The People Behind the Music

A lot of people get up every morning and go to work and hate it. Other people look at their job as just a form of income. I personally would hate that. In high school around career day the teacher would have us go through a career test to help us figure out what we should be once we grow up. This test was based off your likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. You would be amazed how many people need to sit down and take this same test in their adult years. It will kill me to work for just a stinky old paycheck. The Music industry is an industry that you would have to love to get in. To stay in it for years you would have to freaking love it. Is there a career test out there to tell you if you could make it in the music industry? NO!

That’s what makes it exciting. You just never know. I will say there are lots of positions in the industry beyond just being the artist that one can consider. Lets take at some position out there for the person that wants be involved but cant sing or dance.

Artist Management is a great position to consider. This position that manages, maintain, and guides the artist through their career. You can live hopelessly through your artist.

AR representative is also pretty huge. This person normally works for a major record label. They scope out the world for new talent. This person gets to discover the next Prince or Michael Jackson.

Creative director this person is literally a visual artist. They come up with creative concepts for the artist. These are the brand builders. They create the image, attitude and persona of the artist at hand.

I love this industry so much I could go on an on. But you get the point. You do not have to be the singer or dancer just to get in this industry. In all actuality the people behind the music get paid more that the ones in front of the camera. 

Taming that Beast

It’s a huge stigma on the ease of entry in to the music and entertainment industry. It makes most people with the desire discouraged. I am here to say stop that. Everyone has talent. It’s from deep inside of you and it’s your prerogative to make it. The issue is how to do it. I hate when someone tells me what to do and never says how. So lets look at a few ways to intrude on the entertainment industry.

First, You need to network. I don’t mean just get on your most popular network and cyber stalk, I mean Go to events in your industry. Get out of your bed. Put a smile one your face and talk to people. You never know whom you are sitting next to. I actually had a friend that used to say, “ If your not networking you are one step away from not working”. That is so true.

Be a confident artist. They say artist are sensitive to their artwork. Act like it. Show it and stand behind it. The sure way to get left behind is to me shy. If someone says draw something, pull your pen out of your pocket. I they say sing, blow our your best note. Those that make it are the ones that have no issue showing off their talent. Word of mouth is best stepping-stone. If no one has ever encountered your work then it cant be supported.

Broadcasting your self is HUGE! It can be how ever possible. You should start building your brand with something as simple as your Facebook profile. Most people fail to realize that social networks have become a professional tool. You can reach people anywhere in the world on these sites.  So watch what you say and what you post on these sites. You can get discovered on these sites. I went to a Tyler Perry Play and I was amazed by two of his singers. I bought the DVD just to hear them again. The most amazing thing was he had discovered them from YouTube.  If you need a few extra ideas you can find 14 ways to broadcast yourself. 

Words From the Wise

There is a business venture out there with my name on it. I can’t wait to purse it. I want to own a creative company. Our main creativity will flow in my very own venue. It is more of a concert hall as well as establishment for celebrations. I can’t wait till years from now when I can say Janet Jackson had an unforgettable soul session at my establishment. My dreams will come true but first I have to make sure all my ducks are in a row! So of course I went on a search for advice. I am a believer that good advice from the old and wise can get you half way there. I have lots of ideas and I want those ideas to be all mine. I have a vision and I don’t want some one to catch a glimpse of it and run with it. So what can I trademark, patent, and copyright. These three things can be confusing. So I listened to a podcast from the University of Virginia School of Business. It broke down the differences between those elements. I now know I will a few patents and trademarks and starting out I wont have many copyright materials at the start. I will say maybe one-day ill get to write a song or two so I can copy write those.

Speaking of songwriter, I took the time to hear a few wise words on another podcast. It was great to hear the prospective of an actual songwriter. She stated the number one tip was get legal representation. In her experience the most frustrating thing does not know what rights you have as an artist. Along with having that representation she feels you must build relationships and have documentation of any agreements. These documents are the ones that stand in court. Those were great points that often go unnoticed. It would suck if you went to court for trademark infringement and have not have documentation to prove it.

Once I get business up and running I will have to figure out how I am going to raise awareness of my company and brand. The podcast onepublicity and endorsements gave great advice. It points out that sometimes the smallest window can be your biggest window of opportunity. Take all those chances to get your name and your brand out there so the big game changers know you’re on the radar. It made me realize that small things like sponsoring the local bake sale of having my logo on event fliers will go along way. These are examples of publicity on a small scale. People don’t realize that you have to start small to get bigger. I will admit that is a huge issue for me. I want things to happen when I want them to happen and how I want them to happen. Taking the time to seek legal advice from those in the industry is something I will do throughout my journey because it has truly helped me put things in prospective.  

