first paying gig at "Operation Head Start", an after school program for kids that still exists today. The kids loved us and we got paid $5.00 each. Soon after that, one of the guitar players left; his mother thought music was too much of a distraction from school. The remaining guitar player and I decided to move forward and get more serious about making music. I had a friend who played drums, and of course they were black pearl Ludwig so I moved to bass which I learned quickly to secure my place in the band I had started. We became "The Wishful Thinkers". Our focus was strong as was our sound. We took on a singer and rhythm guitar player. By the time we were ages 15 through 17 (singer was a little older) we were playing at top venues in New York, block parties, private parties, any and everywhere we could. Out of the original 5 "Wishful Thinkers" 3 of us became successful in the music industry, one died (still sad about that) and the other none of us can find, still looking. This band was the start for me and I still work frequently with that guitar player from the snow ball fight on East 79th street. We gigged throughout our high school years playing very hot spots in Greenwich Village, mid town clubs, proms, numerous "Battle of the Bands" contests, Church and Temple dances, and sounded great. We developed a name and following. Back in those days not everyone and his brother were in a band so we were part of a very elite and special group. As this story covers many years I will continue in my next blog complete with photos.

Music Career Talk Fourteen

Today's subject is near and dear to my heart, because I've done it so many times before. I've put bands together for outside projects as well as a life time of bands for myself, including the present. I'll start by saying gathering great players who might even have great songs is not necessarily going to breed a great band.To start with there are a number of potential personality road blocks to overcome. First and most formidable is ego. Most musicians (in the modern world) feel the need to be the center of attention, which means someone else has to take a backseat. In a rock band (covering everything from pop to metal) I divide the band into sections, First section is lead vocalist and lead guitarist. Like Mick & Keith, Steven & Joe, David & Eddie (and the list goes on) the front man duo commands the most attention from the crowd. I speak from experience as I have toured extensively in my life as the lead guitarist end of that combo. At the time I felt invincible. My singer and I wrote all the songs, picked the other musicians, booked all the gigs, and got the girls.
We never tried to put distance between ourselves and the rest of the band. A happy band stays together and plays together. The rhythm section, in the most basic definition bass & drums is without a doubt the foundation of the band, even if they don't know it. As mentioned in an earlier blog no matter how good the singer and guitarist are, if the rhythm section sucks the band sucks!! The key to putting a band together is everyone understanding their roles and agreeing on a common goal. Lead section and rhythm section must support each other. When you rehearse or gig complement each other on a job well done, and if someone messed a part up chill out there's always next time. To tighten up remember one gig is worth a thousand rehearsals so play out as much as possible. Most musicians prefer gigging to recording, rehearsal, and almost everything in life, I'm one of them and my love for playing out is as strong as it was in my teens. Wish I had held on to all my gear from the old days, would be worth a fortune. There are few social and professional relationships that are as endearing, long lasting, and meaningful as that of mates (male or female) who have shared time making music together. Rock on!!!

Music Career Talk 13

Just finished my 2 mile walk/jog/slow run this really sucks!! Sometime next week I'll jack it up to 3 miles, can't wait.
This blog is very important (as I hope all of these blogs are) we're going to talk about business edict as it pertains to the entertainment business. Using proper edict gains the respect of your piers and moves your goals along a little more quickly.
When I cold call a company the first thing I do is to get the name of the person I'm speaking to, find out their position, and sound friendly and positive without being phony and pretentious. This isn't hard to do if you think about how you would want to be spoken to. The other thing I do is to write my thoughts down not word for word, but a general idea and what I need to accomplish from the call.
If the person I'm trying to reach is not available, the next time I call I've got the name of the receptionist or assistant so there is the beginning of a relationship. This simple practice doesn't work most of the time, it works all of the time!! In the entertainment world there are (hate to say it) so many jerks, rude and arrogant low lives that people who are polite with manners stick out (should be the other way around) and may be more likely to get a return call. If I call an executive at a company and they are not in or just can't take my call, I never ask for them to call me back, because then you have dumped the responsibility of a return call on their lap. This then falls under the jurisdiction of "how important is it to call you back in a reasonable time". Time is money so look at what I call "the totem pole of priority", where do you fit. At the top of the pole you find the most important clients/contacts, and money making activities at the bottom, well you know, the opposite. Think about where you fit in and how you might start climbing up ward. There is a fine line between staying on top of a situation, being persistent, showing ambition, vs being a nuisance, and a major pain in "you fill in the word. Learn that line because it's the difference between success and failure. I've had decades of practice . Remember in most cases if you spend more time listening instead of talking you'll learn a lot more. That one took me forever to sink in. Here's something else to remember, the entertainment business is a small business, everyone one knows everyone and bad news travels faster then good news. Sometimes you have to "fake it before you make it", just do it with style and grace. See you next time.