Is that Legal?

The entertainment and music industry is dynamic and forever changing.  This means the legal issues come and go. Lets look at a few recent ones today. It is great to get familiar with the issues that surround your industry of interest.

When was the last time you sat at your computer and pulled up Garage Band created an awesome beat and sung a tune. Yesterday? Great, did you know you have officially written and copy written a song? The time stamp from the computer as well of a few extra steps and that hit is all yours! According to Boosey & Hawkes there are a few things you can do to protect your music.  I always thought the mail your own work to yourself thing was funny but it actually is sufficient.  You can even submit your work to a solicitor and request a receipt, which states the date and a description of your work. These in its self will suffice to claim your work. To take it a step further and be able to file suit you must register at a federal level. This is a big deal in the industry because at one point in time you had to go through a lot and even pay some money just to claim your work. It is a lot simpler now.

Lets take a look a recent case filled against Universal Music Group West Coat Office.

It’s obvious that our entertainers flaunt sex, drugs, and alcohol in the videos and photos but its crazy to think you’re above the law. This is a running issue in the entertainment industry.  There is a case filled by an employee of Universal Music Group West Coast for alleged labor violations including a hostile work environment. The complainant says on numerous occasions there where illegal acts taking place. These acts were brought to the attention of superiors multiple times and ignored. It wasn’t until the complainant came into a situation with the artist known as TI and his entourage. The employee was just trying to do their job. Two days later she found herself terminated. This situation rubbed me the wrong way! Everyone knows it is illegal just because you’re a star doesn’t allow you to do as you please. The Music group is also in the wrong. Why are you allowing this kind of environment in you establishment?  I personally think it time to get all that extra crap out of the artistry of music and get back to real music. Am I saying all artists are clean? No, but stop allowing them to come to the studio that way and see how long they last! Bobby Brown might have had a longer career an Whitney Houston might still be here. Lets be honest her better days were before here addiction.

Lastly it is a big deal to cover your own tail in the advertising world when it comes to using songs as a cover.  Erick Korte  speaks on it a YouTube clip. You cant just take a song and run with it. You first have to buy the rights to the song. He states that there are a lot of people out there that mis uses tunes and find themselves out of a lot of money. I think it is important to learn the ins and outs so you can conduct your business accordingly.  Every artist wants his or her credit. For example, Ne-Yo came out from being a shadow writer to gain his respect for his works. How many times have you heard of someone suing somebody for copying his or her song?  They say artist are sensitive about their work. 

King Bey Said Bow Down ****

My Girl Said Bow Dow

Beyoncé is one of the biggest names in the business. She recently released a song that shocked everyone. When we first seen her with group mates in Destiny’s Child he music was along the lines of “Bills,Bills,Bills”, “Cater to You”, Soldier, and the very popular “ Survivor”.

Her newest song is called “ I Been On”. The H-Town chick came out of her in this tune. She gets grimy and ethnic. To see what I am talking about just take a listen yourself. 

I personally enjoyed it myself. I ask why the change though. They say if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. So why switch it and change something that has worked so well for her.  If you ask me it is because she is an artist. Not just an artist a dynamic artist. She doesn’t have one face.  As an artist manager I would rather work with one of her kind. If I need her to get a tad hood or extra classy she is able to do it.  As to why, it is because that is part of who she is. She is from Houston Texas, as she will gladly tell you and tunes like that are apart of the culture. For example listen to this freestyle with BigPokey.  Beyoncé recently started managing herself. This is great because her true talent is starting to shine. She paid her dues by doing what everyone else wanted and sold millions doing it. You would think she has earned her respect from her fans that they would support her differences and maturity. That was not the case!

Her fans were partial in her recent song release.  Most people think she is being untrue or trying to fit in where she is not. That’s not fair. I hope they see she is being true to her dynamic personality.  I mean gosh Lil Wayne goes into the studio high as a kite, sips on syrup and puts his body in jeopardy to make a hit. The fans have labeled him as the best rapper alive. But when Beyoncé gets into the booth in her right mind we cant accept her.  We as a society got to start respecting true artistry.