Music Career Talk 12

Okay so last time we were talking about obtaining a record deal from more then likely an independent record company. Considering the state of the record buying market, failure of many major labels (due to poor decisions, a life time of wasteful and extravagant spending habits)getting a big deal with a major doesn't happen very often. Don't get me wrong major's have the power and resources to get the job done, but "the times they are a changing". If you can arrange a show case for a record company I suggest a private one. Record companies will ask to be invited to your next gig, so if that's what you're going to do make sure the sound is great (good luck with that), the place is packed with your adoring fans,and make sure your guests show up on time. Here's a scenario I've seen a few hundred times, The band goes on at 8:00 plays their best 3 songs by 8:17 and the record company shows up at 8:35 or the sound in the club is really bad, bands great, but who can tell. If they show up on time and the sound in the club is good, make sure you're GOOD!! Nothing like having a bunch of industry in the crowd and the artists sucks big time (keep that day job close by). The private show case is a thing of beauty, well planned and timed with flawless precision. Your industry guests arrive when ever, early or late you time the down beat of the first note to suite the situation. The band has arrived hours before (every city has show case room to rent) and has hours to dial in the perfect sound on the rooms concert size P.A. system. The lighting is just right to create that perfect vibe. Friends are invited to give that club atmosphere and cheer the band on. Food and beverage is set up ahead of time which makes the guest feel special (all though they probably feel special anyway). This type of showcase gives the industry guests, band, and friends time to mingle, and relax before show time. I put these show cases together all the time and they work. What's going to get you a deal is great songs, a great live performance, endless dedication, focus and luck!! Don't forget luck = timing and you have the ability to influence timing so you can help to create luck. GOOD LUCK!!

Music career talk Eleven

Since the beginning of recorded music (or close to it) musicians have hunted the ever illusive record deal. In the U.S. there are 3 areas best suited for the hunt, Los Angeles, New York and Nashville. Of course most large cities have some sort of music industry, but the 3 I have just mentioned are the topic sites for today. Way back in the 20th century record deals roamed freely, oh yes large budgets, assessable A&R, and the never to be seen again "ARTIST DEVELOPMENT". People went out and bought records (CD's), attended concerts, retail was alive, radio booming, and the bad economic times weren't this bad!! Any one have a time machine? In some cases bands got signed if the record company thought there was real potential. Labels gave out development deals. I secured many development deals from a number of major labels. Enough about yesterday. Artists are still getting signed by record companies both major and indie, people are still going to concerts and artists can reach the masses by video and the all mighty internet!! However record company development is almost extinct. So here's how you do it. Some of the following can be found in previous "Music Career Talk" blogs, it's great to be completely original, but keep in mind that's a tough road to cross. Record companies of all sizes want an artist to show up with finished product, large fan base etc., but how do you get to the record company in the first place? Do your homework research. Start with a number of artists who's music might be a good match with yours, check out what record company their with, look up that company on line and see if there is a list of staff. A cold call is tough, in most cases you won't get through to A&R or any one without a reference unless it is a really small company and then it's still tough. There is a way to get through all of that and make contact. It's hard to get into a business without some kind of investment. Can't make it without spending, look at it as an investment in your future. There are a number of people you can hire who will represent you or connect you to the people you can't reach on your own. I've done it and I've helped others in the same way I was helped.
As it turns out I have two sessions today and must abandon my writing for now, but look for next weeks blog and I'll get you on the road to hunting that record deal for real...

Music Career Talk X

Here we go my 10th blog on the Sunday before the 4th of July 2011. It's not that I don't like a long holiday weekend it's the fact that I can't do any business for three days,makes me feel restless. If this sounds over the top it might be, but my quest for moving ahead in the music business is on going. The topic for today is radio promotion vs internet promotion. This is a subject that I face right now as I'm about to lunch two new releases from my label this summer. The first thing to think about is who works the promotion for either radio or internet. At radio the traditional path is to employ a "radio promotion quarterback" who determines what format of radio might play my release. Radio is very fragmented so this decision is a make it or break it deal, next the quarterback will hire a radio promotion team who based on their relationships with music/program directors, D.J.'s etc. and geographical location will attempt to get the song placed. Sometimes as a test to see the listeners reaction, sometimes as an add which means the song has been added to rotation. Then to add to the confusion there are levels of rotation i.e. light, medium, heavy, and power rotation. The idea is to have the artist perform where ever the song is being played. Do in stores, meet and greet, and radio interviews at these stations. That's a lot to coordinate!! If you are able to accomplish all of the above mentioned that does not mean the listeners will go out and buy the CD or buy a ticket to see the artist in concert. By the way all of this costs a fortune!! On a positive note radio has and still can be the delivery system for mass exposure of music.
The internet is a great way to reach the masses, it's cost effective, fast, and the future!! This might sound like a bios opinion, but as a record producer I have had great success using the internet as a promotional tool for my own career. The internet is world wide with the press of the "send" key. There is no fragmentation of music style in the same way as radio. Promotion is coordinated by a person who is an expert on internet sites for CD downloads, physical sales, social network sites that millions of people are connected to and visit on a constant basis. Video is a great tool to promote an artist. It's very hard to get a new artists video played on VH1 or other video T.V. networks. Sometimes that decision is determined by chart placement at radio. Sounds like a "catch 22" scenario, enter youtube what a great way to introduce an artist. This allows a band (or single artist) to be seen and heard where they can't physically be. This said not everyone owns a computer, and cars have radio's not computers so there you have it. My thought is to run a heavy campaign on line, get the band touring, build strong awareness, and when the project is really moving go to radio. I'll let you know what happens. For now I'm out of here.